would build a house worth $400 to $500 within six months of buying a lot, they could have two years of credit on the sale price interest free. Scott was willing to take a quarter interest in a steam saw mill and would donate sites for churches, schools and burial grounds. Moreover, anyone who sold liquor in the town would forfeit the title to their property. Development of Chenoa The great problem with the development of Chenoa was that, before the town was laid out, there had been no settlement in the surrounding country. The land around Chenoa was prairie wilderness. The Indians who had hunted and lived in Illinois country for many years had been moved by the U. S. Government to regions west of the Mississippi river by the time Chenoa was founded. Soon the tough prairie sod was broken by the plow which made acres and acres of land available for farming. Scott aided the development of nearby land by plowing and cultivating , building two hundred houses, and planting twenty-seven miles of hedge fences. The first structures within the limits of the new town were two little half-sod and half-board dugouts which served as depot, freight house, and shelter for railroad section hands; this is one of the very few mentions of sod houses in McLean County. J. B. Lenney came from Pennsylvania to the new town of Chenoa and in 1855 put up the frame building here which was called "The Farmer's Store." J. B. Lenney took an active part in the development of the town and is referred to as the "Father of Chenoa." In 1856 the National Hotel was constructed. All of these buildings were on the east side of the tracks. In 1864 Chenoa, East Chenoa, and several additions were united under one town government which was confirmed by a special act of the Illinois General Assembly in 1869. Development continues Slowly, additional improvements were made. Rectangular blocks of stone were placed at road intersections. Changes in livestock laws made it possible for residents to tear down the wooden fences that had once surrounded every residence. Many trees were planted. The Chicago and Alton was double tracked in 1890. In 1891 the first electric lights were installed. A union station was built so both railroads could share passenger facilities; unfortunately it burned down during Armistice celebrations on November 11, 1918. This was