Buffalo Grove, Illinois (Ogle County)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Buffalo Grove is an
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in the
Ogle County Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 53,497. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle, ...
township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
of Buffalo,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, United States. It was the first settlement in Ogle County, and was once a bustling frontier town that attracted many of Ogle County's early residents. The creation of the
Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
, caused most of the residents and businesses to move to Polo. Today this former hub of business comprises a few dozen homes.


History

During the early 19th century, many settlers from the east coast of the United States traveled to Galena after the establishment of
lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
mines in the area.History of Buffalo Grove
Retrieved on August 01, 2007
Many of the trails from
Dixon's Ferry Dixon's Ferry was the former name for Dixon, Illinois, United States. It was located on the bank of the Rock River near present-day Illinois Route 26. John Dixon operated a rope ferry service to transport mail from Peoria to Galena, and he al ...
(originally called Ogee's Ferry) passed through what would later become Ogle County. John Ankeny marked Ankeny's Trail from Dixon's Ferry to Galena in 1829, and while doing so claimed an areas of trees as his own. In the spring of 1830, Ogle County's first settler, Isaac Chambers, erected the first cabin near the Galena Trail. Chambers intended to build and manage an
inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...
, or tavern as a stopping point on the way to Galena. When Ankeny returned a controversy arose over the land's ownership. Chambers prevailed, and Ankeny moved further down the trail and opened an opposing tavern. By the spring of 1831, Oliver W. Kellogg arrived at Buffalo Grove, and bought his claim from Chambers. Another settler, Samuel Reed, planted of corn in 1831, and by 1832 he also included
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
on the first farm in Ogle County. Later that spring, the
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...
began with the first armed confrontation at the Stillman's Run. The Sauk were victorious during this confrontation with Colonel Isaiah Stillman's militia. Dispatches were sent to all settlers, ordering them to the military headquarters near Dixon's Ferry. Buffalo Grove's settlers first went to Dixon's Ferry, then moved on to Peoria where they remained until September. While the settlers were away, a group of men returned to their homes to look after some of the stock that remained in the settlement. When the men returned to Buffalo Grove, they found the body of William Durley in the road near the woods. The event became known as the Buffalo Grove ambush or massacre. Durley was originally buried near the spot he died at by a party who would become the victims of the
St. Vrain massacre The St. Vrain massacre was an incident in the Black Hawk War. It occurred near present-day Pearl City, Illinois, in Kellogg's Grove, on May 24, 1832. The massacre was most likely committed by Ho-Chunk warriors who were unaffiliated with Black ...
the next day.Stevens, Frank E.
The Black Hawk War
'', Frank E. Stevens 1903, pp. 169-171. Available online at Northern Illinois University Libraries Digitization Project. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
The Killing of Felix St. Vrain
" Historic Diaries: Black Hawk War, ''Wisconsin Historical Society''. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
In 1910 the Polo Historical Society moved Durley's remains and erected a historical marker and memorial over his new grave.William Durley Monument
" Illinois Digital Archives, ''Illinois Secretary of State/State Librarian'', to access ( PDF) click access this item. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
The settlement continued to grow, including the establishment of the Buffalo Grove Post Office on February 12, 1833.Post Offices in northern Illinois, 1837
Retrieved on August 05, 2007

Retrieved on August 05, 2007
There is some discrepancy as to the date of the post office's establishment and at least one source asserts the date as 1835. The area's first merchant, Colonel John D. Stevenson, arrived from Louisiana to set up a store in 1834. The following year the town was platted and named St. Marion, but when the post office was established it was called Buffalo Grove. The name of the settlement was officially changed in 1839 by the residents. In 1836, the area's first
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
was built along Buffalo Creek, and some traces of it remain extant. When construction of the
Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
(ICRR) began in 1852, the village population was nearly 1,000 residents; in 1835 15 families lived in the vicinity of Buffalo Grove. Also in 1852, a steam sawmill was built in order to supply the ICRR with
railroad ties A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper (Australian English, Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the Track (rail transport), rails in railroad tracks. Generally la ...
. Following the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad, the new town of Polo was founded along the tracks in March 1853.Founding of Polo
Retrieved on August 05, 2007
Nearly all residents from Buffalo Grove moved their homes and businesses to Polo in order to take advantage of the new railroad. The Buffalo Grove Post Office was moved in the dead of night in January 1855 to avoid trouble. The office was opened in its new location the next morning. One notable Buffalo Grove resident was naturalist John Burroughs, who taught in Buffalo Grove from 1856-1857 before moving back East to marry.John Burroughs in Buffalo Grove
Retrieved on August 04, 2007

Retrieved on August 04, 2007
Today, Buffalo Grove no longer remains as a true village, instead having about a dozen homes in its area.


Nomenclature

Native Americans who originally lived on the lands of Buffalo Grove, called the area "Nanusha" (Na-noo-sha), which means "buffalo." When white settlers came to the lands they found no buffalo, instead they found buffalo bones. In the winter of 1778, a heavy snow descended on the
Mississippi Valley The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...
. Fluctuating temperatures caused the snow to melt and refreeze and the snow crusted over, thus the buffalo were unable to access their food supply and many starved to death.


Church and cemetery

Buffalo Grove is home to one cemetery; the Reed cemetery is located west of the unincorporated village. The cemetery derived its name from Samuel Reed, Sr. who died suddenly on August 17, 1833. Reed was the first to be buried in the new cemetery, and the cemetery was named after him.History and Reminiscences Vol. II
Retrieved on August 05, 2007
In the fall of 1843, Elder Alexander Conlee established the Buffalo Grove Church. Originally the congregation met at the Doty School, which was built to serve as both a school and church.
Retrieved on August 05, 2007


Reference


External links

* {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Ogle County, Illinois Unincorporated communities in Illinois Populated places established in 1830 Black Hawk War 1830 establishments in Illinois