Then and Now: Huntley Public School (1875)

          As towns grow, the need for learning must expand. Though the buildings changed, one site in Huntley remained the center of learning for almost a century. From 1860 until 1955, the land just east of the First Congregational Church on Main St. was home to two different public schools. Expanding the knowledge of some of Huntley's finest young minds, the first wood structure and the later brick structure served to educate ninety-five years of small town residents.
          Decades after the first school was constructed west of town, 1860 saw the construction of a single story wood frame structure located on Main St.  Just one year later, the school had a second story constructed, due most likely to increased enrollment. From then until the 1870s, this structure served as the home of learning to the residents of the growing community.
          By the 1870s, the industrious community had grown and the small wood school could no longer accommodate the residents.  The town decided a new school must be constructed. To do this, they looked to an Aurora architect by the name of Joseph P. Mulvey.  Mulvey designed a two story brick structure consisting of two spiral staircases, four classrooms, and a cellar.  Once approved, the two structures on the site of the future school, the old wood school and a small wood house, were sold for a price of $294.80 and moved. The two story wood school was moved around the corner where it remains today as apartments at 11006 Church St. The small wood house was moved to an unknown location, though it may be possible that it was combined with the wood school on the south wall.
          The new brick school was finished in 1875, and at the time was considered the "neatest school in McHenry County."  A solid brick and masonry structure, the two spiral staircases were located at the front of the school and the four classrooms were separated evenly with two on each floor split by a central hallway. Huntley continued to grow, however, and in the early 1900s the school was running out of room. A new addition was planned and proposed for the residents to vote on. To help the residents visualize the new addition, a painting of the proposal was set up in the lobby of the State Bank of Huntley. Residents agreed with the plan and the addition was approved. Finished in 1909, the addition added two more classrooms, a sick room, and a large staircase in the back.  Due to how steep the front spiral stairs were, students were eventually told to only using the stairs at the rear of the structure for safety. Bathrooms were eventually moved indoors to the basement, though the arrangement was only one step up from an outhouse.
          In 1920, Huntley became the first town in McHenry County to consolidate its rural schools with the town school, creating Dist. 158. It was at this time that the school purchased its first school buses to bring in students from the farms. The new buses were Model T Fords that had rows of bench seats along the sides. At one point, senior year students were used for driving the buses. Because of the influx of students from the rural schools, the old brick school once again became too small. To remedy this, high school classes were moved to the upper level of the Hawley building that faced Main St. (above Shampooch and Kitty now). This remained the situation until 1924, when the new high school was finished next door to the old brick school.  After the high school opened, the old brick school became the elementary school until 1956, when a new school was constructed on Rt. 47 to house all grades.
          After closing, the old brick school became apartments, as it remains today. In the 2000s, the old school, called Huntley Apartments, was purchased by the First Congregational Church as land for a future expansion. Although its future is in doubt, the old brick school still stands as a corner stone for not only the downtown, but also to Huntley's rich past.



Someone's personal photo of their "Alma mater" 1908.

Another view of the school. Circa 1908

Public School. Circa 1908

 

Another fine view with students posed near the basement entrance. Circa 1910.

Another person's personal photo after the addition. Circa 1910.

Public school after the addition. Note "Wendt" is misspelled as Wedt" Circa 1910

After Wendt received copyright, he had his cards hand colored. Circa 1910

Students lean out the windows on an obviously nice day. Circa 1909

School with trees in full bloom. Circa 1912

The old public school today. 10/02/2013

Old Public School. 10/02/2013



Looking north-west, this view shows how the school would have originally looked (minus the bell and dental molding).




 





