Burr Ridge

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

The Village of Burr Ridge is aptly named—and not merely for the bur oaks, nor the limestone ridges as the land nears Flagg Creek.

Before there was Burr Ridge, frontier German, English, French, Scottish, and Native Americans came to these forests. The Plainfield and Joliet trails were early Native American and frontier routes to and from trading posts, and oral histories recount the Potawatomi stopping near what would become County Line Road. The angled routes of Plainfield Road and Historic Route 66 are silent reminders of these past trails and travelers. In 1917, International Harvester Company opened a research facility along County Line and Plainfield Roads to perfect agricultural equipment, namely the iconic Farmall tractor. This inspired the namesake village, Harvester, in 1956, which was renamed Burr Ridge in 1962. The modern Illinois Interstates 55 and 294 intersect near Burr Ridge, spurring growth. Today, the village has the distinction of being one of the wealthiest communities in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467113397
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	02/02/2015
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,094,680
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Sharon L. Comstock is a direct descendant of Burr Ridge pioneer David Craigmile. Craigmile's acreage later became part of International Harvester, and Comstock still lives here today. This title was compiled from oral histories and archives of local families, civic groups, and organizations.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 Early Years 9

2 Working the Land 19

3 Turn-of-the-Century Life 27

4 Industrious Families 39

5 Church Life 47

6 Plainview and Pleasantdale Schools 61

7 Gower and Anne M. Jeans Schools 69

8 High School Spirit 81

9 Farms to Farmalls 93

10 Harvester and Burr Ridge 111