Originally part of Potawatomi Indian lands, the
Lombard area was first settled by Americans of European
descent in the 1830s. Lombard shares its early history with
Glen
Ellyn. Brothers Ralph and Morgan Babcock settled in a grove of
trees along the
DuPage
River. In what was known
as Babcock's Grove, Lombard developed to the east and
Glen
Ellyn to west. In 1837, Babcock's Grove was connected to
Chicago by a stagecoach line which stopped at Stacy's
Tavern at
Geneva
and St. Charles Roads. Fertile land, the
DuPage
River,
and plentiful timber drew farmers to the area.
Sheldon and Harriet Peck moved from Onondaga,
New York, to this area
in 1837 to farm 80 acres of land. In addition, Peck was an artist and primitive
portrait painter who traveled to clients across northeastern
Illinois. The Peck house also served as the
area's first school and has been restored by the Lombard Historical Society.
The 1848 arrival of the Galena & Chicago Union
Railroad provided local farmers and merchants rail access to
Chicago, and commercial buildings soon sprang
up around the train station. Lombard was officially incorporated in 1869, named
after
Chicago
banker and real estate developer Josiah Lombard.
In 1927 the estate of Colonel William Plum, a local
resident, was bequeathed to the village. The
Plum
property included his home, which became the village library, and a large
garden containing 200 varieties of lilac bushes. The garden became a public
park (
Lilacia
Park)
and since 1930
Lombard has hosted an annual
Lilac Festival and parade in May.
Lombard is
a fabulous place to live, work, play or place to raise a family. It is one
of the best kept secrets in the
Chicagoland area except of course for our one of a kind, Lilac Festival. I speak not only as a
real estate agent but as someone who has spent over 45 years here and knows
every nook and cranny of the town.
Lombard Page
