SVM_Amboy Welcome Guide 2021-2022

Your guide to information, destinations, recreation, denominations, organizations, education & more

509 LaMoille Rd, PO Box 110 Sublette, IL 61310

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

Publisher/Advertising Director: Jennifer Heintzelman Get to Know Us: Amboy is a specialty publication of Sauk Valley Media, 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021, 815-625-3600. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this guide is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. 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 magazine.

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Workers lay bricks on Main Street in front of the Opera House in Amboy, circa 1910, as seen in this vintage postcard.

he city of Amboy sprang forth from humble roots.

In the mid-1800s, the land that now falls within city limits primarily was 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, Amboy had nearly 2,000 residents, 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.

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 the necessary papers to have the town so 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.

HISTORY cont’d to page 5

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

HISTORY cont’d from page 4 Some thought the name Amboy came from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which was named for the Earl of Perth, while others attribute it to the Indian word “em-bo-li,” 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 Latter-day 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.

HISTORY cont’d to page 6

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HISTORY cont’d from page 5 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 work force 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 inhaling the powder caused 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.

Starting life in the heart of American’s farmland, and staying rooted in the ideals that helped it grow and prosper, Amboy is just like the train engine of storybook fame: It’s the little city that could. n

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

ailroads gave Illinois the boost it needed to flourish in the mid1800s, and Amboy was right on board with the rest of the nation, gathering steam as tracks criss-crossed the country, delivering prosperity and helping put the city on the map.

Trains gave farmers and industries a faster way to ship their produce and products near and far, and The Amboy Depot, headquarters for the Northern Division of the Illinois Central Railroad, was a key stop along that journey.

The Illinois Central line was built in the 1850s, but unlike many other railroads 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.

HISTORY cont’d to page 8

storic Amb i H t i s oy Vi

City of

Amboy 227 East Main St., Amboy, Illinois 61310

815-857-3814

www.cityofamboy.org SM-ST1910591

John Schamberger, Mayor

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

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HISTORY cont’d from page 7 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 citizens formed the Depot Committee in the early 1970s and began a volunteer effort to preserve and restore the historic building, eventually bringing it back to life as the Amboy Depot Museum, which highlights the city’s history and the role the rail played in it. n

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

Amboy Veterinary Clinic & Trego Veterinary Service

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he Amboy Depot Museum offers guests a whistle-stop tour of local history.

Located in a former depot and division headquarters of the Illinois Central Railroad, the museum is an architecturally unique two-story building built of brick and cut Joliet limestone, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It has been completely restored inside and out, and includes the original brick tarmac surrounding the depot and the grounds of the former rail-yard, now preserved as a city park.

Also reconstructed were the distinctive chimney caps on the building’s eight chimneys, fully restoring the building to its original exterior configuration.

Within the museum are artifacts of the A model train setup replicates the way Amboy history of Amboy and used to look is on display at the Amboy Depot the Illinois Central Museum. The model train display was an Eagle Railroad.

The museum com- Scout project for Marcus Mitzel and was plex also contains a completed in 2012. freight house with additional artifacts, a fully restored one-room country schoolhouse, a retired steam engine and a caboose.

The museum is downtown on Main Street, two blocks west of U.S. Route 52 (turn at Casey’s General Store).

The museum is open April through October, and closed Nov. 1 through March 31 and on holidays. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Sunday and Thursday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed MondayWednesday. Museum doors close 30 minutes before closing time.

Admission is by donation.

Museum membership is available and is open to anyone who is interested in preserving the museum’s buildings, the history of the Amboy Area and the railroad’s part in the birth of Amboy. Annual membership frees, go toward preserving the museum. For mor information, contact the museum at P. O. Box 108, Amboy, IL 61310; call 815-857-4700 or e-mail. information@amboydepotmuseum.org. Membership forms are available at amboydepotmuseum.org/membership.pdf

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

ake no mistake, Amboy Depot Days is back.

After a pandemic sidelined the city-wide celebration in 2020, organizers made good on their promise to bring back the annual event in 2021.

For decades, the 4-day city-wide festival, which honors the town’s railroad heritage and celebrates the community, had been held every year on the weekend before Labor Day — 2020 would have been Depot Days’ 38th celebration and the accompanying Depot Days Car Show’s 30th anniversary.

It also would have been another chance for someone to take home a six-figure prize in the event’s 50-50 raffle.

