Rogers Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Indian Boundary Lines

Photographed by Sean Flynn, March 11, 2024

1. Indian Boundary Lines Marker

Inscription.
Clark Street honors George Rogers Clark, whose brother, William Clark, with Ninian Edwards and Auguste Chouteau, in 1816 negotiated Indian treaty ceding land including Chicago site from Rogers Avenue to Lake Calumet.

Authenticated by the Chicago Historical Society

Erected 1937 by Chicago’s Charter Jubilee.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Chicago's Charter Jubilee series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 24, 1816.

Location. 42° 0.975′ N, 87° 40.503′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Rogers Park. It is at the intersection of North Rogers Avenue and North Clark Street, on the right when traveling west on North Rogers Avenue. The marker is on the south-facing side of the 7401 S. Clark St. building, which, as of March 2024, houses a wine and spirits

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shop. The marker is partially obscured by an electrical box. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7407 North Clark Street, Chicago IL 60626, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Joyce Kilmer Triangle (approx. ¼ mile away); Triangle Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Burr Tillstrom (approx. 0.4 miles away); Emil Bach House (approx. half a mile away); Jackson/Thomas House (approx. half a mile away); Calvary Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Vera Megowan Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); Native Plants (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. This plaque is one of 78 placed throughout the city by the Chicago Charter Jubilee in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Chicago’s city charter. A seal of the City of Chicago is at the bottom of the marker. A box for city lights is placed right in front of the marker, which can make it hard to notice from the street.

Regarding Indian Boundary Lines. Clark Street spans 98 blocks of Chicago beginning about ¼ mile

Photographed by Sean Flynn, March 11, 2024

2. Indian Boundary Lines Marker

The city erected a lighting box in front of the marker, partially obscuring it from street view.

north of this marker where it meets Howard Avenue at Chicago's border with Evanston (and becomes Chicago Avenue) and ending about 12 miles away on Chicago's south side, at Cermak Road (22nd Street). While the downtown portion of Clark was part of the original plan for the city's center, the road on the city's north side runs diagonally along what was originally Green Bay Trail, an old Indian trail that spanned 200 miles from Chicago to Green Bay, Wisconsin (and is the subject of a different Jubilee marker).

While some Chicago Jubilee markers are known for text that is perhaps historically questionable (despite being "authenticated by the Chicago Historical Society"), this one appears to be backed by the history. George Rogers Clark was a Revolutionary War military officer from Virginia who led militiamen on the Illinois campaign, where they captured several important British posts in what is today Indiana and Illinois. Clark's younger brother William, referenced on this plaque, was the youngest of 10 children and 18 years younger than George. He is certainly the best-remembered of his family, however, as he and Meriwether Lewis joined forces for the

Photographed by Sean Flynn, March 11, 2024

3. Indian Boundary Lines Marker

A little bit of the marker can be seen behind the lighting box on the right side of the photo. Clark Street can be seen on the far left.

famed Lewis and Clark expedition to what is now the U.S. Northwest.

The treaty referenced on this plaque is the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis, which, most importantly, ceded land to the United States that connected Chicago and Lake Michigan with the Illinois River, which empties into the Mississippi. A little more than 30 years later, the Illinois and Michigan Canal would be completed, connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi. The acquisition included land along Lake Michigan that ran 10 miles north and south from the Chicago River. Rogers Avenue, with its southwest-to-northeast diagonal set-up, is a modern remnant of the northern edge of this land. Indian Boundary Park, about a mile west of here, is a city park that also sits along this old border line. Forest Preserve Drive, farther west, also follows this route.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Indian Boundary Line markers in Chicagoland

Also see . . .
1. Treaty with the Ottawa, Etc. On the Forest County Potawatomi website homepage, the text of the Treaty of St. Louis, signed August 24,

Library of Congress, circa 1807

4. "William Clark, head-and-shoulders portrait, right profile"

An engraving of William Clark by the artist Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Mémin

1816, which ceded land whose northern boundary is memorialized with this marker. (Submitted on March 12, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. A Rogers Park Plaque Marks How US Grabbed Indigenous People’s Land That Became Chicago. Block Club Chicago looks at discussions about whether this Indian Boundary Lines plaque should remain, and if so whether it needs an accompanying plaque to explain more of the history behind it.

Subhead: "The Indian Boundary Lines plaque is one of 40 controversial monuments being reconsidered in a city program."

(Submitted on March 12, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

3. Indians Cede the Land. An article from the Smithsonian Institution about paintings related to this Indian Boundary. (Submitted on March 12, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

4. Forgotten Chicago: The Northern Indian Boundary Line. This article looks at some of the sights on Rogers Avenue, which runs along the northern "Indian Boundary Line" created by the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. (Submitted on March 18, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

"Woman standing next to a George Rogers Clark statue" image. Click for full size.

Chicago Daily News Collection, Chicago History Museum, circa 1906

5. "Woman standing next to a George Rogers Clark statue"

An early 20th century photograph from the Chicago Daily News shows a woman with a statue of George Rogers Clark. It is not known where the photo was taken.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 748 times since then and 91 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4, 5. submitted on March 12, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.