Millington

History

In the fall of 1834 the nucleus of the village was begun when George Markley and Samuel Jackson staked out the first claim and built a log cabin on the river bank near the house where Sam Adams now lives(408 Church St.). They claimed some 600 acres on both sides of the river and the next spring the dam to furnish waterpower for a sawmill which was also begun in 1835. The mill was located on the south side of the river. Samuel Jackson came from Pennsylvania. A loyal Democrat, he supported the presidential campaign of Andrew Jackson with such vigor that he wore the nickname of “General” for the rest of his life. He was a member of the County Commissioners Court of Kendall County when the new court buildings were built. He married Eunice Tubbs. The Millington Newark Cemetery is located on Church Street on the southern edge of the village, on top of the hill overlooking the village center. It is populated with over 3,000 graves, including a Revolutionary War veteran buried on the north side. Samuel's brother, Jesse Jackson, came from Pennsylvania for a visit and was so pleased with the location that he bought out Markley's interest and moved his family here in 1836. His was the first frame house in Millington. That year the sawmill was completed and put into operation.

Geography

Millington is in the western part of Kendall County and the northeastern part of LaSalle County at . In the 2010 census, 245 of Millington's residents lived in Kendall County and 420 lived in LaSalle County. The actual boundary line of the counties is not clearly defined in town, although a road farther south, named "Sandhill Road" in Kendall County and "N. 4201 Rd." in LaSalle County, clearly shows the county line, especially in the winter, as LaSalle County is slower in plowing the road, while the Kendall County portion is somewhat clear. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Millington has a total area of , of which (or 92.79%) is land and (or 7.21%) is water. It lies mostly on the southeast side of the Fox River, except for a neighborhood along Belle Rive Drive on the northwest side of the river. Millington is north of Newark, south of Sandwich, and southwest of Yorkville. Joliet is to the east, and Aurora is to the northeast.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,806
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,429
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,047
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,920
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,636
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,602
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,446
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,436

Largest nearby schools

• Serena Middle School
  Middle · Serena · 186 students · 11.6:1 ratio
• Serena High School
  High · Serena · 163 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Sheridan Elem School
  Elementary · Sheridan · 157 students · 12.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2025-03-15
  6 km W of Dwight, Illinois
• M 3.1 — 2024-07-15
  2 km WNW of Somonauk, Illinois
• M 3.6 — 2023-11-15
  1 km SSW of Standard, Illinois
• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois
• M 3.2 — 2013-11-04
  1 km SSW of Lyons, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2013-06-10
  4 km NNE of Virgil, Illinois