Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings - Oak Park, Illinois - Illinois Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Marker Text:
KETTLESTRINGS
In 1837, Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings paid 215.98 for 173 acres of land west of a nascent Chicago. It is unlikely they could have envisioned that their settlement would evolve into the Village of Oak Park; now a thriving community of 52,000 residents and interationally known for its architectural heritage, cultural tolerance and diverse population.
Born in 1808 in Newton, Yorkshire, England, Joseph Kettlestrings married Betty Willis in 1832 and immigrated to America with their two young children. After landing in Baltimore, they set out in a covered wagon for Chicago, where their journey led them to a broad-topped ridge with a grove of mature oaks and beech trees. Here the family rested atop the hill which now lies in modern day Scoville Park. In 1835, the Kettlestrings built a small log cabin on Lake street just east of Harlem Avenue, establishing themselves as Oak Park's first permanent settlers. The Kettlestrings' residence was one of the few along the stagecoach route from Chicago to Galena and became an inn, charging 50 cents for supper, bed, and breakfast.
In 1837 Joseph Kettlestrings officially purchased the tract of land now bordered by Chicago Avenue and Lake Street, and Oak PArk and Harlem Avenues. Originally referred to as "Kettlestrings Grove," the community grew in size soon developing into Oak Ridge and then into Oak Park in 1871. The Kettlestrings' believe in termerance and support of local churches and schools were also espoused by those to whom they sold land: The Austins, and the Scovilles, whose parcel of land purchased in 1857 from the Kettlestrings would become Scoville Park in 1912.

SCOVILLE PARK
Scoville Park celebrated its centennial in 2012 and is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. For more information, please visit www.pdop.org.

County: Cook Historical Society: Park District of Oak Park Location: Scoville Park Website: [Web Link] Dedication Date: Not listed

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