The village of Glenwood, Illinois, was founded in 1846 as Hickory Bend--a good name considering the abundance of hickory trees in the area and the winding Thorn Creek, then known as Hickory Creek, running through it. The village most likely would have remained a small farming community had it not been for the decision of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad to lay tracks through Hickory Bend. The settlement grew as the railroad developed. Glenwood is situated on the ancient coast of Lake Michigan known as the Glenwood Shoreline and is home to the Glenwood Manual Training School. Founded in 1887 with the help of Robert Todd Lincoln, the school became a residential institution for boys ages 8 through 16 who needed a home for one reason or another.