SVM-MAG_09242015

mboy, Illin

Get to know us

Amboy, Illinois 2015-2016

Published by Sauk Valley Media

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

“Dr. Bocker will see you now.”

305 E. Joe Drive Amboy, IL 815-857-3044

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Advertising Sales Jill Reyna Kelly Shroyer Editors Larry Lough Rusty Schrader

History .................... 4 Community groups ... 6 Dining .................... 6

Education ............. 8-9 Parks .................... 10 Things to see ......... 11 Camping............... 11

Depot Days ...... 12-13 Parks .................... 14 Railroad history ..... 15 Health care ........... 16

Churches............... 17 Library .................. 18 Numbers to note .... 19

Get to Know Us ... Amboy, Illinois, is a specialty publication of Sauk Valley Media of Dixon and Sterling. Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media of Dixon/Sterling. No portion of Get to Know Us may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this publication.

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Amboy grew from farmland The city of Amboy sprang forth from humble roots.

In the mid-1800s, the land that now falls within city limits was primarily farmland, dotted with a few shanties and farmhouses, built by settlers who began arriving in 1837.

All that changed in 1852, when the Illinois Central Railroad bought the farms owned by Cyrus Davis, Joseph Appleton and Joseph Farwell, with plans to make Amboy its manufacturing and repair shop hub.

A survey was done on March 23, 1854, to establish the original portion of town, and bonds for lot deeds were executed that July.

The first city lot, on the northeast corner of Main Street and South East Avenue, was bought by John L. Skinner for $600. He built a hotel on the lot, and within a year, there were 100 homes and 1,000 people in Amboy.

As the Illinois Central Railroad made progress on its buildings, people came to Amboy and settled there. To accommodate them, Amboy’s original plat was expanded repeatedly until the city limits encompassed nearly 1,000 acres of land.

By July 1856, a 2-year-old Amboy had nearly 2,000 inhabitants, 500 houses, two churches (also used as schoolhouses), a printing office, 16 stores, several groceries, a planning mill, three hotels, two livery stables, and other shops, including a carpenter, cabinet, blacksmith, tin, mattress, paint and harness shop.

Common storerooms were rented at $150 to $200 a year, homes from $10 to $20 a month.

A town without a name The town continued to grow and prosper, but did not have a name.

The residents called a meeting to rectify that situation, and many suggestions were made, including

Hornsby, Bolton, Painted Post and Elmira. Finally, the name Bath was chosen.

Lorenzo D. Wasson was sent to Dixon with papers to have the town incorporated, but when the papers were returned, to everyone’s astonishment, it had been incorporated as Amboy. The cause of the change never has been determined.

Some thought the name came from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which was named for the Earl of Perth, while others attribute it to the Indian word “em-boli,” which means “between the hills.”

It may not have been the city’s chosen name, but it stuck, and the city was incorporated as Amboy by popular vote on March 2, 1857. Later that year, Col. John B. Wyman was elected its first mayor.

Mormons at Palestine Grove Among some of the early settlers in the Amboy region were Benjamin and Elizabeth Wasson.

The Wassons built a cabin along the Green River in 1837, and later a house in what was then known as Palestine Grove, just outside of present-day Amboy.

Elizabeth Wasson’s sister was Emma Smith, wife of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.

When the Smiths and other members of the Mormon Church fled religious prosecution in Fayette, New York, they moved to Illinois and settled in Commerce. The village later changed its name to Nauvoo.

Because Nauvoo and Amboy were not too far apart, the Smiths would travel to Amboy to visit the Wassons and helped establish Mormonism within the community, making Amboy one of the first settlements of the Mormon Church.

Just outside of Amboy on Mormon Road, the Mormon Church established the Mormon Cemetery. One of Brigham Young’s wives is buried there.

After Joseph Smith died and the church was moved to Plano, members of the Mormon Church began attending some of the other churches in Amboy. By 1854, there were nine churches in Amboy.

A city at war In 1942, Amboy was selected as the site for the Green River Ordnance Plant, one of four munitions assembly facilities built in Illinois during World War II. The Stewart-Warner Corp. operated the 8,342-acre facility for the Army Ordnance Corp., which had seven munitions lines.

