PRE-EMPTION HOUSE

In the early 1830’s, Naper’s Settlement (later to be know as Naperville) was surrounded by a sea of prairie grass as tall as a man on horseback. The sounds of prairie chickens could be heard by day, and wolves by night. The quiet town grew rapidly, however, because two important highways formed a junction there. One ran southward through Oswego, Yorkville and Newark, to Ottawa. The other was the southern stage coach route from Chicago to Galena and points west. This made Naperville an important center of travel. Consequently, Joseph Naper, the town’ founder, set aside some land in the center of town on which George Laird built the first hotl west of Chicago in 1834---the Pre-Emption House. Newspapers of the time described it as “…the biggest thing between Chicago and the Mississippi.” This structure quickly filled the burgeoning town’s need for a public center. It became the symbol of Naperville’s identity and the scene of many of the region’s major events, including the actual land pre-emption process which gave the hotel its name.

Pre-emption was a practice of early settlers who laid claim to and “squatted” on Indian lands before they were officially opened or surveyed by the government. Eventually legislation was passed in 1841, which legitimized this process which was already occurring. The Pre-Emption Act of 1841 enabled settlers to acquire up to 160 acres at $1.25 per acre. Fifty years later, in 1891, this act was repealed to be superseded by the Homestead Act.

The Pre-Emption House was locally and nationally significant for the role it played as a gathering spot and scene of major events in an evolving region’s development. When Dupage County was formed out of Cook, and Naperville was made the county seat, state law said the first election of county officers would be held in the Pre-Emption House in 1839. It also went on to say the Pre-Emption Hosue would serve as the county officials’ meeting place until an appropriate site was obtained for a courthouse. Social events, meetings of early claim societies, and the important and popular Saturday horse markets were held in and around the inn. Traveling merchants and traders even had a special back side entrance straight into the “sample room.” Theatrical troupes, circuses, carnivals, and entertainers also found room and board at the House
for themselves and their menagerie. The Naperville Heritage Society’s Museum Collections contain invitations to parties held in the House, including a celebration for departing residents seeking their fortune in the western gold rush. Several guest registries are also preserved in the collections.

Close to the beginning of the 20th century however, the House shifted gradually into being a boarding house versus a hotel, while retaining the dining and bar room features, dances and social gatherings. It was in 1927 that the building was made into a private home by Gertrude and Frank Joseph Wehrli, the daughter and son-in-law of Sam Hitenbrand, the last proprietor. Before it was torn down in 1946, the House was described as the oldest tavern in constant operation west of the Allegheny Mountains. Its architectural, social, and historical significance earned the Pre-Emption House a place in the Historic Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1934.

After the Naperville Heritage Society completed a needs assessment and long range planning for the Naper Settlement Museum Village, they identified the need for a Visitor’s Center. Retaining an historical presence while providing expanded space and technological advancement was an important criteria.

Recreating the Pre-Emption House emerged as a natural choice to become the Settlement’s new center activity. As the new centerpiece of the museum village complex, this historically significant structure will have a major impact on all activities. The Naperville Historical Society is reconstructing this historic building not only as the recreation of an important structure, but as the vehicle to improve the museum’s growing services. This building will provide a focus for a strong interpretive story of who first settled in this area, how they claimed their lands and thus opened the rich farm lands throughout the region. It will serve as a significantly visible, viable, highly controllable entry gate to the Museum in an orientation capacity for visitors and volunteers. A significant exhibit illustrating 70 years of the town’s early development supporting the growing agricultural region will eventually be housed in the lower level of the Pre-Emption House featuring Les Schrader’s paintings of the town’s history. The building will also provide resources to bring curatorial and archival practices to professionally accepted national standards. The House will contain accessible, secured, and climate-controlled archives and library.

Today, the re-constructed Pre-Emption House stands on the southwest corner of Aurora and Webster Streets, not far from its original downtown Naperville location. Thanks to numerous contributions from many friends of the Heritage Society, including the Wheatland Plowing Match Association, as of December, 1994, the building has been completely drywalled. Much work remains to complete the interior historical finishing details and create informative and exciting exhibits. However, re-creating the Pre-Emption House insures that this important aspect of our past will not be lost to history, but will remain a vibrant part of our community for generations to come.