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Dear Village Resident,
What a beautiful night for the Friday Night Fish Boil!
Thank you, Spring Grove, for the great turnout at our Fish Boil for Hatchery Park the weather surely cooperated! It was great to see so many of you for a good old-fashioned community event.
We served nearly 600 meals and raised much needed funds for Hatchery Park. We had an incredible turnout with many who came to eat dinner staying to watch The Judson Brown Band!
This event couldn’t have been possible without the help of many volunteers, local businesses and individual support. I would like to thank all of them for their continued support of our community. And a special thank you to Village Clerk Sandi Rusher for her leadership and event coordination.
This Sunday! Our 4th of July celebration is starting with the street dance on Sunday night with Bella Cain, food trucks, and beverages, followed by our parade on Monday at noon. The celebration will end with a big fireworks display at Thelen park Monday night.
Hope everyone can get out and enjoy the festivities.
Mark Eisenberg
Village President
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Thank you to our Donors and Volunteers
We sold 582 dinners and raised over $11,000 to benefit Hatchery Park!
We would like to thank the following Donors for contributing to our event. When the opportunity arises, please thank and patronize our donors…without them our event would not be a success.
All Rite Spring, Billy's Beef, Hot Dogs & More, Birds of Paradise, Bricks & Ivy Sports Tavern, Burris Equipment Co., Burton Township, Chas. Herdrich and Son, Direct Source Material Handling Service, Discover Medical Center, Eclipse Hair Studio, Eder, Casella & Company, Fishin’ Fool 815 Guide Service, Flood Bros Disposal Co., The Grove, HR Green, Inc., Huemann Water Conditioning, Keystone Hatcheries, KLM Builders, Levernier Enterprises, Nature’s Feed, New Leaf Home Furnishings, Olive Black Martini & Wine Lounge, Paisano’s on Broadway & Seaside Prime, Platinum Terrain, Pratt Brewing Company, Ray Auto Group, Richardson Adventure Farm, Rick Graves, Sand Bar & Island Grill, Stade’s Farm & Market, State Bank of the Lakes, Sud’N Shine Car Wash, Tammy’s Pizza, The Law Office of Neil J. Anderson, P.C., T’s Toffee, and Westosha Legacy Athletic Club.
The village would also like to thank Dave Schmitt and The Schmitt Family Farm for sponsoring our entertainment, The Judson Brown Band.
The village would like to thank the following individuals for donating their time to sell tickets, staff the silent auction tables, and bartend and help with the setup of the event:
Charis Attermeier, Caitlin Blanton, Mark and Brenda Eisenberg, Dr. Ron and Jan Erdmann, Laura Frumet, Julie & Mike Gajewski, Helena Hernquist, Vicki and Mike Lee, Jeff and Lori Letzter, Pat Mazzanti, Bob and Becki McMahon, Judy and Scott Olson, Lauren Prater, and John Sullivan.
Finally, a Special Thank You to the following individuals, organizations and businesses who have made this annual event to benefit renovations at Hatchery Park possible:
Sandi Rusher, Kelly Popelka, Chas. Herdrich and Son, Fitzgerald’s Genoa Junction, RBCHS National Honor Society, Richmond Ace Hardware, the Spring Grove Firefighters Association, and the Village of Spring Grove Public Works Department.
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Main Street Park Bench
Robert and Elaine Smith Oxtoby lived their whole lives in Spring Grove. They married in 1953 and purchased a house that stood on the Main Street Park property in 1971. Robert’s grandfather, James Oxtoby, came to Spring Grove in the 1880s. When he retired from farming in the 1930s, he would pick up the daily mail at the depot and deliver it to the post office on the front porch of the same house Robert and Elaine would buy 35 years later. Robert died in 2010 and Elaine, who loved this town that she moved to as a little girl, passed away at age 90 in 2020. The family agreed to sell the property to the village so it could become a downtown park. This bench was recently installed in gratitude to Robert and Elaine and the whole Oxtoby family.
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Blood Drive
Spring Grove Fire Department is hosting a Community Blood Drive today, June 29, from 1:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Spring Grove Fire Department located at 8214 Richardson Road in the Blood Drive Bus. Schedule your preferred appointment time by visiting the versiti.org/IL website; download the Versiti Donor App on your phone; or call or text Carrie at (815) 271-2910.
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4th of July Update
Independence Day weekend is just around the corner! The Spring Grove 4th of July event will be two days again this year! On Sunday, July 3, local sensation BELLA CAIN will be playing on Main Street downtown, thanks to the Sponsorship of RAY AUTO GROUP and SCOT FORGE.
There will be food trucks on site so come hungry! Gates open at 4 p.m. Bring your blankets and chairs if you would like to sit in the park downtown. Please, no coolers or carry-in food...our drink sales benefit future 4th of July events and our food vendors
Parking is $15 per car in Spring Grove Park or Horse Fair Park (parking passes from July 3 are not good for July 4th). **Main Street from Spring Grove Park to Blivin Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 10 a.m. on July 3 until Midnight.**
On Monday, July 4th, our parade is in full swing and we are so excited how many entries we have! Our Grand Marshal is Scot Forge and the theme is Outer Space. Parking is $10 per vehicle in Spring Grove Park and Horse Fair Park. **Main Street closes to vehicle traffic at 10 a.m. on July 4th until whenever the parade ends, by order of the Spring Grove Police** Stop in at The Grove during the parade for one of their carry-out lunch specials.
