Downers Grove in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Pierce Downer
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025
1. Pierce Downer Marker
Pierce Downer
the first white settler of this village pitched his tent and spent the night. Thirty years later he was buried here on his own farm.
Erected by Daughters of the American Revolution, Downers Grove Chapter.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1833.
Location. 41° 48.266′ N, 88° 0.974′ W. Marker is in Downers Grove, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on Linscott Avenue 0.1 miles south of Grant Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is in the center of the Pierce Downer Burial Ground. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4520 Linscott Avenue, Downers Grove IL 60515, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Downer Burial Place (here, next to this marker); Bicentennial Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Pierce and Lucy Downer Burial Ground (within shouting distance of this marker); Downer Family Well (approx. 0.3 miles away); Historic Brick Street Area (approx. 0.4 miles away); Downers Grove Historic Brick Streets (approx. 0.4 miles away); Prince Pond (approx. 0.4 miles away); Original Site of Grant E. Dicke Firehouse (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Downers Grove.
More about this marker. The memorial is one of at least two in this graveyard that were erected by the Downers Grove chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The other, erected in 2016 next to the family grave marker, honors Pierce Downer's wife Lucy, who was the daughter of a veteran of the Revolution.
Regarding Pierce Downer. Pierce Downer was born and raised in Vermont, and
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025
2. Pierce Downer's Burial Place
The D.A.R. memorial can be seen right center. Behind it and to its left is the Downer family memorial; to the left is a historical marker that was erected in 2021 by the Downers Grove Historical Society and the village's park district.
Downer and 10 other relatives (including his wife and two of his children) are buried at this small graveyard in suburban Downers Grove, which is named in his honor. Pierce died on March 26, 1863, a day after his wife, Lucy; they were not buried in Downers Grove's Main Street Cemetery because a nearby creek had flooded due to the spring thaw and could not be crossed. The graveyard was given to the Downers Grove Park District after the death of Downer's great-grandson Earl in 1972.
Also see . . . Downers Grove Chapter of the D.A.R. (Submitted on May 3, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 2, 2025
3. Pierce Downer
A close-up of the photo of Downer on a nearby historical marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 3, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2. submitted on May 2, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on May 3, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
