The City of Kankakee was founded in 1853 and soon after was established as the county seat. But long before that, Kankakee was a gathering point where waterways connected. Native Americans called the spot "Kankakee", or, "beautiful land." Today, the river still flows, trains whistle in the night, and the county government still rules from downtown. Remnants of the city's past still stand, shoulder-to-shoulder with the glossy buildings of the present.