The modern town of Cornell is a blending of two towns founded at almost the same time. Both were attempting to attract a station on the new Fairbury Pontiac and Northwestern Railroad, which eventually became part of the Wabash Railroad. The town of Cornell was laid out by Walter P. Cornell (April 3, 1811 – May 5, 1889) on June 15, 1871. The adjoining town of Amity was laid out two days later by Willard D. Blake (February 5, 1840 – June 1, 1875). Walter Cornell was born in Rhode Island, came to Illinois in 1837, served three years as County Treasurer, and was a director of the railroad. Blake was a farmer born in LaSalle County, Illinois, who died at the age of 35. Ironically, while the name Cornell was kept by the new town, most of the early businesses were in the Amity part of the plat. Indeed, several early houses built in Cornell were soon moved a few blocks down to the Amity part of…
Passages that mention Cornell, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The History of Livingston County, Illinois1878 · page 556Read the page →
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New York, and was doubtless pleased more with the timber feature of the township than with its rolling prairie, and therefore selected his farm on the bank of Mud Creek. He is still living, but has moved his residence to the village of Cornell. He has seen many changes, not only in the appearance of the township, but in the county, as he was one of the first settlers of this part of the State. Soon after his arrival, a great financial panic swept over the country, and especially over this State ; and emigration, for several years, was materially
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The History of Livingston County, Illinois1878 · page 407Read the page →
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Commissioners, though the duties of the office then did not necessarily require either a man of leisure or great ability, there being but three very small schools in the county, and the course of instruction being of the most primary character. His son, Isaiah Boyer, resides in the village of Cornell. The year 1837 brought several new families to this locality, among which were two of the most worthy and solid that have ever made this their home.
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Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
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