The first two permanent settlers in what would later become the Village of Lisle were brothers James and Luther Hatch. They arrived in 1832, after the Blackhawk War, to begin farming their claims bordering present-day Ogden Avenue. The early settlers were attracted by the prime timber, high-grade agricultural land, and optimum water resources available in the area. Today, you may find the burial sites of many of the area’s earliest settlers by visiting the Lisle Cemetery.
Current First Congregational Church
As early as 1833, members of the First Congregational Church of DuPage were worshipping in Lisle. By 1834, John Thompson was taking care of Lisle's postal service needs. The first frame schoolhouse in the county is said to have been constructed here in 1837.
In 1839, DuPage County was organized and set apart from Cook County. In 1850, voters opted for the township form of government, which persists in modified form today. DuPage County was geographically divided into nine townships, with Lisle Township the south central one. It was not until nearly a hundred years later, in 1956, that the Village of Lisle was officially incorporated within Lisle Township.
The Beaubien Tavern today
The year 1850 also marked the extension of the Southwest Plank Road from Chicago west through Lisle. This road, now known as Ogden Avenue, featured tollgates at five-mile intervals. One stood at Mark Beaubien's Tavern/Inn in west Lisle, a convenient day's journey from Chicago.
Railroad transportation became available in Lisle in 1864 when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad completed its tracks from Chicago to Aurora. When fire destroyed Lisle’s first depot, the CB&Q rebuilt in 1874. With assistance from the Village of Lisle, both this depot and the Beaubien Tavern — along with other historic structures and artifacts — are currently located in the Lisle Station Park museum complex.
