Long before the first white settlers came to Dekalb County Indiana, the Potawatomie Indians dominated the area. Nearby, Pokagon State Park is named after the great Potawatomie Chief, Pokagon.
According to the Argos Public Library, the land along the Michigan Road between Rochester and South Bend was purchased from the Potawatomie Indians in 1832 by Sidney Williams. Naming the
Waukegan Research Paper
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Waukegan is one of the oldest communities in Illinois. Waukegan began as Potawatomie Indian settlement, Little Fort, and a French trading post. In 1829 the Potawatomie Indians ceded their land to the federal government in 1829. Between 1844 and 1846, the population grew from 150 to 750 people and then became incorporated in 1859 when the population rose to 2,500. On March 31, 1849 Little Fort changed its name to Waukegan, the Potawatomie word for âfortâ or âtrading postâ. Growth in Waukegan can be accredited to industry and railroads. Some of the industry included ship and wagon building, dairying, flour milling, pork packing and sheep raising. The most successful was brewing of malt liquors. In the late 1860âs William Besleyâs Waukegan