Then and Now: Bordens Condensery/ Union Special

          At the turn of the twentieth century, Huntley had the claim of being the milk capitol of the world, producing more dairy products per capita than any other place on the globe. One of the main facilities in this small town was Gail Borden's condensery. Constructed in 1907 with a reported cost of around $100,000, the new structure was known as the "Queen of the West." This nickname was given to the facility due to its updated dairy processing. Gail Borden ransacked the corners of the Earth to find the best and most updated ways to handle milk. He applied this knowledge to the Huntley facility, setting it apart from the others of his fleet. 
          The large structure was constructed of cream colored brick with 7 cupolas and a large smokestack. A hill stood on the south side of the building where the milk was dropped off from local farmers.  Rocks spelled out the name "Bordens" in the hill for all to see. The north side of the structure contained a large loading dock on the ground level.  Later, the overhang for the loading dock was dismantled and reconstructed on the Marlowe Feed and Hatchery building.  Just south of the structure was the office building, constructed of the same cream colored brick.  Later a large wood water tower was constructed behind the office.
          Bordens remained at the site until the mid 1910s, when the site was purchased by Victor Mey, who previously had a creamery on Mill St. Mey operated his creamery at the site until March of 1925, when he sold to Ira J. Mix, another dairy producer. Mix already had an abundance of milk, so the Huntley facility was not needed. This resulted in the sale of the building. 
          In 1926, the structure became a short lived furniture factory. Huntley Furniture Industries Inc. lasted only about four years before an auction for the dissolution of the corporation was held in 1930. Later, according to 1930s Sanborn Maps, the structure was supposedly owned by Elgin Stove Company, though whether they used the site or not is still unknown. Even the old office found a different purpose, serving as a short lived residence to the Schwartz family in the late 1930s.  It wasn't until the WWII that the entire facility had new life breathed into it.
          In the 1940s, Wm. Fencil Gasket Co. started operation at the site. Previously, they were located near the downtown in the old Cornell building (Catty Co. later).  Fencil was a producer of gaskets for automobiles and refrigerators, among other products.  In 1945, Fencil added a large addition to the structure. Around the same time in the 1940s, Fencil operated a fuze factory south-east of town for the war effort. Even though both sites were owned by the same company, the brick factory did not deal with the fuzes, advertising "no powder here" in a 1945 McHenry Plaindealer newspaper.  Due to both of the facilities being in operation, Fencil was a major employer in McHenry County, attracting employees from neighboring counties as well.
          In 1948, Wm. Fencil left the site, and the facility was purchased by Union Special, an industrial sewing machine company. Union Special already had a long history of production, with their first facility opening in Chicago in 1881. Production at the Huntley site began on May 3, 1948, and from the '50s through the '80s, the facility kept expanding. One of the main reasons for the constant expansion was from operations in Chicago being moved to Huntley. In the 1980s, all of the operations from Chicago were consolidated and the Chicago plant closed.  With this consolidation, the Huntley facility saw its final addition, bringing it to its current size. This left the Huntley facility as the last of Union Special's factories in the United States.
          Along with the main factory, Huntley saw a new training school constructed in the 1970s.  The school was located at the end of 4th St. on the north side.  Here people were taught how the machines were constructed and how they operated for easy maintenance. When someone graduated they received a diploma and a belt buckle.  Across the street, Union Special purchased the old brick bungalow constructed by the Seiler family. The company renovated the home and added more bedrooms in the attic, transforming the structure into a rooming house for foreign students at the school.
          Like many large companies, manufacturing transferred overseas due to lower production costs. This left the large factory in less need than in the mid century. Union Special began renting parts of the building to other small businesses. The old training school was rented for offices and even a driving school before becoming vacant in the 2010s. Much of the old factory is rented out, however Union Special still maintains the site and continues small operations there. The future of the site is uncertain, but as long as Union Special remains, the historic Bordens plant will always have a purpose.




Borden's milk factory looking north. Note the men in the doorway. Circa 1909

Borden's. circa 1908

Borden's looking north-east. The Garlieb farm is in the background. Circa 1912.

Borden's. Hand colored postcard. Circa 1908

Union Special, showing the 1945 addition constructed for Wm. Fencil Co. Circa 1951

Borden's plant, now Union Special. 04/16/2013

The current Union Special entrance. The Fencil addition is the cream brick section near the middle of the photo. 04/16/2013.







Huntley in 1990

          It is hard to believe that in just over 20 short years, a town has grown so much. But Huntley has been growing and changing rapidly, going from around 2,400 residents in 1990 to around 24,000 residents in 2013. Even one simple aerial photo shows the major changes that have taken place. The following is a comparison of Huntley in 1990 and Huntley in 2013.

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!