The anniversaries were put on pause while the pandemic played out, but a post on the Depot Days Facebook page said last year that “we will see you in 2021,” and organizers of the car show said on the event’s website that “Make no mistake, we will celebrate our 30th year!” in 2021. They did both, from Aug. 26-29, 2021.

The car show is one of the largest in Illinois and often attracts more than 450 vehicles downtown in more than 35 classes, including restored classics, muscle cars, street rods, modified vehicles and unique/special interest vehicles. Participants also via for “Best Of” honors in several categories. Tractors also rumble into town for the show.

DEPOT DAYS cont’d to page 12

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Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com 2021

Hudson Wink, 5, of Monticello, Iowa, brought his own set of wheels to the 2021 Depot Day Car Show.

DEPOT DAYS cont’d from page 11 Depot Days features food stands, a beer garden, 5K run/walk, carnival, music and entertainment, the Miss Amboy Pageant & Little Miss Amboy pageant, a pancake breakfast, craft and vendor booths, communitywide garage sales, and more – and that “more” includes a raffle that’s put more than $100,000 in lucky winners’ pockets in years past.

The 50-50 raffle attracts people from near and far who load up on tickets for a chance to win the grand prize, which has topped the $100,000 in recent years; 2021’s winner, Tim Hord of Dixon, took home $105,580, and 10 second-prize winners took home $3,000 each.

Depot Days raffle proceeds benefit a wide array of community organizations, including the historic Amboy Depot Museum, local food pantries, Teen Turf, soccer program, school library and girl scouts, to name a few.

In a post on the Amboy Depot Days 50-50 Facebook page, organizers said they were “expecting big things this year” and promised to make 2021’s event “the best ever.” And if you think that’s just hyperbole, think again: Organizers ordered 450,000 raffle tickets for the 2021 drawing – pretty big indeed.

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

More info https://depotdays.com/ http://www. depotdayscarshow.com/ Find “Amboy Depot Days 50/50 Drawing” on Facebook

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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 and on Facebook 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 April through October from 1-4 p.m. Sunday and Thursday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Museum doors close 30 minutes before closing time.

CARSON PIRIE SCOTT STORE PLAQUE 55 S. East Ave. Samuel Carson and John Pirie opened Carson Pirie & Company, a dry goods store in Amboy, on the site of what is today the Long Branch Saloon, 55 S. East Ave., in 1855.

They left for Chicago after about 10 years, added business partner Robert Scott’s name to the firm in 1891, and Carson Pirie Scott would become one of northern Illinois’ leading retail chain stores. Business acquisitions came and went – including a 1989 sale to Bergner’s, which was bought by The Bon-Ton Stores a few years later – but the Carson name stuck around until 2018 when Bon-Ton announced it would close all of its stores, including Carson’s. Carson’s was the oldest chain under the Bon-Ton umbrella, which also included the Bon-Ton parent stores, Boston Store, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s, and Younker’s.

The Pirie and Scott names were dropped from the Carson’s banner upon Bergner’s sale to Bon-Ton. 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.

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.

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Get to know us...Amboy, IL • 2021-2022

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. The campgrounds are: Green River Oaks Camping Resort

Offers RV campsites, tent campsites (both primitive and sites with water & electric), rental units and seasonal campsites, and more.

1442 Sleepy Hollow Road Contact: 815-857-2815 or greenriveroaks@yahoo.com Online: greenriveroaks.com, and on Facebook

Mendota Hills Campground

Offers RV campsites, tent campsites (both primitive and sites with water & electric), swimming pool, rental units, and seasonal campsites, and more.

642 U.S. Route 52 Contact: 815-849-5930 or mendotahillscamp@aol. com Online: mendotahillscampground.com and on Facebook

O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Jellystone Park Offers cabin rentals, RV sites,

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

tent sites, pool, mini golf, playground, ball filed, restaurant, theater, and more.

970 Green Wing Road Contact: 877-570-2267 Online: campjellystone.com, or find O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Park on Facebook

Pine View Campgrounds

Offers RV campsites, tent campsites, seasonal camping, fishing pond, swimming pond, playground, and more.

1273 Sleepy Hollow Road Contact: 815-857-3964 Online: pineviewcampgrounds.com and on Facebook

Woodhaven Lakes

A members-only, private resort, Woodhaven offers fishing, trails, lakes, swimming pools, canoeing, sport courts, nature center, an amphitheater, general store, and more.

