Cary Me Back (PDF)

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CARY ME BACK 1893-1993 "Our deeds shall travel with us from afar And what we have been makes us what we are" All rights reseroed. Nothing herein may be reproduced in any form without writt.en permission from the Cary Historical Group and Village of Cary. Printed in the USA. l ... George Eliot Copyright 1993 by Cary Historical Group 255 Stonegate Road Cary, IL 60013 •

COMING TO CARY MAIN STREET LOOKING iii

CARY IDS'IORICAL GROUP Elizabeth Harper Freeman A rchivistl EdUor John (Jack) Arnold Managing Edit,OT Contributing Editors Daniel Brakke Eileen Greiner Robert H. Harper George E. Kraus Alice M. Majka Karen Gitzke Parrish Coreen Nordby Pichen James M. Zalipski Acknowledgement Mary Zoia Allen Lillian DeAngelo Pam Eriksen Norman A. Franke Jr. James W. Frisch Carol Gitzke Gail Gorczowski Henry B. Harper Joseph Homola Frances Theobald Jelinek Violet Rasmussen Kling Gus Kraus Linda Koren Frank (Hank) Kotlaba Dorothy Dvorak Miller David H. Parrish Jacqueline Penze T. Larry Phalin Willard D. Smith Sue Weyhrauch iv

CHRONOWGY In The Beginning From Nature's Fury Archeology INDEX Native American Inhabitants Board of Trustees Meetings - 1893 First Plat of Cary Station Village of Cary Incorporated Cary Station Census Village Presidents Village Halls/ Past & Present Village Waterworks & Tower The Old Town Pump Cary Fire Protection Law and Order Black List Cary Post Office Information Please State of The Union MOVERS AND SHAKERS Wm.D. Cary Early Settlers Doctor Oh Doctor! Druggists Didn't Hurt Doctor DDS INDUSTRIAL DEVEWPMENT Pickle Making In Cary Milk & Dairy Industry In Cary Burton Cheese & Butter Factory Freeman Garage Minerva Mineral Springs Something Fishy In Cary Three Oaks Industrial Park Board of Trustees Meetings - 1894 BUSINESS Blacksmiths - Wagon Makers Saloons & Gin Mills C. Franke and Co. Inc. H. R. Stewart Inc. Cary Sanitary Dairy Board of Trustees Meetings - 1894 Newbold Livery table & Garage W. Smith Cartage Co. Inc. Frisch Brothers - NIBS Meyer's Drug Store Deposits and Withdrawals Get Trimmed Here orthwood Fur Farm Petriak's Antiques Seaquist Manufacturing OUR FARMS John D. Hertz The Hertz-Leona Farm Curtiss Farm #711 Miklica Farm Threshing - Hansen Remembers Four Oaks Farm The Senne Farm Fred Krenz Farm Albert Krenz Farm R. R. R. Day Camp 406 First Street Farm V continiwi next page Page 1 2 3 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 18 21 22 23 27 28 30 32 34 35 36 38 64 65 66 67 68 70 73 74 75 76 78 78 79 80 82 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 100 104 109 111 113 114 115 117 120 123 127 129 130 133 134 135 137 138

INDEX continued SUBDIVISIONS Subdivisions of Cary TRANSPORTATION Bridges Making Tracks Train Stations of Cary Cary's Early Airports Street-Streets-Streets CHURCHES/CEMETERY Cary Churches History of Cary Cemetery The Funeral Windridge Cemetery Board of Trustees Meetings - 1895 SCHOO IS/LIBRARY The Learning Path The House of Knowledge SURFACE MINING Trouble Hollow Board of Trustees Meetings - 1896 Lake Julian Cary Point Gravel Gerties & Other Products of the Pits How Did They Do That? RECREATION Norge Ski Club Resorts & Getaways Gift Horse Cary Hill Climb Fore PARKS Downtown Cary Park History Lions Park History of the Cary Park District Cary Jaycee Park ORGANIZATIONS Cary Organizations Life Line CARY'S CONTRIBUTION-AMERICAN CONFLICTS The War to End War RECOLLECTIONS AND REMINISCINGS Happenings Through The Years Board of Trustees Meetings - 1897 Microfilm from unda Advertiser Board of Trustees Meetings - 1897 BITS OF INTEREST This Old House Luna E. Mentch House Mount Tom Arrest 3 Boys in "4th" Celebration Board of Trustees Meetings - 1898 Cary Culture Connection A Road That's ot Cary Recycles Board of Trustees Meetings - 1899/1900 The Old Clothesline Critters In Cary The Great Jail Break Brownie To First Class Memories of George C. Boomer PATRONS vi Page 141 142 149 150 153 157 160 164 167 168 177 179 180 180 181 182 187 191 192 195 196 199 201 203 205 206 207 213 215 216 219 220 223 226 229 231 232 236 237 238 247 248 250 251 253 255 257 258 259 260 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 268 269 271 272

CHRONOLOGY Fox River Prior to Root Springs subdivision development. 1

2 IN THE BEGINNING What and When was the Beginning? Was it the Ice Age glacial environment that gathered the fruits of the globe? Was it the receding glacial deposits that created the largess of soil that heralded rich farm harvests? Was it the glacial deposits of sand and gravel that provided early economic well being? Was it the glacial creation of rivers, streams and lakes that contributed to the beauty and, through practical utilization, to initial and ever continuing pleasure and bounty? Was it the Native Americans who discovered and used the bounty of the region; who made trails and passageways for those who followed? Was it the Blackhawk War that opened the region to the white settler? Was it the pioneer human spirit and physical prowess that scouted the territory and cleared the land for enterprise? Was it the William Carys that settled in the area and platted the town? Was it the Weavers, the Kerns, the Seeberts, the Krenzs, the Waschers, the Lowes, the Nishs and other early citizens who joined in furthering the boundries and nurturing the development of Cary? Was it the far seeing railroad entrepreneurs that platted the Northwest Passage from the center of midwest commerce and industry that enhanced the economic well being and future desirability of the village? Was it the town fathers that incorporated the village in 1893? Was it the early movers and shakers with names like Wulff, Pichen, Freeman, Boomer, Meyers, Rowson, Boucher? Was it the Hertzs, the Krauses, the Frischs, the Sennes, the Schnerings and many others that helped nurture the area through the great depression and World Wars I and II? All of these Beginnings are the legitimate inheritance, the LEGACY OF CARY, the little village that could and did and is now in the forefront of the most desirable county in the state of Illinois. Historian Henry Steele Commanger described as essential to the success of any society: "A USEABLE PAST" That Cary's forebears have presented us with A USEABLE PAST is evident throughout the reading of this book. It is to their deeds and memory that the book is dedicated. ❖ Jack A mold

FROM NATURE'S FURY Tracing Cary's history, when it comes to man's presence, is a process of assembling various clues of the village's past. Its history can be as visible as the historic buildings in town like the old city hall on Highway 14 and the converted school house now known as the Senior Citizens Center on West Main Street. On the other hand, it can be as obscure as old land deeds, newspaper articles and wills which require patient research and a bit of detective work to piece together. But what of the town's pre-history? Before man arrived on the scene great natural events took place here to shape the appearance of the land, lay down the course of the Fox River, and introduce the gravel deposits and rich soil that made possible industry and agriculture. On first examination, it seems there are no clues to Cary's pre-history but they are there just the same. Twenty-two thousand years ago the last great Ice Age began on the North American continent. This geological event, known today as the Wisconsin Ice Age, was to last nearly ten thousand years. During that time, a great continental ice sheet blanketed much of the upper North American continent with ice that was thousands of feet thick. At its greatest advance, the Wisconsin sheet pressed farther south than any of the previous glacial advances. Like a great ocean frozen solid, the Wisconsin ice sheet ebbed and flowed in a geologic slow motion of thousands of years. The edge of the glacier made southerly advances during cold periods, scouring the loose soil and stone of Canada and Wisconsin as it advanced. Then, during warmer periods, the ice retreated northward producing huge quantities of meltwater which formed channels that would be known someday as the Rock, DuPage, Des Plaines, Kankakee and Fox Rivers. The continuing presence of the glacier during these continental thaws prevented drainage to the east, west and north, forcing the rivers to run a course due south to join the Mississippi River, another product of the Ice Ages. One of the very last glacial advances is known by geologists as the Cary substage of the Wisconsin Ice Age and occurred from 15,000 years to 13,000 years before the present. During this period two great lobes of ice spread across Wisconsin and into Illinois. One lobe followed present day Green Bay and Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. The second lobe traveled down a course that coincides with Lake Michigan. The southern edge of this flow straddled the site known today as the village of Cary. Although the southern edge of the Wisconsin ice sheet advanced and receded with changes in temperature, there were also long periods of time during which the southern extremity was relatively stationary. This occurred when the southern face of the glacier was melted away at nearly the same rate it was being advanced by the accumulating snow and ice to the north. As a result, the huge quantities of gravel, stone, sand and soil picked up by the ice in Canada and Wisconsin were deposited in a very localized area where the face of the glacier melted away. continued next page 3

1955 1. Montana Subdivision 11. Tomiskey Building 2. Werner Die & Stamping 12. Cary Street 3. Holy Cross Lutheran Church 13. Spring Street 4. Route 14 & W. Main St. 14. H. R. Stewart Inc. 5. Railroad 15. Rynee's Fast Food Restaurant 6. West Main Street Vacuum Ceramics-Elecpac Inc. 7. Seebert Street 16. Weavers Subdivision 8. Hertz & Curtiss Property 17. Route 14 9. High Road 18. Lake Julian 10. Warner Funeral Home 19. East Main Street 4

