About the Octagonal Barn in Spring Grove That Is Endangered at the Former Fred Hatch Farm

 From the October 1, 2022, Northwest Herald (McHenry County, Illinois) "Only you can ensure local history will be 'barn' again" by Kurt Begalka.

The exterior of the 1876 octagonal horse barn in Spring Grove, Illinois, is not much to look at (despite being octagonal).  However, go inside and look up.  Well, that's a whole different story.  That ceiling appears almost cathedral-like.  

And, it might well be the only remaining octagonal barn in McHenry County.

Jack Pease, president of McHenry-based Super Aggregates Inc., recently bought the remainder of the Fred Hatch Farm (site of the now-demolished first silo in the United States that was designed by Fred Hatch).  This farm was most recently owned by the Kattner family.

I knew one of the Kattners, Ed.

Pease said he intends to mine the estimated 100 acres on the north side of Main Street and develop the current Kattner farmstead to the south (where the barn is located).  That means tear it down, subdivide it into lots.

This land is on Spring Grove's Main Street a short distance east of Wilmot Road.

--Cooter

Deaths: William 'Bill' Schulz, Member of IHSA 1952 State Basketball Champs-- Part 2

By the 1951-1952 basketball season, Bill Schulz stood at 6-foot-10 and played center for the Alden-Hebron Green Giants.  That school had just 98 students and just five players on its basketball team.

That year, the team went 35-1 and won the 1952 IHSA Basketball Tournament by beating Quincy in overtime 64-59, with Bill as the leading scorer.

Alden-Hebron is the smallest school ever to win the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) Tournament in the old one-class system where all schools are in the same class regardless of size.

In 2017, Bill was inducted into the Illinois Coaches Association Player Hall of Fame.  Today, the Hebron water tower is painted to look like a basketball in honor of the 1952's team accomplishments.

(Today, Quincy, Illinois, has a population of 40,000 and Hebron 1,200.)

Deaths: William Schulz, Member of Illinois 1952 Basketball Tournament Champs, Hebron ( a 'Hoosier' Moment')

From the January 30, 2021, Northwest Herald (McHenry County, Illinois).

WILLIAM SCHULZ

Born:  November11, 1934

DIED:  January 21, 2021

A well-known Illinois high school basketball player, F. William "Bill" Schulz, 86, of Kenilworth, Illinois, passed away due to complications related to leukemia on January 21, 2021, with his family by his side.

He was born on November 11, 1934, in Harvard, Illinois.

Raised on a dairy farm in Hebron, Illinois, Bill attended Alden-Hebron High School (98 students) where as a lanky 6-foot-five freshman, he was recruited by Coach Russ Ahearn to play on the Green Giants basketball team.  Before this time, Schulz had never played basketball and had to ask his father's permission to be released from his after-school farm chores.

He worked hard to develop his skills, and by his junior year, he had grown to 6-foot10 and played center for Hebron's varsity team which only had five players.

And, Then.....   It was the movie "Hoosiers" all over again.

The Spanish Flu Comes to McHenry County in 1918-- Part 2: Avoid Those Coughs and Sneezes

To combat this growing threat, the U.S. Public Health Service issued a bulletin in September 1918 outlining precautionary steps and what to do if you or a loved one became infected.

"So far as a disease like influenza is concerned health authorities everywhere recognize the very close relation between its spread and overcrowded homes.  ...The value of fresh air through open windows cannot be overemphasized.

"Where crowding is unavoidable, as in street cars, care should be taken to keep the face turned as not to inhale directly the air breathed out by another person.  It is especially important to  be aware of the person who coughs are sneezes without covering his mouth or nose.

"It also follows that one should keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible, keep homes, offices, and workshops well aired, spend some time out of doors each day, walk to work if at all practicable -- in short make every possible effort to breathe  as much pure air as possible."

Sounds Somewhat Familiar, Doesn't It?  --Cooter

The Spanish Flu Comes to McHenry County, Illinois, in 1918-- Part 1: All That and WW I and TB Too

From the April 15, 2020, Northwest Herald "Learning from our pandemic past" by  Kurt Begalka.

