1835
A cabin in Deer Grove
George Ela built a log cabin in Deer Grove in 1835. Settlers clustered in the groves, Deer, Plum, Englishman’s and Highland, and two old trails later became Algonquin and Rand roads.
The groves
George Ela built a log cabin in Deer Grove in 1835. Early settlers clustered in the groves, Deer, Plum, Englishman’s and Highland, and the Woodstock Trail and Lake Zurich Trail later became Algonquin Road and Rand Road.
Railroad and village
The Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad reached the Deer Grove trading post in 1853, and Joel Wood laid out the village in 1855. Palatine incorporated on April 2, 1866, and received its charter in 1869. In 1871 the village bought 12 street lamps at $3 each and paid a lamplighter 50 cents a night.
The Clayson House
George Clayson, a nurseryman and village trustee, bought land in 1867 where he grew fruit trees and grapes, and in 1873 he built a house there for about $2,300, with a mansard roof and Italianate bay window. The Claysons moved on within a few years, and the Wolff family lived in the house longer than anyone else. In 1976 the Palatine Public Library bought it with the Palatine Historical Society and the Palatine Park District to mark the Bicentennial, and restoration architect Wilbert Hasbrouck returned it to its original plan and color. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1979, and opened to the public that October 7.
Preserves and growth
In 1916 the forest preserve district bought its first land, about 500 acres at Deer Grove. Palatine grew quickly after the war, from 11,500 residents in 1960 to 25,900 in 1970 and 28,800 by 1973. Voters established Harper College by referendum in 1965, and classes began in September 1967. The 2020 census counted 67,908 residents.
Source: Village of Palatine: About the Village · Palatine Historical Society: Clayson House Museum · Forest Preserve District: Mission & History · Harper College: History