Over time this deposit, known by geologists as an end moraine or terminal moraine, grew to a height of 50 to 60 feet or more. One of the most pronounced of these moraines, dubbed the Cary moraine, extends from the site of the village, northward into Wisconsin. Eventually global changes in climate altered the conditions that allowed the glaciers to exist and the massive ice sheets retreated north for the last time, leaving their indelible mark in the surface terrain of Wisconsin and Illinois. After tens of thousands of years of existence, the great continental ice sheets were gone. So, you might ask, what does all of this have to do with modern Cary? Why should the average citizen be interested in knowing about Ice Ages that happened thousands of years before man came to settle here? The answer lies in the fact that Cary's development is inextricably tied to the land as it was formed by those great glaciers. The very existence and course of the Fox River can be traced to the ancient runoff of melting ice. The great sand and gravel deposits left by the glaciers account for the Jandus and Lake Julian Gravel Pits that aided in the building of the railroad and thus the development of Cary. Those same deposits determined the existence and location of natural springs that were so important to the Borden and Richmond Smith Milk Plants, the Burton Cheese factory and Garben Minerva Mineral Water operation all of which played key roles in establishing the villages' economic livelihood. The soils left by the glaciers' retreat were worked through the action of wind and water to form a rich topsoil known as loess, unique to glacial terrains. This soil was the basis for sustaining the rich prairie ecology that attracted man to McHenry County and supported early farms of the area. Though today Cary is mainly a bedroom community and its industrial base has few ties to the land, the first 100 years of its development are thoroughly tied to its glacial natural history. So, the next time you see a foundation being dug for a new home in previously undisturbed ground in town, take the time to look at the edges of the hole and see the mix of topsoil, sand and gravel that lies beneath the surface and pause to think about the massive sheet of ice that deposited them there 10,000 years ago. And the next time you drive up a hill in town, such as the incline on First Street or the grade on Three Oaks east of Silver Lake Road, picture in your mind the mountain of ice that once stood at its crest, melting away to feed the nearby Fox River and depositing its great burden of stone, sand and gravel to build that portion of the Cary moraine. If you do, you will be able to develop your own sense of Cary's pre-historic past. ❖ Dan Brakke ARCHEOWGY From the Crystal Lake Herald, July 25, 1911: "A mastodon's tusk was unearthed by steam shovel crews in the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad gravel pits in Cary. It was the second such specimen found in the area. Was at a depth of 60 feet. The specimen was taken to Chicago for exhibition. " ❖

6 ■ NATIVE AMERICAN INHABITANTS The history of Cary would not be complete without mention of its Indian ancestors; and there were many. We need to begin 20,000 years ago. During this late ice age, a bridge of land connected America with Asia where the Bering Strait now separates them. The first Indians are thought to have wandered over the land bridge into America more than 20,000 years ago in search of animals for food. Slowly, they spread through North and South America. This also supports the theory that the Indians were not an original race, but that they sprang from one or more of the ancient people of Asia. Around 12,000 B. C., the Wisconsin Glacier retreated and we have the first evidence of man in the Cary area. This was the beginning of the Paleo-Indian Period ( 12,000-8,000 B. C.). The Indians at this time were big game hunters, wanderers and gatherers. Small bands of these hunters lived in the forests of spruce, fir and pine which bordered the tundra zone at the edge of the Glacier. They lived near what is now Harvard along Route 14, along the Fox River near McHenry and along the Fox River between Cary and Barrington Hills. Indeed, arrowheads have been found in Cary dating back to 9,000 B. C. Also found were Dolton Points called Fox Valley Clip Wings dating back to 10,000 B. C. These people used caves and rock cliffs for shelter, used fire and wore animal skins. For tools they used flints or other stones. The Archaic Indian Period was 8,000-500 B. C. The Indians of this period gathered wild foods and hunted game. They found McHenry County's oak and hickory forests and rivers suitable for seasonable camps. Many lived in stick houses with thatch roofs. Their tools were flint, stone and spears. In fact, a Folsum blade dating back to 3,000-2,500 B. C. was found in the Cary area. Some made pottery. The Indians could be found in the areas of what are now Lake in the Hills, Marengo, McHenry, Richmond, Woodstock, Harvard, Wonder Lake and Pistakee Lake. 500 B.C.-800 A.D. marked the Woodland Indian Period. These Indians were the first primative farmers, although, McHenry County was not well suited to primative agriculture. Therefore, they did not settle here permanently, but used the area for seasonal hunts. The Indians were hunters, fishermen, gatherers and craftsmen. The Indians traveled along a trail ( which became Route 14) through Crystal Lake up to Woodstock, along Route 23 between Marengo and Harvard, Wonder Lake and Pistakee Lake. Archaic Schneider points called Hope William have been found in the Cary area. They date back between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. Towards the end of this period, a monetary system was begun. The Mississippian Indian period was 800-1,650 A.D. These farmers, gatherers and hunters now also used the bow and arrow. Political governments, villages and trade were established. They hunted buffalo. The Indians traveled through the area and stayed for seasonal hunts. They would travel from Wisconsin, down the Fox River, just as in earlier years. They traveled along Route 14 as before and camped in many of the same areas as in previous times. The majority of the Indians were of the Illinois tribe. They were peaceful and friendly. The final period is known as the Historic Indian Period ( 1,650-present ). There were well established trails by now: along Routes 14, 176 and 31. There was also a trail that went from Algonquin to the mobile home park in Crystal

Lake by Route 14. It went behind what is now the Greenfields subdivision. The Indians were farmers, buffalo hunters and by now had become fighters. Between 1655-1667, the Illinois tribes tried to keep the more aggressive Iroquois tribe from moving into the area. They did not succeed. The British instigated the Iroquois in an attempt to interrupt the fur trading between the Illinois and the French. Around this time, the Sac (Sauk) and Fox Indian tribes were beginning to move south from Wisconsin. The Fox were a somewhat aggressive tribe. During the next hundred years, the Illinois struggled to keep their lands, but by the l 780's, they had declined in number from 30,000- 40,000 to just under 100. Many were killed. The rest fled west. Other Indian tribes that traveled through the Cary area were: Apache, Cheyenne, Winnebago, Chippewa and Pottawatomi. The Blackhawk War (1831-1832) was the last Indian conflict in Northern Illinois. The Indians lost and ceded their lands to the U.S. government. They moved west of the Mississippi, so that by the time the first settlers migrated to this section of the country ( 1834 ), few Indians remained. Those that remained were friendly and continued to seasonally camp in the Cary area. This continued into the early 1900's. They would stay in our area during the winter months. Some worked for farmers cutting trees and making fence posts. Much bartering took place between the Indians and the settlers. The Indians sold furs at a fur market in Barrington. Some of the places the Indians camped were the Frank Opatrny Sr. farm, now the sight of the Fox River Grove picnic grounds. Other encampments were in the Spring Beach areas, Haegers Bend and at Lake Killarney, which at the time was still known as Silver Lake. Joe Homola recalls some stories from his mother, Anna Krupicka Homola. The Indians (Iroquois, Algonquin, Sioux and Chippewa) would set up their wigwams and camp at the top of the ski hill in Fox River Grove. Anna lived on her parents' farm at the base of the hill. As a child, she played with the Indian children. They would go sledding together on the ski hill using crude sleds that the Indians made. Anna would converse with the Indian children in their native language. The Indians gave her gifts of Indian beads. Joe's grandparents would give the Indians chicken and pork. If they weren't home, the Indians would just help themselves, even to the apple pie cooling on the windowsill. Early in the spring when the river was still frozen, the Indians would pack up their belongings on sleds and go north up the river. They would be gone until the following fall, when they would return again. Arrowheads, flint knives, scrapers, stone drills, broken axes and usable celts were found ( and continue to be found) by many local residents, including Fox River Grove resident Blair Gilbert. He has a collection of over 1,000 Indian artifacts, some 8,000-9,000 years old. Indian artifacts have been found in many locations, such as near Lake Killarney, Lions Park ( at the bottom of the hill), the picnic grove in Fox River Grove, by the water tower near Brigadoon, the ridge along the Golf Course, even the Cary Grove High School when it was being built. The list could go on to include many other locations within the town of Cary. Harry Pichen remembers finding many arrowheads on his property on Silver Lake Road. An old Civil War map indicated an Indian grave field towards the woods. This would be in the vicinity of what was at one time a big lake, which would later be drained, filled and turned into farmland. This map also indicates another Indian grave near Valley View Road and East Crystal Lake Avenue. There are also Indians buried hear the ski jump and near Oak Glen school, both in Fox River Grove. continued next page 7

8 Cary was an ideal place for the Indians to camp. It met all their require· ments. It was on the edge of a wood, near a river and the horses could graze on the prairie. As it was then, Cary is still an ideal place to live. But as you go about your day-to-day activities, imagine the following: buffalo grazing in what is now your backyard, the Indians camping in your subdivision or traveling along Route 14. Imagine what it was like 90 years ago, 200 years ago, even 14,000 years ago. The Indians are a definite part of the heritage of Cary. ❖ Gail Gorczowski CARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS 3/14/ 1893: First Board Meeting - March 8, 1893 Moved and Seconded that a clause be added in the Saloon Ordinance that no chairs, tables, boxes, barrels or any other device a person may recline or sit, be allowed in any saloon and that the license be placed at One Thousand ($1,000.00) Dollars. Carried. 4/ 25/1893: Moved by Z. L. Blaisdell that the President, Clerk and Trustees draw pay up to and including this meeting. Carried. James Nish appointed Treasurer of Village Board. James Caltow appointed Street Commissioner. William Wascher Saloon was granted a Saloon License. 4/ 29/1893: N. B. Kerns was appointed Village Clerk. 5/ 2/ 1893: James Nish applied for license to run Billiard Hall. Rejected. Finance Committee: E. Kerns, August Arps, L. P. Smith Streets Committee: Geo. Lowe, E. King, Z. L. Blaisdell Village Marshall: Theo. Gevers 6/ 13/ 1893: Village asked to purchase 36 new street lamps. Rejected. Renewed motion to 24 street lamps. Carried. Moved and Carried that the present Board of Trustees donate their service for one year. Carried. 7/18/ 1893: Theo. F. Gevers approved for Village Marshall. Mr. A. Peacock to light street lights for $10.00 per month, if work is done satisfactorily. M. B. Weaver appointed Marshall of Village. Frank Tomiskey was asked to put sidewalk on East side of his lot. (High Road) 12/ 8/ 1893: Wascher Tavern applied for permit for 1 pool table. Carried. John Hauck complained Wascher sold liquor to minors. Proven false. dropped. 12/16/ 1893: Wascher ordered to put in his sidewalk at once. ❖

FIRST PLAT OF CARY STATION 'l! e 9 10 1 CARY Laid Out June 1856 William Dennison Cary .J'T. . Q.n.a,n 10:ff!lo . Built JBOO's Fox Trails. Ruben Jenni, S. Hamill.On. Geo. Lowe home. ♦:♦ -----------,.:♦ CARY-GROVE NAPA - 1974 9

