Gurnee

History

Early settlers in the Gurnee area came by foot horseback and by "Prairie Schooners" drawn by oxen or via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. They came from the town of Warren, New York, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Warren, killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren Township, formed in 1850, was also named after him. The first settlement of Warren Township commenced in 1835 in the vicinity of the Aux Plaines River (now the Des Plaines River). In 1835–36, a land company from New York State erected a Community House (site of the old Gurnee Grade School) to accommodate families while they were locating and getting government land grants to their farms. Near the Community House, there was a ford used by the Potowatomi Indians for crossing the river. A floating log bridge was built in 1842. Later, both a wood and iron bridge were built. With the erection of a permanent bridge, roads were established, and this area became the hub of the township. It was at this junction that the Milwaukee Road crossed the river from west to east, and then continued north to eventually connect Chicago to Milwaukee. This road was "laid out" in 1836 by three early settlers: Thomas McClure, Mark Noble, and Richard Steele. The east–west road, now known as Grand Avenue, was a main route from McHenry County to the port of Waukegan. Stage coaches ran on this route as late as 1870. The hamlet was originally called "Wentworth", after Congressman "Long John" Wentworth, who also served as the Republican Mayor of Chicago between 1857 and 1863. Thereafter, Walter S. Gurnee, the 14th Mayor of Chicago and one of the directors of the railroad, agreed to develop a station in Wentworth, which was called "Gurnee Station" in his honor. Over time, Gurnee Station became known simply as…

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Gurnee has a total area of , of which (or 99.44%) is land and (or 0.56%) is water. It is located on the banks of the Des Plaines River and is split by Interstate 94, which divides the village into east (old) and west (new) sides.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Waukegan High School
  High · Waukegan · 4,355 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Warren Township High School
  High · Gurnee · 3,758 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• Round Lake Senior High School
  High · Round Lake · 2,258 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Mundelein Cons High School
  High · Mundelein · 2,212 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Zion-Benton Twnshp Hi Sch
  High · Zion · 2,113 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Libertyville High School
  High · Libertyville · 1,811 students · 13.8:1 ratio
• Woodland Middle School
  Middle · Gurnee · 1,668 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Vernon Hills High School
  High · Vernon Hills · 1,505 students · 12.9:1 ratio