1990: The farm at left was bustling, still producing products needed throughout the area.
2013: Today, the house is abandoned and falling into disrepair. The barn was burned down by vandals and the red pole barn has since been razed.
1990: Main St. flowed easily into Huntley/Dundee Blacktop with an extra cut over that was common in a few roads in and outside of Huntley. The old Latimer farm house still stood at this odd intersection.
2013: Traffic has been now rerouted to a new section of road east of the old intersection. Today, the old section remains little more than a driveway for the water treatment plant. The farm was razed long before the road changed and remains empty minus a few trees.
1990: The water treatment facility on Huntley/Dundee Blacktop was the only one for the town, and was smaller in comparison. Within the late 1980s, Huntley residents finally topped the 2000 mark, and any major subdivisions were not even in the planning stage yet.
2013: Due to the higher amount of residents flooding into the town in the late 1990s/early 2000s, the facility needed to expand, and with the addition of Del Webb's Sun City, a second water treatment facility was constructed west of town.
1990: The old 1924 high school had just been razed, due to "structural issues." Right before demolition, it was owned by A. E. Robinson Co. The house to the east of the old school was still standing, a fine example of architecture on Huntley's main drag.
2013: Not only is the site of the old school still empty, but due to a dispute with the village, the owner of the house hastily demolished the structure, saddening many in the town. All that remains is the crumbling sidewalk that once led to the wrap around porch.
1990: The skeleton of the old water tower still stood behind the businesses on Main St. Rendered unnecessary in the 1970s, the legs and base for the tank loomed over the town, keeping a watchful eye of the tracks and all activities in the village.
2013: All that remains are a couple of the footings of the old wooden water. The structure collapsed in a windstorm, erasing it off the map for good.
1990: McHenry County FS was still in full swing. Since the town was still mostly farming, the business was still relevant to the town's economy. Across the tracks, H. D. Catty Corp. was running as strong as ever. Since moving to the town in the mid 1900s, the business had been working hard at supplying foil for wrapping products like Klondike Bars.
2013: Gone with the times, both businesses have since disappeared. McHenry FS would not last much longer after being photographed, and the buildings would sit vacant for years. The dilapidated fertilizer building just west of the water tower was the first to go. Later Dean Foods would purchase the main property and raze the old mill and the tractor dealership. H. D. Catty Corp. moved to a new facility due to their need for more space. The building stands empty today.
1990: Rt. 47 was just a two lane road. It is hard to tell if lights had been installed by this point or not, but in the mid '80s, it was just a four way stop. The businesses were still all occupied and regularly visited. Little had changed since the road's completion in 1936.
2013: Rt. 47 has been widened to four lanes and a median after decades of talk on expansion. Because of the widening, many businesses, including all that are pictured, were razed due to being in the path of the right-of-way. Marlowe Feeds, which stood prominently in the 1990 photo, was dismantled. All the sites are empty today, with the exception of Pfaff Auto, which is now the new welcoming sign for the village.
These details are just a few of many things that have changed as time has raced forward. There are even more differences in the photo that I did not touch on. See if there is anything that looks different from just a couple decades back than what exists today. You'll be shocked!
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