It was changed to Crystal Lake sometime before 1840.
The area known today as downtown Crystal Lake was first called Dearborn
and later, Nunda, from an area in New York where many settlers originated.
The village of Dearborn was founded in the 1850s after an extension
of railroads through the area. The first train station was built
in 1856, although it was pre-fabricated and shipped from Chicago
on a flatcar. At that time, the main business district for the village
of Crystal Lake was located on Virginia Street, about one mile southwest
of the railroad station.
The railroad served to connect both the people and industries of
Crystal Lake and Dearborn to Chicago and the rest of the country.
Dearborn grew quickly due to this new rail connection. On October
7, 1868, Dearborn’s name was changed to Nunda. The village
was platted in 1868 by local surveyor, John Brink, after whom a
downtown street is now named. The village included the area now
generally bounded by Illinois Route 176 on the north, Crystal Lake
Avenue on the south, Main Street on the east, and Walkup Avenue
on the west. Much of the land was originally owned by two early
settlers, Daniel Ellsworth and Simon S. Gates.
The villages of Crystal Lake and Nunda were both incorporated
in 1874. In 1908, the name of the village of Nunda changed its name
to North Crystal Lake. Several attempts were made to consolidate
the two villages, and finally, after much disagreement, the village
of North Crystal Lake was annexed to the Village of Crystal Lake
in 1914, and a consolidated city government was established. |