A Railroad Division Point, Platted Twice
Villa Grove was founded June 23, 1887 as Chicago & Eastern Illinois crews laid track toward Tuscola, and it was rebuilt a second time after 1902, when the Frisco railroad bought the line and platted an entirely new townsite with repair shops, chosen as a division point roughly halfway between Chicago and St. Louis. That second platting, in Camargo Township, Douglas County, is what became 'New' Villa Grove.
Two Foundation Eras on One Small Town
A town platted twice within fifteen years can have two distinct construction generations sitting close together -- 1880s 'old town' lots and the 1902-era Frisco townsite -- each with its own foundation habits. Knowing which Villa Grove era a property belongs to is a useful first step before tracing a crack or settlement pattern back to its cause.