Mokena

Founded in 1852 by Allen Denny, a War of 1812 veteran and operator on the Underground Railroad, Mokena has for over 150 years been a center of commerce and a transportation hub. Meaning turtle in the ancient Algonquin tongue that was fluently spoken in this region for centuries, Mokena rose to prominence with the completion of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in 1852 and would bustle in the post—Civil War era. Home to such unique industries as the Mokena Mineral Springs and the...