Huntley, Illinois

Huntley, Illinois
Village
Huntley High School (Huntley, Illinois)
Huntley High School, located in the western part of Huntley, serves all high school aged students in Consolidated School District 158
Name origin: Thomas Stillwell Huntley[1]
Motto: The Friendly Village with Country Charm
Country United States
State Illinois
Counties McHenry, Kane
Townships Grafton (McHenry), Rutland (Kane)
Elevation 889 ft (271 m)
Coordinates 42°09′42″N 88°26′03″W / 42.16167°N 88.43417°W / 42.16167; -88.43417Coordinates: 42°09′42″N 88°26′03″W / 42.16167°N 88.43417°W / 42.16167; -88.43417
Area 14.10 sq mi (37 km2)
 - land 14.07 sq mi (36 km2)
 - water 0.03 sq mi (0 km2)
Population 25,603 (2014)
Density 489.1/sq mi (189/km2)
Founded 1851 (1851)
 - Incorporated 1872 (1872)
Government Council–manager
Village President Charles Sass
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code 60142
Area codes 847, 224
Location of Huntley within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Huntley, Illinois
Statistics: [2][3][4]
Website: www.huntley.il.us
[5]

Huntley is a village in McHenry and Kane Counties, Illinois. In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the village's population to be 22,923.[2] As of the 2000 Census,[3] the village had 5,730 people, meaning the village's population had quadrupled in eight years. At the 2010 census, the village's population was 24,291.[6] Government officials in Huntley, an outer suburb of Chicago, have adopted an aggressive development strategy regarding this population growth.

Huntley is best known for its Premium Outlets mall[7] and Sun City retirement community, the largest in the Midwest. The old part of Huntley is also known for its public square which features a gazebo, as well as a full brick-paved street (Woodstock St.) and 1950s-style diner, The Huntley Dairy Mart. The village's slogan is "The Friendly Village with Country Charm."

History

McHenry County was established in 1837, and in 1838 the first settlers, mostly from New England, came to Grafton Township. One of these families, Prescott and Lucy Geer Whittemore, of Grafton, New Hampshire, settled west of the future town. Thomas Stillwell and Eliza Fox Huntley and children, Charles, Harriet, and William arrived in 1846. The Huntleys acquired land north of the future village and later expanded their holdings to the south.[1]

The Chicago and Galena Railroad constructed a railroad in 1851, which reached as far northwest as Huntley Grove (another town in Illinois was named "Huntley's Grove" around the same time, but the name was changed to DeKalb). The railroad owners hosted an excursion trip on September 5, 1851, which marked the maiden voyage, to Huntley Station, and that was the beginning of Huntley (the “Grove” and “Station” words were later dropped). The Chicago Tribune article that described the 1851 excursion trip stated that there were a few frame houses near the railroad and Mr. Huntley soon built a general store there as well.

Procurement of land was based on government grants. Louise Kreutzer, a Huntley native, tells of land regularly changing hands due to settlers’ inability to make mortgage payments and wealthy landowners being quick to foreclose. Despite early hardships, the village grew slowly and steadily. Stewart Cummings was the first postmaster in 1851 and when the village was incorporated in 1872, John S. Cummings, a Civil War veteran became the first mayor.

The Chicago and Galena Railroad became the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, and later, Union Pacific Railroad, and served the community for over 150 years, though passenger service was eliminated in about 1950. The railroad was critical to the economic development of Huntley because it provided the means of sending agriculture products to the Chicago market and led to Huntley’s preeminence as a dairy center. In addition to shipping dairy products directly to Chicago, milk producers sold milk to local factories, which processed condensed milk, butter and cheese. There is a strong possibility that passenger train service will be reinstated in the future.

The town center was a thriving locale with a variety of retail and service businesses. In 1906, the Elgin and Belvidere Electric Railroad constructed a system linking the two larger cities with all the communities between and provided hourly passenger service in each direction. When more roads were paved and automobiles became prevalent, the use of the electric railroad diminished, and it closed in 1930.

