Local History Few women of Huntley’s early years are written about in the town’s historical annals. The women of the late 1800s supported their husband’s endeavors, bore many children, kept the home life running smoothly and rarely made a name of their own. Women were known as “Mrs. John Hawley” or “Mrs. Raymond Donahue”, rarely remembered for … Read more
Please stop by Huntley’s Village Hall and peer into their front lobby display case. The Huntley Area Public Library’s Local History Department is displaying ‘The Huntley Connection’ for the month of February. We are showcasing four National Holiday Days celebrated this month: National Pizza Day, National Inventors’ Day, Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day. Are you … Read more
Free coloring books are now available at our Library! Stop by the library’s Information Desk or Children’s Desk to pick up a copy and help celebrate Huntley’s 175th! In celebration of the Village of Huntley’s 175th anniversary, the Huntley History Alliance created this coloring book featuring scenes from historic Huntley photographs complete with historic notes. … Read more
The winter of 1936 became unforgettable for those who lived through it. It began with a snowstorm on January 22. As snow clean-up of roads and pathways were coming to completion, another snowstorm hit on February 3. Adding to what already blanketed the land, an estimated 6 inches of snow quickly added to January’s snow … Read more
12/01/2025 This time of year, we generally see a surge in mail due to the holidays. As reported by USPS in 2022, they processed 11.7 billion pieces of mail and packages during the holiday season. Most people enjoy the convenience of mail delivered to their dwelling. This has not always been the case; delivery in … Read more
11/01/2025 Have you heard about the Butter Margarine War that occurred from the late 1880’s until 1950 when the federal government taxed margarine to make it less competitive? And did you know that some of this scandalous margarine churned out from a factory located in Huntley? The factory was owned by the John F. Jelke … Read more
10/01/2025 Temperatures are cooling, increasing occurrences of overcast weather, and foliage changing colors; these are all signs that it just might be October. Another association with October is that it can be a time of remembrance of those who have passed away. As many decades go by, sometimes the only item left for remembrance … Read more
09/01/2025 Our local history department at the Huntley Public Library has an amazing repository of multifarious information sources about Huntley’s downtown and its surrounding historical area. Thanks to the many Huntley patrons who have donated historical items and resources, the Huntley History Alliance which includes the Huntley Historical Society, and our very own Nancy Bacheller. … Read more
08/01/2025 August 13th is the local students’ first day back to school for the 2025-2026 school year. In celebration, let’s look at Huntley’s educational past. We begin with the one-room country schools then detail some of the changes throughout the decades. Then, we’ll look finally at some highlights of the school district’s innovations. One-room country … Read more
06/01/2025 In June, we finally – oops, I mean officially – welcome Summer. Did you know this month also is recognized as World Milk Day (6/1), National Flag Week (June 9-15) and Father’s Day (6/15) all in the same month? To honor these three events and our community – let’s connect them to Huntley’s Local … Read more