Winnetka's History Part I: The Early Years, 1832-1871

Our Town Winnetka is going to change gears today and focus on our rich history as told by our Winnetka Historical Society.

In 2009, the Winnetka Historical Society created an award-winning documentary series called Winnetka Story: The History of Winnetka and The North Shore. The three-part series covers:

• Part I: 1832-1871. Explores Chicago's rapid growth in the 19th century and how it expanded into the North Shore
• Part II: 1871-1900. Focuses on the Great Chicago Fire and how many of the displaced residents moved to the North Shore
• Part III: 1900-1945. Highlights Winnetka's expansion and the challenges it faced at the beginning of the 20th century, including flooding and railroad deaths

The documentary was created by Winnetka native John Newcombe, a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. It uses original photography and films from the Winnetka Historical Society.

Today we will share the YouTube link below for Part I. In the next two days, we will share Part II and Part III.

We hope you find our Winnetka history as fascinating and enjoyable as we do!

• Video Link: Winnetka Story: Part I on YouTube
• Length: 55 Minutes

Settle in. Dim the lights. Make some popcorn. Enjoy!

Part I: Content

• Chicago's Rapid Growth
• The Green Bay Trail
• The Black Hawk War
• The Wayside Inn
• The Pioneers
• Charles Peck Founds Winnetka
• Railroad Suburbs
• Gage Founds Lakeside
• The Lady Elgin
• Hetty Green