10 24'i Donated : Ja:1es ?risch C,nrlil"ic nl<i N111111lnr 21613 . ~ PA u L Pow ELL . .CJlm,.I,, ~--~/,,.~A1..CJ/a1,. ~/n.,,,:;, /4~.a7-~,/£zt,d:.;t(//;mi17-,,u/11r/feYJlo,,al/ach;,-1,,LiJ;.o,A t,-, .,/Vf0Udtab..c?41/~~ the proceedings incorporating the Village o! Cary in McHenry County, filed in the omce of Secretary of State on July 17. 1894.-· --- · z .d>~v,za/,#u£;,/4j,/JuxtJ,,on ;{'I: wu:l,,a,,,?nal&n.~ar,;>~/ un, d:J r;f{:.,. 1f tt iBt.otiUtOtt\! Uf 1't'fl'O( ~o,k//~k,,d,a,nd;AZU1H,lo ,d;,a~,/,t..~~,¥~~l~. ~~~~.d'& 6th ,,dr'J/,o/- 5..cpternbcz_ A0..1'.9-il.- S[C,tUA,..,. or ITATI

CARY STATION First plat of Cary Station laid out Cary Station first recorded Became Village by Vote June 4-5-6, 1856 Feb. 23, 1859 Jan. 9, 1893 ( 87 Votes cast in the First Election) 72 Yes 15 No OFFICIAL CENSUS 1900-1990 1987 1986 ii I I 1966 1963 IB I • 1900 - IB I I 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 rll --• lr4II ~ ... ~ ...... .. 398 679 453 731 707 943 2,330 3,204 3,839 6,640 7,500 7,951 KENNETH W. PARK, D. 0. 1990 I I I I I E 10,043 11

LunaMentch James Nish VILLAGE PRESIDENTS MENTCH: Luna Came to Cary about 1871. Attended local schools. He became a teacher. Married, Lila E. Kindrew in 1882. They had two children. He ventured into several different businesses, meat market, pickles, banking and insurance. He was the 1st President of the Village of Cary, 1893-1894, then again elected in 1909-1910. BLAISDELL: Lowell Augustus Second president of the Village of Cary, 1894-1895. Married Mary Elizabeth Chase in 1867. Came to Crystal Lake in 1889 from Nebraska. In 1890 they purchased a hotel and boarding house in Cary, which they operated for a couple years, then sold. He took a job as shipping clerk for the Watson Gravel Co. (Jandus Pit). While working in the pit he got caught between a gravel car and gravel chute and was nearly killed. Retired and moved to Belvidere, Illinois until his death in 1897, age 49 years. He had one son, Zerah, who was a druggist in Cary in 1893. Zerah's son Lowell Shepard Blaisdell was born in Cary in 1893. Mary Elizabeth died at the home of Zerah in Chicago, in 1924. L.A. and Mary, Zerah and Carlotta Blaisdell are buried in Union Cemetery, Crystal Lake, Illinois. NISH: James Came to Cary in 1856. He opened a general store at 111 W. Main Street. Served as a Captain in the Civil War in the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry for three years. Upon his return to Cary he became the first Cary Postmaster, appointed by President Pierce. He was married to Carrie Donington, who was killed by lightning in Cary. His second wife was Sarah R. Smith. He was Cary's Village President, the 3rd, in 1895-1896. KING: Emil J. Emil King was the 4th President of the Village of Cary, 1897-1898. Emil was married to Isabelle Burton, whose father was Sherman L. Burton owner of the Burton Butter and Cheese factory. LOWE: George The parents of George Lowe came to Canada from Scotland in 1863. Later moving to Wisconsin, then to McHenry County. They operated a farm on Three Oaks Road, now the location of Candlewood Subdivision. Young George attended McManaman School. In 1908 the parents purchased the farm on Cary-Algonquin Road, which was known as the Reuben Jenni and the Hamilton Farm. The farm had 255 acres and 40 head of cattle. It was part of Fox Trails, Cold Springs and Trout Valley. After the death of his parents, George continued to operate the farm. George became the 5th President of the Village of Cary, 1898-1899. Many grandchildren still live in Cary. George married Elizabeth Surfleet, they had 10 children. WULFF: Theodore Theodore and Mary Wulff lived on 116 Charlotte Street. Theodore was the first President of the Cary State Bank. He was the 6th, 8th and 10th President of the Village of Cary, 1899-1902, 1905-1908, 1911-resigned. He operated a grocery and dry goods store with Nat Kerns, 77 W. Main Street. Theodore and Mary had one son, Walter, who died in 1910, age 9 years. The family lived on Charlotte Street until the death of Theodore in 1924. Mary then moved to Crystal Lowell Augustus Blaisdell Emil]. King

Fred Abbott Ralph B. Powers Lake and resided there until her death in 1945. Nat Kerns was a pall bearer at Mary's funeral, on the way home from the funeral Nat became ill and died the next day. MINER: William H. • was appointed to finish out Wulff's term of office. He was married to Mary Tomiskey. He died before the term was completed. F. P. Buchanan was appointed to finish the term. GRANTHAM: Richard Born in England, came to Cary in 1888. He married Nellie Stone, and they had 4 children, two died in infancy. Richard and Nellie operated a boarding house at 3 N. Second Street, after their deaths, a daughter, Eve Crabtree and her husband Asa operated the boarding house. There are great grandchildren still living in Cary. Richard Grantham was the 7th President of the Village of Cary, 1903-1904. ABBOIT: Fred Fred was born in New York in 1855. The Abbott family came to Cary in 1856. Fred attended the Cary Schools. He married Grace McNett, and they had two children. Fred worked for the railroad and also owned and operated a pool hall at 105 W. Main Street. He was our 11th President of the Village of Cary, 1912-1915. PICHEN: Joseph F. Born in McHenry County 1872, one of 7 children. He married Cecilia Kotlaba and they had 4 children. Joseph learned the trade of blacksmith, and butcher, then became a dealer of cattle. Joseph was the 12th President of the Village of Cary, 1915-1919. During his term the Village Hall on Route 14 was built, and the land for the Cary Downtown Park was purchased. POWERS: Ralph B. Married Hattie Jensen, daughter of Tony Jensen who operated a saloon and boarding house at 44 Crystal Street, they had two sons. Ralph worked for the Railroad and he also sold real estate. He was the 13th President of the Village of Cary, 1919-1928. WIUM: Paul Paul and Mary Wium had 3 children. They lived on Park Ave. He and Mary operated a grocery store at 111 W. Main Street. He then worked as a book-keeper for Art Franke at the Franke Lumber Company. He was the 14th President of the Village of Cary, 1928-1931. KERCH: Andrew Andrew married Mae Sersen, and they had one daughter. Andrew was a mechanic for the John M. Smyth furniture company in Chicago. He was the 15th President of the Village of Cary, 1931-1933. His grand-daughter Jean Laino and some of her children still reside in Cary. KRAUS: August Conrad (Gus) Gus was born at the corner of Kelsey Road and Route 14, Cuba, Illinois, where his parents ran a grocery store, in 1894. In 1925, he moved to Cary and married Amelia Bloner. They had 4 children. Gus was a carpenter contractor, and built many houses in Cary. He was a Carpenters Mate 1/ C in WWI. After Amelia's death Gus married Irene Caldwell. Gus was the 16th President of the Village of Cary, 1933-1945. Gus and Irene still reside in Cary, as do all of his children. continued next page 13 Paul Wium August Conrad (Gus) Kraus

G. Watson Lowe Robert Fuchs Gus A lexakos STEWART: Howard Howard was born in 1901, attended Cary schools. He married Orma Kerns, and they had 4 children. Howard worked for the railroad as a fireman on the old steam engine trains. He founded the H. R. Stewart Inc., heating and plumbing business at 56 Crystal Street. His son Allan continues to run the business. For two years, Howard served in the U. S. Marines during WWI. He was the 17th President of the Village of Cary, 1945-1953. SCHULIYf: Alfred Alfred married Mayme Raska, and they had two sons. The family lived on Crystal Street, but after Alfred's death, Mayme moved to 136 Wagner. He worked for the Bowman Dairy Company in Chicago. He was our 18th President of the Village of Carv, 1953-1954. Died in office. G. Watson Lowe served (unofficially) the remaining two months. LOWE: G. Watson Wat son was the son of George Lowe. He was born in Cary and attended Cary's schools. He worked with his father on the farm located on Cary-Algonquin Road. He married Elsie Wehrmann, and they had one son, George. After the death of Elsie, Watson married Marion Shales. Watson was the owner of the Lowe Oil Business. He was the 19th President of the Village of Cary, 1954-1961. MOEHLE: Raymond Moehle came to Cary from Algonquin in 1950, when he married Jean McManaman of Cary. They live at 111 Hill Street. They have 3 sons. Ray was employed by the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of Chicago, as a Design Engineer Specialist. He was the 20th President of the Village of Cary, 1961-1969. Ray and Jean still reside in Cary. FUCHS: Robert Robert and Mirium had 3 children, they lived at 418 Elden Drive. Robert was a certified public accountant with Haskins & Sells. He earned his law degree in 1959 passing the Illinois Bar examination in 1961. He was a veteran of two years service with the U. S. Army. Fuchs was the 21st President of the Village of Cary, 1969-1976. MALLON: John Mallon was the 22nd President of the Village of Cary, 1976-1977. Mallon was married to Diane Zerhoot and they had 4 daughters. They came to Cary 1962. He is a Credit Manager of Acco Swingline Co. of Wheeling, Illinois. He was a village trustee for 6 years, on the planning commission for 2 years. At present he is one of three appointed by the Mayor as Police Commissioner. When John was President his wife was president of the library board. The Mallon's still reside at 25 W. Jamesway, Cary. ALEXAKOS: Gus Gus was married to Sharon Kubina, they had two sons. Gus was employed by Northern Illinois Gas Company. He was a Village Trustee in 1967-1971, on the school board of District #26 for 3 years. He was elected President of the Village of Cary 1977-1985. Gus and Sharon lived at 206 East Main Street until moving to Wisconsin in 1991. Cary's 23rd Mayor. A [Jred Schuldt Raymond Moehle