Then and Now: Wood & Weltzien/ Cornell Bros. Creamery

          In the fledgling years of Huntley's economy, dairy was one of the most popular forms of making a living. The low wetlands made it perfect to raise dairy cattle. With the boom of dairy cattle, many independent and big name creameries set up shop in Huntley. One of the earliest constructed was a large wood frame creamery by Delmont E. Wood in 1875 and 1876. According the 1877 McHenry County Directory and the 1885 McHenry County History Book, the creamery was one of the largest in the country and was supposedly the largest in the county. in 1877, the facility produced 100,000 lbs of butter and 600,000 lbs of cheese annually.
          In 1876, Wood partnered with John F. Weltzien in the ownership of this and four other creameries. Two of their other creameries included one that was located in Harmony, and one that was located at the corner of Conley and Haligus roads. The latter, which was constructed in 1874, was accountable for producing 30,000 lbs of butter and 150,000 lbs of cheese annually.
          A large fire destroyed the Huntley creamery in March of 1892, heavily disrupting business. Around this time, D.E. Wood left the partnership, and Weltzien partnered with Charles Cornell in 1893. A new wood and brick facility was constructed on the site, fitted with modern milk equipment. Once reopened, Weltzien and Cornell wasted little time and began producing large quantities of milk and butter. Records show that in the month of January, 1896, 1,106,243 pounds of milk were produced . In that year, John Weltzien sold his interest in the company to Cornell Bros., whom continued to operate the facility.
          Around 2 AM on May 7, 1907, a devastating fire broke out at the creamery. The entire structure was burned to the ground, with little more left than the charred remains of the equipment and the brick addition. Cornell Bros. would purchase land directly east across the tracks to rebuild. They demolished the ruins of their burned out structure, and used the debris as fill for the new structure.
          The old site would remain vacant and would eventually be incorporated into the grounds for Enos Conley's feed business.  Today the land is owned by Dean Foods and is used as a parking lot for their trucks and trailers.


This early envelope is from around 1876 when the Huntley plant was constructed.



An early view of the rebuilt facility looking north-west. Circa 1890. Courtesy Karen and Curtis Meyer.




RPPC of the plant closer to when the structure burned a second time. Circa 1906. Courtesy Karen and Curtis Meyer.




Postcard of the creamery while owned by Cornell Bros. Circa 1907. Courtesy Karen and Curtis Meyer.



After the devastating fire at 2 AM on May 7, 1907. Courtesy Karen and Curtis Meyer.



Today, nothing but trailers occupy the site. 06/09/2013.

Then and Now: T. S. Huntley/ A. B. Brinkerhoff House

          Sitting on picturesque Woodstock St. is a home that once housed one of Huntley's most prominent residents. In fact, it housed the man after which the town was named.  Thomas Stillwell Huntley constructed this house when he moved into the town he laid out, but that wasn't until a decade after he came west to his future village.
          Born March 27, 1807, Thomas S. Huntley grew up in New York and married Eliza Fox before moving out to Grafton Township in 1846. Huntley purchased 640 acres around the northern part of the township and set up his farm. He would only gain more land thanks to his insight with the railroad.  He had caught word that the new Chicago and Galena railroad was to pass through the southern part of the township, so Huntley purchased property along the proposed route and earmarked land for businesses, churches, a cemetery, and the town square.  When the town was founded in 1851, T. S. Huntley had expanded his land holdings to 880 acres. Soon after, he would construct his new home in the fledgling village.
          Finished in 1856, Huntley's new home was a two story wood frame house constructed in the Federal Style. Two double story porches were located on the south side of the house. Huntley moved himself and his family into the new home. T. S. and Eliza had three kids, Harriet F., William, and Charles C. All three kids preceded Thomas in death. His wife Eliza also preceded him. Huntley, however, did remarry. In 1876 at the age of 69, Thomas married Emma Brinkerhoff. They had one child: Thomas. S. Huntley II. Emma passed in 1882, and T. S. Huntley passed in 1894 at the age of 87. This left T. S. Huntley II as the only heir to the house, but due to his young age, the house was willed to T. S. Huntley's brother-in-law, Abram Brinkerhoff. Abram was given the instruction that when T. S. II reached age 30, that the house would be his. The house, however, was showing its age and the notorious Woodstock street termites had taken its toll. This led Abram to have a massive renovation performed to the house.
          In 1906, after much damage had been done by termites and age, Abram Brinkerhoff commissioned the old Huntley house to be renovated. This renovation included digging a basement, replacing termite damaged beams, and doubling the size of the house. As was popular at the time, the clapboard siding gave way to stucco, and the two double story porches became single story. A large porch was also added to the Third St. side of the house. To do much of the work, Abram hired local contractor John Kalsow. Kalsow had to endure a lot to meet the Brinkerhoff's vision of perfection. For instance, Abram had Kalsow install the front staircase three times, having to rip it out twice to do it over. Kalsow also had to redo the built in China cabinets for two years before Mrs. Brinkerhoff was satisfied.  But even with tough demands, the house was finished and the "Brinkerhoff mansion" became a staple of Woodstock St.
          Since the renovation since 1906, the house remained mostly the same, although by time the current owners, Tom and Barbara Conley, purchased the house, there was a lot of work that needed to be done to bring the house back to its former grandeur. Once again, the termites had begun to take their toll, and the house needed a full restoration. And the loving caretakers did just that. The house was returned to its former glory and even placked by the Huntley Historic Preservation Commission and the McHenry County Historical Society. Today, this lovely home and its gardens sit proudly at the top of the hill on Woodstock St. for all passers-by to enjoy.