507 LaMoille Road, Sublette (3 miles west of U.S. Route 52) Contact: 815-849-5209 Online: woodhavenassociation.com and on Facebook

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EAST GROVE UNION CHURCH – 449 Reuter Road; 815-376-6661; online: Find it on Facebook FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH – 24 N. Mason Ave.; 815-857-2682; online: fbcamboy.org or find First Baptist Church of Amboy on Facebook GRACE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH – 500 W. Main St., Sublette (formerly located in Amboy); 815-857-3900; online: graceisforyou.com or find Grace Fellowship Church Sublette on Facebook IMMANUEL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – 960 U.S. Route 52; 815-857-2225; online: Facebook ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH – 32 N. Jones Ave.; 815-857-2315; online: stpatrickamboy.org or find "Parish St Patrick" on Facebook.

UNITED FIRST CHURCH OF AMBOY – 326 E. Main St.; 815-440-0745; online: ucc.org, unitedfirstchurch.org/ or find it on Facebook

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

AMBOY EDUCATION FOUNDATION — 815-8572856; Online: https://sites.google.com/a/ amboy.net/amboy-education-foundation/ or Facebook AMBOY LIONS CLUB — 280 W. Wasson Road; meets second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m.; 815-440-1779; Online: amboylionsclub.com or find "Amboy Illinois Lions Club" on Facebook AMERICAN LEGION & AUXILIARY POTHSLAVELLE, POST 453 — P.O. Box 112, meets third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.; 815973-4454; Online: Illinois-dist13-legion.org DEPOT MUSEUM COMMISSION — 815-8574700; Online: amboydepotmuseum.org and on Facebook FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA — 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-3632; Online: ffa.org or find Amboy FFA Chapter on Facebook GIRL SCOUTS — 815-997-5100; Online: girlscoutsni.org or find Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois on Facebook GREEN RIVER SADDLE CLUB — 1580 Morman Road, 815-440-2698; Online: greenriversaddle-

club.webs.com or Facebook LEE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS — Lee County Extension Office, 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525; Online: https://extension.illinois. edu/clw/master-gardeners ILLINOIS CENTRAL MASONIC LODGE — 237 E. Main St.; meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month, January to June and September to December; Online: 178-il.ourlodgepage.com KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 8277 — St. Patrick Catholic Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., 815857-2315; Online: https://stpatrickamboy.org/ knights-of-columbus, kofc.org, or find Amboy Knights of Columbus on Facebook LEE COUNTY 4-H — Lee County Extension Office, 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525; Online: extension.illinois.edu/clw/4-h-lee-county or find Lee County 4-H on Facebook ST. PATRICK’S WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION, ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH — 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315; Online: stpatrickamboy. org/womens-organization TEEN TURF INC. – 235 W. Main St., 815-857-4800; Online: Facebook

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

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AMBOY FAMILY RESTAURANT & PIZZA JUNCTION – 211 E. Main St.; 815-857-3985 CASEY’S GENERAL STORE (CARRYOUT PIZZA) – 308 E. Main St.; 815-358-3992 DEPOT TAP – 49 Southeast Ave.; 815857-3555 LONG BRANCH SALOON – 55 S. East Ave.; 815-857-3486; on Facebook MARIA’S PIZZA – 110 E. Main St.; 815857-2200; find Maria's Pizza Amboy on Facebook MEUSEL’S DAIRY DELITE – 303 S. Mason Ave.; 815-857-2050; online: meuselsdairydelite.com and on Facebook REVOLUTION WELLNESS (HEALTH FOOD RESTAURANT) – 205 E. Main St.; 815-857-7021; online: Find it on Facebook SUBWAY – 310 E. Joe Drive; 815-255-8363 SUNSET INN RESTAURANT – 1578 U.S. Route 30; 815-857-3482; on Facebook

The First National Bank in Amboy Download our Mobile App and apply for a loan.

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Where you come first 19

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

The Amboy community is served by two area hospitals, a clinic and a nursing and therapeutic care facility.

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. In spring 2014, a newly renovated Intensive Care Unit was opened.

OSF SAINT PAUL MEDICAL CENTER

Mendota Community Hospital, now named OSF Saint Paul Medical Center, opened its doors in June 1951. An entirely new, acute-care facility was opened in 2011, employing more than 300 people.

It's the newest member of the OSF Healthcare System and was welcomed into the Ministry in April 2015.

