Near Gurnee in Lake County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Amos Bennett
First African American Settler in Lake County
Photographed by Quin O'Brien
1. Amos Bennett Marker
Amos Bennett, born in 1797 in Connecticut to freed slaves, was the first African American settler in Lake County. This marker sits on a portion of land Bennett settled and farmed with his wife and children in the mid 1830s. He later farmed 150 acres north of Grand Avenue on Dilleys Road.
Active in his community, Amos Bennett became the first African American to run for public office in Lake County in 1843. Known for his healing skills with herbs, "Doctor" Bennett is credited with saving the life of a neighbor.
Bennett and his family left Lake County in 1852, possibly heading north into Wisconsin.
This historic site is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves' Des Plaines River Greenway, a chain of 10 Forest Preserves that stretches for 33 miles through Lake County and preserves 80 percent of its namesake river's banks.
Erected 1998 by Lake County Forest Preserves.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Government & Politics • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1835.
Location. 42° 21.732′ N, 87° 55.518′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also 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 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: Great America Scenic Railway (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fiddler's Fling (approx. 0.4 miles away); American Eagle (approx. 0.4 miles away); Logger's Run (approx. half a mile away); The Little Dipper (approx. half a mile away); Warren Township Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away); The Wooden Coasters of Six Flags (approx. 0.6 miles away); Kiddieland Amusement Park 1929-2009 (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gurnee.
Regarding Amos Bennett. Research by the Bess Bower Dunn Museum indicates that Amos Bennett moved with his family to Gurnee from Delhi, New York, in 1835. He owned some 140 acres of land in Lake County. The neighbor mentioned in the marker was Hannah Blanchard, who had also moved to the area from Delhi, New York, with her husband Philip, who was known to be an abolitionist. In 1840 Bennett filed in the county court for a divorce from his wife Clara, who had already left him. By 1843 he was married to Ann Frances Bennett; that same year he ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner. In 1846 he joined 30 other families to co-found Warren Township Cemetery. (Source: Lake County History blog, from the Dunn Museum)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2024, by Ben Carnehl of Lake Zurich, Illinois. This page has been viewed 763 times since then and 84 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 22, 2024, by Ben Carnehl of Lake Zurich, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