"During these unprecedented times (Okay everyone, take a sip of the bubbly as every time we have a word put together with the "time" to describe these days, you get to take a drink) it is worth remembering that the world went through something just as deadly (much more deadly) in 1918 -- perhaps even more so considering the double whammy of World War I-related injuries and prevalence of tuberculosis.

"The September 26, 1918, edition of the Woodstock (Illinois) Sentinel noted: 'The Spanish influenza is said to be beginning a visit to this country.  Most things Spanish are not to be sneezed at, but the influenza is an exception."

Soon after, the newspapers were full of reports of illness and death in every corner of McHenry County -- alongside ads for "miraculous" cures such as  'Knock-A-Cold."

--Cooter

McHenry County, Illinois, Deaths in World War I

From the National Archives.

56 KIA

8 Died of Wounds

16 Died Non Battle

8 FOD

1 M

89 Total

Dorr Township, Illinois-- Part 2: Thomas Wilson Dorr

From Wikipedia.

The governor Dorr in question turns out to be Thomas Wilson Dorr and he was not an Illinois governor, but a governor of Rhode Island.  People in Illinois must have admired him to name a township after him.  (There is also a Dorr Township in Michigan's Allegan County.)

THOMAS WILSON DORR

(November 5, 1805 - December  27, 1854_

Was an American politician and reformer in Rhode Island, best-known for leading the Dorr Rebellion.

Came from a prosperous family.  Attended Phillips Exetor Academy and Harvard and admitted to New York Bar as a lawyer and returned to Providence, R.I..

Became a representative in Rhode Island's General Assembly and became concerned about issues of franchise where white men were not allowed to vote if they didn't own land worth a certain value.  This led to a dominance in the assembly of the rural areas.

--Cooter

Dorr Township, Illinois-- Named for the Arrested Governor Who Wasn't From Illinois

In February I had a lot of entries about the 15th Illinois Infantry Regiment in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog.  The regiment had several companies from McHenry County where I live, including Company A that was mainly from Woodstock, Illinois, where our McHenry County Civil War Round Table meets every second Tuesday of the month.

We have a meeting this Tuesday, March 12 on Jonathan Letterman (no relation to David) who is credited as "The Father of Battlefield Medicine."

Anyway, I found a site that gave the residences of every member of Company A.  Most had Woodstock as their residence, and others had other McHenry County towns.  But. there were a few other places listed that after some research, I found to be McHenry County townships: Seneca, Greenwood Dorr and Hartland.  I had to look up the townships of McHenry County as I did not know most of them other than Burton, where we live, Richmond and McHenry.

When I looked up Dorr Township at its official site, I found it was named after Governor Thomas Wilson Dorr who had a "dramatically colorful record in the annals of American history, serving a jail sentence from which he was later acquitted by a Supreme Court decision."

Well, being from Illinois, I am well aware of the penchant for our governors finding themselves imprisoned.

So, I looked up Illinois' Governor Dorr.  Only, Illinois has never had a Governor Dorr.

The Plot Thickens.  --Cooter

World War I Impact On Germans in Chicagoland and McHenry County, Illinois

I used to belong to an organization that had roots dating back to the 1880s and was German.  Germans could join and with membership came support as well as funds to help them in case of major medical expenses and burial.

I can't remember the name, as part of it was still in German, but think it it had something to do with Understubing, but part of the name was changed from German words to "Welcome Park" because of anti-German sentiment during World War I.

We live in Spring Grove, Illinois, and the town to the south of us is Johnsburg.  Both towns were settled largely by Germans.  I know of no histories written for either town about World War I, but suspect they also encountered anti-German sentiment.

--Cooter

MLB in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs-- Part 4: The Chicago White Sox Come to Town

In the early 1900s, players in both McHenry and Johnsburg (McHenry County) while not making it to the majors, did play against a MLB team.

Well-known in the baseball world as both a player and a team owner, Charles Comiskey (it's still Comiskey Park to me) was just as well known in the Chain of Lakes area, as was his team, the Chicago White Sox.

