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Columnist Dean Karau traces Kewanee – In the Beginning . . .
DEAN KARAU
What was Kewanee like in its first year? Let’s take a look. But first, for a frame of reference, let’s revisit Wethersfield prior to the founding of Kewanee.
Wethersfield’s growth was stunted by the Financial Panic of 1837, which lasted through much of the 1840s. By the early 1850s, Wethersfield had only a dozen or so businesses operating in the village. It’s population hovered around 400, but most lived on farms outside of the village. What later became Kewanee Township had another 400 or so similarly living on farms. It was a typical agricultural economy with folks having to travel to Peoria, Lacon, or Chicago for their wares.