2014 Visions - Homegrown

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Museum of theGrundy County Historical Society

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OpenHours: 10-3:00 p.m.Days: Thursday, Friday and SaturdayTours available of museum and caboose any time with 2days notice. A meeting room is also available for use prior orafter a tour.

y County undy County und rical Societyrical Societyy County undy County und rical Societyrical SocietyThe Grundy County Historical Society was established in 1923and our exhibits have been located in many places including thecourthouse, storage and a small space on Liberty Street. Todaywe are proud to be in a space dreamed of by our founders.

Our exhibits include quilts, military, Mazon fossils,Indian artifacts, a 1900 living room, a 1900 dry goods store, a toolshed as well as photos and information on people, places, andevents in Grundy County. Stop inand see us to find out more.

510 W. Illinois Avenue • Morris, IL 60450 • 815-942-4880grundycountyhs.org

email: [email protected]

The Grundy County Historical Society was established in 1923and our exhibits have been located in many places including thecourthouse, storage and a small space on Liberty Street. Today weare celebrating our 5th year as a museum in a space dreamed of byour founders.

Our exhibits include quilts, military, Mazon fossils, NativeAmerican artifacts, a 1900 living room, a 1900 dry goods store, atool shed as well as photos and information on people, places, andevents in Grundy County. Stop in and see us to find out more.

2 • Saturday, February 22, 2014 www.morrisdailyherald.com • Morris Daily Heraldhomegrown

Local farmers work to educate public about their work

Life for a family farminvolves a great sense,not only of producing acrop, but also of bring-

ing a product to market.The modern farm family

finds a need to be involvedin understanding who buystheir farm products. TwoGrundy area farm familieshave found that educatingthe consumer about whatthey do as farmers is a com-ponent of what it means tofarm today.

The Jeschke family ofMazon and the Sulzbergerfamily of Kinsman both areinvolved in visiting with thepublic about their work infarming.

Donna Jeschke knows theday-to-day business of lifeon the farm, where she haslived since the 1970s on landowned by her father. But thenewer reality for Donna andher husband Paul as farmersis that many do not knowwhere their food comesfrom. This has led to her in-volvement in a program thatbrings mothers, specificallymothers of younger children,to visit her farm.

The program, in itsthird year, targets about 25moms from the Chicagolandarea. The women visit fourfarms throughout the year,including Donna’s, to get anidea about what happens onthe farm.

The visits include differ-ent types of farms – thosethat produce livestock andthose that produce crops,like the corn and soybeansgrown by the Jeschkes. Theprogram, which is operatedin conjunction with the Illi-nois Farm Bureau, IllinoisPork Producers Association,Illinois Corn MarketingBoard, Illinois SoybeanAssociation and IllinoisBeef Association, hopes togive the consumers a directlook at farm operations anda look at how safely food isproduced.

“We want the moms to beinvolved in the process, togo back home and use socialmedia, Facebook, Twitter,etc., so [they] can tell [their]friends what we do on thefarm,” Donna said.

Donna and her husband

approach this process withthe idea that only about 1percent of the population ofthe United States lives onfarms, so she understandsthat many non-farm peopleare disconnected from thereality of the normal dayoperations of a farm.

From the top, Donnawill tell you that farming isexciting, and in the yearsthat she and her husbandhave farmed, technology hascontinued to play a largerrole in making the work offarming more precise. Tech-nology, such as GPS systems,gives higher accuracy tochemical and fertilizer appli-cation. This in turn makesthe process more efficientand less harmful to the envi-ronment.

She shared this knowl-edge with the moms who

visited last May.“Moms have tough ques-

tions. They make the buyingdecisions [for their families]at the grocery store. Weshow them what we dohere,” she said.

One mom, she said,admitted that she wanted toput the best food on the tablefor her children, and askedabout the difference in pricebetween the organic and thenon-organic milk that shecould purchase.

“What better way to havethem know about what wedo than to bring them to thefarm. There really are nosecrets,” Donna said.

Donna’s enthusiasm con-veys her passion about thefamily business.

