May is designated as the ‘Local History Month’ and we’d like to pay homage with “The More You Know, the More You Grow!”
You might know about the village of Huntley’s founding father, Thomas S. Huntley. Did you know he was not the first one to settle here? The Whittemore and Cummings families were generally regarded as among the first non-native settlers to have a profound influence on the area. Find out more in our Founding Families section on our Local History Webpage (lh.huntleylibrary.org).
You might know and use the quaint Huntley post office on N. Woodstock St. Did you know Stewart Cummings was the first postmaster in 1851? And when the village was incorporated in 1872, John S. Cummings, a Civil War veteran, became the first mayor.
You might know the village of Huntley is divided amongst three townships: Grafton, Hampshire, and Rutland. Did you know Prescott Whittemore had named the Grafton township after his previous hometown of Grafton, New Hampshire. Mr. Whittemore was on the first slate of officers for the new Grafton Township in 1850.
You might know the Village of Huntley’s motto of “The friendly village with country charm.” Did you know the first train came through the town on September 5, 1851 and that propelled Huntley to become a shipping center for butter, eggs, milk and other dairy products? Or did you know that former Huntley resident and graduate of Huntley High School, John Heiney, was listed on the Guinness Sports of World Records Book (1987) for looping his glider (35 ft. wingspan) 52 times in 5 minutes (The Huntley Farmside, Oct 1988.)
You might know that Thomas Huntley was responsible for reserving land in the town plat for churches. Three parishes then built churches on the land he donated, the first being the Congregational Church (1852), the second was Trinity Lutheran (1871), and the third was St. Mary Catholic (1873). Did you know The Whittemore’s small, original shelter was the site of the first religious services held in the area in 1839. The services were conducted by a Baptist minister. Find out more in our The History of the Village of Huntley, Illinois section of the Local History Webpage.
As we wrap up this version of “The More You Know, the More You Grow” – we’d like to leave you with this, “The population of the village grew and fluctuated but never rose above 650 until the latter half of the 20th Century.” As of 2023, the village had a population of 28,269.
We hope you will continue to explore the Huntley Area Public Library Local History Website and get to know this friendly village just a bit better. Don’t forget to say ‘Hello’ to us at the Outdoor Farmer’s Market on May 31st. We’ll be celebrating Huntley’s history with baseball. Hope to see you there!
