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Mill Creek (Des Plaines River tributary)

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Mill Creek
Confluence of Mill Creek and the Des Plaines River in Gurnee. (2023)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyLake
Physical characteristics
Length15 miles (24 km)
Depth 
 • average6.51 ft (1.98 m)

Mill Creek is a tributary of the Des Plaines River, roughly 15 miles (24 km) long and located entirely within Lake County, Illinois. Mill Creek begins in the village of Grayslake and flows into the Des Plaines River at the 26.5 river mile within the village of Gurnee.[1]

History

[edit]

In 1838 a man known by the name of Jacob Miller built a sawmill along the tributary somewhere near the village of Old Mill Creek in addition to the first flouring mill of Lake County.[2] However, this year is debated and historians believe it could have been built as early as 1834 and as late as 1840. This date is historically important as this could mean that the name either predates or came after the formation of Lake County by the Illinois State Legislature in 1839.[3] The exact location of the sawmill is also lost to history, though it is said that it was located "not far from the town line now separating Warren from Newport."[4]

Mill Creek has been labeled on maps of the state and county as early as 1861.[5]

In 1941 an unnamed farmer built a small timber dam on Mill Creek in what is now the census-designated place of Grandwood Park.[6][7] This consequently formed Grandwood Lake that same year. It was partially destroyed due to heavy rains in northern Illinois in 2017 and was replaced with one made of concrete in 2019.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Mile-by-Mile". The Des Plaines River. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  2. ^ Fraterrigo, Elizabeth. "Old Mill Creek, IL". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  3. ^ "About Us". Lake County. County Board. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  4. ^ "Chapter III History of Lake County, 1902". Historic Millburn. Historic Millburn Community Association, Inc. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  5. ^ Hale, George (1861). "Map of Lake County, Illinois". Library of Congress. St. Louis : L. Gast Bro. & Co. Lith., 1861. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Newton, Jim. "Grandwood Park finally has its new dam in Lake Park to combat 'one flooding event after another'". Lake County News-Sun. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Adam, Michael. "2000 SUMMARY REPORT of GRANDWOOD PARK LAKE". LAKE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES LAKES MANAGEMENT UNIT. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Abderholden, Frank. "Grandwood Park lake recovers after repairs completed on balky dam". Lake County News-Sun. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
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