Huntley house after the addition. Circa 1912.

Huntley house today. May 15, 2013.

Rev. Louis Baumgaertner

          In the history of the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Huntley, one name has stood out: Baumgaertner. Starting from the earliest period of the church through major transitions, the Baumgaertner name had been of high importance of the development of the German Evengelical Lutheran church, known as the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran church. Though the Baumgaertner name is first seen in 1876 with the Rev. John E. Baumgaertner, it was one of his sons that would become one of the most recognized leaders of the church.
          One of four kids, Louis Baumgaertner was born August 17, 1877, to Rev. John E. Baumgaertner. Rev. John Baumgaertner had come to the German Evangelical Lutheran church in Huntley in 1876 to become the second pastor in the church's then short history. He would remain the leader of the church until 1886 when he took a position as the pastor of a church in Nebraska.
          Even with his father transferring to Nebraska, Louis remained in Illinois. After graduating college in 1903 and marrying Margret Schroeder on May 10, 1905, Rev. Louis Baumgaertner took charge of the German Evangelical Lutheran church in October of 1910. In addition to heading the church, Rev. Baumgaertner taught in the parochial school from 1910-1914, when a new full time teacher was hired. In 1912, while Baumgaertner was still teaching, a new brick school was constructed across from the church due to the influx of students. He later returned to teaching when the full time teacher left.
          Although Baumgaertner ended teaching at the school in 1923, he continued to lead the church through some of its greatest changes. During his time as pastor, the church saw its first generation parishioners, who spoke mostly German, dwindle, while second and third generations, who spoke more English, increase. This brought in the need to do more sermons and marriages in English. Baumgaertner organized the first Sunday School in English, and performed marriages in English, as well as German. Baumgaertner also organized the Junior and Senior Walther League, which remained popular for many years.
          While being pastor of the Lutheran church, Baumgaertner and his wife raised five children. There were two boys (John and Martin) and three girls (Marguerite, Clara, and Mary Louise). During his tenure the family lived in the parsonage on Myrtle St. until the church sold the property, which they then moved into a large brick home on the south-west corner of Main and Lincoln Sts. Rev. Baumgaertner retired in 1947 after 37 years with the church. His two sons followed in his footsteps to both become reverends, with Martin becoming a Chaplin for the United States Military.
          Rev. Louis Baumgaertner passed in 1961, and his wife Margret passed on February 10, 1966. Even though his passing was decades ago, the Lutheran church can still feel the effects that his dedicated leadership introduced.
         



Louis Baumgaertner for graduation from college. Photo 1903.

Always the dapper man, Rev. Louis Baumgaertner looked his best for the camera.

 

Bird's Eye View Pt. 3

          The old water tower made photographer's eyes light up with excitement. Many would climb the monument to photograph the town from above. This three part series shows a panoramic view of Huntley from about 1910.
          The final of the panoramic view shows the north-west side of town. The rest of Main St. and its businesses can be seen, and some of Huntley's earliest businesses can be seen near the left side of the photo.  The Devine and Skeels general store can be seen on the left hand side, about half way up the card. This two story, wood frame structure is nestled amongst the large brick Hawley Building. Constructed in 1876 as a hotel, Wm. Devine and John P. Skeels doubled the size of the structure and began operating their general store at the site in 1881. They would remain in operation through 1917.  Another early structure was located north of the store. Pictured at the center of the photo was the Hotel Huntley. Said to have been one of the earliest on the square, this two story, gable roof structure once housed a hotel, the post office, and later a restaurant. Half the structure was razed before the mid '30s, and in the 1940s, the entire structure was razed for a new single story brick structure to house Heineman Hardware. Other structures in the photo include the W. G. Sawyer mill at far left, Sawyer and Kelley mill and the Borden's condensery about half way up the photo on the left, and the Kelley house, a pre Civil War house located on the square (right side of the photo). 
          It's a shame that the water tower is long gone. No more photos will ever be taken to compare then and now, but at least these exist as a reminder of the early days of this growing town.