Riverside in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Old River-Crossing
Erected 1932 by Women's Reading Club of Riverside, Illinois; Chicago Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 41° 49.349′ N, 87° 49.26′ W. Marker is in Riverside, Illinois, in Cook County. Marker is on Fairbank Road, 0.1 miles east of Millbridge Road. The marker is between Fairbank Road and the parallel walking path, about a tenth of a mile east of the Millbridge Road crossing over the Des Plaines River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Riverside IL 60546, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Hofmann Dam (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bourbon Spring (approx. ¼ mile away); Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Stephen Van Rensselaer Forbes Home Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); World War Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Sergeant James P. Quinn (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); War Dead of World Wars I and II (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Riverside.
Also see . . . History of Dams in Riverside, IL. From the Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside:
Excerpt: "In 1827, the first dam at the Hofmann site was built by the Laughton Brothers. The dam was placed upon a natural waterfall along the Green Bay Trail of the Indian, also known as the Riverside Ford. The waterfall is formed by a limestone shelf which at one time, following the last Ice Age, marked the shores of Lake Chicago. The Laughtons developed this geologic feature to power the first sawmill of Northeastern Illinois thus beginning a period of urban growth in the region. The Laughtons’ dam, of simple timber construction, was short lived and the sawmill is presumed to have closed around 1839." (Submitted on September 26, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 63 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 25, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.