Cary & Fox River Grove

By Pamela J. Losey and Shirley J. Beene

Pioneers built homesteads in the Fox River Valley between 1830 and 1850. They were attracted to the area that would become Cary and Fox River Grove by the beautiful scenery, abundance of clear water, and opportunity for waterpower provided by the river. The Fox River was the principle highway for Native Americans and these early settlers. It later attracted many residents of Chicago who spent their summers vacationing along its banks. The river provides outdoor recreational opportunities and is today the busiest waterway in the Midwest. The pages in this book bring to life the people, places, and historic communities--Fox River Grove to the south and Cary to the north, as well as Oakwood Hills and Trout Valley--along the Fox River.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439625798

Pamela J. Losey

Pam Losey and Shirley Beene, of the Cary-Grove Historical Society, gathered the vintage images in this book. The historical photographs and postcards come from the Cary-Grove Historical Society archives and donations by area residents. Pam and Shirley, president and administrative assistant, respectively, have been the team of the Cary-Grove Historical Society since its inception in 1996. The authors will Cary on into the future and through the images of this book.

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INTRODUCTION

Turning any corner in Cary and Fox River Grove provides a glimpse at the heritage of both towns from another century and the communities carrying on everyday life into the future.

Over a decade ago, Pam Losey, founder and president of the Cary-Grove Historical Society, sent notices to newspapers and posted fliers about creating a historical society for the Cary area. After losing her lease on her home accent shop, Cary’s Country Pleasures, Pam decided to spend her newfound freedom and time on preserving the town’s history. She held the first informal meeting at the old Cary Fire Station on Spring Street, where her shop was located, to see if other residents shared her same passion for history. The entire current Cary-Grove Historical Society board of directors—Nancy Helmer, vice president; Mike Collins, treasurer; Shirley Beene, administrative assistant; and Linda Eckel, secretary—attended the meeting. With the help of the executive board who volunteered at that very first meeting, the Cary-Grove Historical Society was born and shortly thereafter incorporated as a nonprofit organization. After 14 years, they are all still with Pam and serving as volunteers.

When Pam started forming a historical society for the area, she was also busy raising a 12-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. Shirley Beene, a resident of Cary and Trout Valley for nearly 40 years, became an invaluable contributor to the founding of the society. As an active member of numerous local organizations, Shirley had previous experience in historical research and preservation. One of her many accomplishments included designating the Trout Valley Barn and the gate at the Stonegate Road entrance to Trout Valley with historical plaques. This among many other achievements led to Shirley receiving the Studs Terkel Humanitarian Award in 2009.

Pam and Shirley became a true tag team, complementing each others’ talents. They are dedicated to preserving the history of both Cary and Fox River Grove. They donate all of their time and hard work and have done so for the past 14 years. Everything they do, they do for the town. Pam started a series of ornaments for each year the society has been established. These have become collector’s items, and some are still available. Pam also designed an exclusive Cary-Grove afghan depicting images of historical sites and buildings from the area. In 1997 and 1998, the society sponsored the Cary Prairie Heritage Festival, complete with hayrides, candle-dipping lessons, cornhusk doll making, storytelling, and other old-fashioned arts and crafts.

One of the most rewarding accomplishments of the Cary-Grove Historical Society was when Pam and Shirley, with the help of Nancy Helmer and famous architect Roger Keys, preserved the old trophy room in the Cary Village Hall. The 1920 lime-fumed oak walls, marble fireplace, original parquet floors, and high-beamed ceiling needed saving, as there was a plan (unbeknownst to the historical society) to modernize it. The truly historical room, which housed John D. Hertz’s horse trophies and Otto Schnering’s bull and cattle trophies and ribbons, still stands today much as it did back in the 1920s and 1950s. John D. Hertz, of Yellow Cab fame, owned Kentucky Derby winners Reigh Count and Count Fleet. Otto Schnering established the Curtiss Candy Company, whose products included Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars. Due to the incredible efforts of both Pam and Shirley and their passion and research to prove the room was worthy of preservation, this trophy room (in beautiful condition) remains a rich part of Cary’s history and is now used by the Village of Cary to hold special events and, from time to time, special historical exhibits for the Cary-Grove Historical Society.

They have presented minimuseum exhibits for local residents and visitors, including a comprehensive Curtiss Candy Company display in 2004. The society has also held ice cream socials for its members and the community. As a fund-raiser in 2008, Pam (with the help of her son) created and designed a wine label depicting historical photographs from Cary’s past. This proved to be a very successful venture, as a local butcher shop actually sold the wine and donated the profits to the Cary-Grove Historical Society. The society has held mock museum setups throughout the community in grammar schools and at business fairs at the high school, worked with the area chamber of commerce and both Cary and Fox River Grove villages on events, and has now written this book for Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series to document the historical images and update some history never printed before.

The Cary-Grove Historical Society hopes for a future museum where area residents can come and see the significant historical artifacts and records compiled by the society for the area. Currently, the society meets at the former one-room schoolhouse on High Road in Cary that is currently the home of the Windridge Funeral Home. The funeral home has been more than generous in allowing the group to host its meetings and events in this historical building dating back to 1861. Pam would like for this site to come full circle by becoming the society’s future museum, gift shop, and research library. Until that time, Pam and Shirley will continue in their endeavors to preserve the history of the place they call home, for as Shirley is known as saying, "Tomorrow is the