The types of ammunition manufactured at Green River ranged from rifle grenades to armor-piercing shells to bombs. The bazooka rocket was developed and produced there.

By Dec. 15, 1942, Green River employed 4,419 people on 3 shifts, 6 days a week. More than half of these workers were women, who were entering the workforce in significant numbers for the first time.

Worker turnover was constant, especially on the loading lines where explosive powder in the air caused skin infections and respiratory problems.

Despite the constant need for new workers, Green River was awarded an Army-Navy “E” flag for efficiency in production and won two more stars by the end of the war.

Only 5 percent of the nation’s war production plants received this award.

By the time the plant ceased production on Aug. 20, 1945, Green River had produced 25 million rifle grenades, 10 million 75-mm projectiles and 10,921 1,600-pound bombs.

Amboy, circa 1907, as seen on a picture postcard

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Groups offer ways to get involved Amboy Education Foundation 815-857-2856 or amboy.net/pages/aef. htm, search for “Amboy Education Foundation” on Facebook

Scholarships are just one of many ways the Amboy Lions Club is involved in the community. In May, Lions member Jim Travi (far right) presented seven $500 scholarships to Amboy High School seniors, from left, Sydney Wilhelm, Liam Ohlendorf, Kaitlyn Liebing, Austin Henkel, Julia Daskiewcz, Sam Klein, and Marissa Henkel.

Amboy Lions Club 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-440-1779 or amboylionsclub.com American Legion and Auxiliary P.O. Box 349; meets at 224 N. Jones Ave. the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.; 815-849-5219 or illinois-dist13-legion.org Depot Museum Commission P.O. Box 108, 815-857-4700 or amboydepotmuseum.org FFA 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-3632 or ffa.org Girl Scouts 229 First Ave., Suite 1, 815-997-5100 or girlscoutsni.org Green River Saddle Club 1580 Mormon Road, 815-857-3497 or http://greenriversaddleclub.webs.com

Submitted Photo

Illinois Central Masonic Lodge 237 E. Main St., 815-857-2782 Knights of Columbus Council 8277 St. Patrick Catholic Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315, stpatrickamboy.org or kofc.org Lee County 4-H, Lee County Extension Office 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525 or http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw/lee4h

Grab a bite to eat in Amboy Amboy Family Restaurant & Pizza Junction 211 E. Main St. – 815-857-3985 Depot Tap 49 S. East Ave. – 815-857-3555 Casey’s General Store (carry-out pizza) 308 E. Main St. – 815-358-3992 Long Branch Saloon 55 S. East Ave. – 815-857-3486; search for “Longbranch Saloon Amboy” on Facebook Maria’s Pizza 203 E. Short St. – 815-857-2200, mariaspizzaamboy.com/ Meusel’s Dairy Delite 303 S. Mason Ave. – 815-857-2050, search for “Meusel’s Dairy Delite” on Facebook The Beef Hut 305 E. Bluff St. – 815-503-1268 Subway 310 E. Joe Drive – 815-857-3249 Sunset Inn Restaurant 1578 U.S. Route 30 – 815-857-3482

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Lee County Master Gardeners, Lee County Extension Office 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525 or web.extension.illinois.edu/clw/leemg St. Patrick’s Women’s Organization St. Patrick Catholic Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315 Teen Turf Inc. 235 W. Main St., 815-857-4800 or teenturf.org

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Amboy schools provide excellence every day

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hrough data-driven decisions, teamwork, community involvement and visionary leadership, the Amboy Board of Education is striving for, as its mission statement says, “excellence, every day.”

The Amboy Board of Education meets once a month, generally on the third Thursday, at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. A calendar of dates, which might vary based on holidays and other school activities, is available on the district website.

Cast members in the Amboy High School production of “Tarzan” perform during a dress rehearsal in March for students at the school.

Amboy Community Unit School District No. 272 11 E. Hawley St. 815-857-2164, amboy.net

Amboy High School

11 E. Hawley St. 815-857-3632 Amboy High School was formed as part of Amboy CUSD 272 in 1949 in Lee County. This district replaced the former Amboy Township High School District.

The 205-square-mile district encompasses Amboy, Sublette, Maytown, Harmon, Eldena and Walton.

In September 1969, the new building at Metcalf and Hawley streets opened, replacing the former school building, which now houses Amboy Junior High School.

