Des Plaines River Trail

Des Plaines River Trail. Building a Future. , Garland Homestead , Solomon Garland settled Des Plaines in 1861 at the age of 32. He established a homestead which stretched from the Des Plaines River to Potter Road and from Ballard Road south to the Union Pacific - Northwest Line railroad tracks. Used primarily for farming, the property had six greenhouses. Three of Solomon's sons: Frank, Warren and Solomon Jr., each owned a greenhouse while Frank had a foundry which produced greenhouses. Solomon's wife, Minnie, operated one of the first floral shops in Des Plaines. , , The Greenhouse Industry in Des Plaines , At one time, Des Plaines had so many greenhouses that Lord and Burnham built a foundry here circa 1910 to provide parts for the large grass and steel structures that dotted the city's landscape. In 1951, a local newspaper noted that "More roses and carnations are grown in Des Plaines than anywhere else in the universe..." but by the 1960s, with the growth of O'Hare Airport, the once thriving industry was in decline. It was less expensive to ship flowers than it was to grow them in the forced atmosphere of the greenhouses. , , Plant Search? , Sugar Maples are now common in Des Plaines River forests. The color of their fall foliage is considered by many to be unrivaled with leaf colors including yellows, oranges, and reds. Sugar maple trees are also the principal source of maple sugar used to make maple syrup.