Waukegan's birthday only part of the story

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Waukegan's charter as a city, though its history goes back much further.

By 1695, it is believed a trading post existed in Waukegan on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan to facilitate the fur trade in northeastern Illinois. The silver/fur trade was big business from 1680 to 1820 between Native Americans and the British and French. The remains of the trading post were found by settlers in 1835, in the area of today's Sheridan Road and Water Street. By that time, it was only a small earthwork with decaying timbers, but its significance was understood. Based on these remains and stories of the place, the new settlement was named "Little Fort."

A map by Thomas Hutchins, published in 1778, and based on his own surveys, noted the site as "Riviere du Vieux Fort" or "River of the Old Fort." The Waukegan River is now barely visible, but at one time its flowing waters were used to power mills in the fabrication of furniture and other products.

In 1779, Samuel Robertson was sailing around Lake Michigan collecting materials to supply the British troops at Mackinac, Mich., and noted: "At sunset we was about four miles from the shore, which supposed to be the petit Fort." The expression "petit Fort" referred to the site of Waukegan.

In 1839, Little Fort consisted of the Thomas Jenkins store and a few other buildings and residences. The land was heavily forested and on a bluff, prompting most settlers to go inland to farm the rich prairie lands. Despite the lack of settlers, a handful of businessmen saw an opportunity to create a port town. They believed that a county seat at this location would ensure a prosperous community and provide an outlet for farm products and lumber. The Little Fort Party was formed with the goal of relocating the county seat from Libertyville (where it had been established that year) to Little Fort.

By countywide vote in 1841, the county seat was officially moved to Little Fort. As hoped, moving the seat of government stimulated growth. When the community reached a population of about 2,500 in 1849, it incorporated as a village and changed its name to Waukegan. It was felt that the designation "little" was no longer satisfactory, and the Native American equivalent of Waukegan was agreed upon, meaning "fort" or "trading place."

By 1859, the city had grown to 3,400 inhabitants, and was a well-established hub of commerce and government.