Amboy High School is the home of the Clippers, whose colors are red, black and white. School activities include Academic Bowl, FFA, Key Club, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Student Council, yearbook, band, chorus and athletics.

Joshua Nichols is principal.

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Amboy Junior High School

14 S. Appleton Ave. 815-857-3528 Fifth- through eighth-graders take courses in English, language arts, math, science, social studies, art and computers. Opportunities are available for advanced math, pre-algebra and algebra.

All students can participate in beginning band, band, pep band and jazz band. Sixth- through eighth-graders also can join chorus.

Extracurricular opportunities include an art club, computer club, academic team, student council, wrestling, volleyball, basketball and track.

The school is the home of the Vikings.

Joyce Schamberger is principal.

Amboy Central Elementary School

30 E. Provost St. 815-857-3619 Central School includes kindergarten through fourth grade, Smart Start and Early Childhood Education.

The school features ground-floor classrooms and a large playground.

Central is a progressive elementary school that uses research-based methods of instruction to teach the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Specialists also are on staff to teach science, music and physical education.

The Ogle County Education Cooperative provides special education services in all grades.

Mary Ann Redshaw is principal.

The Amboy High School building at Metcalf and Hawley streets opened in 1969, replacing the former school building, which now houses Amboy Junior High School.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Sauk: On a mission of quality education

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auk Valley Community College has been on a mission to provide quality education to its diverse student body since its doors opened in 1965.

The college sits on a 144-acre campus at 173 state Route 2, between Dixon and Sterling, and enrolls more than 2,400 full- and part-time students a year.

More info Students come To find out from 18 in-district more about high schools, 29 Sauk Valley counties, 15 states Community Coland three countries lege, go to svcc. outside the United edu or call 815States.

835-6273. Class Sauk offers 2-year schedules are transfer associate available online. degrees in art or sciFor more inforence in more than mation about 40 areas; 22 career Sauk Commons, programs and 52 call 815-835certificate pro2000. grams; men’s and women’s sports; cultural activities and events; and more than 20 student clubs and organizations.

Sauk also offers adult education classes, literacy and GED services, community

David Hellmich (center), the sixth president of Sauk Valley Community College, talks in July with Sinnissippi Centers CEO Patrick Phelan (left) and John Thompson, president of the Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce, during a meet-and-greet with city leaders at KSB Town Square.

Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com

services and workforce services. Students also have access to a full fitness center and weight room.

Just east of the campus is Sauk Commons, the 144-bed student housing complex that offers fully furnished two- and four-bedroom apartments and amenities designed for college students.

Student organizations and activities include Phi Theta Kappa (the honor society for 2-year colleges), student gov-

a truly local

ernment, Association of Latin American Students, Sauk Arts Magazine, Magic Club, Campus Crusade for Christ, and Math Club.

Sauk has been fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools since 1972.

In April 2015, it was announced that David Hellmich was hired as the college’s new president, replacing George Mihel, who retired after 10 years as president.

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Parks offering a welcoming place to relax Amboy City Park East Main Street, five blocks east of U.S. Route 52; picnic areas, shelters, charcoal grills, playground equipment, lighted ball diamonds, tennis courts, bathrooms, water and electricity, plus 30 sculptured trees; closed Nov. 1 through April 1.

Amboy Sports Park At the corner of Appleton Avenue and Main Street; soccer, football and baseball fields, plus a playground, concession stand and bathrooms.

Clint C. Conway Historical Park Main Street, two blocks west of U.S. Route 52; site of the Amboy Depot Museum, railroad engine and picnic shelter.

Green River State Wildlife Area 375 Game Road, Harmon, 15 miles southwest of Amboy; this wildlife restoration area is popular with hunters, hikers and birders. The 2,565-acre area includes prairie restorations, timberlands and a camping area.

Shady Oaks Golf Course 577 U.S. Route 52, 815-849-5424; a fun, 18-hole course, with tricky greens and a short course; club house with cocktail bar, food and pro shop.

Sen. David C. Shapiro Park U.S. Route 52, next to the Green River; picnic shelter and tables, bathrooms, and fishing.

Veterans Park Corner of East Avenue and Division Street; the Amboy Women’s Club dedicated the park in fall 1919 to the veterans of World War I.

