Northbrook Installs Pioneer Cemetery Marker

The following story was part of the Northbrook Village Hall weekly memo.

Over the last several months, David Schoon and Paul Risinger from Village Hall, have worked with Judy Hughes, president of the Northbrook Historical Society, along with the developer of a nearby Chase Bank, to install a monument identifying the Aux Plaine Pioneer Cemetery located on the northwest corner of Dundee Rd. and Saunders Rd.

The monument was finally installed last week and reads:

In the late 1830s, American and European pioneers came to this area to settle on the fertileland nestled between the Des Plaines and Skokie rivers. Here, on this small plot of land, those pioneers laid to rest the men, women and children who were among the founders ofour community. Placed by the Village of Northbrook 2012.

Archaeologists investigated the cemetary in 2007 prior to a commercial developement, and 82 unmarked graves — including small, children's graves — were found, according to Find A Grave.

The Historical Society developed the design of the monument and its inscription. The Village paid for the monument, with the site developer contributing some funds as well.

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