“Everybody ought to tryto grow something. It’s agreat experience to watch it

grow,” she continued.Although not having

farmed as long as theJeschkes, Brent Sulzberger,37, and his wife Carrie, whofarm north of Kinsman, con-sider farming an occupationand a lifestyle.

“I’m a jack-of-all tradesin this job,” Brent said. “I’ma businessman, a mechanic,an agronomist, and I pretendto be weatherman,” he saidwith a smile.

With needing to be knowl-edgeable in so many areas, afarmer learns both his ownstrengths and weaknesses,he said. There are timeswhen outside help is needed,but Brent added, he is able toproblem solve and figure outwhat needs doing and when.

For Brent, the variety inany given day on the farm,keeps him going and inter-

ested.His college background

in agriculture business andagriculture education giveshim some basic tools formeeting and talking to peo-ple, as he has also addressedthe mother’s group thatvisited Jeschke farm.

“I enjoy visiting withpeople and talking aboutfarming in general. I try tokeep abreast of the industryand what affects me mostly,”Brent said.

His wife Carrie talkedabout the closeness to theirnearby relatives, a closenessthat she felt other familiesmight not have who don’twork as closely together.

The couple both empha-sized that farming is nota nine-to-five job. Theyrecognize that other occupa-tions offer a person a chance

to remove themselves fromwork, or leave that job onweekends; however theirfarm work and their familylife are intertwined.

“We work under thedirection of the weather andthe seasons,” Carrie said.

Hours during plantingand harvesting, spring andfall, are long, and they workuntil the work is done.

“I would have to say,”she said, “it involves a lotof teamwork. My kids arevery involved, when they seetheir dad go out, even in thisweather, even with the snow,they want to be outside.”

“The life teaches them tobe hard workers. They seetheir dad working, and theywant to be right in there,”Carrie continued. “Whatthey view as fun, a city kidmay not see as fun.”

Modern farm family

Heidi Litchfield - [email protected]

The Sulzberger family, (from left) Tyler, Zack, Ava, Carrie and Brent, enjoy working on their Kinsman farm together as a family.

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Majority of Grundy County land used for agriculture

Grundy County has someof the richest, most fertilesoil in the country and hasprovided a living and suste-

nance for families for decades.More than 78 percent of county

land is used for agriculture, accord-ing to Grundy Economic Develop-ment Council statistics, generatinga total crop dollar amount of morethan $102 million annually.

The vast majority of agriculturalproduct is corn and soybeans. The479 farms in the county produced101.1 bushels an acre of corn in2012 and 43.9 bushels an acre ofsoybeans.

“The bulk of what we grow hereis corn and beans,” said Tasha Bun-ting, Grundy County Farm Bureaumanager.

It’s the soil conditions, theclimate, and the flat topographythat make the crops grow so welllocally, she said. Farmers rotatetheir corn and bean plantings to

reduce pests. The vast majorityof the crops are used for livestockfeed or industrial purposes, such

as the production of ethanol. Theyare shipped by barge, rail and anoccasional truck.

In a recent newsletter, the Grun-dy County Historical Society wroteabout the history of corn, or maize,as it used to be known.

The Olmec civilization, whichpreceded the Mayans in Mexico,then later the Mayans cultivatedseveral varieties of corn, whichspread throughout the rest of theAmericas beginning in 2500 BC.

There also is a “you-pick”farm in Mazon. Olive Berry Acresproduces several varieties of red,yellow, and black raspberries, aswell as rhubarb and strawberries.

There are also Christmas treefarms in the county and tree nurs-eries.

Spring Grove Nursery in Mazongrows shade, ornamental and ever-green trees on its 90 acres of land.Its diverse selection includes SunValley red maple, Frontier elm,Homestead elm, State Street maple,and London plane tree. It has aloyal band of purchasers includingindividuals, landscape contractors,garden centers, municipalities andpark districts.

The nursery began in 1999 byowners Jamie and Becky Thomas.The land was previously farmed byBecky’s father, Doug Harford, whoused no-till, leaving the soil veryrich.

“It’s a good, rich black soil witha lot of organic matter,” BeckyThomas said. “You can pretty muchgrow anything in good soil.”

