The first Europeans to enter what is today the northern Illinois region were cartographers, French fur-traders, and soldiers. After the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832, white Anglo-Saxon settlers began to populate the area west of Chicago. People traveled via horseback, covered wagon, on foot, or by boat. Many times a combination of these methods were used during travel.
Life on the prairie was harsh for the pioneers; they would frequently have to endure brutal weather conditions, sickness by disease, or hostility from Native Americans. In addition, settlers would have to make frequent stops for provisions. Because there were no roads, they traveled very slowly to prevent wear on the wagon. In the 1830s, a trip from St. Charles to Chicago typically took at least three days.
To lighten the haul, the settlers often carried no more than necessary. Oxen, milk cows, chickens, pigs, guns, ammunition, and one set of clothing were part of a typical load. Pioneer cabins were typically constructed of stone, dirt, mud, sod, and wooden logs. When the pioneers settled around the Fox Valley, they found an abundant source of wood, game, fish, spring water, and clay.
As the Native Americans who settled along the Fox River for centuries already knew, the river itself was an enormous asset to people living near it. It was one of the best sources for water-power in the region, which caused settlements to quickly appear up and down its banks during the 1830s. In addition, the region sat on top of a huge bed of Niagara limestone, which aided in future mason work by making building stone easily obtainable and providing multipurpose lime sediments.
The savannah ecosystem of the landscape was largely divided by the river; on the west side laid a mix of prairies and forest, and a forest dominated the land on the east. Aurora and Batavia were commonly known as the "Big Woods" while Geneva and St. Charles were called the "Little Woods."
