New Lenox began as a small settlement along Hickory Creek, a tributary of the Des Plaines River southwest of Chicago, where water, groves, and fertile land made it well suited for agriculture. As automobile traffic increased, businesses and farms on or near the highway prospered, and village stores adapted by adding gas pumps and supplies for travelers and their cars. Seeing the advantages of the Lincoln Highway and its potential for growth, New Lenox took part in its development by straightening its main thoroughfare to create a direct route beneath the Wabash railroad viaduct. This became the village's first paved road and helped local farmers bring their harvests to Chicago while New Lenox continued to prosper without losing its agricultural character.