1834 - The first white men known to have settled in Barrington township were Jesse F. Miller and William Van Orsdal, who developed farms in an area which is now part of Barrington Hills.
December 14, 1840 - The township of Barrington is organized at William Otis' log house (SE corner of Routes 62 & 59). A school district is formed and the name of Barrington, for the town of Great Barrington, MA, is chosen.
1841 - The first frame house, built by S.W. Kingsley.
1845 - The first Barrington township post office opened.
1846 - The first buildings in the village, known as Barrington Station: log homes, the school house, grain shanties, etc., are built. The school house is a log building which stood where the Catlow Theatre is now. It was moved to Park Avenue and remodeled into Ed Sabin's Saloon. The building burned in the fire of 1892.
1850 - The first official township meeting was held in the school area known as "Town of Barrington."
1852 - The Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad was extended to Deer Grove, and a train station was built.
1853 - The first churches were built, South Church, by the Congregationalists, the North Church, by the Methodists.
1854 - The Deer Grove train station was moved on a flat car to Barrington.
1854 - The first milled lumber house in Barrington was built at 328 Franklin Street, owned by the Lamey family. The first Catholic services were held here.
1855 - Hough Street School was built.
1857 - The first kerosene lamp was used in the home of Milius B. McIntosh. The home is at the corner of Cook and Lake Streets.
1863 - Barrington was incorporated as Barrington Station.
February 16, 1865 - The Charter for the Town of Barrington was granted under the Private Laws of the State of Illinois.
March 20, 1865 - The first village board meeting was held at which Homer Wilmarth was appointed mayor for one year.
1866 - The first mayor was elected by the people, Millius B. McIntosh.
1866 - The Washington Street School (320 Washington St.) was opened.
1870 - Washington Street School graduated its first class.
1872 - Barrington Station officially became the Village of Barrington.
1881 - The Octagon House (223 West Main St.) was built. It is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
1882 - M.B. McIntosh's grandson, historian Arnett C. Lines was born.
1883 - The Washington Street School was closed and sold.
1883 - Station was dropped from the village name.
1888 - The first two-year high school class graduated from the Hough Street School.
1889 - Barrington's first newspaper, the Barrington Review, began publication.
1889 - The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway laid track through Barrington, with a depot at West Main and Lageschulte Streets.
1890 - A major downtown fire occurred.
1893 - Another major fire occurred.
1897 - In June, the first electric light plant, Chicago Engineering Company, began operating near Applebee and Harrison Streets.
1898 - A fire destroyed buildings along the north side of Main St., from Hough St. to the railroad tracks.
1898 - The volunteer fire department was organized.
1898 - The first water system, water tower, and wells were dug.
1898 - The first telephone service began.
Contributors to the timeline include: Cathy Trawinski, Barbara Benson, William Klingenberg, Barrington Courier-Review.