Trees are a long-term crop, aswell, she added, and they don’t takea lot from the soil. The nurserycurrently has between 30,000 and40,000 trees. Harvests depend onthe particular growing season, butshe said they harvest around 10acres each year and plant about thesame amount.

Grundy County also has a coupleof pumpkin farms, the most well-known of which is Dollinger Farmin Channahon.

And, although Grundy County isnot necessarily known for its live-stock, the USDA reported that in2006 and 2007, there were 6,600 hogsand pigs, 2,200 cattle and calves and1,400 beef cows.

By JEANNE MILLSAPShaw Media correspondent

Photo provided

The vast majority of agriculture product in Grundy County is corn and soybeans.

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High school internship program aims to retain youth for county workforce

Grundy County has a lotto offer young peoplefresh out of high schoolor back home from

college.Its communities are clean

with fresh air and low crimerates, there is not much traf-fic congestion, a lot of openspace, a strong faith com-munity, many service clubs,and communities like Morrishave a vibrant downtownwith a hometown feel.

But many young residentsdecide to settle elsewhere,citing few job opportunitiesin their hometowns.

“In a nutshell,” said JulieBuck, executive director ofthe Community Foundationof Grundy County, “a lot ofkids are not aware of thegreat careers here in GrundyCounty, with many wagesabove $100,000 a year. ...There are great opportunitieshere.”

Buck cited high-tech jobsand opportunities in nuclearenergy, chemical manufac-turing and medical positions.And even in the health caresector, she said, there arejobs for IT, finance, mainte-nance and more.

The Grundy Area Voca-tional Center provides train-ing for many types of careersthat do not involve four-yeardegrees, she said, and thereis Joliet Junior College forhigher education.

Experts agree that it’simportant to have a youngpopulation to keep a countygrowing.

At a Grundy CountyGrowth Conference in Octo-ber, Craig Schroeder, direc-tor of Youth Development forthe Center of Rural Entrepre-neurship, presented.

“The way to attract youthto stay in their community is

to provide them with oppor-tunity early on. ... Youth inyour community may wellrepresent your greatest re-source for economic growthand community sustainabili-ty,” he said at the conference.

One way the area is look-ing to expose what the countyoffers is a high school intern-ship program. State Sen. SueRezin, R-Morris, spearheadedthe idea of a summer intern-ship program that began inthe county last year in re-sponse to a desire of Grundy

County leaders in educationand industry to retain localtalent to serve as a pipelinefor future workforce.

Rezin contacted theGrundy Economic Develop-ment Council for assistance,and the program was off andrunning. The core commit-tee included the four areahigh schools – Coal City,Gardner-South Wilmington,Minooka and Morris. TheGrundy Area VocationalCenter also played a majorrole in collaborating with the

districts.Juniors and seniors

applied for the internshipsby submitting a portfolio oftheir qualifications, includ-ing school transcripts anda resume. The selectionprocess was competitive with60 applications for the 12positions.

Coal City School District1 Superintendent Kent Bugghas been a key supporter ofthe internship program.

“It’s been a focus of minefor about five years,” he said.

“We have so many talentedkids here who go to collegethen don’t come back. Wehave amazing kids, and wedon’t want to lose them tocommunities like Napervilleand Chicago. ... We need tokeep the best and the bright-est here in Grundy County.”

Bugg said the number ofinternships will double thissummer, with more business-es signed on to the program.

Buck said the CommunityFoundation also awarded agrant to Joliet Junior College

to purchase a network forCareer Connects of Will andGrundy Counties that isavailable to all local schools.The online program bringstogether students, job seek-ers, educators and business-es to help students and jobseekers achieve their careergoals and meet the workforcedevelopment needs of thecommunities.

The network connectsthose wanting to know aboutcareers in the county to re-al-life professionals.

Close to home

Morris Daily Herald file photo

Twelve local high school students received a summer internship through a program spearheaded by state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, and the Grundy Economic Development Council.


In 1864, America was inthe midst of a Civil War,Nevada was admitted as the36th U.S. state and “In God

We Trust” was inscribed on allU.S. coins for the first time.

