The History of Wauconda

Main Street

Before Wauconda was colonized, the Pottawattomie and Winnebago Indians inhabited the area finding that it ideally suited their hunting, fishing and trapping needs with two lakes nearby. For the same reasons, Justus Bangs, his wife Louisa, and their family chose to settle in this region of Illinois in the year 1836. He and his family built the area's first log cabin. The cabin occupied a spot on the southern bank of the beautiful, nearby lake which now bears his name.

According to the legends, Wauconda, an Indian word meaning "Spirit Water," was named in honor of a young Indian Chief who was buried in the southeastern part of town, somewhere on the shores of Bangs Lake. In the mid 1840's the name Wauconda was selected and officially adopted, due to a petition initiated and circulated by Justus Bangs himself. Previously, the settlement was known as "Township 44, Range 9, in the County of Lake."

The Bangs family members were natives of Massachusetts. The news of their settlement with its bountiful lakes and streams, wild game and wooded areas quickly reached their friends back home. From there, word spread as far East as New York. As early as 1837, Thomas Slocum constructed a log cabin on the north bank of a lake, about the same size as Bangs Lake, located about two miles west of Wauconda. The lake was later name Slocum in his honor.

These early settlers, primarily of Protestant faith and English heritage, made their way to the township in sailing vessels through the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes, disembarking in Chicago and proceeding northwest by wagon. More and more families and some of their friends followed the leads of Bangs and Slocum. Incidently, most of the first colonists were related by either birth or marriage.

A few years later in 1840, the Andrew Cook family, who were related to Bangs, established residence here in a log cabin. They purchased 380 acres of land at $1.25 an acre intending to farm it. In the early 1850's the Cook family chose to construct a sturdier, more permanent home - a two-story brick structure with a solid foundation and its porch on the east side facing the lake. The Andrew Cook House is still standing on what is now known as Main Street. The new land, called Wauconda, continued to prosper and develop both in its architecture and its population. Certainly, the Andrew Cook House can substantiate the progress made in the architecture of this era.

The popularity of the new village caused churches and schools to be organized in the area almost from its inception. In fact, in 1838, under the leadership of Elder Joel Wheeler the first Baptists gathered together to worship. They instituted the first Wauconda Baptist Church in 1870 housing a Sunday school and library by 1871. Prior to that time, they held services in private homes and shared quarters in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Wauconda established in 1855 under the direction of Reverend Charles French. Although the Methodists first came to Wauconda in 1853, they had been organized in the County since 1835. The Methodists and Baptists joined in the early 1930's with a common goal, to preach the glory of God, and formulated the Wauconda Federated Church.

Since 1839 the "Little Red School," constructed on land donated by Justus Bangs, held classes for community children. In a very short time, however, the population outgrew the "Little Red School" and a larger school had to be built. A portionof this building still stands as part of the home of one of Wauconda's oldest families, the Duers. In 1856, another school was built, the Academy. The Academy, used as the district school, accommodated two to three generations of students until the construction of the present grade school.

It wasn't until 1840 that the Irish immigrant families came to Wauconda bringing their Catholic faith with them. Before a church was erected, Masses were celebrated in the homes of several parishioners by a visiting priest from a nearby settlement every four weeks. Marriages and baptisms were performed at this time also.

The first Catholic Church was erected in 1844 on land donated by John Murray, one of the first Irish settlers, two miles east of Wauconda. Services were held once a month. By 1876 it became a Mission with Mass held every other Sunday. Soon after that it was claimed by the McHenry Parish Settlement. Thus, in 1877, a new Roman Catholic Church was built within the Village of Wauconda. This new Church attracted people from all over the County because of its sturdy structure and the aesthetic beauty of its dome constructed above the sanctuary. Since the new Church had its dedication services on the Feast of the Transfiguration, so it was named by Father O'Neill. By 1948 the parish was enlarged to include a rectory, convent and school - the first and only parochial school in Wauconda. Transfiguration parish is one of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Chicago since the establishment of the diocese in 1844.

Wauconda's peak growth years seem to be the 1840's and early 1850's when population, architecture, village government and services, education, and Churches were cultivating each other...as one matured it prompted the others. One important part of the services developed at this time was the Wauconda post office in 1842. The necessity for a post office existed because the size of the village surpassed the previous one-man pony express route operated by Justus Bangs between Chicago and Janesville (a distance of 100 miles) once per week.

By now there was a need for decision-making body. Therefore, on the first Tuesday in April of 1850 the first town meeting was called to order. An election of officers was held whereby Jonathan Wood was selected as moderator and LaFayette Mills acted as clerk. The newly elected town officers were: Pete Mills, Supervisor; E.L. Huson, Assessor; A.J. Seeber, Collector; Andrew Cook and J. McKinney, Commissioners of Highways; Howard Green and J. Wessecher, Justices of the Peace; and E.L. Huson and Seth Hill, Constables.

Before the election of Highway Commissioners, who would study, implement and later improve the highway system, most of the roads leading in and out of Wauconda were blazed through prairies, streams and woods. Some roads were covered with planks to make traveling easier, especially for stagecoach passengers. One of these roads was known as McHenry Road, which was later name "Old Plank Road" leading into Janesville. "Old Plank Road" was a toll road as were all other palnk-covered roads in Lake County. Illinois had already instituted toll roads, thereby establishing a budget for future road improvements. One of the first noticeable improvements came in 1929 when the right-of-way for Route 176 was purchased through Wauconda. This route travels through the center of town.

Wauconda was well known during the early and mid 1900's, as a summer resort and cabin community, for people from Chicago. Its close proximity to the Chain of Lakes made it an appealing place to vacation. As the 1990's began, Wauconda entered a new era of growth. Both people and businesses are interested in moving to this quaint little village northwest of Chicago which encompasses four square miles. Wauconda Township spreads over 4.5 square miles.

The Bangs family name still lives on in Wauconda. The people's desire to keep records of and learn more about Wauconda's heritage, in addition to its progress, is evident by the establishment of their own Wauconda Historical Society. We invite you to re-discover Wauconda and find out why we are so proud of our community.