A Timeline of South Holland’s History (from http://www.southholland.org/History/timeline1.phtml)
The Beginning: 1600s to 1894
- 1600s Fertile lands and abundant catfish, sun fish, pike, and black bass from the Calumet River drew the Potawatomi and Miami Indian tribes to the area.
- 1700s The local surrounding area is part of the Northwest Territory.
- 1809 The area is transferred to the Illinois Territory.
- 1818 Illinois becomes the 21st state of the United States.
- 1838 Defeated in war and excluded by treaty, few from the Indian tribes remain. Those who did remain helped the early Dutch settlers.
- 1847 Hendrik de Jong purchases 300 acres of land in Thornton Township, and he, his wife Geertje (de Vries) and 12 children become the first settlers in what is established as De Laage Prarie, also known as Holland Bridge or Low Prarie. Antje Paarlberg also settled here later in the year.
- 1848 Low Prarie Church is formed, later known as Reformed Protestant Church, then First Dutch Reformed Church, and finally First Reformed Church of South Holland.
- 1849 Thorn Creek Church is formed in High Prarie (now Roseland), and is now known as Thorn Creek Reformed Church of South Holland.
- 1853 Illinois Central railroad tracks are laid in the village.
- 1854 Gouwen School is built, named for J.C. Gouwen who donated the land.
- 1860 A combination General Store and Post Office is built.
- 1860 The Panhandle Railroad lays tracks through the village.
- 1870 The Post Office is recognized by the US Government, and the town’s name was changed to South Holland, Illinois.
- 1871 Eastern Illinois Rail lays tracks passing through the village.
- 1880 The Chicago and Grand Trunk Railroad lays tracks across the southern portion of the village.
- 1882 Swedish Evangelical Mission Church is formed, now known as Village Evangelical Free Church.
- 1882 John Shilling founds Wausau Lumber & Coal Company.
- 1886 First Christian Reformed Church of South Holland is formed.
- 1892 Dutch and German farmers begin raising onion sets and eventually came to dominate the commercial production and distribution of this crop, earning for South Holland the title “Onion Set Capital of the World”.
- 1893 Roosevelt School is formed.
- 1894 South Holland is incorporated into a Village under the statutes of the State of Illinois.
May 12, 1894 South Holland’s first Village Board is elected:
President John Shilling
Clerk Peter Anker
Trustees D.P. DeYoung
Gerrit Van DeBerg
Roel VanVuren
Okke VanZanten - 1894 The South Holland Police Department is formed, with Herman DeBoer as its first Chief.
- 1894 South Holland’s population reaches 1,005.
- Late 1890s McKinley School is built.
- 1900 South Holland’s population is 766 according to the 1900 Census. The decrease was largely due to the disannexation of farmland by the Village between 1894 and 1900.
- 1907 The South Holland Concert Band is formed, now known as The South Holland Municipal Band.
- 1910 South Holland’s population grows to 1,065.
- 1911 South Holland Trust & Savings Bank is formed, now MB Financial.
- 1912 Calvin Christian School is formed.
- 1914 The South Holland Fire Department is formed.
- 1920 South Holland’s population is 1,247.
- 1924 Chicago area author Edna Ferber uses South Holland, its pioneers and onion farms as background for her novel “So Big”.
- 1925 Mike Van Der Aa forms Van Der Aa Bus Lines, now known as Vancom Inc.
- 1926 Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland is formed.
- 1927 Thornton Junior College is formed, the fifth college established in Illinois. Later known as Thornton Community College, and now known as South Suburban College.
- 1930 South Holland’s population is 1,873.
- 1931 The first Boy Scout Troop in South Holland, Troop #1, is started.
- 1937 Walt’s Fruit & Vegetable Stand is opened, now Walt’s Food Store.
- 1940 South Holland’s population reaches 2,272.