When Huntley was platted in 1853, land was set aside in the center of town for a town park. Maps as early as 1872 show the area as open space. A wooden pump stood in the center of the park serving as a water supply for both horses and firefighting. With Huntley’s development as a dairy center, horses were tied to the hitching rail surrounding the park every morning while farmers visited stores after delivering their milk cans at the railroad or factory. On milk contract signing days, the four sides of the park were thickly clustered with horses and wagons. The park was and is an object of pride to the residents. A band shell stood near the center of the park where the brass band performed patriotic music before some of the members marched off to the Civil War. After World War I, Andrew Schmitt, a stonemason, was commissioned by the Huntley Women’s Club to set a stone as a memorial for those who served in the war. He also set a small cannon on a rock base as a memorial. A new gazebo replaced the band shell in the 1990s and is surrounded by trees and shrubs and beautiful flowerbeds. A memorial brick sidewalk marking Huntley’s Sesquicentennial surrounds the gazebo, where a time capsule marking the event is buried. The square was named James Dhamer Park in memory of the 14-year mayor after his death in 1999.[1]

Geography

Huntley is located at 42°09′42″N 88°26′03″W / 42.1615479°N 88.4342740°W / 42.1615479; -88.4342740 (42.1615479, -88.4342740).[5]

According to the 2010 census, Huntley has a total area of 14.102 square miles (36.52 km2), of which 14.07 square miles (36.44 km2) (or 99.77%) is land and 0.032 square miles (0.08 km2) (or 0.23%) is water.[8]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880505—
18905508.9%
1910773—
1920720−6.9%
1930670−6.9%
19406740.6%
195083023.1%
19601,14337.7%
19701,43225.3%
19801,64614.9%
19902,45349.0%
20005,730133.6%
201024,291323.9%
Est. 201526,005[9]7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,730 people, 2,324 households, and 1,756 families residing in the village. The population density was 489.1 inhabitants per square mile (188.8/km2). There were 2,501 housing units at an average density of 213.5 per square mile (82.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 94.94% White, 0.44% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.13% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 4.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,324 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the village, the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $60,456, and the median income for a family was $65,433. Males had a median income of $44,524 versus $30,363 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,451. 2.8% of the population and 1.9% of families were below the poverty line. 2.2% of those under the age of 18 and 1.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

Huntley is governed as a Village with an elected Village President and a six-member Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees serves as the legislative branch and is responsible for adopting ordinances and having the final word on all legislative issues in the Village. Trustees serve the Village as a whole, and are elected to four-year staggered terms. Currently, the Village President is Chuck Sass. The trustees currently serving the Village are John Piwko, Ronda Goldman, Harry Leopold, Niko Kanakaris, JR Westberg and Tim Hoeft.

The day-to-day operations of the Village are operated by a number of departments, and is headed by the Village Manager. These departments handle resident concerns, execute and enforce the legislation passed by the Board of Trustees, and maintains order in fulfilling the daily operations of the Village. The main departments in the Village are Administration, Finance and Human Resources, Development Services, Public Works, and the Police Department. The Village Manager is David Johnson. The Assistant Village Manager is Lisa Armour. Other important staff include, Director of Finance and Human Resources Jennifer Chernak, Village Clerk Rita McMahon, Chief of Police Robert Porter, Public Works Director Jim Schwartz and Village Attorney Mike Coppedge.

Municipal Complex

In mid-2006, the Village of Huntley completed a new Municipal Complex to serve the needs of the growing Village, as the former Village Hall in the center of town on Coral Street had become too cramped, out-dated, and disconnected from other Village buildings. A large building, the new Municipal Complex houses all functions of the Village including the Village Hall, Police Department, Public Works, and Board Room. The complex was designed with the growth of the community in mind, as it is able to serve the village up to a population of 50,000. Considerable surrounding land exists for future expansion. It is located at 10987 Main Street in Huntley, near the intersection with Ruth Road, across from the library, and just a half-mile due east of downtown Huntley.

The Village was able to finance the construction of the building without increasing the taxes of citizens or seeking a referendum. Much of the construction was financed by collecting already-set-in-place utility taxes over the years and wise saving.

Public safety and healthcare

Huntley Police Department

The Village is served by the 33-member Huntley Police Department, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of people in the Village and upholding and enforcing the laws of the community. The police department has five sergeants, sixteen officers, two records clerks, and one administrative assistant, all under the direction of Police Chief Robert Porter. Operations are run out of the new municipal complex at 10911 Main Street.

The police department handled over 8,000 calls for service in the year 2005, a number which continues to grow at a rate of 1,000 additional calls each year. As a result, the police department continues to plan for the future as the village's population grows.

The Police Department has built a solid partnership with the community and hosts a number of programs throughout the year which enhance the bond between citizens and the police department including C.E.R.T. (Citizens Emergency Response Team), National Night Out, Bike Rodeos, Safety Camp, Operation Traffic Watch, Walk and Talk, D.A.R.E. and the School Resource Officer, Project Childsafe, Bicycle Patrol, and crime prevention programs such as Neighborhood Watch.

