Darien Historical Society

Darien Darien Historical Society

After the Black Hawk War of 1832, two small villages took root on the prairie southwest of Chicago. Settled in the 1830s and 1840s, Lace and Cass grew into the city of Darien, which was incorporated in 1969. The rich soil and timberland attracted hardy pioneers from the East and immigrants from Germany. They plowed, planted crops, and raised their families. Wood was cut for homes and barns, and cattle grazed in open fields. At "The Point" stood a general store, a blacksmith shop, a creamery, and Lace Hall. On his wife's family property in 1903, Congressman Martin Madden built a summer home called Castle Eden, a scaled-down version of the White House. Shortly after World War II, suburbia arrived. Picking flowers along the creek while walking through open fields of corn, hay, and wild daisies became a thing of the past as the foundations of homes and businesses began to dot the landscape. "Life at the Point" slowly changed, giving way to Darien, "A Nice Place to Live."