Historical timeline

1840-50s: German immigrants arrive in large numbers; German is spoken in many homes and churches.

1868: Whitcomb Brick and Tile Manufacturing Co., the first large-scale enterprise in Des Plaines, is founded by Franklin Whitcomb.

1869: Des Plaines incorporates

1905: The first bank, Des Plaines State Bank, opens on Miner Street. The bank failed in 1931 as a result of the Great Depression. It never reopened.

1906: Benjamin F. Kinder house built at 789 Pearson St.; now home to the Historical Museum, which opened in 1969.

1907: The first public library opens at Miner and Graceland Avenue with $5,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie.

1915: Des Plaines votes itself dry and earns the nickname Dry Plaines.

1926: The Des Plaines Theatre opens. It is the only movie theater in town, and one of the most historic in the Chicago area.

1955: Ray Kroc opens his first restaurant in what would become the McDonald's chain; it is now a McDonald's museum.

1969: Oakton Community College opens.