Kathleen Riley Park PARK: Kathleen Riley Married to Dr. Kenneth W. Park, they have 4 children. Kathleen was born in Chicago, came to Cary from Detroit, Michigan January 1977. Became a trustee in 1979 and -was elected the 24th President of the Village of Cary in 1985-1989. Still resides in Cary. KRAUS: George E. George was born in Cary and attended St. Peter and Paul Grade School in Cary and Crystal Lake Central High School. George served as Village trustee for eight years 1969-73, 1983-87 and was elected in 1989 as the 25th President of the Village of Cary. George is the son of Gus Kraus, Cary's 16th President. George has been a carpenter-contractor for many years and is presently a certified Building Inspector for the Village of Island Lake, IL. He served four years in the U. S. Navy during the Korean War. He and his wife Pamela have four children. May 16, 1893 130 Crystal treet Elizabeth H Freeman Charles Lederlefamily lived at this location. In 1914, Peter Rasmussen ( Blacksmith) family lived here. Was Mapletree !nfl, now Del Rio Mexican Restaurant. KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN George K ra111, 15

-- 192.5 Vilu,ge Complex I 117

18 VILLAGE HALLS/PAST AND PRESENT "When you get to the Old Village Hall", that's how directions are usually given to strangers trying to find certain locations in Cary. It is our first Village Hall, the center of Cary, a landmark. It's located on Route 14 and West Main Street. Through the years the name of the street has been changed. Its been known as: Route 19, Railroad Street, Crystal Street or Route 14. The present address is Four Crystal Street. Every car or train coming to or from the direction of Chicago will pass this tall, handsome red brick building. The mason work was done by Anton Forst Sr. of Fox River Grove. If you walk up to the entrance you will see the cornerstone where the names of the Village Trustees are engraved as follows: John Freeman, H. R. Grantham, Ralph Powers, Albert Buhrman, Frank Smith, Harry Newbold, M.B. Weaver, Superintendent of Water Works. Joseph Pichen Sr. was mayor of the "Village of Cary Station" from 1915- 1919. It was under his administration in 1915 that this Village Hall was built. The Cary Downtown Park property was also purchased under this administration. According to Coreen Nordby Pichen ( daughter-in-law to Joseph Pichen) the building was to have been twice the size it is. There was to have been an addition on the south side of the building to match the north side. Lack of money ended the building at the entrance as it is today. The upstairs was completed at a later date. The upstairs of the Village Hall was completely open with the exception of about 20-25 feet across the front of the building. This area was used as a large kitchen and a restroom. The rest of the space was utilized as a "recreation center" which could be used by any of the organizations of "Cary Station". Some of the organizations that used this space were: The American Legion, Legion Auxiliary, Womens Club, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Red Cros . It was also used for card parties, school plays, dances and whatever other affair that was to take place. The downstairs had two or three rooms. One was for the Library and one was used as the Council Room for the Village Board Meetings. The front of the building was the Fire Station. There were two huge doors at the top of a cement ramp that a Model T Ford Truck used to back onto. In 1954, the Fire Department outgrew its quarters and built a larger building of their own to house their equipment at 22 pring treet. In 1955, the Village purchased the school house at 441 West Main treet from the School District and moved all the Village Offices into thi building. The Library remained at 4 Crystal Street. The second Village Hall building was built in 1888 as a one-story school house. Most every child in the Village attended school here. In 1892 the second story was added to the school. The Village Hall still had only four rooms but much larger. The west downstairs half was made into the Village Office , the east half was the police department with two jail cells. Chief of Police wa George Harper at that time. The upstairs was again used as meeting rooms. Best of all there was ample parking space off the street. All this work was done with the help of the Cary Jaycee's. Dick Britton, our Village Administrator was a very busy man through all this and our Mayor Ray Moehle had many decisions to make. In 1975, G.D. Searle Company donated the large barn and offices (built by John Hertz and standing between Stonegate and Briargate Road) to the Village of Cary, about four acres of land in all.

In 1978, all the village offices were moved to the new location at 255 Stonegate Road. The Library also moved from the original Village Hall on Route 14 into the Stonegate Road Complex. ow the Village Hall was a complete complex housing the Village Hall, Library and the Police Department. The large arena and a small barn or two were torn down and replaced by the Park District Recreation Center and Swimming Pool There was about 23,000 square feet for parking space. At this time Robert Fuchs was our Mayor, Dick Britton was our Administrator and William Moore our Police Chief. 441 West Main Street became our Senior Citizens Center. The original Village Hall on Route 14 was no longer needed so was put up for sale, but there were no takers. It was put up for sale a second time and purchased in June of 1979 by Bud and Lois Mc ellis, owners of Grove Products. On November 5, 1991 at 9:14 p.m., a call came in to the Cary Fire Department; the old Village Hall at W. Main and Route 14 was on fire. Cary, Fox River Grove and Algonquin fire departments were called to help put out the blaze. The fire started in the basement in a room where metal grates and other metal fixtures were stored. Cause unknown. Bud and Lois McNellis plan to restore the Village Hall and continue on in their business. We residents of Cary are very fortunate to have another of our landmarks still in existence and in excellent condition again. As the saying goes, "We've come a long way baby", from a one-room rental ($1.50 per night to A. L. Weaver} Village Hall way back in the 1800's to a million dollar complex. How will we top that in the future? Elizabeth H Freeman 1890 Tomiskey Building - 201 W. Main St. 19

♦ 1912 - High Road WATER TOWER - HIGH ROAD 1959 1912 20

VILLAGE WATERWORKS AND TOWER The year was 1912 and the two main streets of the Village of Cary, West Main and Spring Street, were in a bit of a mess. Our Village started to dig up the dirt streets to be able to install the water system for the Village of Cary. Before this time most homes had a hand water pump in their kitchen, or went to the town pump for water. The bathroom was out in the back yard. With the installation of water there had to be a water tank in which water was stored until drawn for use by the residents of the village. The best place for a water tank would be up high above the town. "Mount Tom", as the old settlers called the hill, would be the place. It overlooked the Village. 1912 The piece of property needed was at that time owned by the Chicago Northwestern Railroad Company and they were not about to sell it. The Behind Village Hall. Sylvester Blacksmith in back. Pumping Plant demolished 1974. Village took care of that matter in a hurry. In June of 1912, the Village passed an ordinance which read, "TO CO DEM LA D O WHICH TO ERECT A WATER TOWER OR TANK TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE WATERWORKS SYSTEM IN THE VILLAGE OF CARY". The mayor at this time was Fred M. Abbott and the Village Attorney was Charles T. Allen. The Railroad decided to sell the land to the Village for One Hundred dollars. In August of 1912 the decision was made for a cement tank and tower to be built. The contract was given to General Cement Gun Co. The building of the pump and well houses was awarded to Christ Jensen. Setting of the mains and hydrants ($9,935) was awarded to W. G. Hoy Co., the valves and hydrants cost 1,135.50. The Public ervice Company gave the Village permission to use their poles for the wires to operate the automatic valve from the pumping station to the water tower on the hill. A Reservoir and Pumping Plant was installed behind the Village Hall located on Route 14. It was cement, low and round, and was in use until 1974 when it was demolished. What a great day for the Village when the first water ran through those pipes and into the homes of Cary Citizens. The water from the 250 ft. well was excellent. A third holding tank was installed in the spring of 1957. It is located on the hill close to the Old Cement Water Tower. The Old Water Tower is a landmark of our Village and care should be taken to preserve it. As of September 1991 the Village of Cary has 5 shallow wells, 2 deep wells, 4 water towers and 1 underground storage reservoir. ❖ Elizabeth H. Freeman SWIFI'Y'S VACUUM CLEANERS - 1963 21

22 - THE OLD TOWN PUMP FROM THE NUNDA HERALD - 1895: "The well house .• erected over the town pump is very neat. It is not only attractive but suitable and convenient place to store the Village Hose. .., The test of the hose and force pump on Saturday was very satisfactory." The town pump was in use long before Cary had a water system installed. It was kind of a meeting place for the farmers coming into town. It was located about thirty feet in front of the building now known as the 'Tracks'. It had a wooden pump and a wooden water trough for the horses to drink from. The horse trough was adjacent to the street. There was also one other village pump in town located on High Road about the middle of the block, between the Kraus store and the Kraus Apartments. This was a metal pump and it now stands in the yard of our Mayor George Kraus The town's people would come to the pumps with their buckets to get water to take back to their homes. Some people who had dug their own wells had pumps in their homes for water, but some did not. In 1912 when the water system in Cary was installed, the Town Pump near the depot was improved, a water fountain was installed for drinking and running water to fill the horse trough. In 1925 the Village of Cary paved West Main treet about as far west as 526 W. Main. Depot Street ( Spring St.) was al o paved to Cary treet, and cost $36,145. At this time the Old Town Pump was removed. The townspeople, especially the children missed the Old Pump. In July 1922, the Village Board asked that Route 19 be paved. September, 1923 the Public Works and Building of Illinois was given the right of way through the Village. In 1926 Route 19 (Route 14) was paved. At the dedication the word 'KIO K' was given to the new construction, but to the old timers of Cary it was just the Old Town Pump. ❖ Elizabeth H Freeman 1910- Cary Town Pump Hrdlicka & Hubka Tavern - Barber Shop - Allen & Frisch House Windmill to right of picture - Pickle Factory.

