Elmhurst in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Carl F. Kranz and Elmhurst College
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 13, 2025
1. Carl F. Kranz and Elmhurst College Marker
Erected 1996 by Elmhurst College.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is December 6, 1871.
Location. 41° 53.989′ N, 87° 56.462′ W. Marker is in Elmhurst, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on 1st Street west of York Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is affixed to the west-facing exterior wall of Elmhurst's north train station. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Elmhurst IL 60126, 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 the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Galena & Chicago Union R.R. (a few steps from this marker); Ruth Strand (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Old Elmhurst Fire Bell (about 700 feet away); The York Theatre (about 700 feet away); Elmhurst Municipal Building (about 700 feet away); Elmhurst National Bank Parapets (about 700 feet away); "Big Rock" (about 700 feet away); Spirit of Bessie Coleman (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elmhurst.
Regarding Carl F. Kranz and Elmhurst College. The school was originally called the Elmhurst Proseminary, and later renamed the Elmhurst Academy and, in 1924, Elmhurst College. In 2020, it was renamed Elmhurst University.
Also see . . .
1. Elmhurst College: Our History.
Excerpt: "Elmhurst University traces its history back to 1871, when the German Evangelical Synod of the Northwest founded the Elmhurst Proseminary to prepare young men for theological seminary and to train teachers for parochial schools. Fourteen(Submitted on September 13, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)students enrolled that first year. They studied music, mathematics, science, history, geography, religion, German and Englishall disciplines that remain in the curriculum todayalong with Latin and Greek. All courses, including English, were taught in German."Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 13, 20252. Carl F. Kranz and Elmhurst College Marker at the Elmhurst train station
2. Chicago Tribune: A Spartan Beginning at Elmhurst College. A 1997 article about the 1871 founding of Elmhurst College.
Excerpt: "Students moving into dormitories at Elmhurst College this fall brought along the usual array of electronic wizardry to make learning and living easier. But when the school first opened 125 years ago as a proseminary and prep school for future preachers and teachers of the German Evangelical Church, it was a spartan existence by comparison. Elmhurst Proseminarys first president, Rev. Carl Kranz, and 14 young men moved into a sprawling farmhouse on the site where the schools student union now stands. Classes were held on the first floor, Kranz and his family lived upstairs, and the boys bunked in the attic."(Submitted on September 13, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 13, 2025
3. Elmhurst station
The Elmhurst station is located on the Union Pacific West line of the Chicago area's Metra train system.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 13, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 13, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
