Huntley History

Enjoy this Sawyer Kelley photo slideshow from the mill in Huntley, IL before it was demolished. The Huntley History Alliance was invited by the Village of Huntley to walk through the Mill and make a photographic record of the building before demolition. Photographs were taken by members of the Huntley Historical Society, the Village of Huntley Historic Preservation Commission, The Huntley Park District, and the Local History Department at the Huntley Area Public Library. Photographs were taken in April 2014.…

The Village of Huntley, founded in 1851, is a rapidly growing community located in southern McHenry County and northern Kane County. Huntley is bisected by Illinois Route 47 north and south, the Union Pacific Railroad northwest and southeast, and bordered on the south by Interstate 90. The Blackhawk Wars of 1834 resulted in terms that sent the first inhabitants of the area, Native Americans, to Iowa, thereby opening up the land to its first white settlers. McHenry County was established…

First Woman Corporate Officer in Major League Baseball Huntley native Margaret Donahue was reluctant to take a job with the Chicago Cubs. It wasn’t exactly the job she was hoping for. But now, 35 years after her death, plans are being made to honor her as a Cubs legend. Margaret is the youngest girl, far left. Margaret was born on a Huntley farm December 13, 1892, the second of eight children of Daniel and Hannah Connor Donahue. The farm at…

People, places and important dates in the early development of the Village of Huntley, IL.   Grafton Township The terms at the conclusion of the Black Hawk War of 1834 required Native Americans to vacate their land and to move west of the Mississippi River. White settlers began moving into northern Illinois following the war. The first local government, McHenry County, was formed in 1834.  The Illinois constitution of 1848 gave voters in each county the opportunity to adopt Township…

Fifty-two years ago this week on March 31, 1963,  Huntley residents were shocked to learn of a tragic airplane accident that took the lives of two Huntley residents, one of them a Catholic priest. The pilot, Robert Heinemann, 20, was born and raised in Huntley.  He invited his brother, the Rev. Harold Heinemann, 27, and two friends to go for an evening flight. The two friends were priests from the Rockford diocese. The weather was not an issue as they took off from the…

The Huntley Area Public Library Local History Department honors Huntley’s rich heritage in collections available on Illinois Digital Archives. There you will find digitized photographs, documents, and other records including the entire run of the Huntley Farmside Newspaper. These materials are available to all and preserve the information for future generations. If you have additional information pertaining to items in this collection, please contact the Huntley Library Local History Department at 847.669.5386. Huntley Area Dairy and Agricultural History This collection highlights Huntley’s…

Help us honor local veterans by registering them for the Huntley Veterans Memorial! The Huntley Library Local History Department hosts the Huntley Veterans Memorial Register. The Huntley Area Veterans Foundation was founded in 2014 with the purpose of honoring area veterans. A black granite monument honors the 6 branches of the military including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard. If you have served in the military, be certain that you are included in the Huntley Veterans…

Oliver Hadley Statler (1915-2002) was a Bestselling Author and Japanese Art Expert From his small-town, midwestern roots, Huntley native Oliver Hadley Statler found his life’s passion in Japan and became an internationally acclaimed best-selling author and interpreter of Japanese art, culture and history.   Today, the Huntley native’s impressive collection of Japanese art is maintained by the Art Institute of Chicago and his books still are available on Amazon. Oliver H. Statler was born in Huntley on May 21, 1915. His father,…