Over 150 years ago a young boy named Elijah M. Haines (1822-1889) and his family moved from New York to the Chicago area. In 1836, the young boy purchased a farm in Hainesville. During the winter of 1841-42, Haines taught school in Waukegan (then known as Little Fort). In 1846 he surveyed and platted Hainesville. On February 26, 1847 the village incorporation papers were drafted. It is recorded that Elijah Haines met Abraham Lincoln in 1847. The two men met frequently and became well acquainted. It has been said that Mr. Lincoln spent the night in Hainesville a few times.
In 1851 Elijah was accepted to the bar and a year later he moved to Waukegan. In 1859 he was sent to the state legislature where he served eight terms. He was a member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1869-70 and is considered by some historians to have been its most influential member.
Reflections of Hainesville
Originally published in 1976 as part of the Hainesville bi-centennial celebration, Reflections of Hainesville captures the history of our Village as seen through the lens of resident, author and editor Joanne Johnson. This important part of our village history is now available for reading online via digital download below.
Foreward
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Bibliography
Index