In 1841 the residents of Lake County, which had split from McHenry County in 1839, voted to move the county seat from Burlington (now Libertyville) to Little Fort, where county commissioners had recently bought some land. The state granted a charter for Little Fort to become a town in 1849. The charter included a provision that allowed a majority of voters to change the name to Waukegan, an option that they immediately exercised. "Waukegan" is a Potawatomi word for "Little Fort," a name recognizing the 18th-century French trading post that had existed on the site. In 1859 Waukegan reincorporated as a city.

Creator: State of Illinois (Printed by Chicago Democrat)
Source: Newberry Library (Graff 2071 no.1)