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The first settlement of this town was commenced in 1835, in the vicinity of the Des Plaines River. Much of the early history of this town is a part of the general history of the county, which is hereinbefore related under the head of the county at large.
Among the early settlers were Samuel Brookes, Thomas McClure, Amos Bennett, L. W. Craig, Ezekiel Boyland, Leonard Gage, George Gage, George A. Drury, Avery Esty, Moses Esty, William Lovejoy, Abram Marsh, William Ladd, George A. Drury, Willard Jones, Orange Smith, Orlin B. Smith, David Gilmore and Amaziah Smith.
The name of this town was given by the Commissioners in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants as expressed at a public meeting called for that purpose, a copy of the proceedings of which is here given, as best showing the circumstances attending the selection of the name:
"At a meeting held pursuant to notice, at the school house in School District Number One, Township Forty-five, Range Eleven (11) east, third principal meridian, for the purpose of selecting a name for said town, Amos Wright was chosen Chairman, and Phillip Blanchard, Secretary. The meeting being organized, it was resolved that the name that should receive the highest number of votes should be the name for said town as the first choice, and that six names should be selected as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth choice.
"The meeting then proceeded to vote for names, whereupon the name of Warren was chosen as the first choice, Leroy was chosen as the second choice, Milton was chosen as the third choice, Lebanon was chosen as the fourth choice, Genesee as the fifth choice, Hudson as the sixth choice. Motioned and carried that Asa Pratt convey the proceedings of this meeting to the Commissioners."
Amos Wright and Alexander Druse, who lived in the western part of the township, were from the town of Warren, in Herkimer County, in the State of New York. They were solid in their demand for this name. Mr. Druse was an old-fashioned man, of comprehension and ideas in proportion to the advantages of his surroundings. He had spent most of his days in the town of Warren, from which he emigrated, seldom going beyond its limits during the time. To him, the town of Warren was nearly the whole world, and its name possessed a peculiar charm. He canvassed the township in the interest of this name with as much zeal as if the destiny of the country had been at stake.
It will be noticed that the name was carried in the meeting, not by a majority vote, but through the ingenious plan devised in determining the result, it being agreed beforehand that the highest out of six names voted for should be taken as the choice of the meeting.
The town of Warren, in the State of New York, was so named in honor of Gen. Joseph Warren, who fell at the Battle of Bunker Hill, in the beginning of the American Revolution.
Ancient mounds are found in this town, along the Des Plaines River, like those alluded to in Newport and Wauconda.
The first school house in this town was built about 1838, a log building, in the northern part of the town, near where Peter Strang now lives. James Alvoid taught the first school in town in this house, about the year aforesaid.
This township was the home, in early days, of three individuals who are remembered for occurrences attending each. It was the home of William Lovejoy, who drove the first mail stage through the county, between Chicago and Milwaukee; of Ezekiel Boyland, who was the first man in the county on whom judicial process was ever served, as has before been related; and of Amos Bennett, a colored man, who declared on a certain occasion that he was "the first white man that ever planted corn in Lake County."
The first town meeting held in this town, under township organization, was convened at the school house, near the O'Plain House, on the first Tuesday in April, 1850. Nathaniel Vose, Esq., was chosen Moderator, and Benjamin Schauber, Clerk. The following persons were elected the first town officers: Havelia Whitney, Supervisor; Benjamin Schauber, Town Clerk; Nathaniel Vose, Jr., Assessor; George A. Drury, Overseer of the Poor; Levi Stafford, Collector; A. M. Pearsons, Alfred D. Whitmore and Marcus S. Marsh, Commissioners of Highways; Philip Blanchard and Havelia Whitney, Justices of the Peace.
In 1850, at the beginning of the township organization, this town, in point of wealth, ranked the second in the county.
The assessed value of property for the year 1850, including both real and personal, was $114,989. The amount of tax computed on the same for collection was $1,932.16.
The total assessed value of property for 1877 was $304,612.
The first religious meetings in this township were held in the school house in the northern part of the township, before mentioned.
About twenty years ago, the Disciples organized a society in this town, and have since held their meetings for worship in the school house, at the Aux Plaines bridge.
In January, 1877, a class of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at Stafford's school house, under direction of Rev. A. Wakeman, of Evanston, comprising about seventeen members.
There is a prosperous Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry in this town, who have a commodious hall, built about two years ago, at what is known at Whitmore's Corners.
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