Thanks to Comiskey, a game was arranged for the McHenry White Sox to play against the Chicago White Sox in McHenry.  Legend has it that the Chicago team arrived by train early in the morning of September 9, 1914, and were taken out to Pistakee Bay by boat.  The Chicago White Sox won the game 13-1  But there may have been various games played on different dates.

The McHenry White Sox were not the only local team to play the Chicago White Sox.  On October 2, 1929, 250 spectators gathered in the Johnsburg Ball Park and paid $1 each to watch the Sox play the McHenry County champions, Johnsburg.  The Sox won this one as well.

--CootSox

MLB in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs-- Part 3: Some Major League Ballplayers

Here are a few ballplayers from Lake and McHenry counties who made it to the majors:

CHUCK HILLER from Johnsburg had an outstanding career in the majors.  As a member of the 1962 New York Giants, he made history becoming the first National League player to hit a grand slam in the World Series.  This allowed the Giants to beat the Yankees 7-3 and win the World Series.

BILLY AND BOBBY KLAUS were professional ballplayers from Fox Lake.  Billy played in the major leagues from 1952 to 1963, playing for several teams in his 11-year career.

His brother Bobby had a much shorter major league career, playing for only two years, 1964 and 1965.

There are plaques honor these two at the Grant High School baseball field in Fox Lake.

ERIC ECKENSTAHLER was born in Waukegan but attended high school in Antioch.  After attending Illinois State University, he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers and played 27 games for them in 2002 and 2003.

--Baser

MLB in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs-- Part 2: Local Teams Played for Community Pride

And, the game of baseball is still real popular.  Just look at what happened in Chicago last week when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series.

Baseball has been around since 1839 and is played by young and old alike.  The Major Leagues began with 8 teams in 1876 and now has 30 teams.  Since the 1800s, local teams have played for their communities.  While these players may dream of getting a spot on a major league roster, it is highly unlikely.

From the late 1800s, the local teams in Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois were very active and competed against each other.  Community pride was at stake.

Some players from local high schools did make it to the majors.  Some only lasted for a short time, others got to be well-known.

Tomorrow I Will Write About Some of Them Who Made It.  --Cooter

Illinois' Chain of Lakes-- Part 1: Enjoy It

From the June 29, 2016,  Hi-Liter (Lake County, Illinois) "The Chain of Lakes: Enjoying summertime on the water" by Sandra Landen Machaj.

I can sure agree with that.  We have been boating now ever since 1985, when we bought out first boat, a 1979 Imperial.  Then we got a 1990 Four Winns and have had a 2003 Bayliner since then.  I always though owning a boat would be a stupid thing to do until I started deejaying at various places on the Chain of Lakes and seeing how much fun the folks were having.

"It's summertime and the living is easy.  It's a time to kick back and enjoy the great outdoors.  Fishing (well, not us), boating and swimming become the priorities of the day as the temperatures rise.

"What better place to be than along the Fox River and the many lakes that a part of the Chain O' Lakes?  The Fox River enters Illinois at Antioch and meanders through L:ake County, through the Chain O' Lakes and into McHenry County before it continues to make its way on its own down to the Illinois River.

--CootBoat

Sears Home Legacy-- Part 1: A Catalog Home

From the Sept. 24, 2015, Northwest Herald (Illinois) "Sears home legacy to be explored at historical society program" by Kurt Begalka.

McHenry County resident Frank Novak doesn't just live in any old house.  he lives in a Sears home.  Most people don't know it, but at one point in the early 1900s, many Americans were buying their homes from the Sears catalog.

According to sears archives, about 70,000 pre-fabricated "modern homes" were sold between 1908 and 1940, including many in McHenry County.

Architectural historian Rebecca Hunter of Elgin talked about these homes, their impact and continuing legacy at a 2 p.m. Sept. 27 program at the McHenry County Historical Museum in Union.  The cost is $5 and includes museum admission for society members and $10 for nonmembers.

--Coothouse

The Hotel Majestic in McHenry County

While at the McHenry County Historical Society in Union, Illinois, for the William Herndon presentation in April (Herndon was Lincoln's law partner in Springfield), I saw an interesting wooden sign up on the wall by the stage that read:
Modern Rooms Reasonable Rates

Hotel Majestic & Eat Shoppe

Chicken Dinner Every Saturday

J.L. Boze

I have been unable to find out any more information on this hotel, but would have to figure it was somewhere in McHenry County.

