Fox River Grove celebrates a century: How little suburb started, and what's next
A tavern, a railroad bridge, a picnic grove and a roadhouse. These were foundational elements upon which the small town of Fox River Grove was built 100 years ago along the border of Kane and McHenry counties.
Incorporated on Aug. 21, 1919, Fox River Grove became McHenry County's ninth municipality. Officials are marking the centennial with special banners along Route 14 and a year-round celebration of the village's rich history, starting with a presentation Thursday on the town's ties to notorious mobster Al Capone.
"This is a big deal for a little town. We are looking forward to celebrating," said Jennifer Curtiss, village trustee and Centennial Committee member.
Spring Creek Tavern
Pioneers built homesteads along the Fox River Valley between 1830 and 1860, drawn by its scenic hills and abundance of clear water. The Fox River was the principle travel route for Native Americans and early settlers such as the Opatrny, Dvorak, Welisek, and Welleck families, according to the Cary-Grove Historical Society.
Around 1840, roughly 600 people made up the area's first settlement - then known as East Algonquin - around the intersection of Plum Tree and Algonquin roads near Spring Creek, which runs under the road, said Robert Nunamaker, who has lived in town 20 years and served as its president since 2009.
"It consisted of this tavern, a grist mill, a schoolhouse, a church (St. John's) and the burying ground now called Chunn Burying Ground," Nunamaker said.
The tavern became a hub for local meetings and social functions, served as a hangout for the area's farmers and hosted the bohemian social club Ceske Beseda, he said.
The railroad bridge
The Chicago Northwest Railroad Bridge crossing over the Fox River opened in 1854.
"It remained the only way to get across the river until almost 30 years later (when) a wagon bridge was added alongside," Nunamaker said. "This new development then naturally moved the focus of the town from the tavern area to the bridge terminal."
The later addition of a station at Route 14 and Lincoln Avenue completed this shift of the town's focal point around the bridge area.
The Picnic Grove
One of the area's early settlers, Eman Opatrny, bought the family farm from his father in 1900 and seized the opportunity afforded by the river and railroad to quickly develop the area.
"In three years, he developed the Picnic Grove recreation area on the river, the Castle Hotel and Pavilion complete with band shell - now the Fox River Grove Methodist Church," Nunamaker said. "He, at the same time, hired a promoter and talked the railroad into bringing a spare track directly into his Picnic Grove."
For a 50-cent fare, thousands of visitors, including corporate groups, would travel from Chicago to the Picnic Grove and Marina, which comprised 40 acres of picnic areas, baseball diamonds, a merry-go-round, a large Ferris wheel, boat rides, swimming beaches, barbecue pits and beer halls.
Today, the area is home to a subdivision.
"The village has maintained the Picnic Grove park along the river and the Lions Park on the other side of the railroad tracks, giving Fox River Grove the most public riverside parks in McHenry County," Nunamaker said.
The roadhouse
The year Fox River Grove was incorporated, resident Louis Cernocke purchased a small bakery at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Route 14. He turned it into a roadhouse named Louis' Place.
It featured his wife's bohemian-style cooking and a well-stocked bar.
A marriage between Louis Jr. and Opatrny's daughter led to the couple operating the Picnic Grove and later adding the Crystal Ballroom in the Crystal Palace behind Louis' Place to enhance the grove's attractions.
In its heyday, the ballroom hosted barn dance radio programs and notable 1940s-era bands, such as Glen Miller, Guy Lombardo, Frankie Masters, Wayne King and Fred Waring.
"They were regulars. It was the biggest entertainment venue on the north side (of Chicago)," Nunamaker said. "It is not incidental the village was incorporated in 1919 and prohibition started in 1920. There was alleged trafficking in bootleg booze and mob connections at the Crystal Ballroom."
The Norge Ski Jump and Club, formed in 1905, also added to the village's buzzing entertainment scene in the early days, Nunamaker said.
When the big band era ended, the ballroom was rented out to a candle maker and later burned down.
On to the next 100
Several of Fox River Grove's historic landmarks - its first one-room schoolhouse, burial ground, tavern, Opatrny farm, and first post office - are still standing, having been converted to other uses. The town now is home to roughly 4,700 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Population growth spurred the development of a shopping center at the corner of routes 22 and 14 and other improvements, including a new village hall, fire stations, park buildings, streets, Metra train station and top-rated schools.
Officials now are looking to revitalize and revive the village's downtown area with new retail and housing developments, while preserving its historic character for future generations.
"For the most part, it is still Fox River Grove - a very friendly community where everybody volunteers and knows each other," Nunamaker said.
Among highlights of the year's celebration will be a presentation on the town's ties to notorious mobster Al Capone on Thursday, March 7, at Fox River Grove Memorial Library; a presentation on the town's history by unofficial historian and village President Robert Nunamaker on April 8 at McHenry County College; historical trolley tours through town, June-August; a Fourth of July fireworks celebration with a bigger finale; centennial carnival and parade in August; and a Roaring Twenties-themed New Year's Eve celebration.