A jaunt through Huntley's Irish past -- and present

With St. Patrick's Day coming up, I decided this week to look into Huntley's own Irish past and faith and begorrah if I didn't come across some fascinating facts!

Actually, faith had a lot to do with it, since many of Huntley's early residents were Irish immigrants who, together with local German families, founded the parish of St. Mary's Catholic Church back in the 1870s.

Many of those names live on today throughout the Huntley area.

"There were the Conleys, of course, who lived north of town, and Haligus was also an Irish name," says Mary Manning, who, along with her friend, Nancy Bacheller, has helped collect and catalog the Huntley Area Public Library's local history archives.

"The Malones were all north of town, and there were Connors, too," she said. "The Mannings originally lived closer to Gilberts, but they were (among) the first members of St. Mary's in Huntley. There was only one priest in the area, so he would travel between the two towns, and (his congregants) followed."

In a meeting held at John G. Kelley's blacksmith shop, local Irish Catholics gathered to discuss forming their own church, and within a few years, their new congregation grew to include over 50 local families.

"Another name was Hayes -- there were quite a few of those -- and Hilley, O'Neil, Duffy, Costello," Manning said, explaining that the latter probably came from "some intermixture after the Spanish Armada."

Patrick Garry was a founding member of St. Mary's, along with Philip Sheehan, Michael Farley, and Patrick Martin, she said. "That was Hannah Martin's grandfather, the same (name) as the school. There were the Coynes out by Coyne Station Road, the Fitzgeralds, and the Dwyers. Clinnin was a big name, and Duffy, and there was John Coyle."

John Kelley's white frame house still stands at 11708 Coral St., across from the town square. It's now owned by Carol and Wayne Donahue, whose Irish ancestors were among that first congregation.

"I am related to Donahues and the Connors, and my husband is related to the Coyles," Manning said. "Many of the earliest settlers worshiped in a little log cabin between Huntley and Crystal Lake. It was called the 'Little Church of the Woods.' They didn't have a pastor, but an itinerant priest would come along every few months or so."

"My grandmother was born up there in 1858, and they attended services in this little log cabin. It was still there when I was young, and we could see it when we drove by. I can't remember which corner it was on."

The Conovers, another prominent local family, included son Jay, a contractor who built the Dole mansion in Crystal Lake, Manning says.

The Gannons, whose log cabin is on display at the McHenry County Historical Museum in Union, came during the Potato Famine to work on the Illinois & Michigan canal.

Tom Conley has his own tales to tell about Huntley's old Irish residents. "When I was young, I watched (local funeral director) James O'Connor passing the plate at St. Mary's," he said. "Eddie Mahar, who lived out on Freeman Road, he grabbed O'Connor by the sleeve and said, 'You got change for a 20?'"

"Those guys were the best of friends."

Conley recalls his grandfather's farm north of town, off Route 47: "My great-grandmother died of a heart attack there at the Conley homestead. Bernice Heinemann was a little girl then, and she told me later she remembered sitting in the buggy while her parents went in (to view the body)."

"After that, my great-grandfather met a younger woman in Elgin, and they ran off to Indiana to get married. He was an old fool in his 80s and the family got him declared incompetent. At (age) 93, he got hit in the head with a bale of hay. He was so hard to handle that the hospital sent him home, and he died in his house on Woodstock Street."

Want to learn more about Huntley's history and the families who founded our town? Visit the local history collection at the Huntley library, 11000 Ruth Road.

Carin' of the Green: This Saturday, the Huntley Area Branch of the American Assoc. of University Women (AAUW) will celebrate St. Paddy's Day early with "Carin' of the Green," a forum on open space and the environment, from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Lake in the Hills village hall, 600 Harvest Gate (north of Algonquin Road). The program features three prominent women who are working to save public green space, groundwater supplies, and other natural resources in our rapidly urbanizing area.

Speakers include Lisa Haderlein, executive director of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County; Cassandra McKinney, water resource manager for McHenry County; and Lenore Beyer Clow, policy director of Openlands, a Chicago-based organization for the preservation of open space in northeastern Illinois. Their presentations will be followed by an interactive forum, where attendees can ask questions and share ideas to help preserve and protect our natural resources. Water quality, a topic of increasing concern in the McHenry and Kane County area, will be specifically addressed.

All area agencies, public officials, and individuals with an interest in these topics are invited to participate. The event is free, and no prior registration is required. For details, call Diane at (847) 669-0848 or e-mail: huntleyaauw@ameritech.net.

Wildlife photo exhibit: The McHenry County Conservation District is hosting "My Experience in the Wilds of Chicago," an exhibit by wildlife photographer Mike MacDonald, now through April 26 at the Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road in Crystal Lake. This free exhibit is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

MacDonald's work explores the beauty of wild creatures, flowers, and landscapes that exist right here among us. His photos have been published in Chicago Wilderness Magazine and in the national magazine Outdoor Photographer. He'll present a special adult program, "Chicago Wilderness: Where I Find Inspiration," from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Prairieview Education Center. To register, call (815) 479-5779 or visit www.MCCDistrict.org.

You may also meet MacDonald at an artist's reception from 2 to 4 p.m. March 30 at the Prairieview center, where he will show over 100 digital images from sites throughout northern Illinois. This event is also free and open to the public.

Hopping for heart: Students at Mackeben Elementary School will hold their "Jump Rope for Heart" event this week, raising money and awareness to combat heart disease. Students are collecting sponsorship pledges, and from Monday through Wednesday they will jump rope in scheduled sessions at the school gym. Proceeds will benefit medical research and educational programs of the American Heart Association. For details, call principal Jennifer Zayas at (847) 659-3400.

Leap year birthday wish: A belated Happy Birthday wish goes this week to Charlotte Ranieri, who celebrated her "Sweet 16" on Feb. 29. Four years ago, I interviewed this Sun City resident for a story on leap year birthdays, and last month I phoned again to see what she had planned for the "big day" ... but no one was home.

"I had a wonderful time!" Charlotte enthused when she returned my call this week. "I was in Florida enjoying the sunshine, and I got to celebrate with my sisters."

"Call me again in four more years -- I'll still be here!"

• Send your Huntley area news and events to Diane Ayers at huntleynews@ameritech.net or call (847) 669-0848.