CARY FIRE PROfECTION Cary's fire protection has come a long way since the early days, when buckets of water, filled at the local pump, were carried by hand to put out the fires. A hundred years later, the Cary Fire Department is putting out fires with apparatus capable of pumping up to 1,500 gallons of water a minute. In 1912, Cary's public water works were installed, thus prompting the Village Board, on July 2, 1913, to form a volunteer Fire Department. H. E.Jensen was appointed as chief, and D. M. Auringer as Fire Marshall who also served as fire inspector. The first firemen of recorded history were Ed Hubka, Frank Smith, William Damlos, Charles Harris, Anton Homola, Paul Wium, Foy Mentch, and Frank Rasmussen. The Fire equipment consisted of a hand-drawn hose cart. It was pushed and pulled to the fires and was stored under the enclosure of the town pump near the depot. In 1917, a Model T fire truck was purchased, which entered them into a new era in fire fighting. In 1928, an American Lafrance truck was donated by a local resident, John D. Hertz. That same truck has recently been restored and is now on display at the Cary Fire Station and can be viewed in many parades. Mr. Hertz was also responsible in making the initial contri-bution of personal fire fighting gear. History has it that the first fire signal remembered was the steam whistle that was set off by the Borden Dairy Co. located on Route 14 and Borden Ave., now the location of Franke Lumber Co. Items from the Crystal Lake Herald: February 4, 1915, Four young girls were collectors for the fire department on tag day. The money was for a new whistle to go on the Borden Milk Factory. Farrell Abbott 7.50; Mame Hrdlicka $17.50; Olga Johnson 7.35; Lillian Dunne $.35. Cary Fire Dept, Fire Signals I LONG WHISTLE DISTRICT ND. --- Fro■ V,1111• H,11 to K,h,' Cornrr. 2 SHORT WHISTLF.S DISTRICT NO 2---Fro• Drur Storr lo Tom11kr'1 H,11 10d All T rmlory Soa1h. June 24, 1915 the 2nd Annual Fire Department Ball was held at Tomiskey Hall. Goodwin Orchestra from Crystal Lake played and tickets sold for 75~. Ladies Free. 3 SHORT WHISTLF.S DISTRICT NO. J ••• f,o■ To,.11kr1 H,11 to C.d Dw,11101 D11tn<1. 4 SHORT WHISTLF.S DISTRICT NO. 4 ••• f,om V,11,rr H,11 Wut " R.ilrMd A"••• lo Suchi, Contr. 5 SHORT WHISTLF.S DISTRICT NO. s. .. f, .. M.U. F1<1ory Nor1h t, C...,', Coner 1114 Wut. ovember 2, 1916: P. L. Wium, Ed Hubka and Wm. Dehmlos moved the fire whistle from Bordens to Oatman Milk (Jandus Road) plant because Bordens is being closed. In 1898, Cary's Telephone Franchise was established. From that time on, the telephone operators received the calls and would set off the siren for a fire. In 1915, a siren, donated by John D. Hertz, was mounted on the roof of the Village Hall, located at Route 14 and West Main Street, now the Grove Products building. This was also the original fire station. At the top of the stairs going into the Village Hall was a locked fire alarm box, which could be set off by pulling a switch. It's been said that when the fire siren sounded, the firemen, all volunteers, left their jobs, rushed to the Village Hall where the fire equipment was kept and proceeded to the fire. The first fireman there who knew how to drive the fire truck and knew how to work the pumps drove the fire truck to the fire. Each fireman was paid one dollar for every alarm for which they responded. continued next page 23

24 Up until about 1975 the fire siren was set off every day at the noon hour. It was set off manually by Police Chief Fred Krenz until he retired in 1950, at that time the siren was hooked up automatically. The village people were saddened when the village stopped sounding the siren at noon. In fact, a siren is no longer used by the Cary Fire Department. At present, each fireman is equipped with a pager which alerts them of a fire or emergency in progress. When the volunteer Fire Department was young, not enough money was accessible to cover the expense of adequate fire equipment, so additional money was raised by fund raisers or donations from various social and business organizations. Money was raised by holding picnics, card parties, dances and turkey raffles. The wheel still spins every November at the turkey rafile very much like the early days, rafiling off ducks, geese, turkeys, sacks of potatoes, etc. In 1945, Cary voted in favor of an area wide fire district, thus allowing more sufficient revenue from the entire district, rather than from the Village alone. The district covers an 18 mile-wide area. The first three officers for the Cary Fire Protection District were Howard Stewart, President, Herman Kamholz, Secretary and Treasurer, and Herbert Burhop Sr., Trustee. Russell Allen was the attorney for the District and William Homola Sr. was Fire Chief. Currently, the Fire District still consists of three members, Delbert Miller, Theodore Wagner, Michael Wilson. William Homola Sr. served as Chief from 1945 until 1952. In 1952, Gordon Kamholz became Chief, serving until 1968 when Glen Schlottman was appointed Chief. In 1975, Lester Macko was named Chief and is still serving in that capacity. In 1954, Cary built a new firehouse at 22 Spring treet. This served a the only firehouse until 1976, when a second station was built at the corner of Silver Lake Road and Crystal Lake Avenue. With Cary's rapid growth, we were outgrowing the existing station on Spring Street so a new and larger station was built at 400 Cary-Algonquin Road, which now serves as the main headquarters. The pring Street station was sold in 1985 to Henry Harper and is now "Cary tation Antiques". 1954 - Ford Gordon Kamhoh , Glen chlottman, Clifford Anderson, Ed Walli.\, Norman Franke.

In the early sixties Cary was further protected by a new rescue squad. It was equipped with the necessary gear to provide immediate first aid and rescue. Each fireman held an Advanced First Aid Card to provide these services. In late 1969, concern was expressed pertaining to the dilemma of ambulance service in McHenry County. Although the Cary Fire Department responded with utmost efficiency in all manner of humanitarian emergencies, its services usually terminated when either a doctor or an ambulance arrived on the scene. It was found that the immedi.at,e availability of ambulance service was most important to local residents. In the early seventies, Cary purchased a new ambulance with updated equipment and a number of Cary's firemen enrolled in, what had then been called, Trauma School. Upon completion, these men received their Emergency Medical Technician certificates. Through the years, with advancing technology, members were and still are required to be schooled not only in the medical field as EMTS and/ or Paramedics, but in the skills of firefighting and for some, diving. Cary's fire department, at present, is still a paid-on-call department of thirty-nine men. The station is manned during the week during normal business hours. From hand carried buckets a hundred years ago, to the present, Cary's fire protection has evolved into a highly skilled, and well equipped Cary Fire Protection District. ❖ 1915 Route 14 at Cary Park Dam. Frary farm 011 right. Background: barn which became Fulde Feed store then part of Cary Dairy. Free Methodi,st Church later, Holy Cross Lutheran Church Pam Eriksen & Carol Gitzke 1915 CARY FIRE DEPARTMENT 1915 West Main and Route 14. Depot, Franke Coal Chutes, Dirt Road. Tony Pichen, Emil Hubka, Pete Rasmussen, Foy Mentch, Harry Jensen, Frank Smith, Wm. Dehmlos, Chas. Harri,s, Paul Wium, Tony Homola and Ed Hubka. 25

26 • 1893 1954 Paul Reiger looking over Cary. Paul was a Sgt. on Cary Police Force for 14 years. (1954-1968) July 18, 1893: The finance committee asked t.o build a jail according t.o their own judgement t.o be ready by ept. 1. The jail u-as 12' x 22', partitioned, one room 12' x 14' and two cells 6' x 8 '. St.orage on Left, cells in back. DemoUshed in 1915. Jan. 4, 1898: CommiUee appoinled. t.o see Chicago Northu·estem Railroad officer in regard t.o obtaining Land on which jail could be mored. March 3, 1898: Bill presented by George Lou·e for use of ropo and bux:ks t.o rrw1Jejail, 11.00. April 5, 1898: Mr. J. G. Smith made a propositwn t.o furnish ground for the Village Jail for a period of 4 years at 15.00 per year. rtl

LAW AND ORDER ;.: ,. ' .,:.;:••· .. .I.. • .. ··---.·~· ..... ~ . .. ... ~ -::-~-; There were Police Marshals from 1893 to 1933, the first being Theo Severs who procured a police star for $1.00. --~:'·l' Y.. :z _:z •=~~~ . ~ :;,~':,:,--i~(,;.::j,_~,'.._,.,,/ The second Marshal, M. B. Weaver purchased 2 pairs of handcuffs. The Marshals in the following years were: A. Mink, D. Cary, Harry Newbold, Manny Auringer, D. W. Auringer, Harry Grantham, Fred Bohl, (night watch) Alfred Turner ( Salary raised from $33.32 per month to $35.00 to include $.15 per meal for feeding tramps). From 1915 through 1933, Anton Pichen and James Parsley served as Village Marshals. The other duties of the Marshals included police commissioner and lamp lighter. Fred Krenz served as Police Chief from 1933 to 1950, followed by Art Beem, Harry Jensby, Fred Goldner, George Harper, Joe Zito, Ron Schmidt, and in September of 1974, William Moore. Up through the early 1930's, speeders were taken to the Justice of the Peace and fines were administered as seen fit. Offenders always had to pay the court costs. As Oscar Nordby, who served as Police Magistrate from 1943 through April 1947 used to say, "Cost Must Be". Another duty in the early 1900's was the issuance of the "Black List". This was a form requested, usually by a family member, signed by the Mayor and Marshal and distributed to all the saloons in town forbidding them to serve any intoxicating liquors to the person named in the notice. ( see photo) The jail, first built in 1893, was mostly a place a drunk could "sleep it off'. Anything more serious would mean a trip to the Woodstock jail. After the Cary Pond was rpade through the labors of the WPA during the 1930's, the jail became a place for skaters to change into skates and a warming room. During the l 930's and 40's, there were several beautiful park areas in townalong the railroad by the Cary Depot, the parking lot off Jandus Road, as well as the main park on Route 14-with an island and a beautiful weeping willow tree within the Cary Pond. I remember Chief Fred Krenz who worked diligently keeping these Cary Parks beautiful with lovely flowers and bushes which were always neatly trimmed. Sunday nights were probably his busiest for Police work .. . directing traffic . . . a steady stream of cars going back to the city after a weekend in the country. As there were no street lights or stop signs on Route 14 at this time, it would have been impossible for a pedestrian to cross the street without Chief Krenz stopping the traffic. The Village Hall, located at 4 Crystal Street, contained the library, village board room and housed the one and only fire truck. The Police had use of a desk in the Village office. There were no radio operators or computers. In 1959, a phone and radio were installed in a private home, June Harper Orzech's, at the request of Chief George Harper. In 1955, the Village took over the old school building at 441 West Main Street. The East half of the building which once was the class room for first and second graders, became the new Police quarters. A radio room was built and dispatchers were moved from private homes to quarters at the Village Hall. Cary operators worked with Fox River Grove and also the fire department dispatching calls and activating the fire siren. In 1965, Chief Zito hired the first two crossing guards for the Village ... June Orzech and Betty Freeman. In 1970, Cary had 6 full time officers, 12 part time, 3 matrons, 6 radio operators and 2 squad cars. continued next page 27