Visitors to Amboy City Park can view a variety of tree carvings throughout the park.

Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Check out the sights in Amboy Amboy Pharmacy

202 E. Main St., 815-857-2323 When you step in the Amboy Pharmacy, you step back in time. Enjoy a fully functioning soda fountain, and shop for penny candy, gifts and cards in the old-fashioned atmosphere. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the summer.

Amboy Conference plaque 9 S. East Ave. Amboy was one of the first Mormon Church settlements. The Amboy Conference was the settling of the official “reorganization” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints into the Latter Day Saint denomination now known as the Community of Christ. The conference was held April 6, 1860.

Amboy Depot Museum East Main Street and South East Avenue 815-857-4700, amboydepotmuseum.org This Illinois Central Railroad depot, built in 1876, has been completely renovated and now is a 19-room museum reflecting the history of the Amboy area. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Other attractions adjoining the museum include a steam locomotive, a one-room schoolhouse, the Illinois Central Freight House, and a 1920s era Norfolk & Western caboose all open to tour; free admission, donations welcomed; open year-round, 1-4 p.m. Sunday and Thursday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Deanne Hoy (left) hands Laura and Joe Staatz, of Wheaton, their shakes during 2015’s Amboy Depot Days at the Amboy Pharmacy.

Carson Pirie Scott store plaque 55 S. East Ave. Samuel Carson left Ireland in 1854 and found his way to Amboy, where he opened a dry goods store called Carson Pirie & Company. The store became the foundation of the retail department store chain.

A plaque commemorates the site of the first store.

Stone Home Farm 1125 Inlet Road, Lee Center 815-440-5556, stonehomefarm.com The owners of this historic farm, located about 4 miles northeast of Amboy, sell fresh eggs, pork and alpaca yarn.

The Amboy Pharmacy offers people a place to sit and sip while they shop.

Temperance Hill Cemetery and Prairie Preserve Off U.S. Route 52 north of Amboy, west of U.S. Route 52 and Inlet Road junction This cemetery, started in 1846, is situated on a fragment of virgin prairie and is an Illinois Nature Preserve. Three crosses at the end of the cemetery drive mark the site.

Campgrounds bring out nature’s best

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mboy, with its abundant natural beauty, has long been a popular destination for campers. On an average summer weekend, 35,000 people come to stay at one of the many campgrounds in the Amboy area. On holiday weekends, that number increases to more than 50,000 campers.

Green River Oaks Camping Resort 1442 Sleepy Hollow Road 815-857-2815, greenriveroaks.com Mendota Hills Campground 642 U.S. Route 52 815-849-5930, mendotahillscampground.com

O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Jellystone Park 970 Green Wing Road 815-857-3860, jellystoneamboy.com Pine View Campgrounds 1273 Sleepy Hollow Road 815-857-3964, pineviewcampgrounds.com Woodhaven Lakes (Private resort, membership available with lot purchase) 507 LaMoille Road, Sublette (3 miles west of U.S. Route 52) 815-849-5191, woodhavenassociation.com

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

2015 Miss Amboy, Abbi Vaessen, picks a winning ticket during the drawing for the Depot Days 50/50 Aug. 30 in downtown Amboy. This year’s winner, Kim Gerster from Carol Stream, won $149,333. The second-place winner, Randy Williams, of Joliet, won a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze.

There’s a barrel of fun at Depot Days

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epot Days, a 4-day festival held every year on the weekend before Labor Day, celebrates the town’s railroad heritage. It also brings out the best in antique and classic cars, trucks and tractors, while providing plenty of fun activities for the entire family.

The highlight is the car show. It’s one of the largest in Illinois, often attracting several hundred vehicles to the downtown shopping district. There are more than 35 classes of vehicles at the show, including restored classics, muscle cars, street rods, modified vehicles and unique,

More information

For more information, including a complete list of Depot Day activities, go to www.depotdays.com or call 815-857-3814. special interest vehicles. Another group of vehicles that always attracts attention is the Best of the Best class; members of the Amboy Car Show Committee attend other car shows in the Sauk Valley each summer and invite the winners of those shows to Depot Days.

Those who prefer looking at tractors

will want to attend the antique farm tractor show.

