50 cool things about Lake County's forest preserves
The Lake County Forest Preserve District will celebrate its 50th birthday this summer with a free concert and party, a traveling exhibition and other activities.
We thought some additional anniversary wishes were in order. So here are 50 interesting - and often entertaining - facts about the district, its history and the land officials are protecting for future generations.
1. The district was founded as the result of a public vote in November 1958.
2. It was the brainchild of local resident Ethel Untermyer, who led the campaign after her 3-year-old son, Frank, said he wanted to explore the woods.
3. Just four people came to Untermeyer's first meeting, but support grew over time. On Election Day, 60 percent of voters backed the proposal.
4. The first preserve was Van Patten Woods near Wadsworth. When it was created in 1961, the preserve was 162 acres. It's now 991 acres.
5. An Antioch-area preserve now bears the name "Ethel's Woods," in honor of Untermeyer's efforts.
6. The district now owns more than 26,200 acres across the county.
7. The district operates three golf courses: Brae Loch, Countryside and ThunderHawk. A fourth, at the Fort Sheridan forest preserve, has been closed for several years.
8. One of the district's longest-running projects is the Des Plaines River Trail, which covers 7,800 acres along the river of the same name. Planning for the trail, which stretches more than 30 miles from the Wadsworth area to Lake-Cook Road, began in the 1970s, and work on the first leg began in 1981.
9. Only one small piece within the Des Plaines River Trail footprint, behind the Par-King miniature golf course near Lincolnshire, is not under district control - but officials insist they're working on it.
10. Lake County Forest Preserve District commissioners serve simultaneously on the Lake County Board - but through the years there's been talk of splitting the two panels.
11. The forest district offers picnic shelters at seven preserves: the Fox River Preserve and Marina, Grant Woods, Greenbelt, Half Day, Lakewood, Old School and Van Patten Woods. Anyone can use them, but permits are required for groups of 25 or more.
12. The district has four sites specifically designed as dog exercise areas. They're at the Duck Farm, Independence Grove, Lakewood and Prairie Wolf preserves.
13. The preserves aren't just for people and their pets. More than 50 miles of the district's trails are open to horseback riders, and some are exclusively equestrian. The Meadowview Equestrian Center near Mettawa offers boarding and riding lessons.
14. The Bonner Heritage Farm near Lindenhurst was once a farm belonging to the Bonner family. It was originally homesteaded in 1842 by Scottish immigrants.
15. The Fort Sheridan preserve near Highland Park stands on what was a U.S. Army base until the early 1990s.
16. Located near Lincolnshire, Wright Woods is named after Capt. Daniel Wright, one of the county's first settlers.
17. Most preserves are open from 6:30 a.m. until sunset, year-round.
18. Although not much of it has been completed yet, the long-planned Millennium Trail eventually will run through western and central Lake County.
19. The land where the Independence Grove Forest Preserve now stands near Libertyville formerly was a gravel quarry. The lake there is man-made.
20. The annual summertime Civil War Days re-enactment at the Lakewood Forest Preserve is the state's largest. Scheduled for July 12-13, it's now in its 17th year.
21. The former Mettawa home of famed American statesman Adlai E. Stevenson II now belongs to the forest district. It's been restored and is available for tours.
22. Van Patten Woods is named after David Van Patten, the district's first president.
23. Sterling Lake, an 86-acre lake within Van Patten Woods, is named after the former Sterling Township, which became Newport Township in 1950.
24. The 255-acre Hastings Lake Forest Preserve near Lake Villa formerly was part of a YMCA camp.
25. At 2,656 acres, Lakewood is the district's largest preserve. Rollins Savanna comes in second at 1,225 acres.
26. The Fox Lake area's Gander Mountain, in the preserve of the same name, is Lake County's highest point of elevation. Its peak is 957 feet above sea level.
27. The 350-acre Duck Farm Forest Preserve near Lake Villa is appropriately named after a duck farm operated by its last private owner.
28. Nearly 50 miles of forest-district trails are dedicated for snowmobiles.
29. The Brae Loch golf course near Grayslake is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Course. The honor, from Audubon International, recognizes environmental stewardship efforts there.
30. The Curt Teich Postcard Archives at the district's Lake County Discovery Museum is the world's largest collection of postcards and related materials. It contains images of more than 10,000 North American cities and more than 80 foreign countries. The museum is at the Lakewood preserve.
31. The museum is, according to the district, one of the 10 most popular destination spots in the county.
32. The Discovery Museum is closed only three days each year: New Year's, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission prices vary, but parking always is free.
33. The Grainger Woods Conservation Preserve near Mettawa represents the largest single land donation in district history. It began as a 257-acre donation from W.W. Grainger Inc. but now stands at 292 acres.
34. The Libertyville-area property that now houses the forest district headquarters has a storied history. In the mid-1800s, Caleb Cowins purchased the former 1,500-acre farm from the federal government. A foundation remnant from the original farm is still present in the front yard.
35. The headquarters building itself once was the home of David Armour, founder of the Armour Meat Packing Company.
36. Lake County's only known stand of wild Kentucky coffee trees grows in the Grant Woods preserve near Lake Villa.
37. The hills at the Singing Hills Forest Preserve near Volo do not, in fact, sing. The site is named after a former farm that, in turn, got its moniker from the musical birds found there.
38. The Half Day Forest Preserve near Vernon Hills honors Chief Half Day of the Potowatomi tribe.
39. The Old School and Lakewood forest preserves have man-made ice-skating rinks during the winter. Skating also is permissible on the southern end of the lake at Independence Grove.
40. The Old School and Lakewood preserves have sled hills. You can call the winter hotline at (847) 968-3235 for conditions.
41. Fishing is allowed at 20 preserves. Anglers 16 or older need state permits, however.
42. Catch-and-release fishing is mandatory at Independence Grove, but you can keep the fish you catch at other sites.
43. Ice fishing is only allowed at Van Patten Woods and Lakewood when the ice is uniformly 4 inches thick and the area is posted as being safe for fishing.
44. Half Day, Independence Grove, Lake Carina, Lakewood and Wright Woods all offer wheelchair-accesible fishing.
45. The Greenbelt Cultural Center near North Chicago hosts many multicultural events, including the current "Sounds of Summer" festival, which runs through Sept. 14.
46. A 25-acre parcel at the Middlefork Savanna near Lake Forest is considered the highest quality tallgrass savanna of its kind in the nation. It's also recognized as a globally threatened ecosystem.
47. The Middlefork Savanna once was part of a large glacial lake. At 576-acres, Middlefork is home to a long list of uncommon birds, butterflies and other species that require large open areas to survive.
48. The annual Des Plaines River Canoe Marathon is the largest and longest downriver canoe event in Illinois. The race covers 19.5 miles of the river, beginning at the Oak Spring Road Canoe Launch in Libertyville.
49. The Keith Pederson Bridge within Cuba Marsh near Barrington is named after a former forest district board member. An anonymous donation of $100,000 helped fund the construction of the 50-foot timber bridge.
50. Do you own a horse-drawn sleigh or cart? You can ride it on special trails at the Waukegan Savanna preserve. A permit is required, however.