Record of Proceedings of the Village Board CARY, ILLINOIS »LACK LiS'l' MOtlCl~ TG ALL SALOv!, Ii. li.PbRSt ·rAfil--; NO'l'ICE lhat ----is aJI habitual drl.mka1·..t and lms bcei: placed on the black 11st of' tl~1a Villn~e. ·1·hcrcrorc you ai•e l!m•cb: f'orbi<idon t..o eiti:or 9Cll or :p.Te i1i.':I 1ntox1catin ·~ liqttvt•:.. v:: u::y ki:;i~ er to :uy Jl-:?rson, 1r!·H,J1 you ::!ay i,;n~,i, or l.l3v~ rc.nr.on " ... , l>clicrc ia obtnini.11~ t~ic ~~•.:-~o f' c. z, ld.!Je l,ADtoa PieheR, ~l of tho Y1lla$() or Car:,, Illi.Jlo11 lacreb7 oerttl'1 UMII I MJ'Tod eaob ot' tbc, t'ollo,nn~ umed ealoona Jcooper• JI!, sdd Villqa dUI a copy of tJ1e abo"fe and toroia,ia~ notioc o• ~ .Lt- cla7 or Fc,brU&r7• A. o. 1010. Hubl.a n~rs, Louis A. Jelilluk, nan-y Jenncm, 11111.o..'l waac•r h•• Joe lankDYat,. Dated Ilda 17- cla,y er F•brwlrY, A."· 1910. 28

In 1978, the Police Dept. once again moved to new quarters ... 255 Stonegate Road, where they remain today. The force now consisted of 13 full time officers and 3 part time. In 1989, Chief Moore hired the first Community Service Officer (CSO). The Department now consisted of 16 full time officers ( including the Chief), and 3 part time ... starting salary $19,000. Besides routine patrolling, DUl's and domestics, the department offers a variety of successful programs such as the 911 program, Crimestoppers, crossing guard service, agreements with surrounding towns to handle calls outside of Cary upon their request, Public Service Worker program, drug and alcohol counseling in-school, fingerprinting and "stranger-danger" program for children. All prospective officers go through rigid physical and mental examinations with the Police and Fire Commission before being appointed or hired as officers. They are the sent to the Police Academy for 10-12 weeks of training. First aid and continuing in-service training programs to include gang related and drug problems are maintained. In August 1989 the department became unionized ( all officers with rank of Sergeant or below are represented by the FOP). The Chief and Lieutenants are under the auspices of the Mayor and the Village Board. The Crimestoppers was founded in 1982. Many area businesses provided financial support to the organization which originally was operated by the McHenry Co. Sheriff's Department. The Crimestoppers offers a way to give information to the police and still remain anonymous. You are given a code number and a reward if an arrest is made as a result of information you supplied to the Crimestoppers. Lt. Levitt and the Cary Police department became co-ordinators of the program in 1990. When Woodstock held its first "Dick Tracy Days" in 1990, the Crimestoppers had a float and were an integral part of the parade. Cary was saddened by the death of Police Chief William Moore in November 1990. Chief Moore came to Cary in 1974 and built a solid, respected and professional police department from a very small village police department. Lt. Levitt, who had worked closely with Chief Moore, was appointed Chief of Police in 1991. The year 1990 also saw the death of a former Chief, Joe Zito. Cary has come a long way from the days when one Marshal-Chief of Police was THE department-no radio, or squad cars, to the present days-1991 shows the department consisting of 16 full time officers ( including the Chief), 7 dispatchers, 2 part time officers, a CSO, 5 crossing guards, a fleet of 5 squad cars and several unmarked vehicles for undercover work. Cary has been fortunate to have had so many wonderful persons to mold our police department from its beginning to become the professional force we have today in 1992. ❖ Coreen Nordby Pichen CARY STATION ANTIQUES - 1988 29

30 CARY'S POST OFFICE 60013 Neither snow, nor rain, nor dark of night, nor the rutted roads of early Cary Station would prevent the U. S. Mail from getting through-eventually! Mail delivery, that all-important link to the world, began with the establishment of the Cary Post Office in 1856. (Up 'til then, Cary's mail was delivered to Algonquin.) Instrumental in bringing mail delivery to Cary was its' first Postmaster, James Nish. Born James McNish in Scotland on May 5, 1824 (he later shortened his surname), Mr. Nish proved to be an ambitious young man. He became a salesman for a tea merchant in Glouchester, England and sailed for ew York in 1851. Soon after his arrival into the United States, he moved to Peoria, Illinois, where he worked as a clerk in a lumber yard. His work later brought him to Chicago in 1853, and 3 years later, to Cary, where he opened the first general store at 111 W. Main Street. Cary's first Post Office ( same address) opened that same year with Mr. Nish appointed Postmaster by President Franklin Pierce. The following year, William D. Cary ( village founder) was appointed Postmaster. For reasons unknown, that appointment was not well-received by the public and soon afterward, John Nish ( James' brother) was named Postmaster instead. John Nish served in his position until 1873 when James once again found himself Cary's Postmaster. In the interim, James Nish was certainly kept busy. On August 9, 1862, he was commissioned to raise a company for the volunteer service in Algonquin Township. The following month, he received his commission, attaining the rank of Captain, serving with Company #1, 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War years. Upon his return to civilian life, he resumed his duties as postmaster, but his ambitions didn't end there. Earlier histories list his accomplishments which include the following titles: Village Treasurer ( 1863-64 ); President of the Village Board ( 1865-66 ); McHenry County Treasurer ( 1876-77). He was married twice (his first wife was killed by lightning in Cary in 1857). He had two children, John D. and Elizabeth ish. John followed in his father's footsteps as Postmaster in 1881. Starting in the year 1856 the Nish family ran the post office for 57 years; Mary Hrdlicka for 19 years; and Joseph and son John Kvidera for 48 years. Early mail delivery was accomplished by means of horse and buggy, or, in winter 1938-1939 Post Office • 118 W. Main t. ( Living quarters in rear.) Now Cary-Gr()Ve Suburban Bank. W aschers Coal elevators in rear burned d-Own late 1950 or early 1960. Barber shop on right. -

months, horse-driven sled. Mail carriers rented horses from the Newbold Bros. Livery Stable in Cary ( 52 Crystal St.); horses were changed at noon. Two of Cary's early mail carriers were Walter Lumm and Guy A.Jones (of Chicago) who traded routes with Mr. Lumm in 1914. Deliveries were made to Cary and Fox River Grove. In the drifting snows of winter, Mr. Jones bundled up in a fur coat, and donning skis or snowshoes, crossed the ice on the frozen Fox River. Prior to 1920, Fox River Grove's mail was handled by Cary. In October, 1920, Assistant States Attorney, Charles T. Allen and Congressman Ira C. Copely were instrumental in establishing a Post Office in Fox River Grove. Late mail raised the ire of postal patrons in those early days as it still does today. In one instance, when heavy winter snows drifted to 8 ft., a woman complained to Washington, D. C. that her "summer" carrier had not been seen in a week. Investigators found that the roads were virtually impassable and the disgruntled patron was advised that the delay in mail service was unavoidable. After all, carriers were only human, too! The horseless carriage ( a Model "T" Ford, here in Cary) eventually replaced its' 4-legged forebears as the means to deliver the mail in the early part of the twentieth century. This was not necessarily the boon it would seem to be, as the narrow tires were often stuck in the deep ruts and mud of early Cary roads. Indeed, the SIDEWALLS of tires would wear out long before the bottoms did! And at $45 apiece, tires were not cheap! The first request to petition the Post Office to change the name Cary Station to Cary was February 6, 1923. Not approved. On second request of the Village Board, Mary Hrdlicka, Postmistress, petitioned the Post Office Department to change the name of Cary Station to Cary, Illinois. Request approved May 15, 1927. The location of Cary's Post Office was changed a few times in its history. The first Post Office was located at 111 W. Main treet from 1856-1913 when it was moved to 122 W. Main Street. In 1953 the Post Office moved to 17 Jandus Road ( Cary Video Depot) until the facility at 27 Jandus Road. was opened. It boasted 3,600 sq. ft. of working space and 6 parking spaces for patrons, both of which proved to be woefully inadequate in recent years as Cary's population rapidly grew as a result of the building boom of the 1980's. Budget cost ( stemming from the Gramm-Rudman Deficit Reduction Act of 1988) delayed construction of a larger facility until 1992, when the new Post Office on Three Oaks Road was completed. The new facility provides employees and patrons with 18,000 sq. ft. of space and approximately 70 parking spaces. City Delivery ( house to house) began January 24, 1959; up 'til then, deliveries were made to P. 0. boxes. Cary's zip code (60013) commenced on July 1, 1963. In its' early days, a Postmaster and one or two carriers served the population of Cary and ('til 1920) Fox River Grove. By 1962, thirteen people were employed at the Cary facility to serve the population which then totaled 2,330 ( 1960 census). Today, Postmster Gary Skvarce ( who became Postmaster Apr.15, 1991) oversees 34 employees. Together, they are entrusted with mail delivery to 3,967 city and 2,200 rural addresses, serving Cary's population ( 1990 census) of 10,043. As Cary grows, so does its Post Office. Yet, despite their growth, both still intend to retain the friendly, "small-town" charm that continues to attract families to the area. ❖ Alice M. Majka , I 31

32 - INFORMATION PLEASE Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Three-way Calling, Speed Calling, Speed Service for the Disabled, Car Phones, Servicio Amigo, Cellular Phones and much more. You want it, Illinois Bell has it. How did the first settlers of Cary back in the 1800's get their messages through? We know the Indians used smoke signals, but the settlers probably had to ride 'Old Nell' to the neighbors. The church played a big part by ringing the bell for emergencies. Social gatherings were often held at churchs, where people caught up on all the news and gossip. Cary received its first telephone franchise in 1898. The first telephone office was located in the Swartz Barber Shop ( 117 West Main Street, now Peter's Bakery). Bertha Swartz ( aunt of Gus Kraus) was the first operator. Most of the first phones were within the village. The cost of bringing the wires to the local farmers proved to be very expensive. When they got service, it was one, two, or four party lines. You had to be careful about your conversation because you never knew who was listening. In 1901, the Wagner & Joslyn Telephone and Toll Line Company, installed a toll-station telephone at a certain location in each town. In Cary, it was the Kern's Store ( 101 West Main, corner of West Main and Spring Street). The toll from Cary to Chicago was twentyfive cents. On November 9, 1916, the Chicago Telephone Company moved the Cary exchange to the home of the local manager H. M. Childs. Arrangements were made for a public pay station in E. W. Meyer's Drug Store Around 1860 Guy Frary House. 1924 }eeks Telephone Co. ow: Essex & Costello (10 W. Main treet) and one in the telephone office at 10 W. Main treet, the old Frary home. Phone bills could be paid at the telephone office or at Mr. Childs barbershop at 117 W. Main Street. By 1925 there were about 450 private telephones in Cary. The telephones were much different than those of today. They consisted of a wooden box hung on the wall, measuring 12 x 8 inches. The receiver was lifted from its cradle and a small crank on the side had to be turned to get the attention of the operator. Telephone numbering was different too. For instance, Meyer's Drug was #10, C. Franke was #41 J, Dr. Wagner our dentist wa #64], and Charles Allen #36 M. The telephone operator in those days had to know their A B C's.

