The church's cemetery, located west of where the
church stood (west of Baily Road and north of Frontage Road), can
still be seen today. The church was also used as a school house.
Elisha and Eliza Smart settled here in 1838 with their 10 children.
Elisha got gold fever and left for California, returning 7 years
later as a very rich man. He bought more land and the Smart family
donated the land on which a new Cass Church was built in 1870. John
and Hannah Oldfield came to Cass in 1850. Mr. Oldfield raised cattle
and increased his land holdings to 2000 acres. Franklin Blanchard
opened his cheese factory in 1881 — the location of the cheese
factory being where McDonalds is today. Martin Madden was an Irish
immigrant who arrived at the Cass area during the late 1800s. He
became a member of the Chicago City Council and later was elected
to the House of Representatives and served in the United States
Congress.
In 1903, Mr. Madden built a home to look like the White House in
Washington D.C. he called it Castle Eden. Today Castle Eden is part
of the Aylesford Retreat Center of the Carmelite Fathers. A group
of German Lutherans from Europe came to the area near 67th and Clarendon
Hills Road in 1859. They built the first St. John Lutheran Church
and laid out the cemetery behind the church. Today the cemetery
is still located at 67th and Clarendon Hills Road. In 1899, a new
church was built on the northeast corner of Cass and 75th Street.
The Church was located where the Taco Bell and Buona Beef Restaurant
now stand. In 1969, the second church was torn down and the present
St. John's Lutheran Church was built west of Cass and north of 75th
Street. Salerno's went out of business A school was built on the
northwest corner of Cass and 75th street in 1860. It was the first
Lace School. It is now a museum which is open on the first Sunday
of each month from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.
By 1890, the Village of Lace was established. The important location
at that time was the triangle bordered by Cass Avenue, Plainfield
Road and 75th Street. It was called "The Point". The Point
included the Town Hall, General Store, Blacksmith Shop and the office
of Dr. Roe. A Post Office had been established at The Point in 1884.
The City of Darien was originally part of these two communities
— Lace and Cass. The idea to incorporate came from a desire
of some of the residents of four subdivisions to unite into one
city. Those subdivisions were Marion Hills, Brookhaven, Farmingdale
and Hinsbrook. The City of Darien was incorporated in 1969. When
the incorporation committee reached an impasse on an acceptable
name for the new city, Acting mayor Sam Kelly suggested the name
"Darien". (Kelly had visited Darien, Connecticut, and
found it to be a very pleasant and attractive community.) Today,
Darien is known as "A Nice Place to Live". Darien in Illinois
is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable; Darien in Connecticut
is pronounced with the accent on the last syllable
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