Wauconda, IL, Website

Wauconda, Illinois. Traditions say that Wauconda was named for an Indian Chief by that name, who is buried somewhere on the southern bank of Bangs Lake. The word translated from its Indian language means “Spirit Water.” In 1836, Elihu Hubbard built a log cabin on the bank of the lake.

In 1848, Justus Bangs, the first settler, built a home where the townhall now stands, and it was for him the lake was named. Wauconda was organized in 1849, and the first town meeting was held the first Tuesday in April, 1850.Most of the early settlers came from New England and New York. They came by covered wagon and some came through the Great Lakes.

Today, with a population estimated at more than 8,200, Wauconda is a growing retail and industrial center and is still a great place for family living. Boehmer Chevrolet Sales, Inc. is the oldest business in Wauconda. Arthur Boehmer and Lee Brown opened the "Wauconda Garage" located half a block north of Rt. 176 on Main Street, then a dirt road, in 1913. The Wauconda Garage had the first available gas pumps for travelers driving on Rand Road. The Chevrolet franchise was obtained in 1929.

There’s something fun for everyone in the Wauconda area. The fun begins with Bangs Lake, of course, Wauconda’s centerpiece, and continues in the village’s eight well-equipped parks.