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

A community health services department 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.

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

MORE INFO KSB Hospital 403 E. First St., Dixon 815-288-5531 ksbhospital.com KSB Center for Health Services – Amboy Clinic 308 E. Joe Drive 815-857-3044 ksbhospital.com OSF Saint Paul Medical Center 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34) 815-539-7461 osfhealthcare. org/saint-paul

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www.shadyoakscc.com Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

MORE INFO

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 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 cards Address: 3 S. Jefferson Ave. and 115 books were checked out.

Contact: 815-857-3925 or By the end of the library’s first fiscal year pmlamboy@gmail.com on May 9, 1930, the library had 508 registered borrowers and a collection of 2,756 volumes, Online: amboy.lib.il.us and on including 2,061 adult books, 695 children’s Facebook . p.m 30 books and nine newspapers and magazines. .-6: a.m 0 Hours: 11:3 Today, about a third of Amboy residents y sda dne We & Monday have a library card, and the library has more & y sda Tue . p.m 9 a.m.-3 than 23,500 volumes. The library also offers Thursday an online e-book service. Its mission, accord9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday & Saturday ing to its website, is "to select, acquire, organize and preserve books and other materials of contemporary interest and permanent value for the education, enjoyment and intellectual stimulation of the entire community. The Library also strives to guide young people toward a love of reading and an awareness of books and other library materials as a means of satisfying their needs and interests."

Library cards are free for people who live within the city limits and are good for 3 years. For those outside the city limits, cards are $50 for 1 year.

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, DVD's, and a meeting room.​

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

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AMBOY CITY PARK – East Main Street, nas, sedge meadows and dry sand prairie. five blocks east of U.S. Route 52; picnic GREEN RIVER STATE WILDLIFE AREA – areas, shelters, charcoal grills, play375 Game Road, Harmon, 15 miles ground equipment, lighted ball diamonds, southwest of Amboy; this wildlife restotennis courts, bathrooms, water and ration area is popular with hunters, hikelectricity, plus 30 sculptured trees; ers and birders. The 2,565-acre area closed Nov. 1 through April 1. includes prairie restorations, timberlands and a camping area.

AMBOY SPORTS PARK – corner of Appleton Avenue and Main SHADY OAKS GOLF COURSE, Go Street; soccer, football and 577 U.S. Route 52, Sublette, 815to cityofambaseball fields, plus a playks ar 849-5424; a fun, 18-hole /p boy.org aground, concession stand rm course, with tricky greens and a fo in re for mo y and bathrooms. o b short course; club house with m A n o tion cocktail bar, food and pro shop.

CLINT C. CONWAY HISTORIparks CAL PARK – Main Street, two SEN. DAVID C. SHAPIRO PARK – blocks west of U.S. Route 52; site of U.S. Route 52, next to the Green River; the Amboy Depot Museum, railroad picnic shelter and tables, bathrooms, engine and picnic shelter. and fishing.

AMBOY MARSH NATURE RESERVE VETERANS PARK – Corner of East Avenue TRAILS – 1701 Mormon Road, 217-544and Division Street; the Amboy Wom2473; hike or bike trails through the 302en’s Club dedicated the park in fall 1919 acre wetland with black oak sand savanto the veterans of World War I.

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

hrough data-driven decisions, teamwork, community involvement and visionary leadership, the Amboy Board of Education is striving for “excellence, every day” – the district’s vision statement.

Amboy Community Unit School District No. 272

11 E. Hawley St. 815-857-2164 Online: amboy.net and on Facebook The Amboy Board of Education meets once a month, generally on the third Thursday of the month, at 7 p.m. in the high school gym. A calendar of dates, which might vary based on holidays and other school activities, is available on the district website.

Amboy High School

11 E. Hawley St. 815-857-3632 Online: www.amboy.net/ahs.html Principal: Janet Crownhart 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.

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

Amboy Junior High School

140 S. Appleton Ave. 815-857-3528 Online: www.amboy.net/ajhs.html Principal: Andrew Full At Amboy Junior High, 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. Sixththrough 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.

Amboy Central Elementary

30 E. Provost St. 815-857-3619 Online: www.amboy.net/central.html Principal: Joyce Schamberger Central School includes kindergarten through fourth grade, Smart Start and Early Childhood Education. All classrooms are on the ground floor, and a large, safe playground is behind the school. 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.

