Local History (McHenry County and surroundings): Then and Now: Old Village Hall/ Water Tower

An empty, green patch of grass by a volleyball court holds a story little would expect. At Huntley's creation, there was a small street that ran parallel to the railroad tracks called Railroad St. This street contained some of Huntley's earliest businesses. Among the buildings built along this street was the first village hall. The exact year of construction remains a mystery, as does much of the history of the structure itself. Some history does remain, though. For instance, one of the occupants besides the village board was the early fire department. At this time, the fire department was made up of volunteers, and the fire cart was stored in this structure. To dry the hoses after use, they were hung off the water tower located behind the structure . Later another small building on Main accompanied this one for storage. In 1936, a new brick village hall was constructed on the square, and the former wood structure was subsequently razed some time later.

Located behind the old village hall was the early wood water tower. Constructed in the late 1800s, this served as Huntley's water source for over six decades. Besides being utilized by the fire department, the water tower was a favorite spot for taking bird's eye view photos. This tower was also affectionately dubbed "Hooterville" in reference to the town in the 1960s TV show "Petticoat Junction,"which frequently featured an old wooden water tower. By late 1969, the village had decided upon replacing the aging water tower, and in the early 1970s, a new tower to serve the growing community was completed. The old tower remained intact for a period, but only shortly. By 1976 the container had been removed and all that remained was the legs and base. The decaying remnants remained until the 1990s, when the rest of the structure was finally razed.

Of the two below black and white photos, little remains of this once important site. All that can be seen is the concrete footings for the old water tower. And like many of the old structures along this once bustling dirt road, their histories have faded into memories.