Beecher, Illinois
| Beecher | |
| Village | |
 Beecher, looking east
|
|
| Official name: Village of Beecher | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Will |
| Coordinates | 41°20′27″N 87°37′17″W / 41.34083°N 87.62139°WCoordinates: 41°20′27″N 87°37′17″W / 41.34083°N 87.62139°W |
| Area | 2.96 sq mi (7.67 km2) |
| - land | 2.96 sq mi (8 km2) |
| - water | 0.00 sq mi (0 km2), 0% |
| Population | 4,359 (2010) |
| Density | 964.4/sq mi (372.4/km2) |
| Incorporated | 1884 |
| Mayor | Greg Szymanski |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 60401 |
| Area code | 708 |
 Location in Will County and the state of Illinois.
|
|
 Location of Illinois in the United States
|
|
|
Website: www |
|
Beecher is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the old Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad and the Dixie Highway. Situated in the center of Washington Township, it was originally named Washington Center. Named for Henry Ward Beecher, Beecher was founded in 1870 and incorporated as a village in 1884. Originally governed by a village president and board of trustees, a village administrator was hired to handle daily tasks in 1988. The city clerk is an appointed position.
The population was 4,359 at the 2010 census.
Early Days of Beecher
T.L. Miller arrived in Washington Township in 1862 and began purchasing land. His plan was to begin breeding and raising Hereford cattle. He knew the area offered good grazing lands; and he was convinced that the Hereford breed of beef cattle showed great promise for the future. At the time, T.L. Miller lived in Chicago and was in the fire and insurance business. Mr. Miller was a great admirer of Henry Ward Beecher, the most famous orator of that time, and named the new village after him.
Mr. Miller purchased his first 320 acres of land from the government. Later he added another 400 acres. He began making improvements immediately on his property, which he called Highland Stock Farm. His son. T.E. (Timothy Elliott) Miller recalled: “On his beautiful farm, he established the finest and largest herd of Hereford cattle in America. To him is due the credit of the wide dissemination of this great breed of beef cattle in the United States. A man of great energy, his name was widely known in England and America in connection with the Hereford breed of cattle.”
To further promote Hereford cattle, he established the “Breeder’s Journal” in 1880 and published it for eight years. In addition, he gathered and assembled the pedigree of Hereford cattle in the first two volumes of the “Hereford Herd Book”. Both were published in Beecher.
The Railroad
Sometime after his initial purchase of land, T. L. Miller learned that the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad was coming through the area. He was able to acquire an additional 340 acres west of his original property and adjoining the proposed railroad on both sides. He secured the promise of a railroad station within his property. Early in 1869, work began on the new railroad. It would run from Chicago, through Danville and eventually cross the Wabash River to Vincennes, crossing through the easternmost tier of Illinois counties. Sometime before October 1869, the track was laid through the future Village of Beecher. By January 1870, there was complete rail service to Chicago.
...
Wikipedia