Plainfield is Will County's oldest community. The area along the DuPage
River was originally home to the Potawatomi Indians. By 1830, a small
settlement called Walker's Grove was developed along the DuPage River
south of where the village is located today. During the Black Hawk War,
these settlers constructed and took refuge at Fort Beggs, named after
Rev. Stephen Beggs. In 1834, the village of Plainfield was platted by
Chester Ingersoll. This book spans the early settlement, the Civil War
years, and the commercial development of the 19th century well into the
20th century and includes a chapter on the 1990 tornado. Tim and
Michelle will share the many images taken from early glass negatives in
addition to a collection of rare documents and paper items from early
Plainfield. These images lend the opportunity to reflect upon
Plainfield's rich history.