The year was 1852, and the place was a part of the northern Illinois prairie. First, came the spring rains which turned the area into one vast marsh; then the prairie grass sprang up, carpeting the land with flowers; and, by fall, herders had to stand on the backs of their horses in order to see their cattle. Prairie fires were an ever-present menace, often set off by lightning and sweeping across miles of this luxuriant grassland.
      There was a fair-sized settlement on Sandy Creek, and an occasional house to the east, both in Evans and Osage townships but Wenona was nothing but a station house on the proposed Illinois Central Railroad. There was a small cheese factory somewhere between the present towns of Wenona and Dana, where, once a year, farmers from the whole area would bring their milk and make a year's supply of cheese. In 1853, the Illinois Central completed the line between LaSalle and Bloomington. The first train came through Wenona on May 16, 1853 and regular service began about two weeks later. The effect on the little settlement was magical.

-- Edward C. Harter from "Wenona Centennial"

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      When the Civil War started, Wenona was already a large and prosperous town. Many of her young men entered the army and fought in all sections of the South. Some of them never came back. The Illinois Central's traffic was devoted to the war. Food, ammunition, guns, wagons, tentage and troops moved south to supply General Grant's army. The northbound trains were often loaded with sick and wounded from the terrible battles of Grant's western campaigns such as Ft. Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg. No doubt the good ladies of the town turned out with food and hot drinks for the helpless soldiers as they passed through town, since medical attention and hospital care were practically non-existent at the time.

-- Edward C. Harter from "Wenona Centennial"

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