De Land: Town Plan and History

De Land combines a precisely dated town founding with a street layout preserved from the original plan. Its history can be told through specific milestones: the town’s layout in 1873, religious institutions in the years that followed, and the Carnegie Library, which first opened to the public in 1912. For travelers who enjoy exploring a place’s character, this chronology offers a cultural-history focus. If you’re looking for a vacation rental, your preferred travel theme can help guide your choice of where to stay: would you like local history to play an important part in your trip?

The Town Plan: Founding and Street Layout

De Land was laid out for Thomas E. Bondurant on April 23 and 25, and May 20 and 21, 1873. The original town plan included 16 full blocks and four half blocks along the railroad. The multiple dates and exact block count make the town’s beginnings tangible: its founding was not just a date, but also a planned spatial arrangement.

The original street layout has been preserved; the streets named in the town plan remain in the same arrangement. This connects the historical figures to the shape of the town. The four half blocks lie along the railroad, giving the plan a tangible connection to rail transport. At the same time, it includes 16 full blocks. This division offers a simple way into the town’s planning history: it shows how the layout was organized into full and half blocks. The preserved street pattern links this early planning to the town’s present-day layout.

Churches and Local History

Union Church in De Land was built in early 1876 at the northwest corner of Indiana Avenue and Fourth Street and dedicated on July 23, 1876. Construction and dedication are two distinct milestones in the same year: construction took place early in the year, followed by the dedication in July. The combination of street names and date gives the church’s history a specific time and place.

Another milestone concerns the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was moved from the Ashland school-house to De Land around 1874, while Mr. Winterbottom was pastor. The two church histories tell different stories: construction and dedication are central to Union Church, while the Methodist Episcopal Church’s organization was relocated. Together, they show different aspects of the town’s religious history without assuming that the events were of the same kind.

Libraries and Transportation History

The Carnegie Library in De Land first opened to the public in 1912. In the wider travel area, the Goose Creek Township Carnegie Library was also dedicated in 1912; it is part of the Lincoln Trail Libraries System. The histories of the two libraries share a year but mark different milestones: in De Land, it was the first opening to the public; for the Goose Creek Township Carnegie Library, it was the dedication.

A dated cultural program adds transportation history to these themes. On February 12, 2024, the free “Transportation in History” program took place at the Goose Creek District Library, 220 N Hwy, De Land, Illinois 61839, and at the Champaign Public Library. Registration was not required; the program was intended for people aged six and older. Participants learned about Champaign County’s transportation history through three forms of transportation, as well as artifacts and activities from the Education Collection.

The town plan and the program offer different perspectives on transportation: the plan shows how the four half blocks relate to the railroad, while the program focused on the transportation history of Champaign County. Anyone who wants to make local history the focus of their trip can explore De Land through these different angles and choose a vacation rental to suit their travel interests.

For the wider travel overview: Piatt.