The Cook County Forest Preserve was formed in 1914. Four years later, in 1918, they issued a document titled The Forest Preserves of Cook County. Chapters in the document center around the forest preserves that had been created during their four years in existence. One of those chapters is about the Elk Grove Preserve which is, today, a National Natural Landmark.

While clearly not in Schaumburg Township, the Elk Grove Preserve--or Busse Woods as most of us know it--was important to our township for the wood and timber it provided for our early residents, its watershed system that allowed for drainage of Salt Creek and the natural beauty that gave our residents a locale for recreational purposes.

The year 1918 was crucial for both the Forest Preserve District and the residents of the eastern edges of Schaumburg Township. That year the residents were contacted about the possibility of purchasing their woodlots in the forest preserve. Henry Thies and his brother William were two of the residents who were sent a letter offering them the price of $125 per acre for their nine acre parcel, as can be seen below. Thus began the Thies brothers' contribution to the formation of the Elk Grove Forest Preserve.

[****A portion of the Elk Grove Preserve chapter follows in italicized print. Please be aware that there is language bias and text in the document that is not used today.***]

As one of our Chicago pioneers has so aptly put it, "Tell me what the Indians called this place and I will tell you what there is worth while about it." Such is the case with the Elk Grove woods, 1600 acres constituting another northwest preserve.

"The Land of Bubbling Springs" was the name by which they designated this stretch of hardwood forest punctuated by pure water springs giving rise to little streams that give joy to the little ones and grown-ups alike.

[According to a July 20, 1919 article in the Chicago Tribune, Native Americans gave this area the name, "Land of Bubbling Springs." It is intriguing to consider how many artesian springs there must have been in the Elk Grove Preserve prior to suburban development and the use of nearby gravel quarries. The water table must have been very high in order to assign this name. It is also interesting that this is not far from Schaumburg Park District's Spring Valley which was also named for its artesian springs.]

Along the western boundary of the preserve, which is destined to become one of the most popular of the entire string, the historical Salt Creek finds its serene way, banked on either side by lofty elms and Gibraltar-like oaks.

[Notice here, on this 1935 topographical map, how many branches of Salt Creek merge together on the west side of Schaumburg Township to flow into the Elk Grove Preserve.]

1935 Barrington Quadrangle

[It is also interesting to note that the preserve was full of beautiful elms that probably succumbed to the Dutch Elm disease that hit the Chicago area in the 1960s. Not to mention there were beautiful oak savannas that must have proliferated the forest preserve.]

The whole interior, webbed with roads and trails, presents a realm made to order for the lover of outdoors in its natural state. It has been estimated that on this tract more millions of feet of nut-bearing timber has been spared by lumbermen than on any tract in existence.

[One has to believe that these roads and trails were in place, thanks to the early settlers who owned the woodlots of the forest preserve. They went to their woodlots periodically, throughout the year, to harvest the wood that they would need to use for fence posts, to heat food and keep their homes warm. LaVonne Thies Presley told me that they the settlers always took the timber that was on the ground and avoided taking the larger trees. One can imagine that a large oak would have been difficult for a two-person team to handle.]

For the one who loves to roam for hours without even a semblance of civilization presenting itself, here is the spot. The claim has been made that before the days of designated trails visitors have been known to wander these wood from morning till night looking for a way out.

[In other woods, the forest preserve was so large that, if you did not know where you were going, it was very easy to get lost.]

And what would the redskin of a hundred years ago say were he to gaze upon his "land of bubbling springs" today? Bubbling, these springs still flow on but today they are the mecca of thousands who feast upon the waters as though it was some new-found elixir of life.

And, perhaps, they are not far off. Chemists employed by the district officers have made analyses of these waters and have found a 100 percent score. Eventually it is the scheme to give some appropriate name to each of the improved springs.

Artesian spring. (Photo credit to American Sojourn blog)

[These paragraphs confirm statements made by some of our oral historians who mentioned that people from Chicago and the surrounding area would drive to Schaumburg Township where there were known artesian springs, and fill their containers with these natural, flowing waters.]

One feature that every visitor to the Elk Grove Preserve is going to appreciate is the arrangement by which all points of interest will be easily accessible in [a] maze of forestry. These guide maps will be what balls of yarn were to the mythical labyrinth prisoners.

Next to the spring-water, this preserve might well enjoy a national reputation as a squirrel refuge. Despite the ravages of hunters in years gone past this 1600-acre tract today stands as the greatest expanse of squirrel-inhabited woods in the country.

