DeKalb Wedding

DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,018 at the 2000 census.

Founded in 1837, DeKalb remained a small community until the arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in 1853. DeKalb's central location brought easier shipping of crops and access to larger markets. Agriculture was the primary economic activity until 1873-4 when farmer Joseph Glidden developed barbed wire and began commercial mass production of his new invention. Glidden sold half of his interest to hardware merchant Isaac L. Ellwood and together the two formed the Barb Fence Company.

Two months after Glidden filed his application for a patent, lumber salesman Jacob Haish also applied for a patent and on June 25, 1874 ran interference papers against Glidden's patent. After 18 years of legal wrangling, Glidden's patent was declared the "Winner". The industry gave DeKalb a place in history and the nickname "Barb City".

In 1865 H. B. Gurler moved to DeKalb, and later attempted to create high-grade milk. Gurler began shipping his "Pure Milk" to Chicago in 1895.