The original Pre-Emption House was not only Naperville's first hotel and tavern, but the first west of Chicago. It was named for the Pre-Emption Act, an early law that allowed settlers in this area to claim parcels of land at $1.25 an acre. Over the years, the building was added on to as it served as a county courthouse, a sample room for local breweries and a marketplace for monthly horse trading. According to local oral history, Abraham Lincoln once gave an impromptu speech from the building's roof. See a painting that depicts this event in the exhibit in the lower level gallery.

Visit our Museum Store, located in the Pre-Emption House Visitor Center, for unique gifts and souvenirs. Show below is the original Pre-Emption House at Main St. and Chicago Ave. in downtown Naperville.

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