This is probably due to the inexhaustible supply of nuts produced each year on the thousands and thousands of walnut and hickory nut trees found in the tract. Those who have made studies of the wild life of this forest have found every variety of squirrels.

[The variety of trees is noted in today's Busse Woods website: "Busse's upland forest is an ancient remnant, full of tall red oaks and hickories, maple, ash, basswood, elm and very large ironwoods. Many of the trees here date back to before European settlement."]

As would be expected, there is the same prevalence of bird life in this incomparable woodland with its density of forest, its mixed growth and its undergrowth--all features that go to make territory preferable in the eyes of wild animals.

[Even today, on a casual visit, the variety of birds is amazing. This is from the Busse Woods website: "A wide variety of bird species live in or visit Busse Woods. Egrets, herons and terns can be spotted in trees and spits around the reservoir and Salt Creek, while grassland birds such as savannah and Henslow's sparrows and bobolinks use the open meadows during the summer."]

Henslow's sparrow. (Photo credit to allaboutbirds.org)

As the Salt Creek follows the west boundary of the preserve, so the state road follows the east boundary, bringing motorists at many points within easy walking distance of the springs for which the district is named.

[It is difficult to determine which state road they are referring to unless it is today's Golf Road/Route 58 which runs along the north boundary of the forest preserve. The eastern portion of today's forest preserve is bounded by Arlington Heights Road and it is not a state road.]

Then there is the highly improved Higgins road that shoots its way directly through the forest. For the driver seeking something different there are countless trails, passable as drives, leading from these roads into the heart of the forest.

[It is very interesting that the Forest Preserve District encouraged drivers to turn off of Higgins Road, which was not yet a state highway, and drive through and on the trails that crisscrossed the forest preserve.]

Duck swamps found here and there through the woodland are probably the explanation of the thing that brought the Indians here for the discovery of the spring water. Though history tells of no spectacular activities in Indian days there are many things to show its popularity among the original inhabitants.

Discovery of Indian heads at all parts of the forest have demonstrated that the Indians, in their days of peace and in their days of war, did not overlook this dense patch. Early settlers have told of temporary camps always to be found near the Elk Grove springs.

[Our library has this collection of arrowheads and spear points that were most likely collected from farm fields. This was a common occurrence when farmers tilled the fields as they walked behind their draft horses.]

Additional text follows about Native American activities:

"The dense character of this tract is best illustrated by an interesting story of the Indian day activities that is worth repeating though historians have given it no recognition. It shows how the redmen appreciated this spot as a safe retreat ...they took refuge on these thicketed banks of Salt Creek at the junction of the present Schaumburg Creek... to date the explorers of this region have been unable to discover any probable station for that lookout."

Native American activity in Schaumburg Township is periodically questioned and discussed. There has never been any formal discovery of any village or settlement in the township that was inhabited by local natives. It has always been noted that our area was a pass through for Native Americans as they moved between the Des Plaines River and the Fox River.

The fact that this document mentions "Schaumburg Creek" is very intriguing. The map below is a closeup from the 1935 topographic quadrangle shown above. You can see more closely the three minor branches of Salt Creek coming from Schaumburg Township that merge with another small branch that feeds out of one of the ponds. These flow together for a short distance where they finally merge, a bit to the east, with the main Salt Creek branch. (It's just below the word "Day.") Is this, then, where legend says a temporary encampment could be found? And, was the merging of these creeks commonly called Schaumburg Creek in the early 1900s--and before?

1935 Barrington Quadrangle

The final portion of the chapter is also interesting as it tells readers how to get to the Forest Preserve from the City of Chicago.

By automobile take Milwaukee Avenue to Higgins Road, thence west and northwest direct into preserve.

By rail take Chicago and Northwestern Railroad to Arlington Heights, thence direct south on highway that leads to preserve.

Clearly, in the second paragraph, the Forest Preserve is directing visitors to Arlington Heights Road from the Arlington Heights train station. The big question is how did visitors get from the train station to the forest preserve? Was there some type of local transportation that moved visitors between the two spots? Did visitors know locals who took them to the forest preserve? Or was the Forest Preserve covering their bases in order to make people aware of all possible routes? These days, most people come by car or bike and still enter off of Higgins Road or Arlington Heights Road.

As part of the Cook County Forest Preserve, Busse Woods is now over 100 years old. Its past reflects how important this water-laden grove was to Native Americans, early settlers and, now, area suburbanites. What are your favorite reasons for making a trip to this diverse recreational area?

Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org