--Cooter

The Old McHenry County (Il.) Courthouse-- Part 2

From Wikipedia.

The Old Courthouse of McHenry County, Illinois, was built in 1857 of an Italianate design to resemble that of the Cook County (Chicago) courthouse.

It was designed by John M. Van Osdel, the first licensed architect in Chicago.  The adjoining structure, the Sheriff's House and Jail were built in 1887.  McHenry County government was located there until 1973 when it moved north on Ill.-47.  It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Currently, it is empty, but at one time the Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum was located in it.  Chester, the creator of the comic strip Dick Tracy lived in Woodstock for fifty years.

--DaCoot

McHenry County Old Courthouse-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

There was a prominent picture of the cupola of the Old McHenry County Courthouse in the May 13, 2014, Northwest Herald under the headline "Restoration work continues" showing a man working amid the scaffolding surrounding it.

The caption under it reads "Renovations continue Tuesday at the Old Courthouse in downtown Woodstock.  Workers for Renaissance Restoration are installing copper on the roof of the dome.  City officials continue to talk with potential developers about the historic property."

There is also work being done on the front steps as well as a lot of the back of the building which I noticed when I drove by it.  It is located right on the historic Woodstock Square.

Right now, the building is vacant, but the town is looking to get someone in it to set up business and keep up with repairs.

A scene from "Planes, trains and Automobiles was filmed on the front steps of the structure.

Hoping They Do.  --Cooter

McHenry County's Major Watson: Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Veteran

From the Village of Hebron, Illinois, site.

Continued from April 26, 2014.

In the War of 1812, Major Watson enlisted again and was captured at Ogdensburg, NY,  and held a prisoner in a prisoner ship off Chatham, England, until 1815.  He was discharged at Baltimore and was ill for eleven months before he returned home to St. Lawrence in New York.

According to the Sons of the American Revolution, many veterans came to Wisconsin because their $8 a month pension made them rich in the area as that was often the only money seen on the frontier.  Therefore, the old men were greatly welcomed by relatives.

Major Watson died March 16, 1840, aged 100 years, 3 months and 16 days.  The death took place at the home of a daughter, Clarissa, Mrs. Daniel Downs in southern Wisconsin.

The Hebron-Linn Cemetery is just south of the Wisconsin border in Illinois.

Who's have Thought a Revolutionary War Veteran Buried in McHenry County.  --Cooter

Major Watson, Revolutionary War Soldier, Buried in McHenry County-- Part 2

He was born November 18, 1737 in Sackets Harbor, New York. This town is on the state's far western border and played a significant role in the War of 1812. Definitely the colonial frontier at the time.

As a young man, he was captured by Indians and made to "Run the Gauntlet" where he had to run between two lines of Indians who tried to strike him down with war clubs and tomahawks. He later was befriended by a chief before making his escape with the help of a fur trader.

During the Revolutionary War, he served under generals Washington and Lafayette. At the Battle of Monmouth, he was in the First New York under the famed Colonel Goose Van Schalk.

He was later captured at Fort Stanwix by Indians and held prisoner for the duration of the war in Montreal.

I have never heard of Fort Stanwix so will have to do further research on the battle.

--Cooter

Major Watson, Revolutionary War Veteran, Buried in McHenry County-- Part 1

From the Village of Hebron, Illinois, website.

Major Watson is believed to be the only Revolutionary War veteran buried in McHenry County at Hebron's Linn-Hebron Cemetery. However, Watson lived most of his life in New York state and only came to the Midwest in the last three years of his life, and even then, living in southern Wisconsin.

The Linn-Hebron Cemetery is just over the Illinois-Wisconsin stateline from Wisconsin.

Major Watson was also one of the last survivors of the war for American Independence, dying in 1840 at the age of 100.

He is also a veteran of two wars, the War of 1812 as well, (so I will have to mention him in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog) and was captured in both, spending most of the time in prison. He was captured by Indians twice, once before the Revolution.

Quite An Interesting Life For the Major.  Cooter