Village of Frankfort Timeline

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, people from the Winnebago, Sac, Fox and Pottawatomi tribes lived in the area

1828 William Rice, reportedly first European settler, arrived in the area

1833 Martin Van Horne settled in area

1836 First store in area opened by L.M. Clayes

1837 Clayes became first postmaster

1848 Chelsea area established near Colorado and Locust streets

1850’s 113 Kansas built by A.B. Barker as a combination drug store, post office and farm implement store.

Frankfort Station created

1855 Village founded

Bowen Plat of village

Bowen Smith Plat

General Store at Oak and Kansas started by N.A.Carpenter

Joliet & Northern Indiana RR tracks laid

First grain elevator

First hotel

1856 original Frankford Methodist Church built

1866 100 Kansas built for Jacob Mueller.

1868 Bauman’s Tavern opened

First St. Peter’s Church constructed

1870 two-story frame Frankfort Public School built

119 Kansas constructed

1875 Frankfort Cemetery Association established rules for Pleasant Hill Cemetery

Frankfort Germania Saengerbund singing society created

1875 – 1895 Hickory Creek Creamery (Click to learn more)

1877 Balchowsky’s Department Store at Ash and Kansas opened

1879 Frankfort incorporated

1879 – 1881 John McDonald first Village President, again 1888-9

1881 Frankfort Cornet Band

1882-86 N.S. Carpenter Village President
1885 114 Kansas Bank Building constructed
1887 Emil Haas Village President, again 1890-98
1889 Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad built south end of town

1894 First water tower built

Grain elevator in downtown built by D.W. Hunter

1897 Frankfort Brass Band formed

1901 phone service came to village

1906-07 G.B. Hamlin Village President
(Village records lost in fire 1897-1906)

1907 Barney Zechlin furniture store and casket company established

1907 – 1926 Max Haas Village President

1908 Trolley built, eventually connecting Aurora to Chicago Heights

1910 fire destroys Folkers livery

1913 electric power to village

1915 New all-metal water tower built (Click to learn more)

1916 Neo-Gothic style (second) St. Peter’s Church built

1920 Lincoln Highway built

1925 new Frankfort Public School built

1927 gas mains installed

1928 Joliet & Eastern RR abandoned

1929-30 George Letts Village President

1931-34 George Haas Village President

1935-1965 George Sangmeister Village President

1940 Village Hall built, also home to police and fire stations.

1945 grain elevator built

1947 upstairs bowling alley opened on Ash Street

1948 St. Anthony Catholic Church built

1950 Hedges Clinic built

1952 Plat of future Krusemark subdivision

1953 Sacred Heart High School built

1954 fire at B&M Lumber

1957 Lincoln Meadows I Plat

First summer camp at Camp Manitoqua

1958 Abe Lincoln motel built

1959 Lincoln Meadows Plat II (Connecticut Hills)

1961 Frankfort Public Library established

Sauerkraut Days began

1962 Frankfort Fire Protection District formally organized

1965 Glenn Warning Village President

1972 Frankfort Area Historical Society formed (click to learn more)

Prestwick development

1976 Frankfort Car Club formed

1979 Frankfort Library opens on Pfeiffer Road

1984 + 1985 Grainery shops fires

1985 Faith Temple church built

1987 fire destroyed Alpine Chalet restaurant, formerly Hedges Clinic

1991 Creamery moved to Route 30 location

1993-2005 Ray Rossi Mayor

1995 Frankfort Park District takes over grade school building, becoming Frankfort Founders Center

1997 Old Plank Road Trail opened

2005 – 2021 Jim Holland mayor

2009 Creamery demolished

2020 Keith Ogle elected mayor