Much has changed in 150years, but the Grundy CountyNational Bank has remained.Since opening its doors morethan a century ago, the bankhas stayed committed to serv-ing its community.

“It’s about helping peopleand fulfilling dreams,” saidKevin Olson, current presidentand CEO of Grundy Bank.“You’re dream might be to buya car, start a business or buya house. If we can help youfinance that dream, then we’vedone our job.”

This year will mark 150years of business for GrundyBank, making it the fourth old-est bank in Illinois. For 147 ofthose years, the bank has stoodat the same location – on thecorner of Liberty and Wash-ington streets in downtownMorris.

Olson said much of thebank’s success stems from itspersonalized care and home-town atmosphere.

“We strive to provide a littlehome cooking that people can’tget at some of these biggerbanks,” said Olson, who hasserved as president since 1984.“Our bread and butter is toprovide more of a TLC type ofcare. People come here and weknow them by name.”

Personal banker JudyButtry has worked at GrundyBank since the early 1960sand said the bank has alwaysplayed an important role in thecommunity.

“We’ve just always beenhere for the people,” Buttrysaid. “We do our best to caterto them and work with them.Most of the people who workhere are also involved in

the community through ourchurches or local organiza-tions.”

For years, Grundy Bank hassponsored the Fourth of Julyfireworks display, organizedthe annual hot dog eating con-test, hosted brown bag luncheson the courthouse lawn, andbeen involved with countlesscommunity events.

Olson said at one of the firstboard of trustees meetings,the original members passedaround a hat to fund the open-ing of a local school.

“Serving the communityhas always been very import-

ant to us and it’s not just whatthe bank does, with our nameon it, it’s also what our employ-ees do,” Olson said.

DiAnn Chamberlain, assis-tant vice president of GrundyBank, said she rememberswhen the bank hosted theTaste of Grundy County,which featured local business-es and restaurants.

“It was a huge event andreally a lot of fun,” Chamber-lain said.

While the overall missionof hometown service hasremained the same, GrundyBank’s daily operations have

enormously changed over thelast 150 years.

“We handwrote everything,all the ins and outs and re-ceipts,” said Chamberlain, whohas worked at the bank since1974. “We didn’t really havethe computers we have now.”

Olson said before comput-ers, the tellers would spendhours adding up everythingusing pen and paper.

“It was a lot of work, butit didn’t seem like it thenbecause we didn’t know anybetter,” Buttry said. “It washard to learn the comput-ers, but once we did, it was

much better.”Chamberlain said even

the clothes have dramaticallychanged over the years, asall the female tellers wererequired to wear uniforms.

“They were like a miniskirtwith a little jacket – they werevery interesting,” Chamber-lain remembered. “On certaindays, the tellers would have towear these little rust-coloreddresses.”

Today, Olson said GrundyBank is thriving, owning moreassets than ever before.

The bank has about $180million issued in home loans to

local residents. Olson said thebank also has financed severallocal businesses and farmersin the area.

“If you walk down LibertyStreet, or anywhere in ourarea, you will come acrossbusinesses that we haveworked with,” Olson said.

He said even with the addedcompetition of larger, nationalbanks, Grundy Bank is hereto stay.

“Unlike with a lot of thoselarger banks, here, you can askfor us by first name,” Olsonsaid. “We love being a part ofthis community.”

By JESSICA BOURQUEShaw Media correspondent


Grundy County National Bank committed to community for 150 yearsBank on tradition

Photos provided

ABOVE: Grundy Bank employees lined up in front of the bank for a photoin their uniforms. TOP: Grundy Bank employees had their portrait takenin front of the annual poinsettia tree that decorated the lobby duringthe holidays during the 1960s and 1970s. LEFT: Grundy Bank employeesin 2014 no longer wear an official bank uniform.Heidi Litchfield - [email protected]

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From plastics to natural gas products, Grundy manufactures diverse goods

Many may not realizethe manufacturingbase that exists inGrundy County. Ex-

cept for the industrial complexon Route 6 between Morris andthe Channahon/Minooka area,many go unnoticed.

“Between the output ofpower and plastics and theproducts from natural gasliquification,” said Nancy Nor-ton Ammer, Grundy EconomicDevelopment Council CEO,“Grundy County manufacturesa significant amount of goods.”

