The area of Lake Zurich was first settled by European descendants in the 1830’s. Two of its early pioneers were George Ela, after whom the Ela township is named and Seth Paine, who established a number of commercial venues in the town. New England farmers flocked to the area followed by many German immigrants. The lake now known as Lake Zurich was named was named Cedar Lake during this time.
The village of Lake Zurich was incorporated on September 19, 1896. The area essentially remained a farming community although the coming railroad and highway system brought an influx of new visitors. The building of U.S. Route 12 in 1922 (U.S. Route 12) followed by Illinois Route 22 five years later established Lake Zurich as a convenient summer resort.
In the summer of 1942, the Lake Zurich Lion’s Club along with volunteer and service organizations held its first annual Alpine Fest to celebrate the victories of World War II. The carnival was held in a newly-established park in downtown Lake Zurich and featured a small parade and a few carnival games and rides. Over the years as more and more people became active in the Lions Club the carnival grew. (Last year’s celebration attracted over 10,000 spectators).
Housing development began in the 1950s with the population expanding throughout the latter part of the 20th century. In the 1960s’ the village started encouraging Alpine-style architecture. The theme caught on, resulting in several buildings with a Swiss look.
