Back in the 1700s, Native American wigwams dotted the land now known as Forest Glen. The inhabitants took full advantage of the area’s valuable natural resources, including its lush forests and the Chicago River. In fact, as late as the 1920s, some Native Americans still returned to the area to pay tribute to their ancestors who were buried along the river’s banks so long ago.

Later, in 1828, the United States gave the land that includes modern-day Forest Glen to Billy Caldwell, in thanks for his work as a mediator between the U.S. government and the Native American groups. Caldwell was of mixed Irish and Native American blood, hence his Native American name, Sauganash ("the Englishman"). Eventually, Caldwell moved west to Iowa, and the land was back in the U.S. government’s hands.

In 1866 the Forest Glen parcel was awarded to Captain Hazelton as his Civil War settlement. Hazelton built a home and barn near present-day Lawler Avenue and started a cherry orchard to supply the sweet fruit to Chicago’s markets. But the ambitious Hazelton didn’t stop there. He built the first grocery store in the area, and eventually subdivided ten acres of his land to encourage more development (near present-day Elston and Forest Glen avenues) by planting trees in orderly rows with a little help from his neighbors. Hazelton called the community Forest Glen.

Although he was a colorful character, Hazelton was also an austere religious man. He organized a Swedish Methodist Church in the 1870s, which remained the oldest in Illinois until it was demolished a little over a century later. He banned smoking, drinking, and other debauchery in Forest Glen, personally interviewing families before accepting them into the community. Needless to say, development of the area was sluggish, although a new railroad stop in the 1880s brought more people to the area.

In the 1940s Forest Glen experienced a building boom, and its desirable new homes and almost-suburban location attracted the well-to-do. Decades later, in the 1990s, many original owners still occupied their homes—a testament to the community’s stability. Not much has changed to this day; Forest Glen’s well-kept homes, natural beauty, and enduring sense of community make it one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Chicago.