The site of DeWitt on the high prairie was selected as the seat of Clinton County in 1840 because of its central location. Within the town's north-south, east-west grid, the public square was placed one block east of Church Street (the main street). By the 1870s DeWitt had become a junction point for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway and the Saint Paul Railroad. In fact the north-south line of the latter ended up running right up Church Street.
Writing Credits
If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.
SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.