Heritage Corner

Heritage Corner. Village of Elkhart. , (left panel:), Village History, For many years, several Indian tribes populated the area around Elkhart Hill. When James Latham, the first white settler, arrived in 1819, the area became known as Elk Heart Grove. Elkhart City was founded by John Shockey in 1855, two years after the arrival of the railroad. In 1979, the village's name changed to Elkhart, Early Residents, John Dean Gillett (1819-1888) , Illinois Governor Richard J. Oglesby (1824-1899) , Captain Adam H. Bogardus (1833-1913) , Garland (Jake) Stahl (1879-1922), (center panel:), Elkhart Hill, Rich in history and natural beauty, Elkhart is famous for its unique landscape - a tree covered hill that rises 777 feet above sea level, surrounded by a horizon of flat Illinois prairie land. Geologically, the hill is a glacial moraine remaining from a late Illinoian Age ice advance. It is noteable due to its comparatively large size. Regionally, the hill proved to be a landmark for Native Americans and European settlers. Edwards Trace, or Old Indian Trail, was an ancient route that flanked Elkhart Hill and was used for thousands of years by the Native Americans. As early as 1711, French priests and trappers traveled its path and it was a major route for pioneers in the early 1800s. Locally little is left of the at least 3,000-year-old trail except for a preserved remnant near Springfield - and two distinct fragments on Elkhart Hill., (right panel is a map key for Points of Interest)