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History of Peotone The land around the Joliet area was previously an Indian settlement up until about 1835. Around this time Lincoln was urging land grants and for the proposed Illinois Central Railroad. Stephen Douglas also got on same band wagon to encourage roads and a railroad to be built to attact settlers to this prairie area. In 1851 the Illinois Central Railraod was incorporated.
The present site of the village of Peotone was bought from the railroad company and laid out by David Goodwille in 1856. Legend has it the town was named for an Indian Chief who formerly roamed the area, but some say it is named by an official of the railroad who created the names of the stations along the line by combining consonents and vowels as he traveled. The poplar translation of the name of Peotone is "A good place to live in."
Among the first crops were wheat and rye, which led H.A. Rathje to have the mill constructed in 1872, which is now known as the Rathje Mill. In 1877 the first school was too small, so a new building was erected. Then there churches began to spring up. The first church was the Methodist Church which was built in 1867, followed by others. From there the village continued to grow. (The above information taken from the book "Peotone on Parade Centennial Celebration Book". Please see this book at the Peotone Library) |
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The first settlers to the Peotone area were Daniel Booth and James Allen from Massachusetts in 1849, but they did not stay long. In 1855 the township settlement actually began.
In 1858 the population of the town was 125 people. At this time the first house was built on Crawford Street, and in 1860 the first school begun to teach classes. The town was actually incorporated in 1869.
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