BURR RIDGE – It was a place that went by many names, which changed depending on who you asked. Some called it The Plainfield Road, the Joliet, The Indian Trail, or plainly, "the crick."

But all of these names taken together are today called something familiar: Burr Ridge.

In a new book from Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series, author and local historian Sharon L. Comstock chronicles the history of the village from its very beginning.

“I’m not a trained historian,” Comstock said. “I’m just very curious.”

“Images of America: Burr Ridge” explores the history of the village through oral interviews with current residents and the descendents of some of the area’s oldest families. The book also contains more than 200 vintage images of the area and of the people who lived there. The book chronicles the village’s early years, its education history and industrialism.

Though the village was only incorporated in 1956, the story of Burr Ridge is much deeper, according to Comstock. In fact, it was called the village of Harvester before 1962 when it changed its name and annexed an area known as Burr Ridge Estates.

Comstock is a direct descendent of Burr Ridge pioneer David Craigmile, whose land would later become parts of Burr Ridge and Willowbrook, as well as Harvester Park.

“I think what started it was when I was a features writer at [Lyons Township High School’s student newspaper] The Lion and we did a genealogy project,” Comstock said.

Little did she know – until she started the project – the home she currently lives in is on that very same land her great-great-grandfather settled at Madison Avenue and Plainfield Road. In fact, after looking at old maps of the area, she believes her house sits almost exactly on the site of the old farmhouse her great-grandfather built.

“It is pure happenstance,” Comstock said of the coincidence of living on her ancestor’s land.

Comstock said she decided to start work on the book after reviewing artifacts owned by her family that weren’t in archives and decided there was material there to begin a history of the area.

In researching the 127-page book, Comstock worked closely with the village of Burr Ridge, the Indian Prairie Public Library and the Flag Creek Historical Society. After talking with people in town, she would track down others in their family tree and slowly began compiling their stories together.

Another reason for writing the book was what Comstock called a fight against time itself.

“Knowing that our family members are aging was a part of it,” Comstock said. “We’re losing the stories of a whole generation. I knew we were working against time, and I wanted those stories to be recorded. We need to get those stories down before they are lost.”

Comstock also hopes that the book’s publication will encourage others in Burr Ridge and surrounding communities to compile their own narratives and share them with the community. She hopes to host a “scanning party” in town where neighbors could come together with their village history to scan images and record stories that could be then shared with the Flag Creek Historical Society.

“What surprised me is how much the history has stayed the same in certain ways,” Comstock said of the experience of writing the book. “Burr Ridge has always been about building community.”

The book was officially released Feb. 2.

"Images of American: Burr Ridge" is available for $21.99 at local retailers, online bookstores and through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com.

---

Visit shawurl.com/texts to sign up for news and weather text alerts from Suburban Life.