Thomas Andrus is believed to be the first settler in the community he named Cass. Thomas first arrived in Chicago in 1833 where he held various jobs, including work on the Illinois and Michigan Canal. He returned to Vermont and came back to the Chicago area in 1835. His first wife Philena Fox with whom he had two children (Mary and Elizabeth) died in 1828. While in Vermont, he married his second wife Melissa Snow Bartlett who accompanied him when he returned to the Chicago area. They had three sons Edgar Smith, Charles William, and Elbridge Gary.
Read more about Thomas Andrus and the Cass community on Indian Prairie Public Library Local History Blog
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