What is the history of Lombard, Illinois?
Originally part of Potawatomi Indian lands, the Lombard area was first settled by Americans of European descent in the 1830s. Lombard shares its early history with Glen Ellyn, IllinoisGlen Ellyn. Brothers Ralph and Morgan Babcock settled in a grove of trees along the DuPage River. In what was known as Babcock’s Grove, Lombard developed to the east and Glen Ellyn to west. In 1837, Babcock’s Grove was connected to Chicago by a stagecoach line which stopped at Stacy’s Tavern at Geneva and St. Charles Roads. Fertile land, the DuPage River, and plentiful timber drew farmers to the area. Sheldon and Harriet Peck moved from Onondaga, New York, to this area in 1837 to farm 80 acres of land. In addition, Peck was an artist and primitive portrait painter who traveled to clients across northeastern Illinois. The Peck house also served as the area’s first school and has been restored by the Lombard Historical Society. The 1848 arrival of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad provided local farmers a
