History

Riverwoods. Our town straddles two townships - Vernon Township and West Deerfield Township. Vernon Woods is in Vernon Township. Vernon Township is believed to have been named after George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Early Days. The first recorded purchase of property in Riverwoods occurred in 1841. The property was approximately 40 acres near what is now the corner of Riverwoods Road and Portwine Road. Portwine Road didn’t exist at the time. Riverwoods Road was a Native American trail. Wooded areas were used for cattle grazing. Razor-back hogs were introduced to control the snake population. A water-powered saw-mill was constructed on the Des Plaines River, to assist in construction of homes in Riverwoods. Even into the 1930’s, the water of the Des Plaines River was said to be crystal clear.

In the 1950’s, things began to change rapidly. “When I first moved to Riverwoods on May 15, 1950, I thought I had landed in Paradise.” That’s the first sentence of Barbara Zimmer’s Memories of Riverwoods and Surrounding Area (1991). Without a doubt many current residents feel the same way.

When Ms. Zimmer moved to Riverwoods, it was a very different place. The Zimmers purchased land on Sherry Lane in 1946 at $1,000 per acre. That had been the price of land in the area for the prior 20 years, and would remain the price for the next ten years or so. They chose Edward Humrich to build their house.

One of the first houses in Riverwoods was the small white clapboard house owned by the Herrmanns, still standing near the northwest corner of Portwine and Deerfield Roads. In the 1950’s, it was considered large. Neighbors used to refer to it as “the big white house.” When it was built, it was reached via Riverwoods Road and down Portwine Road, both of which were dirt roads at the time. Deerfield Road didn’t exist west of Sanders until it was extended to Milwaukee Avenue in the 1930’s. Riverwoods Road and Portwine Road were gravel roads as late as the late 1950’s.

Early settlers were generally self-sufficient. They had their own wells and septic fields. Some constructed their homes using timber from their own lots. Their roads were privately owned. The fire department was a volunteer organization. The county sheriff provided police protection.

Farmers along Milwaukee Avenue used to come to Riverwoods in the winter, on sleds across the Des Plaines River. They would chop down trees for firewood.

At the time the Zimmers moved to the area, the elementary school serving properties west of Portwine was a one-room schoolhouse on Milwaukee Avenue, with eight grades in one room. (The building is part of the Sale Barn group of buildings on Milwaukee Avenue between Deerfield and Lake Cook Roads.) The high school was about 15 miles away.

In the 1950’s, Massasauga rattlensnakes were common, growing up to about 3 feet long. Rattlesnake hunts were common, too. The area was informally named “Rattlesnake Gulch.” As development spread west from Deerfield, realtors were concerned about the adverse publicity of rattlesnakes. Residents didn’t mind, since they preferred to maintain the rural character of the area. Children were said to have thrown rattlesnake skins into trees to discourage purchasers.

When, in the 1950’s, some residents decided that the old dirt roads filled with potholes should be covered with gravel. Old timers objected. They felt that adding gravel to roads would facilitate traffic and interfere with the privacy of the area.

“It’s important to know that many of us early settlers came to Riverwoods for the trees, for the space, and for the freedom.” (Jane Ware Davenport, from A Village Remembered: Riverwoods after 25 Years, 1984)

There was small game in the woods, too, including mink, muskrat, weasels, badgers, foxes and skunks. Deer were rarely seen, but became more visible with development. Riverwoods was so heavily wooded that some homes were built by their owners from the timber cut down on their lots. As late as the 1960’s, the woods were so thick that sometimes residents would get temporarily lost in their own woods.

As deer became more prevalent, some residents considered changing the name of the town from Riverwoods to Deer Grove. Most residents continued to prefer the name “Riverwoods”, and so the name stuck.

Since those early days, Riverwoods has continued to change.

“In spite of the conscientious efforts of George Herrmann [1888 – 1980] and other conservationists of the area, however, some of Riverwoods’ most beautiful and exceptional flowers have disappeared or become very rare. There was a time when cranes hatched their families in a cottonwood grove south of Ringland Road, when there were many natural springs in the woods ringed with marsh marigolds, when folks could – and some unfortunately would – pick a whole armful of yellow lady’s slipper, not protected by law. The cardinal flower, the red columbine and gentians are especially prized in the fall and the bloodroot and hepatica are among the first signs of spring. These, however, are becoming more and more infrequent. But the trillium continues in its abundance to make the woods a very special place each spring. And villagers should probably be excused if, in their admiration and pride, they refer to Riverwoods as 'the trillium capital of the world.'

