3-way deal saves Casey family farm
A deal that took years, often involving discussions over coffee and pie at the dining room table, will ensure one of Lake County's oldest farms will be protected.
The pending sale of the Civil War-era home of the Casey family and 34 acres west of Milwaukee Avenue south of Casey Road near Libertyville marks a comfortable solution for an elderly matriarch.
It also is a breakthrough accomplishment for the nonprofit Liberty Prairie Conservancy, a land preservation group, and a significant expansion of recreational opportunities.
"To work with a family that has lived in Lake County for over 140 years is just an amazing thing," said Steve Barg, executive director of the conservancy, which announced the deal Tuesday.
"We read so often and see so often the opposite happening -- these farmsteads and history being lost forever to development. We're just really pleased to be involved in an effort to preserve a landmark in the county."
Besides preserving one of the dozen remaining centennial farms, the sale provides an important connection for a regional trail system stretching from the Des Plaines River 14 miles north to Grayslake and ultimately into Lindenhurst.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District and Libertyville Township Open Space District also are part of a complicated pact, described as unique for the level of cooperation between three distinct entities.
"We couldn't have done this on our own," Barg said.
The conservancy has a contract to buy 34 acres. In turn, it will sell 15 acres to the forest district and 5 acres to the township open space district. The boards of those entities expect to consider the transactions in coming weeks.
Those transactions will expand the Independence Grove Forest Preserve to the east and allow the township to add to its holdings at the southwest corner of Casey Road and Milwaukee Avenue. A separate transaction will allow for the perpetual protection of the nearby Almond Marsh Forest Preserve.
Barg would not disclose the price, but based on pending sales to those districts, the cost for the entire parcel is about $3 million. The conservancy was able to proceed because of substantial private donations from two area families, he said.
A key component is the deal will allow eventual connections to trail systems operated by the township, Grayslake and the forest district, providing a clear path from the river to the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve.
"We wanted to make sure that corridor remains in place," said Tom Hahn, the forest preserve district's executive director.
Those involved also note the purchase will include one of the last unprotected stretches of Bulls Brook, which is known for exceptional water quality and aquatic wildlife habitat.
"This is really a key to the whole connection of purpose (to preserve land) and the environment," said Township Supervisor Betty-Ann Moore. "It's also quite remarkable that three separate bodies have gotten together for this purchase."
The conservancy will retain about 14 acres including the farmhouse, which it hopes to someday renovate as an educational resource. William Casey bought the property from Julius Bull in 1865. The dairy farm once spanned 220 acres with milk sent by rail to Chicago.
Family members were not available to discuss the matter Tuesday, but it was said to be an emotional experience for Helen Casey, now in her mid-90s. Later generations were not farmers but leased the land, and it still is farmed for corn and soybeans.
"Everybody knew them and everybody respected them," said George Ranney Jr., who grew up along Casey Road in the 1940s.
He is president and CEO of Metropolis 2020, a regional planning group and the chief executive of Prairie Holdings Corp., developer of Prairie Crossing conservation community just west of the Casey farm in Grayslake.
"They understand how important it is to have a signature, centennial farm like this in a significant and visible space."