Places

Big Woods Kane County

The Big Woods was a significant forested tract in pioneer-era Kane County, Illinois, extending from the vicinity of Aurora northeast along the east side of the Fox River to Batavia and running approximately two to three miles back from the river. It stood as one of the county's principal woodland features during the early settlement period, alongside the smaller Little Woods on the opposite bank.

History

According to the 1908 History of Kane County, Ill. (Joslyn), Kane County in its pioneer state was roughly one-fourth woodland, with the remainder composed largely of open prairie covered in tall native grasses — reportedly reaching ten to fifteen feet in height in some areas. The underlying soil was predominantly black with layers of clay, sand, and gravel. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))

The Big Woods occupied the east bank of the Fox River, stretching from the Aurora area northeast toward Batavia and extending inland two to three miles. On the west side of the river, a smaller counterpart known as the Little Woods ran from Batavia northward to the vicinity of South Elgin. Together, these two forest tracts defined much of the Fox River valley's wooded character during the era of first European-American settlement. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))

The Fox River itself, as it ran through this landscape from Dundee south to Aurora, was reportedly wider in pioneer times than it is today, flowing without interruption from bridges or dams. A drainage ridge extending from Hampshire to Burlington divided the county's waterways, with creeks and streams running east toward the Fox River and west toward the Rock River. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))

Early settlers are noted to have largely left the open prairie undisturbed for years, initially considering it unfit for cultivation. The wooded river valleys, including the Big Woods corridor, would therefore have represented some of the most immediately useful land for pioneer purposes — providing timber, shelter, and game. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))

Notable Associations

  • Fox River — The Big Woods ran along the east bank of the Fox River between Aurora and Batavia, with the river forming its western boundary throughout the pioneer period.
  • Dundee — Referenced in period accounts as the northern point of the Fox River's winding course through this part of Kane County, establishing the geographic context for the Big Woods and surrounding landscape.
  • Little Woods — The smaller woodland on the west side of the Fox River from Batavia north toward South Elgin; the Big Woods' counterpart in the pioneer-era river valley landscape.
  • Chief Waubonsie — Before Euro-American settlement, the Big Woods was home to Chief Waubonsie's Potawatomi village, recorded at over 1,000 people; see Native American Era (pre-1830s).
  • Samuel Gillan — An early settler with a cabin near Algonquin who provided hospitality to travelers moving through the Kane County frontier. His presence reflects the sparse but growing network of pioneer habitation in and around the Fox River woodlands during this period. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))
  • James T. Gifford — A pioneer traveler documented as passing through Kane County in the early 1800s seeking relief and provisions, illustrative of the hardships faced by those moving through the region's forested and prairie terrain. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))

Sources

  • Joslyn, J.S. History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (1908). Available via Internet Archive: historyofkanecou01josl