Naperville in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Bailey Hobson’s House

Circa 1835

Photographed by Sean Flynn, October 21, 2023

1. Bailey Hobson’s House Marker

Inscription.
Home of the first settler of DuPage County. A flowing spring attracted Bailey Hobson to come from Indiana to build a cabin in 1830 and a home in 1835. Hobson was a farmer, miller and soldier in the Black Hawk War.

The mill site, now commemorated in Pioneer Park, was powered by water from the nearby DuPage River.

Erected by Naperville Heritage Society; DuPage County Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Black Hawk War series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 41° 45.078′ N, 88° 7.668′ W. Marker is in Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on Hobson Road (County Route 2) 0.2 miles east of Washington Street, on the right when traveling west. The stone is next to a small wayside that leads to the driveway to a private home. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 25W780 Hobson Road, Naperville IL 60540, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is

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in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: DuPage County Pioneer Park (approx. ¼ mile away); Pioneer Park: Wetland Restoration (approx. half a mile away); Pioneer Park: Prairie Restoration (approx. half a mile away); Pioneer Park: Oak Woodland Restoration (approx. half a mile away); Restoring the Riverbank at Lincoln Greenway (approx. 0.8 miles away); Veterans Park: Remembrance, Nature and Community Service (approx. 0.8 miles away); Revolutionary War Patriots (approx. 0.8 miles away); Veterans Park (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Naperville.

Regarding Bailey Hobson’s House. Bailey Hobson was born in Tennessee, came to Illinois in 1830, and served in the 1832 Black Hawk War. At some point he acquired land on either side of the DuPage

Photographed by Sean Flynn, October 21, 2023

2. Bailey Hobson’s House Marker

River, and he is considered by most sources to be the first white settler in DuPage County. Hobson's grist mill, the first in Northern Illinois, was established in 1834 across the river from his house. This marker is located where he built his two-story home for his family, including his wife, Clarissa, and 12 children. He died in 1850.

Pioneer Park, referenced on the plaque as the site of his mill, is across the river, about a quarter-mile west. It was acquired by the Naperville Park District in 1929; it has been managed by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County since 2016.

Also see . . . An interview with Mrs. Bailey Hobson. A reprint of an 1883 interview by the Inter-Ocean with Bailey Hobson's wife, Clarissa Hobson, who describes life in Naperville's early days, including a story about her family's visit to Chicago and Fort Dearborn in 1832. Mrs. Hobson died in 1884 and is buried next to her husband at Naperville Cemetery.

Excerpt: "Mrs. Hobson still lives to tell the story of her early trials, which were such as few would now believe possible for a woman to pass through and a better historian for what came within
Library of Congress, circa 1936

3. Historic photo of Hobson’s house
her experience could not be found. Her little white cottage near the river bank in Naperville surrounded by flowers, is not more cheerful than the little white haired lady whose home it is."

(Submitted on July 16, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Bailey Hobson image. Click for full size.

The Hobson Collection, Naperville Heritage Society, via David McCarthy, unknown

4. Bailey Hobson

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 2,991 times since then and 322 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 21, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on November 7, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.