Village of New Lenox, Illinois

V illage of New Lenox, ILLINOIS L ike many of the communities that make up Will County in the northeastern part of Illinois, the Village of New Lenox originated as a small agricultural settlement along the shores of Hickory Creek, southwest of Chicago. Settled in the early 1830s as a result of the Black Hawk’s War, it was later expanded as a train stop by the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad, which began offering service from Chicago to La Salle via New Lenox in 1852. Soon after, several dwellings, stores, and a post office were erected in the Village, and it became quite a gathering place for the Methodist Episcopal church, whose Rock River conference purchased an adjoining grove to use as grounds for its annual camp meetings. With the railroad and railroad-owned grain elevator serving as commercial conduits, AT A GLANCE VILLAGE OF NEW LENOX, ILLINOIS WHAT: A friendly, pro-business community; population 28,000 WHERE: Will County, IL about 31 miles southwest of Chicago WEBSITE: www.newlenox.net T H A T W E L C O M I N G F E E L I N G