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Wethersfield businessmen expecting an influx of travelers from the new railroad built a hotel, one of Kewanees 1st buildings, near the planned depot

Arriving in Kewanee in 1855, Howe became a leading citizen and a war hero

Built first structure in what became downtown Kewanee

Columnist Dean Karau traces Kewanee – In the Beginning . . . DEAN KARAU What was Kewanee like in its first year? Let’s take a look. But first, for a frame of reference, let’s revisit Wethersfield prior to the founding of Kewanee.  Wethersfield’s growth was stunted by the Financial Panic of 1837, which lasted through much of the 1840s. By the early 1850s, Wethersfield had only a dozen or so businesses operating in the village. It’s population hovered around 400, but most lived on farm...