Beginnings (1835-1870) - A Brief History of Oak Park


	BEGINNINGS
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OAK PARK lies on top of the shore of the ancient, glacial "Lake Chicago." The long arm of beach gravel and sand that formed between Lake Chicago and the Desplaines Bay is known as the "Oak Park Spit." This ridge, which runs diagonally from Ridgeland and North Avenues to Madison and Desplaines where it levels out, is now mostly flattened by development. The high curve of this ridge occurs at Oak Park Avenue and Ontario Street, crossing Scoville Park. Since the land was once covered by oak trees it was originally named Oak Ridge. This was the land of the Pottowatomie, Sac and Fox Indians.

Mrs. Kettlestrings In 1835 Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings, who came from Yorkshire, England, built a small frame house near Lake and Harlem made with lumber from the saw mill that drew them to the area. Since the Kettlestrings farm was one of the few homes between the small growing town of Chicago and the Desplaines River, it became a "tavern" and the Kettlestrings charged 50 cents for supper, bed and breakfast.

The quarter section that the Kettlestrings staked was known as a series of names including Kettlestrings Grove, Oak Ridge, and Harlem. In 1843 there were a few more settlers, but no schools, so the Kettlestrings rented out their farm and moved to Chicago with their growing family. Returning in 1855 the Kettlestrings built a more substantial home which was eventually moved to Scoville and Lake Streets where it stood until 1935 when it was demolished to make room for the expansion of the OPRF High School.
Watering Cart

Kettlestrings continued to sell off parcels of the large land holdings to people who followed the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad (1848), the first train to run west of Chicago. The railway station was eventually named Oak Park to match the post office. The Post Office had this name because the name of Oak Ridge was already taken. Oak Park became the official name of the area which was still unincorporated and officially part of Cicero Township until 1902.