1898 1cart:: Barber hop and Ice Cream Parlor. Home of the first telephone switchboard in Cary, 117 W. Main /reel. It now houses Peter '.1 Bakery 1d1ich for the past 33 rears has been owned by the Yurgaitisfamily. After 1924 Willard Jecks remembers his mother, Dora, taking over the telephone operations of Cary. The switchboard was installed in their home in front of the Cary Sanitary Dairy ( which the family owned and operated). Formerly the home of the Guy Frary family, it was at that time owned by the Wallace Brothers and rented to the Jecks family. There was a small room in front of the house with an alcove, that became the telephone office. This house at 10 West Main treet was demolished. It is now the Essex and Costello building. Many telephone operators were hired throughout the years. Willard recall three of them, LaMoyne Jecks Hobbs, Eleanor Daly Freund and Pagie erres Petriak. There was one part time operator after chool and weekends, Elizabeth H. Freeman. The alary was ten cent per hour, with the largest check amounting to $3.40. I'm ure the other operators did not make much more than that. The telephone operator performed many ervices other than putting through phone calls. The fire calls would come into the operator and she would push the button to ummon the firemen. (When the Bowman Dairy was till in Cary, the fire alarm wa activated by steam from their boilers.) The operator alway knew where to reach Dr. Theobald, our only town doctor. When the electric power wa off, the switchboard had to be operated by a manual crank. Various messages were left for the operator to deliver and she usually knew the correct place to end them. In 1938, a the town grew, direct dialing became available. The old switchboards became ob olete. They were removed from the Frary hou e, and from the town of Cary. o if you have an important me age to be ent today, J T FA IT. ❖ Elizabeth H. Freeman PETER'S BAKERY - 1961

34 STATE OF THE UNION 1892-1893 There were about 300 residents in Cary in 1892 when the town fathers decided Cary should be incorporated. The question was submitted to the voters in January of 1893 and passed. At that time there were 44 states in the union and the population of Illinois was 3,826,000. One third of these persons lived on farms. Chicago's population was about 1,200,000. McHenry County, with Woodstock as the county seat, had a population of 26,114. Algonquin Township consisted of 2,512 persons. At the time of incorporation the train ran through Cary, there was a post office and a volunteer fire department. The village took over the operation of the fire department at that time. Ordinances granting utility franchises were passed as follows: telephone - 1898, electric - 1909, and gas· 1911. In Chicago, plans were underway for a World Fair commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. The Fair opened in October, 1892, and was called the Columbian Exposition. Included were the first self-serve cafeteria and a 250 foot ferris wheel. It was considered to be one of the marvels of the fair. It consisted of 36 cars and dozens of people could stand in each car for the ride. McHenry County had an exhibit at the fair extolling the corn grown in McHenry County soil. Three men from Cary: James Stewart, George Lewis and Prentice Smith; helped at the exhibit. The Museum of Science and Industry was built as part of the Fair. The Presidential election of 1892 saw Democrat Grover Cleveland regain the presidency he lost four years earlier. The loser was incumbent Benjamin Harrison. One of the issues of the day was the near extinction of the buffalo. Naturalists blamed the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1867, enabling hunters to slaughter millions of buffalo. Other events of 1892 were the death of famed poet Walt Whitman and the resignation of John Philip Sousa as Director of the U. S. Marine Band. He was 38 at the time and started his own band. For the nation, 1893 was a bad year finacially. The June stock market crash was called a panic. By the end of the year 600 banks had closed, 7 4 railroads had shut down and 15,000 businesses had collapsed. However, 1893 was also the year that Alexander Graham Bell completed the first long distance phone call between Boston and ew York. While all this was going on, immigrants were pouring into the country at the rate of 500,000 per year. In ew York, where most of them entered the country, Ellis Island was opened in January, 1892. The intake capacity at that facility was 7,000 per day. Ironically, shortly thereafter, federal laws were changed and the yearly average dropped to 300,000. Meanwhile, Cary was starting its one hundred year journey toward this centennial celebration. ❖ Ray Moehle ROBERT BLUMBERG, CPA, LTD.

,; I,~£ ·~i).,. MOVERS & SHAKERS 1910 50 Crystal Street. Now H & R Block. Sold to Jiroy in 1912. Later Anton Marek owned building & grocery business. 35

36 WILLIAM DENNISON CARY Founder of Village of Cary William Dennison Cary was born 1808 in Sandy Creek, New York. Little is known about his life in New York except that he married Lodemia Eells who was also born in New York in 1809. The first two children, Cornelia and Hulda, were borr~ in New York, 1832 and 1834. William and Lodemia were probably married around 1830. There were five other children: John Franklin, William Daniel, Susan Sophronia, Jane and Mary. All of which were born at "Cary Station". The first abstract of William Cary purchasing land in "Cary Station" was in 1841. It included the cemetery on First Street, south to the old gravel pits then east maybe a half mile or more, 82 acres. All land was purchased from the United States Government for $1.25 per acre. A second abstract shows that in 1844 another 80 acres was purchased starting at Borden Avenue (Franke Lumber) to the old Village Hall on Route 14, east to First Street. A third abstract shows that in 1844 he purchased 80 acres bounded by the railroad tracks, west to High Road, south to Charlotte Street and back to the railroad. The above piece of property became "Cary Station", platted in 1856 and filed for record on February 23, 1859. It covered a little over two square blocks. The Railroad purchased a strip of this property and built a single track railroad. The train station would also be built on this piece of property, thereby our town became known as "Cary Station". The Village of Cary was incorporated by the State of Illinois July 17, 1894. William Cary did buy more land and at his death probably owned about 640 acres. William Dennison Cary built a two story red brick house on part of his land, 9 West Main Street in 1845. Dick Kvidera remembers Miner B. Weaver telling him of a brick factory just north of the Cary Dairy and acros the street where the White Hen is located on First Street. At this location the bricks were made that were used in the building of the William Cary house. Built 1845 WILLIAM DENNISON CA.RY HOUSE The wings on each side are new additions.

In 1966 when the Telephone Company purchased the property on which the house stood, the house was moved onto the lot directly south of 9 West Main Street to 2 East Ross Street where it remains today. The new owners of the house are Robert and Marcella Serio from McHenry who purchased the house on March 3, 1987. The house has been renovated and two side wings have been added. William Cary was a farmer by trade and he also had his own mill for grinding corn. Simeon Levi Eells, brother to Lodemia Eells, wrote in June 1846 that he hired out to Mr. Cary at $10.00 per month, which was big wages at that time. Part of his job was to haul grunt from Carys' mill into Chicago. There was a one horse team and a one ox team and it took two days to make the trip. William and Lodemias' children were raised in Cary, married in Cary and most continued to live in Cary. Two sons, John Franklin and William Daniel, served in the Civil War. John Franklin, wounded in the war, died in 1866. Susan Sophronia Cary married Henry Lindsey. Sophronia, as most called her, is the best known to Cary people as she is the great grandmother to Elburn Mentch who still resides in our town of Cary with his wife Shirley. Also residing in Cary are a daughter and grandchildren. William Dennison Cary died in 1861. He did not see the Civil War end. After his death most of his property was auctioned off to pay his debts. In 1866 Asa L. Weaver purchased the red brick house and much of the farm land on the east side of the tracks. Asa L. Weaver died when he was struck by a train at the downtown crossing. His son, Miner B. Weaver, took over managing the property. The land was subdivided and sold. The land on the west side of the tracks that was platted into our village, was purchased by many old timers like Guy Frary, Edwin Kerns and others. Lodemia Cary died in 1885. Both William and Lodemia along with five of their seven children are buried in the Cary Cemetery which was part of the land first purchased by Mr. Cary upon his arrival in McHenry County. ❖ Elizabeth H. Freeman About 1899 Built by 11wmru Allen. ol.d to Charles Frisch Jr. family. Demolished 1964. Now parking lot for Suburban Bank Cary-Grove. 37