Industries find the countyan attractive production ofwares for reasons that includethe proximity to the Chicagoarea and the existing trans-portation infrastructure,including rails, interstates andpipelines.

“We have multiple pipelinesthat crisscross Grundy Coun-ty,” Ammer said.

Natural gas pipelines comein from Canada and NorthDakota, she explained, and sup-ply the product to industries,which use the gas to makeother products shipped outby other pipelines or rail andtruck.

LyondellBasell is oneof them, Ammer said. Thecompany is one of the largestpetrochemical facilities in theMidwest and makes ethylenefrom natural gas liquids. Theethylene is then converted intopolyethylene plastic resins,used as building blocks forplastic containers, children’stoys and other items aroundthe world.

AkzoNobel makes sur-factants used in petroleum,rubber, detergent and otherindustrial uses. Next door,Aux Sable produces ethane,propane, butane and otherproducts from natural gas.

Energy is also produced in

large quantities in Grundy.Dresden Generating Stationproduces enough energy fromits full-scale private nuclearplant to power 1.5 millionhomes. According to theGEDC, nuclear power accountsfor nearly half of all Illinoispower generations.

Another electricity pro-ducer is new to the county.Horizon Wind Energy has 132turbines in Grundy. Accordingto the Business and IndustryTraining Update, by the year2025, Illinois will need to pro-duce 25 percent of its energyfrom renewable sources suchas wind. The Renewable Ener-

gy Group also is an energy-pro-ducer, generating 60 milliongallons of biodiesel per year atits Seneca plant.

Other goods made inGrundy County, accordingto Ammer, include syntheticpolymers used for adhesivesand coatings by HB Fuller, for-merly Forbo Adhesives, and abroad line of automotive filtersby Illinois Tool Works Filtra-tion Products, or ITW.

Reichhold Chemicalsmanufactures a line of poly-ester resins used for coatingsand adhesives, and NorthfieldBlock Company producesconcrete blocks for landscap-

ing, building construction andother uses.

Coal City’s Chicago Aerosolproduces several personal careproducts, such as hairsprays,mousses, body sprays, shavingcream and deodorant. WallyBransen, the company’s CEOand president, said the planthas been in Coal City forseveral years and with currentownership since 2002. It em-ploys about 120 people and hasanother branch in Bridgeview.

“We’ve enjoyed being here,”Bransen said of the Coal Cityfacility. “There is a good poolof employees in the area,and we have good relation-

ships with municipal andcounty officials.”

Grundy’s industrial plantsmake good neighbors, Ammersaid, usually paying goodwages, having a low turnover,and contributing heavily to taxrolls.

Caroline Portlock, executivedirector of the Grundy CountyChamber of Commerce, alsolists some out-of-the box ser-vices and tourism pleasuresthe county produces.

“From a service/tourismstandpoint,” Portlock said, “Ithink about the fond memoriesproduced by time spent at anyone of our community festivals

… Minooka Summerfest, CoalCity Oktoberfest and GrundyCounty Corn Festival, to namea few, and the sense of accom-plishment from the racers atGrundy County Speedway.”

Fossil hunters, includingmuseum professionals, bringhome one-of-a-kind samplesfrom the Mazon River area aswell, she added.

And it would be remiss notto mention the remarkablejewelry, paintings, sculptureand other works of art madein Grundy County and sold tobuyers all over the country innumerous downtown Morrisgalleries and stores.

Made in the county

Photo provided

Coal City’s Chicago Aerosol produces several personal care products, such as hairsprays, mousse, sheen spray, shine sprays, body sprays, shave cream and deodorant.


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Saturday, February 22, 2014 •7www.morrisdailyherald.com • Morris Daily Herald

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Upload photos of your family and friends with our online photo album.Share your sports team, birthday party, big catch or vacation!

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Younger generations carry on businesses their parents started

It’s a cause for celebrationwhen younger generationsbecome involved in a fami-ly-owned business.Parents are proud when

their children are interestedenough in their life’s work topursue it as their own liveli-hood, and sometimes the enter-prise is extended into third oreven fourth generations.