“As for the birds, there was a time when the Herrmanns had scores of wren houses scattered about their property, all occupied by home-loving tenants. Now the wrens are much less frequent and it is a rare occurrence when a bluebird, another former denizen, is sighted. Almost lost for the woodland are two other favorites, the tanagers and the woodcocks. However, there are still enough rare and ordinary birds, year-round and summertime and migration time, to make the place a bird-watchers delight.” (Dorothy Wright, from A Village Remembered: Riverwoods after 25 Years, 1984 from A Village Remembered: Riverwoods after 25 Years, 1984)

One thing about Riverwoods has not changed: the passion of its residents.

“Becoming involved in the affairs of the Village [in 1960] was like accidentally stepping into a gang fight. Half of the residents wanted the right to own and keep unlimited numbers of horses and ride wherever they chose. The other half screamed bloody murder about the intrusion of horses on their property and the thoughtlessness of horse owners in general. Half of the town wanted sewers, the other half didn’t need sewers and didn’t want to urbanize the community by their installation, thus making it easier for developers to change the character of the community by building on smaller parcels of land. ...At first, I thought all of this bickering and chaos was caused by people living in the woods for too long a period. But, after several years of being subjected to packed, acrimonious board meetings, contested elections and referendums over these matters, I came to realize that everyone has the same special intense interest and feeling about their community. Riverwoods is a hidden glen in an ever-encroaching jungle of a commercialized metropolitan area. People who live in Riverwoods are instinctively individualistic. They are creative, and react strongly against the planned development of their community by government agencies. Riverwoods residents find peace and enjoyment in going it alone among the God-given gift of the trees and nature that is uniquely Riverwoods.”.” (Alfred Lewis, from A Village Remembered: Riverwoods after 25 Years, 1984)

First Inhabitants. The Riverwoods area is believed to have been inhabited by humans since at least 1500 to 500 B.C., based on artifacts found in a gravel pit in 1959 in Half Day. The noted explorers Joliet and Marquette are believed to have camped in what is now north suburban Chicago in 1674, possibly as close to Riverwoods as Deerfield.

Riverwoods is at the “divide” or watershed that runs along Saunders and Riverwoods Roads. To the West is the Mississippi River basin and to the East is the St. Lawrence River drainage basin. Native Americans used the divide to avoid crossing major waterways.

The Village occupies land that was once the hunting ground of the Pottawatomie tribe. The tribe camped in the area to hunt game and tap the many maple trees for maple syrup, to make sugar. The thickly wooded forests, ridges and lowlands along the Des Plaines River ultimately became the Vernon Woods area of Riverwoods. The Riverwoods Village Hall is located in Vernon Woods.

After the Blackhawk War of 1833, the Native Americans ceded the area to the United States government. Non-native traders, trappers, hunters and woodsmen began exploring the area. The area was home to deer, elk, bear wolves, skunk, woodchuck, fox opossum and raccoon, as well as quail, duck, geese, buzzards, hawks, blackbirds and pheasant.

In 1834 the U.S. government offered land in the area for $1.25 per acre. Settlers also began occupying the area, farming in the open spaces and cutting trees for home construction and firewood.

Vernon Woods. The Vernon Woods Owners Association (aka VWOA) was established in November 1955, four years before the Village of Riverwoods was incorporated, when the plat of subdivision for the area in which we live – River Woods Subdivision – was recorded. The Association is a non-profit Illinois corporation. The homes forming the VWOA, in the southwest corner of the Village of Riverwoods, are bounded by Deerfield Road on the North, the Des Plaines River on the West, Portwine Road on the East, and the Lake County Forest Preserve on the South. You'll find more information under the "Map" tab of this site.

The Association is made up of 103 lots of two acres or more. For most residents it is a beautiful, quiet, rustic community which provides a sanctuary – a quiet oasis from the sea of highways and development surrounding it.

Every owner of a lot within Vernon Woods is automatically a member of the VWOA. The Association is managed by 5 volunteer residents who are elected by Vernon Woods residents each year in May at the Association's annual meeting. All residents are encouraged to attend, and to participate in the Association's affairs.

Vernon Woods is Unique. Vernon Woods has several distinctive characteristics. It contains the largest lots in the Village. The minimum lot size in Vernon Woods is two acres. Some lots, especially along the Des Plaines River, are up to seven acres. The Vernon Woods area is more heavily wooded than some other areas, with proportionately less area devoted to turf grass. Historically, Vernon Woods and other parts of Riverwoods comprised a dense woodland populated primarily by oaks and hickories. Some trees have been estimated to be up to 150 to 200 years old. A variety of plants were plentiful. As late as the 1980’s, areas of Vernon Woods were “solid with trillium” in the spring, “covered white, almost like snow.” (See the RPC's website for information about preservation efforts.)

The topsoil in Vernon Woods is generally high quality, and more permeable to moisture than in other areas of Riverwoods, facilitating growth of a variety of vegetation and allowing infiltration of rainwater which reduces run-off. Absorption of rainwater is enhanced by the woodlands character of much of Vernon Woods. However, because the terrain is flat and some areas have high clay-content soil, drainage is a continuing problem. (See the VWOA Activities tab.)

