This is the second of a two-part Adventure Lab to commemorate Berkeley’s Centennial Celebration, 1924-2024! Present day Berkeley is located on the western edge of Cook County, about 14 miles west of downtown Chicago. I290 and I294 form the western and part of the southern border. The Union Pacific RR and the Proviso railyards distinguish the northern boundaries. The eastern border is irregular, but chiefly defined by Wolf Road or 51st St. The nearest neighbors are Elmhurst, Bellwood and Hillside. Population as of 2020 census was 5,300. This was the land of the Potawatomi in the 1800s. The Chicago Treaty signed on September 26,1833 opened this property and much of Wisconsin and Michigan for sale by the United States Government. The first settlers, mostly German and Dutch, with names like Bohlander, Diebert, Glos, Fippinger and Darmstadt, arrived around 1835. They established farms and helped each other through hard times. They also partnered with the town of St. Charles, 30 miles to the west, to improve a trail from St. Charles through Berkeley to Chicago. Completed in 1836, St. Charles Road opened transportation, communication and trade through this route. The Frick, Walker & Co. stagecoach line, established in Chicago in 1845, used the road to carry passengers and the U.S. Mail. There are 5 sites, which can be visited in any order. They are located in various areas of the village. Use of a car or bicycle is recommended. There are traditional Geocaches located near most of the locations. The GC codes will be identified at each location. Additional information and references: ”From Oats to Roses The History of Berkeley” by Rosemarie Johnson; Village of Berkeley/History of Berkeley; Wikipedia: Berkeley, Illinois, Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad, 1833 Treaty of Chicago, Illinois IPP.org, and Prairie Path; The Digital Research Library of Illinois History; Great Third Rail.org; Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.org; Berkeley Public Library
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