Grundy County boastsseveral multi-generationalbusinesses, including OrtizEye Associates and McGrathOffice Equipment.

Ortiz Eye AssociatesThe Ortiz family is celebrat-

ing the 50th anniversary of itsbusiness, begun in 1964 by Dr.Phillip Ortiz, who was actuallya part of a family business inSandwich before he moved toMorris.

“My father-in-law was anoptometrist, and he and mywife talked me into going tooptometry school,” Ortiz said.“I worked with him in Sand-wich.”

Ortiz established his ownoptometry practice in Morrisin 1964 at the Tratt Clinic,invited by Dr. Tratt, himself.His whole practice was a 14 x17 foot area.

“Everything was in thatsmall space” Ortiz said, “thewaiting room, the examiningroom, the office. ... Back then,it was just a patient and adoctor.”

Ortiz charged $7 per eyeexam. Five years later, hemoved the practice fartherwest on Bedford Road, to itscurrent location. It began in a9,000-square-foot house, thenyears later was reconstructedas the office it is today. Ortizadded hearing services to theclinic when he noticed severalof his patients who came for

glasses were hard of hearing.His son, Timothy Ortiz, joinedhim as an optometrist in 1991.

“With my grandfather andmy dad being in the business,”Tim Ortiz said, “it was kind ofa natural progression. ... It wasgreat. We really never had across word.”

At one time, the clinic hadfour Ortiz’s working there,including Phillip Ortiz’sbrother, Tony, an opticianwho just retired last fall, andTony’s son Chris, an optician

who still works there. PhillipOrtiz is retired now, but stilltravels on eye care missionstrips through an organizationhe helped create, I Care Inter-national. He will serve on onethis month in Honduras.

McGrath OfficeEquipment

Four brothers of the thirdgeneration run McGrath OfficeEquipment today: Bob andMark Borgstrom run the Jolietstore on Jefferson Street, and

Chris and Jeff Borgstrom runthe downtown Morris store.The brothers run the stores,but it’s all eight children ofRobert and Priscilla Borgstromwho own the businesses.

The office equipmentstore began in 1936 when thegrandfather of the currentowners, Joe McGrath, openeda store in downtown Joliet. Hehad worked at the UnderwoodTypewriter Company and re-alized he could sell and repairthe typewriters just as well as

anybody else. He began withone typewriter. When he soldit, he used the money to buytwo more, and with his skill,the business expanded.

His wife Irene, who wonawards for her fast and ac-curate typing skills, ran thestore with him. The Morrisstore opened in 1965. ChrisBorgstrom said he and hissiblings helped with the familybusiness.

“When I was a kid growingup,” he said, “I used to helpduring the summers. Type-writers were the biggest part of

our business.”Borgstrom would pick

up the typewriters in schoolclassrooms, bring them to thestore for repairs and cleaning,then return them. The biggestpart of the business now, hesaid, is copiers and multi-func-tion machines and networkingthe machines with businesses’existing computer systems.

Borgstrom said it’s beengood working with the familybusiness.

“We’re lucky,” he said. “Myparents raised us well. Alleight of us get along well.”

All in the family


Cousins Tim (left) and Chris Ortiz carry on the family legacy at Ortiz Eye Associates, following in theirfathers’ Phil and Tony Ortiz footsteps.


Chris (left) and Jeff Borgstrom are managers of McGrath OfficeEquipment in Morris, a store owned by members of their family for threegenerations.

Photos provided

The Ortiz family is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their business,started in 1964 by Dr. Phillip Ortiz (left). Tony Ortiz (right) worked as anoptician at the family business before retiring last year.


Tomorrow is that day of the week when anything couldhappenNo one knows what tomorrow holds. Call today toschedule an Insurance and Financial Review to getprepared for your future.

012014-01103AC

Terri Gilmoure401 N Liberty StMorris, IL [email protected]

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Leadership: Our unique niche is that we are thecounty’s lead independent convener. We provide

grants and staff to rally local resources andpartners, as well as recruit resources from outsideGrundy County to turn action plans into reality.

