Riverside Ford
The Green Bay Trail ran near the shoreline of Lake Michigan and
crossed the Chicago River on the sand bar of its original mouth.
The trail also had an intercepting trail that branched out from the
main trail near Gross Point and followed the contours of Old
Calumet Beach through Niles Center, Jefferson Park, Cragin.,
Austin, South Oak Park, Berwyn, and Riverside, In Riverside the
trail again divided at the intersections of Forest Avenue, East
Avenue, Burlington Street, and North Longcommon Road. The westerly
trail or Barry Point,. proceeded southwest down East Avenue and
crossed the Burlington Railroad tracks at East Avenue and Pine
Street reaching the intersections of Blooming Bank and Barry Point
Road. Proceeding south down Barry Point Road, the trail reached the
intersections of Barry Point and Fairbanks Road to turn
southeasterly down Fairbanks. The trail then crossed Riverside
Ford, located 150 yards north of the Hoffman Bridge on which
present day Barry Point Road enters Lyons.
Most evidence of Riverside Ford has been obliterated by the
building. of the Hoffman Dam and a small dam North of the Hoffman
Bridge constructed with the purpose of leveling the height of water
in the Des Plaines River. A historical marker was placed on the
east side off of Fairbank Road at Riverside in 1932 by the Woman's
Reading Club of Riverside with the aid and assistance of the
Chicago Historical Society. It reads ---
THIS BOULDER MARKS THE
OLD RIVER CROSSING USED BY THE
INDIANS ON THE TRAIL FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH, BY THE FUR
TRADERS, AND BY THE EARLY
SETTLERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE WEST
DEDICATED JULY 4, ----
WOMAN' S READING CLUB
RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS
CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
One locating the true ford will find it almost directly south of
the small dam north of the Hoffman Bridge. On the east bank of the
river there exists a type of grove in the slope leading down-into
the river which can bear out proof of a trail once existing there
and the slope being worn down from the pioneers and Indians draggin
their weary bodies and belongings down the slope to the rocky ford
below. On the westerly bank of the river there still exists a small
part of the Barry Point Trail where it travels southward through
the forest preserve until reaching the intersections of Barry Point
Road and Joliet Avenue in Lyons.
To find the final - Read the plaque and find the date it was
dedicated.
To find the north coordinate of the final Add the four
numbers of the date together. Divide by 3 and add that number to
the decimal portion of the posted north coordinate.
To find the west coordinate of the final Multiply the
four numbers of the date together. Add 30 and subtract that number
from the decimal portion of the posted west coordinate.