Getting Here
The stories of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff begin with pathways. The receding of the glaciers thousands of years ago created a unique network of ridges, rivers and ravines, navigated by early peoples passing through. The high ground became thoroughfares for the Pottawatomie that European settlers later used as well. Their earliest homesteads cropped up along the Green Bay Trail and Corduroy Road.
But it was the railroad connection to Chicago – built in 1855 – that truly set the stage. The beauty of the natural setting combined with accessibility by rail to a growing metropolis led to the establishment of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff in the mid-to-late 1800s. At first they were formed as educational, religious, and recreational outposts. In the succeeding decades, as people continued to build rail lines, roads, and highways, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff transformed into full-fledged Chicago suburbs, yet retained their unique foundations.
These pathways, connections forged across time and space, tell the story of how we got here – and how we’re still getting here today.
Getting Here
The stories of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff begin with pathways. The receding of the glaciers thousands of years ago created a unique network of ridges, rivers and ravines, navigated by early peoples passing through. The high ground became thoroughfares for the Pottawatomie that European settlers later used as well. Their earliest homesteads cropped up along the Green Bay Trail and Corduroy Road.
Tribes & Traders, By Boat & Foot
Breaking Ground & Bringing in Farmers
Trains & Roads & The Boom of Transport
Building the midcentury dream
The tension between tradition and change