Grayslake, Illinois Lake County Masure & Leonhard Lake Street Businesses Real Photo Postcard

Grays Lake, Illinois, formally incorporated in 1895, developed significantly with the arrival of the Wisconsin Central Railroad in the 1880s. The area around the depot quickly became the commercial heart of the nascent town, with Lake Street serving as a primary thoroughfare for businesses. The architectural styles seen, combining ornate brick facades with simpler wood-frame structures, are characteristic of Midwestern small towns expanding during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.