Oak Park Tours
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A Brief History of Oak Park
In 1835 Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings came from Yorkshire, England, and built a small frame house near Lake Street and Harlem Avenue made with lumber from the saw mill (in now what is River Forest) that drew them to the area. Since the Kettlestrings farm was one of the few homes between the small growing town of Chicago and the Des Plaines River, it became a tavern and the Kettlestrings charged 50 cents for supper, bed and breakfast. The quarter section that the Kettlestrings staked was known by a series of names including Kettlestrings Grove, Oak Ridge, and Harlem. (Source: https://oprfmuseum.org/brief-history-oak-park) |