McHenry County promotes ‘Look at Local History Month’
Submitted by McHenry County Historical Society
Gas prices are terrible and airports are fraught with hassles, yet you and your family are itching to get out.
Look and travel closer. May is “Look at Local History Month” in McHenry County. It’s our take on National Preservation Month sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Various community preservation and historical groups have lots planned in May and many activities are free.
If you enjoy drama and live theater, descendants of original families and newer Spring Grove residents will perform an original dramatization called “Trespass on the Flowage” in the Burton Township historic town hall. Here’s a chance to look in on an 1840 court session involving mill owners from Spring Grove and Solon Mills. They’ll tell quite a story.
The Huntley Historical Society will offer tours of the Thomas Stillwell Huntley House Saturday, May 5. Huntley, as you might guess, was the town’s founder. The same day the society also will host an open house featuring the area’s farming heritage at the Huntley American Legion on the Town Square.
On Sunday, May 6, the McHenry County Historical Society museum at 6422 Main St. in Union opens for the new season from 1 to 4 p.m. The featured new exhibit honors the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts. Scouting memorabilia from past decades will be on display. a special programs kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and it’s all free to the public.
Both Crystal Lake and McHenry offer a variety of public programs involving trolley tours and McHenry’s annual “A Day at Petersen Farm.” And there is more going on, probably not far from where you live.
When you really think about it, all historical sites are local history sites. They are just somebody else’s.
Join in this May and enjoy looking at ours.
Call Nancy J. Fike at the McHenry County Historical Society, (815) 923-2267, or see the website at www.mchsonline.org for information on what’s going on. A schedule of activities is on this site.