| Carpentersville
is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States.
The population was 30,586 at the 2000 census.[1]
Carpentersville was first settled
by Charles Valentine Carpenter and his brother, Daniel.
In 1837, the two brothers, en route to the Rock River,
made camp along the east bank of the Fox River to wait
out the spring floods that made continuing their oxcart
journey impossible. They ended up staying in the area
to settle what was then called Carpenters' Grove. In
1851 Charles's son, Angelo, platted the land and renamed
the town Carpentersville, which was incorporated in
1887.
In 1864 Carpenter established
an iron foundry and blacksmith shop called the Illinois
Iron & Bolt Company. The company later acquired
the Star Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural
machinery. During the 1870s and 1880s German, Swedish,
and Polish immigrants came to work in the factories.
Carpenter housed the workers, built a church, and held
cultural events. Although he moved to Elgin in 1875,
Carpenter continued his business interests in Carpentersville.
He persuaded the Chicago & North Western Railroad
to extend its tracks from East Dundee to the area and
built an iron bridge with his own funds to accommodate
the rail line. By 1912 Carpenter's two companies employed
2,000 people. Star Manufacturing remained in Carpentersville
until 1977. |
