Matteson

Matteson Municipal Water Report Information

In the mid-1800s, the early Matteson settlers could never have imagined their small community would evolve into a vibrant town of nearly 13,000 residents with three school districts, private educational institutions, and a thriving retail and office center.

The town's origins trace back to 1848 when Frederick Illgen purchased 40 acres from the government – land that now forms Matteson's southern section. Named after Illinois' 10th Governor Joel A. Matteson (pronounced Mat-te-son), the settlement attracted primarily German pioneers who arrived via the Illinois Central and New York Central railways intersection.

These railways transported thousands yearly between the East Coast and Midwest, with many travelers choosing to settle in the Matteson area rather than continuing to Chicago. Charles Ohlendorf became the first property owner, merchant, and postmaster in 1855. The following year, John Fox established a home and wagon shop around the same time John Steichelman built and opened the town's first hotel.

The community steadily developed from rustic log cabins with irregular food supplies into a proper town. By 1860, George E. Dolton was teaching at a one-room school earning $148 for a six-month term. Five years later, a new school building was constructed, and by 1876, it expanded to two stories – the same year a new Village Hall was built.

According to the 1880 census, Matteson's population had reached 500 residents served by two general stores, two hotels, two saloons, a shoe shop, two harness shops, a blacksmith shop, and a wagon implement shop. The town continued to progress, incorporating in 1889 with two jail cells housed in a one-story Village Hall and volunteer firefighters who supplied their own buckets.