Timeline

1833 - Treaty of Chicago signed, requiring Potawatamie Indians to leave Northern Illinois.
Hezehiah Dunklee and Mason Smith come to Dunklee's Grove in Addison Township.
1835 - 12 German familes arrive from Benzen, Germany.
Village of Lester's Station started. (It became WoodDale)
Erie Canal opened.
1837 - Buckhorn Tavern Stage top and Grand and York.
30 families are living at Dunklee's Grove.
First German congregation formed. (See Churches)
1842 - First schools organized.
1847 - Fischer Mill started.
Flax mill built in Bensenville, ? on Wood Street between Mason and Barron. Flax seed oil was a key cash crop.
1848 - St. John's Evangelical Church established.
1850 - Plank roads built creating ties to Chicago.
1852 - Korthauer Log House built on Green Street
1854 - United Methodist Church begins.
1859 - Immanuel Church formed.
1860 - Abraham Lincoln elected President of the United States.
1861 - Civil War between the U. S. and the Confederacy begins.
1873 - The plat of land that was to become the Village of Bensenville was recorded, and originally called Tioga.
1884 - The Village of Bensenville was incorporated. George Cogswell was the first President.
1885 - School District 2 was formed.
1886 - The first school was built on Green Street.
1894 - Bensenville Volunteer Fire Department was organized.
1895 - The Bensenville Home Society's "Castle" was built.
1900 - Franzen Brothers Bank established.
1902 - The first telephone was installed in Bensenville. Switchboard was at Korthauer's Hardware Store.
Peace Church organized.
1904 - 64 people in Bensenville have telephones.
1905 - The first fire bell was purchased and hung in town center.
Railroad was a key employer in town.
1908 - The first Village hall was built on Railroad Avenue, completed in 1909.
1910 - Electricity came to Bensenville
1916 - Roundhouse on Green Street built by Milwaukee Road. 
1917 - Second Green Street School was built. High School started in one of the rooms.
1925 - Community High School District 100 was organized
1926 - First high school graduating class
1927 - Bensenville Community High School opened on York Road across from the "Castle"
Population is 902.
1930 - Referendum passed to build Tioga School.
Population is 1680.
52 passenger trains and 27 freight trains pass through Bensenville daily.
1932 - Plentywood Farm Restaurant opens in a log cabin.
Greenhouses built to add to Bensenville's economy.
1935 - 90% of village's workforce work for the Milwaukee Road Railroad.
1940 - Bensenville's population reached 1875.
1943 - Douglas aircraft plant, later to become O'Hare Airport, was built.
40% of workforce working for Douglas.
1946 - The Bensenville Chamber of Commerce was established.
Chicago buys Orchard Airfield and 1,900 farms for O'Hare Field.
1947 - First Bensenville public school kindergarten opened.
1954 - Construction of Fenton High School
1957 - Mohawk School built
Influx of manufacturers to Bensenville.
1958 - Wesley A. Johnson School built.
1959 - Luessenhop Farm at York and Grand bought and becomes Brentwood subdivision and shopping center
1960 - Referendums passed creating Bensenville Park District and Bensenville Community Public Library District.
Eight major new industries move to Bensenville.
1967 - Second Village Hall dedicated at southwest corner of Irving Park and Church Roads.
1974 - Public Safety building built at junction of Main Street and Church Road.
1978 - Current library building built at 200 South Church Road.
1981 - Bensenville Arts Council formed.
1984 - Bensenville celebrated its Centennial
1985 - Bensenville Historical Commission created.
Bensenville Water Park opened.
1989 - Deer Grove Leisure Center opens.
1995 - Population is 17,767.
1997 - CLeaRNET was opened to the public (April 16, 1997)
CLeaRNET graphical side was opened to the public (Dec. 14, 1997)
2001 -

CLeaRNET received its 1,000,000th e-mail . Also, this year, was the first time we had busy signals because all lines were in use.

2005 - Sadly, CLeaRNET was shut down on June 30th.