Spring Grove Fish Hatchery-- Part 2: Winter Time Ice Skating and a Real Nice Park

Winter time was a favorite of the children of Spring Grove as they would bundle up and go out to the fish hatchery ponds for a day of ice skating.  Thomas McCaferty  was known to leave the door to the hatchery building open so the children could come inside and warm up, something much appreciated on those chill days.

While the fish hatchery was an important part of the growth of Spring Grove for nearly a century, it closed in 2005.  (We moved to Spring Grove in 1992.)

The property was acquired by the Village of Spring Grove in 2007 (I understand for the princely sum of $1) with the goal of turning  the old hatchery into a community park with a historical display to commemorate and explain what it was and how the hatchery did it.

With a number of volunteers, some money, the area was transferred into a beautiful park.  The ponds needed reconstruction and walking paths were built around the pools along with fishing piers.

Fishing is allowed, but no live bait and it is catch and release.

The park was completed and opened to the public in 2012.  There is a small charge if you are not a resident of the village.

Every year in the spring they have a major fundraiser at Spring Grove's Horse Fair Park with a Door County-style fish boil put on by Fitzgerald's in nearby Genoa City.

It is one really pretty place.

--CootFish

The Ice Man Goeth in Jan. 1917

From the January 4, 2017, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back.:

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"The warm weather of the past twenty-four hours has held up the ice making proposition and although some of the ice dealers of the city had started marking, the work was halted until colder weather comes again.

"The dairy company had started to mark the Normal (NIU's Lagoon) pond and the youngsters were sorry to lose their skating but now are glad that the warm weather halted the work of the ice man."

--CootIce

Ice Skating Fun in 1942

From the January 18, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Ice skating has again become a popular sport and during the past few days the Teachers College (NIU) pond (the Lagoon) has been crowded with skaters.

"The college pond is not the only popular spot for skaters.  The artificial pond on the Everett playground, near the Haish school, is also well patronized at the present time."

--CootFallOnMyFace