Lee

History

Lee is noted for its strong ties to Norwegian American culture. In fact, all of the streets in the village have Norwegian names. In 1974, in honor of the town's centennial, a contest was held to rename the streets and Mary Ellen Prestegaard's entry was chosen. She ran a shop in the village called the Hardanger Hus that sold Norwegian gifts. Many of the original citizens of the community came from the Hardanger region of Norway, and there are still many community members that can trace their ancestry back to that region.

Geography

Lee is located on the border of DeKalb and Lee counties. Viking Vie, the main street of the village, follows the county line. It is southeast of Rochelle and southwest of DeKalb. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Lee has a total area of , all land. The Lee area is unique for a small village, in that the surrounding area is a part of four different watersheds. Northwest of the village is a part of the Rock River valley. Northeast of the village is a part of the Kishwaukee River valley. Southwest of the village is a part of the Green River valley. Southeast of the village is a part of the Fox River valley.

Race & ethnicity