Back in the late 1700s, the Lansing area was part of the Northwest Territory. Then in 1809, it became part of the Illinois Territory. When Illinois officially became the 21st state in 1818, the stage was set for growth. As people began moving west, many German and Dutch immigrants settled in the Lansing area, building homes, starting farms, and opening businesses.

In 1856, the Pennsylvania Railroad came through Lansing. Thanks to the area's location on a sand ridge, the railroad began hauling sand to Chicago to help with building construction. That old sand pit? It’s now where Lansing’s downtown business district stands today!

By 1860, Lansing was still a quiet farming community with no major industry yet, just the railroad and farmland. The town did have a grocery store, a saloon, a shoemaker, and a couple of blacksmiths serving the early residents.