There is a carnival, petting zoo and fireworks to entertain the children, as well as a craft show, food stands, beer garden, parade, a 5K run/walk, and free live entertainment on Friday and Saturday. Other events include communitywide garage sales, the announcement of Miss Amboy, and a Little Mister and Miss Amboy event.

Another major highlight: the annual 50/50 raffle. The 2015 winner took home nearly $150,000.

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Beauties on heels, and wheels, come to Depot Days

Cliff Harmon, of Polo, judges the interior of a 1965 Fort Mustang GT owned by Wayne Halvorsen, of Chicago, on Aug. 30 during the Depot Days Car Show.

Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Miss Amboy contestants (from left) Karlee Doege, Maddie Gerdes, Allison Hicks, Abbi Vaessen and Allison Jones are introduced at the start of the pageant during the 2015 Amboy Depot Days.

Spectators walk past a Ford Model A hot rod during the Depot Day Car Show. 2015’s show was the largest in the event’s history, with more than 800 vehicles registered.

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

A celebration of the city’s roots can be seen in Amboy City Park, where dozens of tree sculptures can be found, including this one that celebrates the city’s roots as a rail town.

Trains delivered progress to Amboy

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ailroads gave Illinois the boost it needed to flourish in the mid1800s. Trains provided farmers with a way to ship their produce to other regions to make a profit. Industries could bring in building materials and ship out finished products, and each brought needed growth and development to Illinois.

The Amboy Depot, headquarters for the Northern Division of the Illinois Central Railroad, was a key stop along that journey.

Without the railroad, there couldn’t be any farms or industry.

The Illinois Central line was built in the 1850s. Unlike many other railroads being constructed at the time, it ran north to south. Its main line ran from Cairo to East Dubuque, and eventually a branch line to Chicago was added.

To help the railroad’s employees in their duties, the line was divided into divisions, roughly 100 to 125 miles long.

Employees would board at one end of the division, work to the end of it and

then return on a different train to complete their workday. Each division had its own headquarters. Because Amboy was the division’s headquarters, it had a much larger depot than many other towns along the line.

The original depot, built in 1855, also contained a hotel. It was destroyed by a fire in 1875, and replaced a year later with the current brick and Joliet limestone building. The 19-room depot had space for administrative personnel, tools and supplies needed to operate the division.

At the height of its operation, Illinois Central had 400 people working on the railroad.

Any number of passenger or freight trains could pass through the Amboy station on a given day because there were no set schedules in the railroad’s early days. Because the line had only one track, the dispatchers had to keep in communication by telegraph to ensure there were no collisions.

As the years passed, the Illinois Central

eventually extended to New Orleans and connected with each east-west line it passed. The main line began to see less and less use, though, as more traffic was directed toward Chicago.

Eventually, the main line became the branch line and went into a long, slow decline, although the records never formally changed the Chicago line to the main line.

Passenger traffic ended along the Northern Division in the 1930s, but freight trains continued to use it. By the 1980s, use of the line was deemed unnecessary, and it was closed.

The Amboy Depot fell into disrepair from lack of use until a group of concerned residents began expressing an interest in the early 1970s. They formed the depot committee and began a volunteer effort to preserve and restore the historic building.

In the past decade, they have brought the depot back to life, and now the museum and complex are filled with displays highlighting Amboy’s history.

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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It’s a railroad ride into the past

T

he Amboy Depot Museum is in a former depot blocks west of state Route 52 (turn at Casey’s Genand division headquarters of the Illinois Ceneral Store). tral Railroad. The building is an architecturThe museum is open April through October. It is ally unique two-story building built of brick and cut closed Nov. 1 through March 31, and on holidays, Joliet limestone and is listed on the National Register except Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor of Historic Places.

Day. Hours are 1-4 p.m.

It has been completely Sunday and Thursday.; restored inside and out, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and and includes the original Saturday; closed Monbrick tarmac surroundday-Wednesday. Museing the depot and the um doors close 30 mingrounds of the former utes before closing time. rail-yard, now preserved Admission is by donaas a city park. tions.

Also reconstructed were Museum membership the distinctive chimney is available and is open to caps on the building’s anyone who is interested eight chimneys, fully in preserving the muserestoring the building to um’s buildings, the hisits original exterior contory of the Amboy area figuration. and the railroad’s part Within the museum are Submitted photo in the birth of Amboy. artifacts of the history of Annual membership fees The Amboy Depot Museum.