Finally, our amazing fireworks show will be launched from Thelen Park and brought to you by Pistakee Bay Fireworks! Parking is $10 per vehicle and available in Spring Grove Park, Horse Fair Park and Thelen Park. Parking passes from July 4th are good all day in any lot.
Parking help is needed! Anyone looking to make a few bucks to work for about 3 hours either on the 3rd or the 4th please email sg4thofjuly@gmail.com.
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Neighborhood Garage Sale
Orchard Bluff Annual Garage Sale, Thursday, June 30th to Saturday, July 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Interested in signing up? It's not too late! Call Laura (815) 675-2579.
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Photo of the Week
Grant, Landon and Charlotte Geryol had a lemonade stand this past weekend, raising money for the Tunnel to Towers organization. They raised $320 at their lemonade stand and their parents matched the funds for a total donation of $640.00. The Spring Grove Police Department even stopped out for a cool drink. Photo submitted by Becky Geryol. If you have a photo of Spring Grove you would like to share, email it here.
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Grass in the Streets
Just a reminder that blowing and/or leaving grass clippings in the road is prohibited by village ordinance. Grass clippings are not only unsightly, but dangerous for motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians, clog storm sewers and waterways, and cause grass to grow in small cracks that eventually break up the street. If you have someone mow your lawn for you, please notify them of this ordinance. Municipal citations can be issued.
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New Leaf Celebrating 11 Years
New Leaf Home Furnishings located at 2449 Pierce Drive has been in Spring Grove for 11 years and they are celebrating with sweet treats every weekend in June! New Leaf is a consignment store that sells both new and pre-owned furniture. Visit their website here.
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Snapology Summer Programs
Snapology is excited to once again offer a variety of super fun program options! Children will work on age appropriate projects. Each day will include outdoor play, weather permitting. For more information and to sign up visit their website.
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Stateline Comets Football Registration
Online registration for the Stateline Comets Youth Football is now open! See the flyer here or visit their website. Early bird discounts end May 30.
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Stateline Comets Cheer Registration
Stateline Comets Cheer registration is now open until June 30th. They are a recreational cheer program for kindergarten through 8thgrade athletes, for more information and registration forms please see the flyer or go to their website.
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Stardust Animal Sanctuary Fundraiser
In the month of June, Discover Medial Center is hosting its 1st Stardust Animal Sanctuary fundraiser. Stardust is a refuge, rehab center and retreat for at-risk animals located in Richmond. For your $57 donation to Stardust, Discover Medical Center will provide you a Complete Functional Joint Evaluation Package ($227 value), view the flyer for more information, click this link to donate.
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Now Hiring - Public Works
Our Public Works Department has full-time and seasonal maintenance positions available. View more information here.
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Blast from the Past - Thomas and Alice Wray | | |
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Thomas Wray's broken headstone on ground | |
Son Thomas died April 2, 1852, at age 30 | |
Daughter Nellie Wray Goodrich's stone | |
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Thomas Wray was born in England in 1790. He married at age 23 in 1813 to Alice Midgley and they had ten children from 1814-1833. They were all born in England with the exception of the last child. On July 1, 1833, Thomas and a pregnant Alice left England for New York Harbor with their nine children in tow. By October 1833 they were in White Pigeon, Michigan where 41-year-old Alice gave birth to their tenth child, John. Sadly, Alice soon died in 1834 never leaving Michigan.
Jonathan Imeson is considered the first settler in Burton Township in 1836, but Thomas Wray and Stephen Lawson came soon after in June 1836. Thomas came to English Prairie with his children, where he filed a claim on land on Richardson Road in the area of the Stone Creek Crossing subdivision. Oldest son Richard helped his father clear the land and harvest the crops and oldest daughter Mary was housekeeper and mother to her siblings. Richard also made a claim of his own on English Prairie Road.
For another 30 years, Thomas raised his family and continued farming, eventually retiring in Richmond. On January 25, 1866, The Woodstock Sentinel wrote: “Old Settler Gone. Mr. Thos. Wray, father-in-law of C.H. Russell, late circuit clerk, died at Richmond on the 15th day of January. Mr. Wray was a native of England but came to this country in 1839 [actual year was1836] and settled on English Prairie in the county, of which settlement he was the founder.”
Thomas was laid to rest in the Imeson-Wray-Lawson Cemetery, located on property he purchased in 1843 on Richardson Road. Now hidden on a small hill among bushes and trees, the cemetery was likely started as a Wray family cemetery, but the three families were intertwined through marriage and 25 members of all three families are there, including many children and grandchildren of Thomas'. (Jake Freund, who later farmed across the street, kept up maintenance on the cemetery until sometime around 1935-1940.) The cemetery is private as the property was purchased by the Buralli family in the 1990s and who also have family there.
Next week, more history on Richard and Mary, the oldest children of Thomas and Alice.
Story by Laura Frumet
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