A Lesson in History: Fullersburg Historic District

By Larry Atseff

On Sunday, May 19, at 2 pm, at the Oak Brook Public Library, three local historians will share why Fullersburg from 1832-1862 was so pivotal to the area’s history, which today includes Hinsdale and Oak Brook. Lecturers include Sue Devick, Elizabeth Arts, and Don Fuller.

This was a period when the Fuller family of 15 came from New York State to settle in the area in 1835. Ben Fuller purchased some 800 acres over time and platted it in 1851. His family built the home, which is now situated in the Graue Mill parking lot. In 1842, Fred Graue and his family came from Germany and proceeded to start construction of his grist mill. It became a gathering place as farmers waited for their grains to be processed.

As the Black Hawk War concluded in 1832, Gen. Winfield Scott asked Lt. Sherman King to keep an eye on the Potawatomi around the area where the largest Native American village in DuPage County had existed. By 1862, Benjamin Fuller lobbied the C. B. & Q. Railroad for a stop in Fullersburg, which had become a hub for business and transportation.

All of these events and more are what caused such rapid change during these 30 years. Come to the lecture and find out about all of it.

Lecturers are courtesy of the Fullersburg Historic Foundation and the Oak Brook Historical Society. ■