Amboy and the Illinois go toward preserving Central Railroad. the museum. For more The museum complex also contains a freight information, contact the museum at P. O. Box 108, house with additional artifacts, a fully restored oneAmboy, IL 61310; call 815-857-4700 or e-mail inforroom country schoolhouse, a retired steam engine mation@amboydepotmuseum.org. Membership and a caboose. forms are available at amboydepotmuseum.org/ The museum is downtown on Main Street, two membership.pdf

Highlighting Amboy’s history A 1929 0-8-0 steam engine built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as switcher No. 8376 for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad but last used as a switcher at the Northwestern steel and Wire Mil in Sterling.

A 1915 Norfolk and Western wooden caboose No. 518125, built in Roanoke, Va. The Palmer School, a fully restored, furnished, one-room schoolhouse built in 1924 on state Route 26, 6 miles west of Amboy and moved to the complex.

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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KSB Center for Health Services – Amboy Clinic, 308 Joe Drive E., Amboy

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Clinic, hospital help keep residents healthy

T

he Amboy community is served by two area hospitals, a clinic and a nursing and therapeutic care facil-

ity.

KSB Hospital is 13 miles north of Amboy in Dixon. KSB also operates a medical clinic in Amboy. Mendota Community Hospital is 16 miles south of town. Amboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center is on the north side of town.

KSB Hospital Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital is an 80-bed acute-care facility founded more than 115 years ago.

Along with the typical services a hospital provides, KSB offers a balance center, cancer center, diabetes center, foot and ankle center, sleep lab, occupational therapy, and hospice and home nursing care, among several other medical services.

In 2006, KSB opened a $3 million, state-of-the-art cardiovascular services lab and endoscopy area. And in 2011, it completed a $16 million expansion of the outpatient surgery and emergency departments.

Serving Amboy

Amboy Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center 15 W. Wasson Road, Amboy 815-857-2550 amboyhealthcare.com KSB Hospital 403 E. First St., Dixon 815-288-5531 ksbhospital.com KSB Center for Health Services – Amboy Clinic 308 E. Joe Drive, Amboy 815-857-3044 ksbhospital.com Mendota Community Hospital 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), Mendota 815-539-7461 mendotahospital.org

Mendota Community Hospital MCH has been providing health care to the area for more than 60 years. An entirely new, acute-care facility was opened in 2011, employing more than

300 people.

The hospital has a 24/7, physicianstaffed emergency room and an intensive care unit. It offers other services, including cardiopulmonary care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, podiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology, and surgery.

MCH has a community health services department that provides occupational health services, drug testing, and a variety of public programming and screenings throughout the year to promote public awareness and offer early detection or warning for certain diseases.

It also offers home health services, magnetic resonance imaging, a CT scanner, and it has its own rehabilitation services department.

Amboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center Amboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center offers residential nursing care, as well as therapeutic services, including occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy. Services also include respite care and hospice support.

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Churches keep the faith in Amboy East Grove Union Church 449 Reuter Road, 815-3766661 or facebook.com/EastGroveUnionChurch First Baptist Church 24 N. Mason Ave., 815-8572682 or fbcamboy.com Grace Fellowship Church 37 S. East Ave., 815-8573900, graceisforyou.com Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church 960 U.S. Route 52, 815-857-2225 or lutheransonline.com St. Patrick Catholic Church 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315 or stpatrickamboy.org United First Church of Amboy 326 E. Main St., 815-8572415 or ucc.org

The United First Church of Amboy.

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

18

Pankhurst Memorial Library has been updated with a ramp and elevator to make it accessible to the disabled. Services to patrons include interlibrary loans, online e-book loans, programs and events for all ages, a copier and fax machine and a meeting room.

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

There’s a lot to check out at the library was hired to build this first permanent library in Amboy.

The new library, named Pankhurst Memorial Library, was dedicated May 27, 1929, with the Women’s Club presenting all of the books from the old library to the new one.

The first borrower’s card went to Pankhurst when the library opened July 6, 1929. That day, 93 people registered for borrower’s cards and 115 books were checked out.

