Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve Burial Site in South Elgin, Illinois

This location is a memorial burial site dedicated to two unknown soldiers who served under General Winfield Scott during the Black Hawk War in 1832.

Hidden amongst the trees near the Fox River is a boulder that contains a plaque marking the graves of the two unknown soldiers. In June of 1832, the area known today as  Duerr Forest Preserve was once a camp for  Scott’s troops who were marching northwest to assist the army in fighting Chief Black Hawk and his confederacy.

The two men died of cholera during their brief rest before joining the fight. Unfortunately, their names have been lost to time. Their graves mark an important chapter in the history of Kane County.