A history of Glencoe,
since 1869
Postcards, papers and photographs of Glencoe from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Opinions differ about the origins of the village's name. Some attribute it to an early resident, Matthew Coe. Others say it is named for the area of Scotland of the same name. It developed in the late 19th century around a railroad stop. Former Chicago mayor Walter S. Gurnee had become president of the line connecting Chicago and Milwaukee, and often bought up and developed land around railroad stops. Thus, one historian believes the name derives from the maiden name of Gurnee's wife, since Gurnee bought the land in 1867 and began subdivision, although financial problems prevented him from building a home there and he returned to New York for his final years. The village's first seal was based on the seal of Glencoe, Scotland.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Glencoe’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
4 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewGlencoe Methodist Church, Glencoe…, 1900: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Glencoe
See all 13 →
Glencoe, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Glencoe Methodist Church, Glencoe, Illinois, early 20th century (NBY 513) (1900) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Historic places
National Register · via Wikidata
From Wikimedia Commons (5) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.