By the end of the library’s first fiscal year on May 9, 1930, the library had 508 registered borrowers and a collection of 2,756 volumes, including 2,061 adult books, 695 children’s books and nine

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newspapers and magazines.

Today, about a third of Amboy residents have a library card, and the library has more than 23,500 volumes. The library also offers an online e-book service.

The Women’s Club now is the Amboy Civic Organization, but it continues to support the library through fundraising efforts.

Pankhurst Memorial Library has been updated with a ramp and elevator to make it accessible to the disabled.

Services to patrons include interlibrary loans, online e-book loans, programs and events for all ages, a copier and fax machine and a meeting room.

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BUILDING MATERIAL & HARDWARE

I

n 1875, a library association was formed to create a new library. It was housed in various locations until 1910, when the Amboy Women’s Club rented rooms on the second floor of the Green Building for use as a public library.

Within a year, though, the library outgrew its space, so it moved again to the Vaughan Building over Whonke’s Drug Store. To maintain the library, an annual fee of $1 was charged to each adult and 25 cents to each child patron.

By 1922, the library had 2,800 volumes.

In 1928, James W. Pankhurst, a prominent farmer in the area, donated money for a new library to serve as a lasting memorial to himself. W.F. Remsburg

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Numbers to note Service providers Amboy Water Department 227 E. Main St., Amboy........................................815-857-3814 cityofamboy.org Allied Waste 1214 S. Bataan Road, Dixon ................................815-284-2432 republicservices.com/corporate/home.aspx ComEd (electricity) 919 W. First St., Dixon..........................................800-334-7661 comed.com Comcast-XFinity (cable/Internet) 115 N. Galena Ave., Dixon....................................800-934-6489 xfinity.com/ Lee County Animal Control 112 E. Second St., Dixon ............815-288-5135, 815-284-3833 Nicor (gas) 1844 Ferry Road, Naperville .................................888-642-6748 nicor.com Verizon 1684 S Galena Ave., Dixon ...................................815-288-4044 verizon.com U.S. Cellular 212 Keul Road, Dixon...........................................815-288-7407 uscellular.com

Government

Illinois Secretary of State (driver/vehicle services) 925 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon .....................................815-288-6685 cyberdriveillinois.com Pankhurst Memorial Library 3 S. Jefferson Ave. ...............................................815-857-3925 amboy.lib.il.us

Health Care KSB Hospital 403 E. First St., Dixon ...........................................815-288-5531 ksbhospital.com Mendota Community Hospital 1401 E. 12th St., Mendota ...................................815-539-7461 mendotahospital.org

Misc.

Amboy Community Building 280 W. Wasson Road ..........................................815-857-2324 cityofamboy.com The Telegraph 113 S. Peoria Ave. Ste. 1, Dixon ...........................815-284-2222 saukvalley.com Post Office 215 E. Division St. ................................................815-857-2212 usps.com

Amboy City Hall 227 E. Main St., Amboy........................................815-857-3814 cityofamboy.com

Amboy Community Unit School District 272 11 E. Hawley St. ...................................................815-857-2164 amboy.net

Lee County Clerk 112 E. Second St., Dixon .....................................815-288-3309 leecountyil.com

Public Safety

Lee County Treasurer 112 E. Second St., Dixon .....................................815-288-4477 leecountyil.com Lee County Chief of Assessments 112 E. Second St., Dixon .....................................815-288-4483 leecountyil.com City Maintenance Building 1 Water St. ...........................................................815-857-2422

Amboy Police Department 227 E. Main St......................................................815-857-3400 Fire Department and ambulance 25 N. East Ave. ....................................................815-857-2325 amboyfiredepartment.com Lee County Sheriff’s Department 306 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon ................................815-284-5217

In an emergency, call 911

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Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Ill. ~ 2015-2016

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Bank Where Community Counts We provide customer friendly, community banking service.

Commercial Loans • Agricultural Loans • Real Estate Loans • Trust Services • Personal & Business Banking Serving the Amboy Community Since 1934 •

The First National Bank Where you come first.

AMBOY 220 E. Main Street • 301 E. Joe Drive • 815-857-3625 DIXON 1314 N. Galena Avenue • 728 S. Crawford Avenue • 800-216-00088

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