In 1987 an archaeological reconnaissance survey was performed in the area now known as the Lincoln Marsh Natural Area. The earliest information provided by the survey is that during the Late Woodland Period, 500 A.D. to 1600 A.D., the area was most likely used as a hunting ground by the people of that period, and that the topography of the area was probably very much the same as today. By 1862 the land was owned and subdivided primarily by Elias Jewell and Erastus Gary. By 1874 Gary was still part owner of the property with other parcels owned by L. Collar and A. Stevens. Before the Wheaton Park District acquired the property, the most recent landowner, Mr. Rogers, reported the property to be farmland when he purchased it in 1943. The Lincoln Marsh was most likely used for agricultural crops and pastureland up until the early to middle 20th Century.

Between 1979 and 1992 more than 100 parcels of land were assembled to form the core of this park. Land acquisition continues around the park’s perimeter to enhance existing open space, reduce potential flood damages, and enhance flood control. Funding for land purchases has been provided by the Wheaton Park District, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, DuPage County Department of Transportation, City of Wheaton, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and with assistance from The Conservation Foundation.