38 EARLY SETILERS ALLEN Family Thomas Charles Allen, born in Ireland. Came to Cary 1852. Married Margaret Brannon. They built a beautiful large old home on the lot that is now the location of the Suburban Bank parking lot. Thomas was the second General Superintendent of the Washington Ice Co. ( the first being Samuel Morrison of Cary) located on Jandus Road near the Fox River. Six children were born of this union. One son Charles T. Allen was born in Cary 1882. Attended Cary schools. He became an attorney of law. He married Vera Mentch of Cary. Of this union two children were born, Russell and Robert. Charles became the Village of Cary lawyer and McHenry County Assistant States Attorney in 1915-1921. In 1926 he ran for McHenry County Court Judge and won, holding that office until his death in 1936. He was a director of the Cary State Bank and then President until his death. He and Ralph Powers were in the real estate business together and platted the subdivision of Root Springs in 1919. The Grandview Subdivision was a Charles Allen project. The real estate office was in the building now known as 'The Tracks'; Allen owned the building. Charles and Vera Allen's son Russell was born in Cary in 1904 and attended Cary schools. He became a lawyer for the Village of Cary. He was appointed McHenry County Assistant States Attorney, an office he held for 24½ years. Became President of the Cary State Bank, then became Chairman of the Board. He was senior member of the law firm of Allen, Hamer, Schuh and Herrmann of Woodstock. Married Mary Zoia Allen. He died in 1968. Mary Allen still resides in Cary. The Allen family served the community a total of almost 90 years. When Charles Allen died it was one of the largest funerals Cary ever had. Mary Allen remembers the temperature was way below zero. The burial was delayed. John D. Hertz gave the family the use of his chauffeur-driven limousine, but there were no heaters in the cars at that time, not even in Hertz's limousine. ANDERSON, Edvin Edvin and Minnie Anderson came to Cary about 1915 and lived on a farm on East-West Rawson Bridge Road, owned by Charles S. McNett, (home of the Chalet Golf Course). They had two children, Arthur and Martha. After leaving the farm Edvin worked for John Hertz on the Hertz Farm. His son Art also worked for the Hertz farm, and stayed on with the Curtiss•Candy Company when they bought the farm. Martha married Carl Rund, another old timer of Cary. Martha and Carl are buried in the Cary Cemetery. ARPS, August H. August H. Arps was born in Germany in 1838. He married Ida Hansen in 1862 in Germany where one son was born. August and Ida came to the United States in 1866 on a sailing vessel, the trip taking two months. After staying in Des Plaines, Illinois for a short time they moved to 128 Charlotte Street in Cary in 1867. Five more children were born of this union. August worked for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad for 35 years, 30 of them as a section foreman. He being the first section foreman for

the railroad when the tracks were being laid for the suburban run and the northwest. A son Gustave H. Arps worked for the railroad as a telegrapher. In 1902, August Arps went into the lumber, coal and feed business with Theodore Wulff, the business being known as Arps and Wulff. Some time later A. 0. Hack (successor to Arps & Wulff), a son-in-law to Arps, took over this business and in 1912 the business was sold to C. Franke Lumber Company. August Arps died December 14, 1924. Catherine Arps, a daughter, was born in 1876 and lived in Cary all her life in the same house in which she was born ( 128 Charlotte Street). She married Alfred 0. Hack in 1906, they had no children but a niece, Idell Arps came to live with the Hacks in 1919. Alfred 0. Hack was also employed by the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. In 1953, Idell Arps married Albert E. Walkoe. They lived in Cary until 1969 when •they moved to Florida. AURINGER-CORKILL Daniel Auringer was a Civil War veteran, the Police Marshall of Cary and the Cary Fire Marshall. His brother Manny was the night police officer. Another brother was named Meyer, after the Meyer Drug Store, his family lived on the second floor of the drug store building, owned by Walter Meyer. Daniel had a granddaughter named Christina Bells Corkill. She was cleaning a wood stove with polish, and somehow the stove caught fire. Christina was badly burned and died at age 15. All the above are buried in the Cary Cemetery. BACON, Robert Robert and Adeline Bacon came to Cary from Iowa in 1919, and lived on the west side of the Fox River, next to Rawson Bridge. They had two daughters. 'Bob' was a salesman/ installer of weatherstripping and was also one of Cary's best fishermen. His daughter Maybelle bought the land on the south side of the railroad tracks known as Jandus Gravel Pits. Roberta, the other daughter, and her husband Bud Hansen operated the Hansen Marina in Cary and McHenry for many years. BALDWIN, John F. The Baldwin family had three daughters, lived here in 1893. They owned the land which is known as the Baldwin second addition to Cary, now called Park Avenue, although years ago it was called 'Barefoot Alley'. They also owned the Zogus farm and a lumber and feed business on Jandus Road, along side the railroad tracks, now a parking lot. DR. JOHN J. BOUCEK John and Helen Boucek Sr. moved from Chicago to Cary in 1921, to 126 S. Spring Street (Depot St.). Two sons were born of this marriage, Raymond and John. John Jr. was born in Cary at 126 S. Spring Street in 1924. Both boys attended Cary Elementary School and Crystal Lake High School. Ray moved to Chicago and died a young man. After WWII, John became an optometrist and opened his first office on the porch of his parent's home at 126 S. Spring Street in 1948, John being the first optometrist in the Village of Cary. He moved his office to 103 W. Main Street and again to 77 W. Main Street, above Meyer's Drug Store. continued next page 39

40 John Stinek Howe 17 econd t. Built 1894. Owner: Olekszy Millie and Frank Kotlaba 556 W. Main St. House was moved to thi.s l.ocation in 1926 from 56 Crystal St., now the location of Cary-Grove Imports. PeterandLenaRasmu.ssen owned the house at that time. In 1938 U was pUTch.ased by the Kotlaba's, they have lived in the house 52 years. Mentch Howe 103 ,pring t. Built 1858. Owner: Bob Jasperson BoucekHowe 104 Charlotte t. Built 1868. Used to be 126 pring I., changed address to Charlotte. Owner: Richard Stecker family.

In 1958, John built at 155 W. Park Avenue, the first professional building in the Village of Cary, the first optometric building of its kind. The building also housed a doctor's office and a dentist office. At present Dr. Kenneth W. Park D. 0. and Dr. Maris Freiman D. D.S. occupy the building. John semi-retired in 1985, selling the business to Richard Osborne, a member of that staff since 1982. John fully retired in 1989. The business is now known as Dr. John J. Boucek and Associates. John married Margaret Barwinkel of Chicago; four children of this union, Karen, John III, Kurt and Barbara. Margaret is as well known to Cary as John, because of her 'volunteerism' to many organizations. The Boucek's moved to Colorado in 1989. BOUCEK, John Sr. John and Helen Boucek lived on Spring Street ( address now changed to 104 Charlotte Street). John was a tailor for Hart-Schafner-Marx in Chicago. He was a bugle player and a staunch supporter of Charlie Allen. Whenever Charlie Allen won an election, John would walk uptown and blow his bugle. John and Helen had two sons, John and Ray. Ray married, moved to Chicago, he died a young man. John opened the first optometrist office in Cary. BUHRMAN, Emil Albert Albert and Marie Hansen Buhrman lived on Spring St. Albert was a railroad foreman for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. They had one son who ran a taxi business. There were two daughters, Marion Wagner and Evelyn Cox. After the death of Marie, Albert married Bertha Ehlert. BURESH, Emil Emil and Sylvia Taraba Buresh lived at 539 W. Main Street. They had six children. Two of the children were born at this address, Dorothy Crump and Leonard Buresh. One son, Martin was a great fisherman and moved to Arkansas. A daughter Sylvia and her husband Paul Peterson operated the Evergreen Restaurant in Dundee for many years. Dorothy lives in Cary. Sylvia lived in Cary until her death in 1990. CRABTREE, George, William and Edwin K. All three came to Cary in 1840. They owned the farm on Crystal Lake Road where the orthwood Fur Farm is located. They were all farmers. George married Betsy Hubbard in 1852. He was School Commissioner for 12 years and operated a hardware store. William married Betsy Ann Weaver in 1855. He was a farmer and hauled grain from Cary into Chicago. He was also a masoner. Edwin married Ella Heath. Edwin was a Civil War veteran. They owned 120 acres of land. DIANIS, John D. John D. and Johanna Dianis family came to Cary in 1920. They purchased the grocery and dry goods business from Paul Wium, at 111 W. Main Street, now the home of Northwest Stationers. John D. and Johanna had six children; John, Marie Stewart, Emil, Joe, Andrew and Paul. John moved away and operated a farm, Marie married Vernon Stewart; Emil married Olive Kerns; Joe stayed in the business; Andy became a lawyer and Paul married Beverly Klitz. After John D. died in 1941, sons Joe and Paul carried on the continued next page 41

42 business, Emil was in business with Nat Kerns. When Nat Kerns died, Emil, Joe and Paul took over the business at 101 W. Main Street. Joe and Betty operated a clothing apparel store at 111 W. Main Street. When Gus Kraus built his store at 133 W. Main Street, Joe, Emil and Paul moved their grocery business into the new building, this was 1960. In 1967 they sold the business to F ruhauff Brothers. Joe and Betty continued with the clothing apparel store until 1967 when they sold it to the Maynard Long's. Some years later they moved to Florida. Paul was a Village Trustee for eight years, on the Zoning Board of Appeals for eight years and on the Cary Park District for eight years. Paul says, "Anything that was good for the Village of Cary, you can rest assured that Paul was in on it." Paul and Beverly reside in Cary. DUNN, Dennis Dennis and Ellen Dunn lived in a house at 14 W. Main Street (Route 14). They had four children ( two who died very young), and were divorced in 1890. After Dennis died in 1922, his daughter Mamie inherited the house and son John got the farm, located on the N. W. corner of Three Oaks Road and County Line Road. John died in 1933. Mamie inherited the farm and later sold it to Andrew Dufek. Dunn owned another 80 acres north and across the road which was sold to Joe Lyons, ( on County Line Road near Hickory Nut Grove Subdivision). The house in town was sold after Mamie died, and moved to the corner of First and Franke Streets where Ella Henry lived until her death. FICK, Michael Michael and Anna Fick owned several pieces of property in the Cary area. One being at 113 N. Seebert Street along the railroad tracks; the land that housed the Thunderbird Farm; and the lot at 322 Crystal Street which was sold to the Kinder-Care ursery in 1988. Michael and Anna had six children. When the Kinder-Care property was purchased it belonged to a great grandson, Warren and Gayla Frisch Stromberg. FITTS, Erasmus Erasmus Fitts came from New York. He married Susan Abbott. He was a Civil War veteran. His farm could have been located on Silver Lake Road and Three Oaks Road, across from Coilcraft. He is buried in Cary Cemetery. FORGIE, John John Forgie was born in Dollar, Scotland and came to the U.S. around 1910. He returned to Scotland in 1914 to serve in the British army, returning to the U.S. in 1923. He was a horse trainer and trained the John D. Hertz horses. His wife Elizabeth Honeyman Forgie ran the boarding house for the Hertz farm, ( now a pre-school in Trout Valley). Jack, as he was called, died in 1929 and was buried in the Cary Cemetery. After his death, his family returned to England. FREEMAN, Maurice E. Maurice Freeman was born in Gilberts, Illinois in a log cabin on the Freeman farm. He moved to Chicago where he married Jennie Simmons. Maurice and Jennie had three children. Jennie died in 1917. In 1920, Maurice brought his children to Cary to live. He purchased from Foy. L. Mentch the old Burton-Gruenwald Livery Barn located-at 19-25 Spring Street. Freeman ran a garage and taxi business. In 1928, Freeman and his son Stanley remodeled