Village Hall. Until 1969, Village Board meetings were held in residents’ homes, on a rotating basis. In that year, the Village’s mayor appointed a citizens committee to assess the need for a permanent location to hold meetings. Following a controversial Village referendum in 1970 which ultimately yielded a 65% favorable vote, the Village acquired a 5.277 acre property and lodge on Portwine Road. The acquisition was through a bond issue for $60,000, which the Residents Association paid off. The lodge became the Village hall. The lodge was renovated by adding steel stabilizing rods, a furnace, insulation and two bathrooms, as well as a septic field. All labor and material were donated by Riverwoods residents.

The lodge had a long history. In 1928, three decades before the incorporation of the Village of Riverwoods, the Winnetka chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America purchased the 5+ acre property of heavily wooded land near the Des Plaines River on Portwine Road in what is now the Vernon Woods subdivision, for $1,000 per acre. The land was purchased for the recreational needs of Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Camp Fire Girl organizations in Winnetka. The League immediately began construction of a cabin on the site, using old electric light poles stockpiled by the Winnetka Power & Electric Plant. Poles were loaded onto trucks and transported to the site.

In 1929, the organization completed constructed of a 60 foot long log cabin with a massive brick fireplace, called the Walton lodge. The lodge contained a kitchen, screened porch, and two second floor sleeping rooms, each with six cots. The site also include a hand pump water well, two outhouses, an outside brick camp fireplace, and a small clearing for outdoor activities.

By the time of the Village’s purchase and renovation of the lodge, the interior surfaces of the logs were covered with carvings made by children over the years. No doubt those carvings remain, buried under the drywall installed during renovation.

Residents Dan and Ed Stucka built the desk and wagon wheel chandelier that continues in use today. The painting of trillium, over the fireplace, was done by a resident - Milvi Wheeler.

In 1980, a large addition to the Village hall was completed, with a new furnace, air conditioning, a conference area, a reception area, a file room, and offices for the mayor and the building department.

In 2000, another large addition to the Village hall was completed, maintaining the log cabin style of the original building. In addition, the parking area was significantly expanded.

In 2015, another major renovation of the Village hall began.

Municipal Sewer and Water. For most of the history of Riverwoods, homes employed septic fields for household waste and private wells for drinking water. The issue of sewer and municipal water service within the Village has always prompted much debate. In 1968, the Village installed sewers in portions of the Village north of Deerfield Road, and in 1971, the Village began the process of adding additional sewer lines throughout that area.

Most properties south of Deerfield Road continued to use septic fields. In 1992, the Village proposed installation of public sewers and Lake Michigan water mains throughout Vernon Woods. Funding was to be accomplished through an increase in property taxes. Once again, the issue was controversial. As before, arguments centered on necessity, costs, and environmental damage. Residents mounted a successful petition campaign that required the Village to withdraw the proposal. A referendum on the matter was similarly defeated.

In 1999, the Village offered a different proposal for municipal sewers. This time the Village proposed that instead of large gravity sewer lines that required trenching, the system would comprise small-diameter high pressure lines that would be installed by underground boring. The boring process was intended to reduce tree loss. Each property would have a grinder pump that would pulp waste and force it at high pressure to the main sewer lines. Funding was to be accomplished by a 10 year special assessment on owners’ property tax bills. This time, most residents accepted the approach and high pressure sewer lines were installed throughout most of Vernon Woods in 2002 and 2003.

Private wells continue to be the source of drinking water for most Vernon Woods residents, although municipal water was extended to homes along Thornmeadow Road in 2011. Wells are typically at least 100 feet deep, reaching into a large drinking water aquifer.

Since the issue of municipal water versus private well water is beyond the authority or expertise of the Association, it takes no position on the matter.

Des Plaines River Path. The Lake County Forest Preserve’s north-south trail along Des Plaines River can be reached from Vernon Woods in two ways: by walking or biking along Deerfield Road to the bridge over the river, between Portwine Road and Milwaukee Avenue; and by walking along a barely visible path that travels west from the end of Greenbriar Road. The Des Plaines River, but not the trail, can be reached by walking through the Patterson Nature Preserve at the west end of Orange Brace Road.

Deer. There are lots of deer in Riverwoods, including in Vernon Woods. Environmental damage and deer population control have been the subject of much debate, and are topics on which the Association takes no position. (See the RPC's website for more information.)

Buckthorn and Garlic Mustard. Both invasives, which spread rapidly and crowd out other vegetation, are plentiful in Vernon Woods. The Village offers a cost-sharing program to encourage removal of the plants: Forestry Cost-Sharing..

The photo on this page by Greg Mancuso