Open prairie shaped by wind, grass, and sky
In 1845, when DeKalb County was still in its infancy, three early settlers, Joseph Latham, Albert Grover, and Almon Gage, secured adjoining tracts of land totaling approximately 240 acres in the southeastern portion of the county. The land lay at a natural section corner that would later become the intersection of Main and Center Streets.
At the time, there were no roads, no railroad, and no town, only open prairie shaped by wind, grass, and sky. Yet these purchases marked the first step toward the creation of Sandwich.
From Land to Layout
Owning land was only the beginning. For a town to exist, it had to be surveyed, organized, and recorded.
By the early 1850s, portions of this land had changed hands. Jacob Hall emerged as a key figure, acquiring part of the original holdings particularly in the southwest portion first owned by Latham. As interest in development grew, the need for a formal town layout became clear.
Surveying the Town
In 1854, DeKalb County Surveyor Horace W. Fay completed and certified the survey that formally laid out the Town of Sandwich. Working on behalf of landowners including Almon Gage and Jacob Hall, Fay established the street grid, lot divisions, and boundaries that would define the town.
His work transformed open prairie into an organized plan, turning land into a place where a community could take root.
The Original Plat
The map below represents the original plat of Sandwich, surveyed and certified on December 6, 1854. It shows the earliest arrangement of streets and lots, along with several early additions that anticipated the town’s growth.
Map restored by Herk Schmidt
Original plat of Sandwich, Illinois, surveyed and certified by Horace W. Fay on December 6, 1854, for landowners Almon Gage and Jacob H. Hall. The map shows the town’s first layout, including streets, lots, and early additions.
Transcription of Certification (December 6, 1854)
State of Illinois
DeKalb County
I, Horace Fay, a Notary Public in and for said County, do hereby certify that Almon Gage and Jacob H. Hall, personally known to me to be the same persons whose names are subscribed to the foregoing certificate, appeared before me this day in person and acknowledged that they signed said certificate.
Given under my hand and seal this 6th day of December, 1854.
Horace Fay
Notary Public
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization follow the original document.
Growth and Early Additions
Even at the moment of its creation, Sandwich was already expanding. The plat identifies early additions, areas subdivided by landowners as the town began to grow beyond its initial boundaries.
Jacob Hall’s holdings in the southwest portion would later become known as “Hall’s Addition,” while other landowners, including Gage, also contributed to the town’s expansion through similar developments.
These additions reflect both optimism and expectation, the belief that Sandwich would grow into something more than a simple prairie settlement.
A Leader in the Town’s Early Growth
When Augustus Adams arrived in Sandwich in 1856, the town had already been laid out, but its future was still uncertain. Adams quickly became one of the most influential figures in its early development. A skilled businessman and organizer, he helped guide Sandwich as it transitioned from a newly platted settlement into a functioning community.
As the first village president, Adams played a central role in shaping local governance, while his business ventures helped establish the town’s economic foundation.
Sources
Past and Present of DeKalb County, Illinois. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1907.
DeKalb County, Illinois. Original Plat of the Town of Sandwich. Surveyed and certified by Horace W. Fay, October 6, 1854.
The True Republican (Sycamore, Illinois), 1918. Obituary of Edwin Horace Fay.
DeKalb County land records and early township maps.
Family and local historical records related to the Fay, Gage, Hall, Latham, and Grover properties.