Venard Road
Venard Road sits in the north section of Downers Grove, its South end beginning at Ogden Avenue and winding its way north. As it stretches northward, it skirts the western edge of Doerhoefer Park. The road is named for one of Downers Grove‘s early pioneer families.
Generation 1: Irish Beginnings and a New Start
Charles Venard (1800–1884) and his wife, Catherine Butler Venard (c. 1800–1884), left Ireland seeking opportunity. After arriving in New York, they met Pierce Downer, who encouraged them to journey west and settle in Downers Grove. In 1845, the Venards became one of the village’s earliest immigrant families. That same year, their son John was born. John’s life would later be commemorated with one of the largest monuments in Oak Hill Cemetery, a lasting testament to the family’s place in the town’s history.
Generation 2: Building a Family in a Growing Town
Charles and Catherine’s children—Charles Jr., James, and John—helped lay the foundations of the Venard legacy. James, born in New York in 1841, married Katherine “Katie” Redmond in 1877. The couple stayed in Downers Grove, continuing the family’s deep roots there. Their children would grow to shape the village through the 20th century, blending civic engagement and public service.
Generation 3: A Family of Public Service
James and Katie’s eldest son, Michael “Mike” Venard, became one of Downers Grove’s most recognized law enforcement figures. By 1930, he served as the village’s police chief at a time when the department consisted of just two officers: the chief and a night constable. Residents knew trouble was afoot when a light atop the police station—or later, the water tower—signaled the chief to respond. Mike’s exploits are remembered in anecdotes from What You Didn’t Know About Downers Grove and Didn’t Know Who to Ask (Herrick, 1982), including the arrest of nine young men gambling with dice—then called “African golf”—on East Franklin Street.
Meanwhile, Michael’s younger brother, John Miles Venard (1887–1969), became a fixture of the
village in his own right. Beginning his postal career at age 19 in 1906, he delivered mail for 51 years, retiring only in 1957. That same year he married Frieda W. Von der Ohe, and together they built the home at 4540 Highland Avenue, a Downers Grove Landmarked Home now known as The Venard House. John and Frieda lived in the home for 60 years. The home, virtually unchanged for six decades, remains a rare time capsule of early 20th-century domestic architecture. John Miles and Frieda are buried together at Clarendon Hills Cemetery in Darien.
The Venard Legacy
From their arrival in 1845 to the present day, the Venards have left an indelible mark on Downers Grove. Through public service, civic involvement, and devoted family life, the Venards embody the story of many immigrant families who helped shape early Downers Grove. Nearly two centuries later, their legacy continues to live in the streets, homes, and community they helped create.
Sources:
- Ancestry.com: U.S. Death Records.; U.S. Find a Grave Index, 1700s–Current.
- Downers Grove Historical Society (dghistory.org): “The Venard House”
- Dunham, Montrew and Wandschneider, Pauline: “Downers Grove 1832 – 1982”. 1982. pp. 29, 241
- FamilySearch.org
- Genealogy.com
- Herrick, Bartles.; “What You Didn’t Know About Downers Grove and Didn’t Know Who to Ask”. 1982., pp. 15, 26.
- Sterba, Lois. “Street Names”; Venard Road.”; The Venard–Oldfield Monuments.
- U.S. Federal Census Collections: 1850; 1860; 1880; 1900; 1910; 1920; 1930; 1940; 1950.
- Village of Downers Grove Landmarking Resolution for 4540 Highland Avenue