Mulford, Edward H.

From HistoryWiki

Army Major Edward H. Mulford opened the first jewelry store in Chicago, and was Evanston’s first settler, taking up government land in 1835 in what became Ridgeville Township. He named his 140 acre estate on Ridge Avenue (where St. Francis Hospital now stands) "Oakton." It was one of the stops on the post road to Chicago, included a tavern and an inn, as well as the first post office. He was one of the founders of the First Baptist Church, and one of the first Justices of the Peace in Cook County.