People

Elias K. Kane

Elias K. Kane was an early and prominent citizen and politician of southern Illinois in the early 1800s. He is best known locally as the individual for whom Kane County was named at the time of the county's organization in the winter of 1835–36. (Source: *History of Elgin, Kane County, Illinois, 1835–1875*)

Known Activities

Kane is identified in the historical record primarily as a figure of political significance in southern Illinois during the early nineteenth century. The decision to name Kane County after him at its founding suggests he held considerable standing among Illinois lawmakers and settlers of that era, though the specifics of his career and connection to the Fox River valley region are not detailed in available local sources. (Source: History of Elgin, Kane County, Illinois, 1835–1875)

Kane County, which bears his name, encompasses 540 square miles across 15 townships and was carved from former LaSalle County territory. It became home to a series of Fox River valley mill towns, including Dundee, and had grown to a population of approximately 45,000 by 1875. (Source: History of Elgin, Kane County, Illinois, 1835–1875)

Timeline

Date	Event
Early 1800s	Active as a citizen and politician in southern Illinois
Winter 1835–36	Kane County organized and named in his honor

## Sources

The History of Elgin, Kane County, Illinois, 1835 to 1875 (1875). Available at archive.org. Cited as: historyofelginka00unse