Kent was surveyed and platted in 1887 at the same time the Chicago Great Western Railroad laid its tracks through Stephenson County. When the village was founded it was the only village within its township and it was thought that the area had great potential for growth. Kent is probably named for the Reverend Aratus Kent, a traveling evangelist from Galena, Illinois. The post office in present-day Kent was established on July 29, 1850.
Passages that mention Kent Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The History of Stephenson County, Illinois1880 · page 520Read the page →
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In 1836, Jabez Smith, Alfred and Sanford Giddings, looked in upon the settlement established near Waddams Grove, but passed on and became identified with the building up of Kent Township. John B. Kaufman came in 1835, and remained only a year, when he moved to Erin Township, but Washington Parker, who settled in West Point during 1836, remained without indulging his wandering proclivities.
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The History of Stephenson County, Illinois1880 · page 503Read the page →
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quite a number secured claims in that portion which is now Jefferson, and made the improvements usual in such cases, a cabin and corn-patch. George Lashell located a farm in the hollow where the village of Loran now is, Thompson Smith, Henry Aurand, Jacob Gable, now residing in Kent Township, Charles Fleckinger, who resided on the hill near Loran, and a few others whose names are omitted, because of the fact that the survivors of those days were unable to recall them to mind came in also.
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History of Stephenson County, Illinois1910 · page 360Read the page →
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Kent Township was only opened up to the commercial world when the Chicago and Great Western Railroad chose to lay their tracks across the southwestern corner of the section. This brought an influx of speculators and purchasers, and the railroad company established a station, thereby founding the village of Kent. The village has never grown to surpassing dimensions, principally because the railroad which performs its service connects with the county seat only indirectly. It remains, however, a pleasant and habitable little settlement, with an enterprising and energetic population.
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kent Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1942Lena sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kent Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Kent Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
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 →
From Wikimedia Commons (5), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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