Fullersburg Historic Foundation

13/10/2026

06/10/2026

Fall is in the air at beautiful Fullersburg Forest Preserve off of Spring Rd. between York Rd. and 31st St. in Oak Brook. The local Potawatomi who lived here called their village Sauganakka; Salt Creek was called Weewanippissee, which means “the pretty little river.”
Camps also existed in this area, along with a chipping station (where weapons and tools were made), a signal station (where smoke signals were sent), and burial mounds. Sauganakka was the largest Potawatomi village in what is now DuPage County. In 1800, around 6,000 Potawatomi lived between Milwaukee and St. Joseph, surrounding the land around lower Lake Michigan.
Visit fullersburg.org to learn more about the history of this scenic area.

27/09/2026

The golden tones of early fall invite you to visit historic Fullersburg, located on the site of the largest Potawatomi village in DuPage County. The Native Americans here called the area “Saugannaka.” Salt Creek was called “Wewanippissee,” which translates to “the pretty little river.” Ben Fuller traveled here from Broome County, New York in 1834, and the following year, he brought his large family to settle in this area, which eventually was renamed “Fullersburg” after Ben. To
learn more, click on fullersburg.org, or visit this fascinating location at the intersection of Spring Rd. and York Rd. in Oak Brook, north of Ogden Avenue.

27/09/2026

How did the early settlers of Fullersburg begin farming their land? Trees were cleared with tools such as the two man saw in this photo. A tool called a peavey was used to turn or roll the logs. Plows were used to prepare the soil, and oxen were preferred over horses due to their
strength and maintenance needs. Tools such as scythes and pitchforks were used to cut and stack hay used to feed
farm animals. Ledger entries in records kept by the Torode family in Fullersburg
indicated that the settlers helped each other perform manual labor as Ben Fuller assisted the Torodes in August of 1836 on at least three occasions by pitching hay. (Access to records courtesy of DuPage History Museum.)
Visit fullersburg.org to learn more about the Settlement Era.

23/09/2026

What happened in a Potawatomi village when fall arrived? “Dgwagwet” was the time of year to gather, fish, hunt, and then preserve food for the coming winter. Women harvested beans, corn,
squash near the village and gathered wild rice, or “menomen.” The children also helped to collect food due to a wide sense of community that had been taught from a young age. Men hunted and fished, then preserved what they caught in order to survive during cold, harsh conditions. To learn more about the Potawatomi and other
western Great Lakes Native Americans,
visit fullersburg.org.

18/09/2026

Who was Johnny Appleseed, and why did he plant so many apple trees? His real name was John Chapman (1774-1845), and he planted apple trees that produced small, tart apples that were suitable for making c***r. Water was often tainted along pioneer routes, and c***r was a popular drink
for thirsty travelers. Johnny planted nurseries that became orchards and desirable land for settlers to purchase.
He was also a missionary for the Church of New Jerusalem and read the Bible to people he met. Johnny’s appearance was misleading, as he
dressed in a cloak made out of a coffee
sack and went barefoot; in reality, he was well to do, owning about 1,200 acres of valuable land in multiple states
when he died. Johnny led a celibate and ascetic life and did not marry or have children. He planted orchards in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and some areas of early 19th century Illinois. For more information about the Settlement Era in this area, visit fullersburg.org.

11/09/2026

Fullersburg Historic Foundation pays tribute to the many heroes of 9/11/01
and mourns the victims of this tragedy.
Photo of firefighters unfurling the flag of the United States at the Pentagon on
9/12/01 is courtesy of the National Archives. Learn about the Settlement Era in this area at fullersburg.org.

07/09/2026

Did children of settlers in Fullersburg work hard helping with family chores?
Yes, they did! An exhibit at Graue Mill
states that children were very busy
gathering berries, cleaning animal pens, milking cows, and carrying water. Boys
helped with farm work by plowing fields, planting crops, and hunting small birds and animals, and girls churned butter and helped in the kitchen. They also took care of the cows by letting
them out to the pasture and leading
them back to their barns at night to
protect them from wolves in the area.
Learn more at fullersburg.org. Image
by Open AI. Fullersburg Historic
foundation wishes you a safe and happy Labor Day!