Second Chapter of Wilmette History

This tract of land, which Ouilmette's wife acquired by the treaty of Prairie du Chien, covered 1,280 acres of land situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan about fourteen miles north of Chicago. Its southern boundary was what is now known as Central street, Evanston; its northern boundary was North avenue, Wilmette (now Elmwood avenue), and its western boundary near what we now call Fifteenth street.
By the terms of the treaty, this reservation could not be sold without the consent of the President of the United States, and in 1844, a petition to the government, signed by the children of Ouilmette (the mother having died in 1840) asked permission to sell or lease the land. As a result of this petition, a special Indian agent was appointed who sold the land to real estate speculators during the years 1844-1845. After a number of transfers, the land became the property of Mr. Alexander McDaniel of Wilmette and Mr. Henry Dingee of New York City. Mr. Dingee bought 270 acres through his agent (Mr. John Westerfield), for which he paid $4,000 in gold. Mr. McDaniel purchased 120 acres at $1.25 per acre and built a home on the lake front near the intersection of Hlll street and Sheridan Road.
As early as the year 1832 (the year of the Black Hawk war), the coming in of the troops and the necessary supplies sent by the government established a route which was followed later by settlers attracted hitherto by the reports carried back by the army men of the many advantages in soil and climate of northern Illinois and Wisconsin. A constantly increasing stream of settlers began to arrive and in 1835, Chicago's population was 1,500.
Mr. Arunah Hill and his family were among the earliest settlers in this region. They arrived here in the year 1836 in a small schooner from Lake Ereie. Mr. Hill built his cabin near Ridge avenue almost due west of what is known as Calvary station. Here he lived with his family for about one year, after which they moved about three miles north and located permanently. One of his sons, Mr. Benjamin F. Hill, who was but six years old at that time, resided here until the time of his death in 1905. (The authority for this statement is Mr. J. Seymour Curry in an address delivered before the State Historical Society in 1908.) Among other early pioneers who settled in this neighborhood about this time were Abraham Hathaway, John Carney, George and Paul Pratt, Henry Clarke, George W. Huntoon, William Foster, Benjamin Emerson and many others whose names are familiar in the early annals and who arrived previous to 1840. During the next few years came Ozro and Charles Crane, Samuel Hood, John O'Leary, Alexander McDaniel with many others and in the year 1850, the township of Ridgeville was formed with a population of nearly 450.
In [unclear], the Northwestern University was organized with Mr. John Evans as president of the first board of trustees. What is now the city of Evanston was named after him when it was plated in 1853-54.
At about this period of the history of the north shore, the road north from Chicago, instead of being lined with villages as it now is, was marked by taverns at intervals of from two to five miles. Some of these were named as follows: Ten Mile House now called Calvary Station
Gross Point, Ridgeville, now called Evanston
Ouilmette Reservation, now called Wilmette
Wynetka, now called Winnetka
Port Clinton, now called Highland Park
Previous to 1846, the residents of the Gross Point district were obliged to get their mail from Chicago, but in December, 1846, a postoffice was established at Gross Point. The post office was kept at the home of the postmaster and its location was changed at each change of the incumbent. Most of these houses were strung along what is now called Ridge avenue. (Authority for this statement is J. Seymour Curry in an address delivered before the State Historical Society in 1908.)