Philanthropy: By stewarding donor-designedfunds, the Foundation puts the power of

philanthropy into the hands of Grundy County’sresidents and companies who want to be directly

involved in how their donation is used. We arethe only organization in Grundy County whoallows donors to have this level of personal

involvement regarding the use of their donations.

cfgrundycounty.com102 Liberty Street, Morris

or 815-941-0852

Improving the quality of life inGrundy County through

leadership and philanthropy.

D+S Tours Presents

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County filled with well-known and not-so-known historic landmarks

Grundy County is full ofhistoric landmarks, some ofwhich are well-known, andothers that are a little more

off the beaten path.Grundy County Historical

Society President Donna Sroczyns-ki, Morris Area Public Libraryhistorian Debbie Steffes and Mazonresident Richard Payne helpedidentify a sampling of these locallandmarks.

MorrisSteffes said the old Gephard

Brewery at the far west end ofWashington Street in Morris iscertainly a local landmark. Whatis today a crumbling red brickbuilding was once a thriving in-dustry that produced and shippedbeer throughout the state. It closedduring prohibition, and Steffessaid its brewing equipment wassold to China.

Sroczynski said the foot bridgeat Calhoun Street on the southwestside of downtown Morris also isnot to be missed. The triple inter-section steel truss bridge is one ofthe last ones around and was builtas a railroad spur that led to theWoefel Tannery.

“If you look up,” Sroczynskisaid, “you can see the steel’slabeled, ‘Carnegie.’ I think it’s afantastic bridge and a fantasticplace to take pictures.”

Chief Shabbona’s grave is alsoa local landmark. It’s in EvergreenCemetery on Evergreen Road nextto the caretaker’s house. Shabbonawas a hero to early white settlersand saved many lives when hewarned them of the approachingattacks in the Blackhawk Wars.

GardnerIn 2011, local volunteers fin-

ished refurnishing a historical din-er car that served meals in back ofthe old Riviera Restaurant. It sitsbeside the fire department now,just behind village hall. The dinerbegan as a horse-drawn street-car in the late 1800s. It was laterpurchased by a private citizen whohad it moved to Gardner to convertto a diner with his mother as thecook. The diner’s fresh pies, stew,fried chicken and homemade bread

were considered some of the finestthat could be found anywhere.

Today, the diner is opened forspecial events.

Gardner’s two-cell jail itself isalso a fascinating landmark. It wasbuilt in 1906 and used until thelate 1950s. Visitors can get a feelfor what it must have been like toserve time in jail in those days.

DiamondMany drive by the Diamond

Mine Disaster Monument everyday not even knowing it’s there.Steffes said the monument marksthe day in February 1883 when69 coal miners were killed in adisaster that spurred the creationof the Illinois mining safety laws.An early thaw created a large lakeabove an abandoned section of theWilmington Coal Mining and Man-ufacturing Company’s mine there.The weight of the water collapsedthe old tunnels, and the waterrushed into the active sections anddrowned most who were workingthere.

The monument is on the northside of Route 113, east of the Dia-mond village offices.

Carbon HillThe Carbon Hill School Mu-

seum at 875 N. Second St. is awonderful experience, Sroczynskisaid. Originally a two-room schoolhouse built in 1893, it now is arestored example of education inthat era and of local coal-mininghistory.

KinsmanSroczynski describes the in-

terior of Sacred Heart Church inKinsman as beautiful. The Colo-nial-style building began as a smallframe church in 1869. The currentbuilding was constructed in the1880s.

The historians said interestingsites in the area are too numerousto mention, but also include theCampbell Pharmacy building onDepot Street in Mazon; the Bohe-mian Hall in downtown Coal City;and the Farmers’ First NationalBank building on Mondamin Streetin Minooka.

To learn more about localhistory, visit the Facebook site ofthe Museum of the Grundy CountyHistorical Society-Illinois.

On their marks


The Sacred Heart Church building in Kinsman was constructed in the 1880s.


To place a classified ad, call 800-589-8237.

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815-942-3221

Reeves Funeral Homes, Ltd. and Baskerville Funeral Homeis proud to be a part of the Life Story Network®.

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WilkinsonChiropractic

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