Manteno
History
Manteno was named after
a half-indian maiden, daughter of Francois Bourbounnais, Jr., one
of this regions earliest settlers. A Pottawatomi indian name, it is
possible corruption of manito or manitou (spirit).
Oliver W. Barnard, an early
settler in this area, spells her name *Mantenau* in one of his books.
Other 19th century books spell it *Mawteno* and *Manteno*.
Because of her indian blood
Manteno (spelled *Monteno* in the treaty, but considered incorrect,
as the clerk also misspelled *Bourbonnais* was given a section of
land, now part of northeastern Kankakee County, by the treaty of Camp
Tippecanoe of december 20th. 1832.
Both Kankakee and Iroquois
counties were part of Will County before the State Legislature granted
a plea of Kankakee's citizens and permitted them to incorporate in
1853.
The present Township of
manteno was then the east half of the Township of Rockville. On March
12th, 1855, the town's petition that the area become the Township
of Manteno was granted by the county's Board of Supervisors.
