Naperville in Will County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Knoch Knolls Park

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 18, 2026

1. Knoch Knolls Park Marker

Inscription. Gifts from Community Champions Helped Create Knoch Knolls Park Naperville Park District gratefully acknowledges the Knoch Family and the Frank J. Rus Trust for their gifts to the community that helped make Knoch Knolls Park the beautiful, historic, and active place it is today.

About this Site:
This area within Knoch Knolls Park is called the Upper Grove. In the 1950s, the Knoch family owned this land and built a summer retreat cottage and a social lodge which they nicknamed The Wigwam. In 1980 the Knoch family donated 13 acres of land, including this area of the Upper Grove, to the Naperville Park District which began the process of creating Knoch Knolls Park.

About Frank J. Rus:
A gift from the Frank J. Rus Trust made possible the addition of a pavilion at Knoch Knolls Park in 2024. Frank was a longtime Naperville resident until his death in 2020. He was passionate about preserving the natural areas on his own property, planting trees and removing invasive species with his beloved dogs into his 90s. His legacy includes the dedication of the 40-acre Frank Rus Preserve to the Naperville Park District in 2021 to

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expand Knoch Knolls Park to the west.

Erected by Naperville Park District.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 2024.

Location. 41° 42.724′ N, 88° 8.397′ W. Marker is in Naperville, Illinois, in Will County. It can be reached from Knoch Knolls Road 1.2 miles east of 95th Street. The marker is near the pavilion in Knoch Knolls Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 336 Knoch Knolls Road, Naperville IL 60565, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in 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: Scott Settlement (within shouting distance of this marker); First Claim on the Confluence (within

Knoch Knolls Park Marker near the pavilion image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 18, 2026

2. Knoch Knolls Park Marker near the pavilion

shouting distance of this marker); Where the Rivers Meet (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Not Prairie, Not Woods (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Where the Rivers Meet (about 500 feet away); Are You Curious About the River? (about 500 feet away); The Land Where the Rivers Meet (about 800 feet away); a different marker also named Where the Rivers Meet (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Naperville.

Regarding Knoch Knolls Park. Frank Rus owned land near this park, which was donated to the Naperville Park District after his death in 2020 and is now called the Frank Rus Preserve.

Also see . . . Patch: New Pavilion At Knoch Knolls Park To Be Named For Frank J. Rus. (Submitted on August 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Rus Pavilion area at Knoch Knolls Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 18, 2026

3. Rus Pavilion area at Knoch Knolls Park

The pavilion is in the background, behind two markers about the site's earliest settlers, the Scott family, who established their home here around 1830.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on August 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.