River Forest in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Thatcher Woods Savanna

Forest Preserve District of Cook County

Photographed By Sean Flynn, November 28, 2023

1. Thatcher Woods Savanna Marker

Inscription. The preservation and restoration of this oak savanna remnant is a tribute to the Illinois savanna that existed prior to settlement in this area. Its unique ecological system is characterized by trees and shrubs, rare wild flowers, and diverse wildlife. This tract of land was purchased in 1917 from the Steele family, the first settlers of the area.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1917.

Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 41° 52.979′ N, 87° 49.667′ W. Marker was in River Forest, Illinois, in Cook County. Marker was on Washington Boulevard west of Thatcher Avenue, on the right when traveling west. The sign was at the southern edge of G.A.R. Woods, facing the street. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: River Forest IL 60305, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Grand Army of Republic Memorial Woods (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); River Forest, Illinois (approx. 0.3 miles away); Waller Gates (approx. 0.4 miles away); Benjamin R. Morin, S.J., Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); 192nd Tank Battalion Memorial

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(approx. 0.4 miles away); Company B, 192nd Tank Battalion Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Maywood World War I Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Ten Mile Freedom House (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in River Forest.

More about this marker. The marker was not spotted as of late February 2024, which means it had been removed sometime in the previous three months.

On the left side of the marker was a smaller, newer metal marker dedicated to the G.A.R. Woods and nearby Thomas Jefferson Woods winning a 2014 award for conservation and native landscaping from the Chicago Wilderness Alliance.

Regarding Thatcher Woods Savanna. Ashbel Steele, a Connecticut native who settled in Chicago in 1833, moved with his family in 1836 to the area that would later be the village of River Forest. Steele and his business partner acquired a sawmill along the Des Plaines River (then the Aux Plaines, a short distance west of here), and he eventually built a home a short distance north of here. Steele would serve stints as Cook County coroner, as county sheriff and as postmaster of Noyesville

Photographed By Sean Flynn, November 28, 2023

2. Thatcher Woods Savanna Marker

(the name of the post office in the area). He also constructed the area's first brick schoolhouse, Harlem School, which still stands today on Lake Street in River Forest. He is buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.

Also see . . .
1. Boom Rode into River Forest on Lake Street, Train Tracks. A look at River Forest's history, including the impact of Ashbel Steele, from a 1986 article in the Chicago Tribune. (Submitted on November 28, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Oak Savannas. A website on oak savannas, maintained by the Wisconsin-based Savanna Oak Foundation. (Submitted on November 28, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Woods image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sean Flynn

3. Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Woods

This sign is a short way east of the Thatcher Woods Savanna marker on Washington Boulevard. In the background on the right are a flag pole and marker from 1930 that dedicated this forest preserve to the veterans of the Civil War.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 65 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 28, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.