Editing Forrest, Illinois (section)

==History==

=== Founding and naming ===

Forrest was laid out on December 11, 1866, by [[Israel J. Krack]] (1816 – 1900). Krack was born in [[Baltimore]], Maryland. Both of his parents had come from Germany. He was briefly a teacher, lived in [[Indiana]], and came to Livingston County in 1854. Krack was a farmer, [[notary public]], grain dealer, and in later life an insurance agent. Krack was elected to the [[Illinois General Assembly]] in 1872 and became treasurer of Livingston County in 1878.<ref>''History of Livingston County, Illinois'' (Chicago: LeBaron, 1878) p.637.</ref> Krack Street, which parallels the railroad, was named for the town's founder.

When Forrest was established, the [[Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad]] had already been in operation for almost ten years, and therefore the origin of the town is unlike [[Fairbury, Illinois|Fairbury]], [[Chatsworth, Illinois|Chatsworth]], [[Chenoa, Illinois|Chenoa]], [[Gridley, Illinois|Gridley]] and  [[El Paso, Illinois|El Paso]], all of which were founded when the railroad was first built. Within a few years of its founding, the people of Forrest did not know the full name of the person for whom the town was named. The author of the 1878 ''History of Livingston County'' says only two things about Mr. Forrest: he was a business partner of C. L. Frost, an official of the Toledo, Peoria and Western, and that he had promised to do something for the young village and that promise was "unfulfilled". The first version of the name was said to be "Forestville", spelled with one "r", but the "Forrest" spelling quickly came into use.<ref>''History of Livingston'', 1878, pp. 524-525.</ref> Forrest Township was created soon after the village was founded and took its name from the village.<ref>''History of Livingston,'' 1878, pp.  287, 390</ref>

=== Design and commerce ===

In 1861 or 1862, before the town was platted, Israel J. Krack was operating a [[grain elevator]] at the location.<ref>''History of Livingston'', 1878, p.529.</ref> Like most towns of the period, the plan of the original town of Forrest was centered on a long narrow depot grounds, which were on the north side of the tracks. The plat was for a simple grid of twenty blocks.<ref>''Standard Atlas of Livingston County, Illinois'' (Chicago: George A. Ogle, 1911) p. 55.</ref> The first house in Forrest was built by Mr. Krack, who was also the first [[postmaster]] and the first [[station master|station agent]]. He also laid out many additions to the town. The first hotel was built by William Umberfield and was known as the Forrest House. The first mill was built by R. B. Wilson. The first church was built by the [[Methodists]] in 1868. The town grew rapidly and by 1890 had over 1,000 people.<ref>''History of Livingston'', 1878, p. 662.</ref> Forrest, like almost every other early town of central Illinois during this period, was built from inexpensive pine lumber brought in by the railroad from [[Michigan]] or [[Wisconsin]]. In the winter of 1868-1869 much of the business district, including one grain warehouse, was burned. It was quickly rebuilt. This was the first of many fires that plagued the new town.<ref>''History of Livingston County'', 1878, pp. 529-531.</ref> In 1890 a particularly devastating blaze destroyed much of downtown Forrest. Rebuilding was rapid, and by 1893 there were five hotels.<ref>''Standard Atlas'', 1893, p. 55.</ref>

=== Introduction of the Wabash Railroad ===

The people of Forrest worked to attract a second railroad. At first there were hopes that the Chicago and Paducah Railroad could be induced to construct its tracks through the town, but this road was diverted to nearby [[Fairbury, Illinois|Fairbury]].<ref>''History of Livingston'', 1878, p.224.</ref> Success came when the [[Wabash Railroad]] was constructed through Forrest in 1880. On May 1 of that year, the first train on the Wabash passed through Forrest. The village became an important stopping place on the Wabash line linking [[Chicago]] and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]. Soon repair shops were built, and by the early 1890s over sixty men were employed here.<ref>''Livingston County Illinois, Biographical Record'' (Chicago: S.J. Clark, 1900) p.209.</ref> The town became a freight shipment point for the Chicago Division of the railroad. In 1894 local workers supported a strike against the Wabash, and many of those who had supported the strike lost their jobs to [[strikebreaker]]s. The Freight Division was removed to [[Decatur, Illinois|Decatur]]. Between 1914 and 1921 it was briefly returned to Forrest.<ref>[http://www.forrestil.org/More_History4.html "The Village of Forrest: Tracks from the Past, Vision for the Future"]. Accessed May 30, 2010.</ref> By the 1920s the days of Forrest as a railroad center began to fade. In 1924 the state of Illinois began construction on a paved road that eventually became Route 24.