In the early 1830s, the McGovney and Van Horne families and others settled along the banks of Hickory Creek, a tributary of the Des Plaines River, and built homes in the Hickory Creek woods. Settlers sent and received mail and packages at Chelsea's post office in 1837. The Chelsea post office received mail once a week by a "horse express fast line" that followed the route between LaPorte, Indiana, and Joliet.
When the Rock Island Railroad came through, it passed less than a mile north of Hickory Creek and Chelsea. Chelsea's village Platt was incomplete when the village plans were abandoned because of the distance from town to the rail stop. By 1880, Chelsea had disappeared entirely, while Mokena sprouted up at the Rock Island rail stop.
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| The Hickory Creek Preserve, 20400 Wolf Road, Mokena, Illinois. |
The Village of Mokena Post Office opened in 1853.
Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
I'd love to hear more about Chelsea.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that the lost town of Chelsea was NOT located where the star denotes it on the map above. Dr. Gale - can you provide a source for this location? I have no doubt it was "somewhere" on Hickory Creek, however, Hickory Creek goes for miles in each direction and I believe someone arbitrarily put the star at the location on the map.
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