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Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

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 fully accredited college, which early 2016 Sauk launched its Small sits on a 144-acre campus at 173 state Business Development Center, and Route 2, between Dixon and Sterling, the Sauk Valley Community College serves about 1,800 full- and part-time Community Leadership Program. students a year from 16 in-district The center is a resource for small high schools, 18 states and three for- business owners and aspiring entreeign countries, in courses that include preneurs, in collaboration with the GED and ESL classes, community Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls chamenrichment courses, business bers of commerce, city and county training and dual credit officials, and local banks. courses for highThe leadership course is a schoolers.

10-month skills-building proSauk offers gram in conjunction with 2-year transfer assoarea manufacturers, ciate degrees in art designed to pique students’ or science in more interest in the trades at an than 40 areas, 22 earlier age, and bridge the career-technical skills gap faced by local degrees, 24 associate manufacturers. degrees, and an associate in Students also engineering science degree, have access to the Go to svcc.edu, call 815along with 50 career-techniSauk YMCA. 835-6273, or find it on Facecal certificates.

The college has book for more information In November 2018, Sauk’s also made several about Sauk Valley Comag students harvested their million dollars in munity College. first crop of corn and soybeans improvements, at the college, part of the college’s maintenance and new and rapidly growing agriculupgrades to its building in ture program. recent years, upgrading technology, The college also offers mens and expanding classrooms and training womens sports, cultural activities facilities, renovating the West Mall. and events, and more than 20 student The science, math and technology clubs and organizations, including labs underwent major remodeling Phi Theta Kappa (the honor society and upgrading a year or 2 before that. for 2-year colleges), student governThe college also has beefed up its ment, Association of Latin American Multicraft Technology program, in Students, Magic Club, Campus Cru- which local manufacturers partner sade for Christ and Math Club, which with Sauk and the Whiteside Area contribute to the vibrant campus life. Career Center to educate, train and Students also have access to a full fit- employ workers and reduce the local ness center and weight room. trade skills gap, through internships As part of its commitment to the and classes; 2017 saw enrollment in region’s economic development, in that program double.

More info

Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

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SERVICE PROVIDERS

Republic Services 1214 S. Bataan Road, Dixon, 815723-3200, republicservices.com and on Facebook Amboy Community Unit School District 272 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-2164, amboy.net Amboy Community Building 280 W. Wasson Rd., 815-857-2324, cityofamboy.com or find “Center Amboy Community” on Facebook Amboy Water Department 227 E. Main St., Amboy, 815-8573814, https://cityofamboy.com/ utilities/ ComEd (electricity) 919 W. First St., Dixon, 800-3347661, comed.com Comcast (cable/Internet) 800-934-6489, comcast.com KSB Hospital 403 E. First St., Dixon, 815-2885531, ksbhospital.com Lee County Animal Control 280 E Progress Drive, Dixon, 815284-3833, leecountyil.com/158/ Animal-Control Nicor (gas) 1844 Ferry Road, Naperville, 888642-6748, nicor.com OSF Saint Paul Medical Center 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), Mendota; 815-539-7461, osfhealthcare.org/saint-paul/about/contact/ Pankhurst Memorial Library 3 S. Jefferson Ave., 815-857-3925, amboy.lib.il.us Post Office 215 E. Division St., 815-857-2212, usps.com

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The Telegraph/Sauk Valley Media (news outlet) 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, 815-284-2222 saukvalley.com Amboy News (news outlet) 245 E. Main St., Amboy 815-857-2311, 815-857-2517 https://amboynews.com/

GOVERNMENT/MUNICIPAL Amboy City Hall 227 E. Main St., Amboy, 815-8573814, cityofamboy.com City Maintenance Building 1 Water St., 815-857-2422 Illinois Secretary of State (driver/ vehicle services) 925 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, 815-2886685 Lee County Clerk 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-2883309, leecountyil.com/183/Circuit-Clerk Lee County Treasurer 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-2884477, leecountyil.com/268/Treasurer Lee County Chief of Assessments 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-2884483, leecountyil.com/171/ChiefCounty-Assessment

NON-EMERGENCY NUMBERS Amboy Police Department 227 E. Main St., 815-857-3400 Fire & ambulance 25 N. East Ave., 815-857-2325 Lee County Sheriff 306 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon, 815284-5217

IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911 Get To Know Us: Amboy • 2021-2022

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Medical Imaging 28