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First inhabited by Native Americans, including the Pottawatomie,
Sac and Fox tribes, Frankfort was used as a conduit between the Des Plaines
and St. Joseph Rivers. Originally, the area was part of the Virginia
Territory before the French signed a treaty with Manitoqua, the Pottawatomie
Chief, for land in the Prestwick area. The first pioneers came to Frankfort
in the early 1830s by means of the Des Plaines River from the southwest
and by wagon from the east along the Sauk Trail, a roadway that still
exists today.
William Rice, the first non-native settler, made a permanent
settlement in Frankfort in 1831. While the first pioneers, coming mainly
from the New England Colonies, were mostly of English and Scottish descent,
German settlers made the Village of Frankfort a reality. Later in the
1840’s German Settlers migrated from the Pennsylvania area to Frankfort.
They had fled harsh conditions in their homeland by coming to America
and proved to be very industrious and experienced farmers as they soon
bought most of the fertile farm land from the “Yankees”,
who were more inclined to provide services for local needs.
Establishing
both ownership and pride in the area, the German settlers implemented
the first system of resident concern for local lands, which has been
maintained ever since. What is now known as Frankfort Township was originally
part of the Hickory Creek Precinct.
Will County was originally divided
into ten precincts. The county was later changed to townships. In 1850,
Frankfort Township was named by Frederick Cappel after his native city,
Frankfurt-Am-Main, Germany. In 1855 the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad,
built a line through an area linking Joliet with Lake Station, Indiana.
The J&NI Railroad was leased to the Michigan Central Railroad and
service was implemented in July 1855. Nelson D. Elwood, an officer of
the rail line, and Sherman Bowen, a Joliet attorney and real estate man
jointly platted a village of around 23 acres in March 1855 and named
it Frankfort after the townships name.
It was commonly referred to as
Frankfort Station because of the railroad depot located there. John McDonald
became the first railroad agent in 1857. In 1879, the Village of Frankfort
was incorporated, and elected John McDonald as the first Village President.
Along with the establishment of the government, among the first undertakings
of the newly formed administration was the institution of land use policies.
Early plats that were recorded indicated a traditional grid pattern with
residential uses surrounding the business district and railroad line
and additional land provided for schools and public open spaces. |
