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Hinsdaleans Who Shaped our Village
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Prior to the incorporation of our Village, land developers and farmers were at a crossroads: the developers saw the potential for a community not far from the bustling metropolis of Chicago, yet farmers were comfortable with the status quo. Those diverging interests merged when William Robbins, a land developer and visionary, acquired land from Alfred Walker, a progressive farmer whose techniques were internationally renowned. In 1864, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad line connecting Aurora and Chicago was laid on a portion of Robbins’ land, allowing him to continue to develop his dream village, platting lots, building infrastructure and planting maples and our famous elms.
Meanwhile, Oliver James Stough, another land owner, bought land to the west of Robbins’s and resold it, in a financially sound manner, that encouraged home ownership and ultimately, secured the growth of the Village. Like Robbins, he helped with infrastructure and planted trees as a way of beautifying the farmland. Robbins’ platting of Hinsdale in 1865 also facilitated Anson Ayres‘ acquisition of 80 acres of farmland in what is now the northwest side of Hinsdale. The impact of the railroad led Ayres to abandon farming in favor of subdividing the land for home development. In 1872, a second track was added to the railroad line, which spurred Hinsdaleans to seek incorporation of the Village. Our first Village president, Judge Joel Tiffany, was neither a farmer nor land developer but rather a lawyer, inventor and author. His textbook, The Treatise on Government, and Constitutional Law, has been used in many colleges.
We have much to be proud for the visions, financial acuity and creativity of our founding fathers! We hope these tidbits will inspire you to visit the Society’s archives and historic buildings to further explore the history of our beautiful Hinsdale.
Help us continue to support Hinsdale history through our mission to collect, preserve and promote the history of Hinsdale. Help us by supporting the 2011-2012 Annual Fund
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