Lost Towns of Illinois - Byrneville, Illinois.

A portion of what is now a part of the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge (on the DuPage County side of Burr Ridge), was known for a time as Byrneville, Illinois.

In the early 1900s, the unincorporated area now known as Palisades was called Byrneville in deference to the Byrneville Railroad Station. The Byrneville Railroad Station was located at the south end of Madison Street. The station was an important commercial site for the area’s dairy farmers who relied on the train to transport their goods to markets in other suburbs and Chicago proper.

Burr Ridge Middle School traces its heritage to the one-room schoolhouse originally known as Byrneville School. Byrneville School was later named Palisades School. In 1910, the community known as Byrneville built a one-room schoolhouse to save their children from a three-mile walk to Cass School. Anne M. Jeans was the first teacher, and she remained the sole teacher until 1947. Ms. Jeans renamed the school "Palisades" to reflect the rolling hills.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.