Written by: Phyllis Monks

Crete's Main Street has a long history. It was first known as Hubbard's Trail when Gordon Hubbard, a trader for the American Fur Company, established in 1825 a new route to transport the furs from the Indians and trade goods between his Danville and Watseka trading posts and Chicago.

By the 1830s the trail was known as the Vincennes Wagon Road. The dirt road became a major route for goods and pioneers from the more settled areas of Southern Illinois and Indiana to Chicago.

As the number of wagons increased on the Vincennes Wagon Road, the Illinois Legislature recognized that it had become one of the major routes in Eastern Illinois and ordered a state road be located on the path in the winter of 1833-34. Later the General Assembly declared the road to be Illinois Route 1.

Brave pioneers traveled from the Eastern states along the Erie Canal and through the Great Lakes to Chicago. From there, some traveled South to settle in an area that would become Crete Township. The early pioneers settled Thorn Grove in 1834 in the Northwestern township area and Beebe's Grove in 1835 in the Northeastern part. In 1836 Willard and Dyantha Wood became the first settlers in the center of the present Village of Crete when they purchased land to farm along the Vincennes Road.

Beginning in 1848 German immigrants settled on farms in the area. Crete grew and the Village was incorporated in 1880. The Vincennes Wagon Road became known as Main Street in Crete and Chicago Road, North of the Village boundary.

In 1915 a national highway was planned which would run through the center of Crete on Main Street. This was the beginning of "Dixie Highway" which ran from Chicago South all the way to Florida. As a result, Crete's Main Street became one of the area's first concrete roads in 1920.

Main Street and Dixie Highway have continued to be of great importance to the development of Crete. Many businesses have come and gone along Main Street since 1836. The first businesses serviced the local farmers. As Crete has grown the businesses have become more consumer oriented with a number of restaurants, ice cream shops and gift shops at present.

One of the most significant developments in Crete was Lincoln Fields Race Track, built by Col. Matt Winn, the "Father of the Kentucky Derby", and his associates when they purchased 635 acres on Dixie Highway South of the Village of Crete in 1925 for racing thoroughbred horses. Jack Dempsey used Lincoln Fields for his training camp for his fight with Gene Tunney in September 1927. The Balmoral Jockey Club purchased Lincoln Fields in 1955 and changed the name to Balmoral Park as a reminder of Castle Balmoral in Scotland. Millions of dollars have renovated the track and buildings and Balmoral became Chicago's premier harness racing facility in 1998.

Read more of Crete's interesting history in the Crete Remembered books written by Carol Triebold and Phyllis Monks. The books are available to purchase at the Crete Public Library, Annie's Cafe and the law office of Phyllis Monks.