Huntley Fire Protection District

The Huntley Fire Protection District is a separate taxing body which handles fire protection and emergency rescue service for the Village of Huntley and surrounding communities including western portions of Lake in the Hills and Algonquin, surrounding unincorporated communities, and a 9-mile (14 km) stretch of Interstate 90. The district is 55 square miles (140 km2) and contains 35,000 people, with a district population of 60,000 residents expected by 2010.

The Huntley Fire Protection District currently has 54 full-time firefighters/paramedics, as well as 30 part-time firefighters/paramedics. The Department is staffed by a Chief, Deputy Chief, Fire Marshal, Director of Training, three Captains, and nine Lieutenants. The entire department is under the direction of a 5-member elected Board of Trustees.

There are four fire stations serving the district: the headquarters on Coral Street in downtown Huntley, Station #2 on Reed Road in the far northeast part of the Village (near Lake in the Hills), Station #3 on Regency Parkway in the southwest part of the Village ( near Del Webb's Sun City Huntley) and Station #4 on Algonquin Road, west of Square Barn Road in Algonquin. The district also has a training facility located in rural Huntley near the intersection of Ernesti and Coyne Station Roads, and a maintenance facility on Kreutzer Road in Huntley.

Centegra Hospital-Huntley

Centegra Health System announced they would be building a 128-bed hospital in the Village of Huntley.[11] The Illinois Health Facility and Services Review Board approved the plans for the hospital on June 24, 2012. The hospital is located on the current Centegra Health Campus at Haligus Road and Algonquin Road. Centgra Hospital Huntley opened for business in August 2016. The hospital has all-private patient rooms, a full-service emergency department, a level II nursery, dedicated Women's Center, non-invasive cardiology services, and a helipad for transporting patients with the most critical needs. Centegra is currently building an additional medical office building which connects with the hospital and the existing Immediate Care Center. Currently the health campus includes the hospital, Immediate Care services, Centegra Physician Care, Centegra Back and Spine Center, Centegra Weight Loss Surgery Center and Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Center.

Education

Consolidated School District 158

The village is served entirely by Consolidated School District 158. Originally headquartered in Huntley, the administration offices have since moved to a new campus in Algonquin.

The village used to be entirely served by an elementary school and a high school located in town, but the growing district has since discontinued use of those buildings, and has since built five elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school on three different campuses districtwide.

Only one campus is within village limits. The Harmony Road Campus in the western part of the village contains Huntley High School and Leggee Elementary School. The other two campuses, which serve parts of Huntley are located in nearby Algonquin and Lake in the Hills.

Huntley Area Public Library

The Huntley Area Public Library District includes all of Huntley, parts of Lake in the Hills and Algonquin, and portions of Grafton, Rutland and Coral Townships.

The Huntley Area Public Library district serves all of Huntley as well as portions of Lake in the Hills and Algonquin. The library used to be housed in a very small 1,000 or 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) building at Algonquin Road and Church Street. As the area's population exploded in the 1990s and 2000s, new facilities were needed.

In 1999, the former building was closed and a new 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) building constructed on Ruth Road, just north of Main Street. The building was architecturally designed with both the rural character and fast-paced growth of the community in mind, as it features country-style architecture, yet is designed so that additions to the building can be made. Since then, the library has doubled the amount of its materials and services several times over to serve the needs of the growing community.

Over 25,000 patrons within the Huntley Area Public Library District have library cards. Circulation figures for the district are currently over 754,000+ per year and the library's collection exceeds 130,000 pieces. This rapid growth rate and the need for more materials and space for programs has forced the district to start looking at plans to expand the current building. The library district tried to pass a referendum in 2005 and 2008 to expand the building and its services. In September 2006, the library underwent a remodeling project to reorganize the collection, which resulted in the loss of the library's public meeting and program room. In March 2010 after the second failed referendum, a temporary mobile structure was attached to the building on the east side to house the Children's Area and a small program room. An active Friends Foundation raises funds for a future library expansion and enhanced services for residents.

McHenry County College

The district's community college needs are served by McHenry County College, located in Crystal Lake, Illinois, about a 15 to 20 minute drive away.

Recreation

Huntley Park District

Most village recreational services are under authority of the Huntley Park District, which serves Huntley and portions of neighboring communities.

Other recreational areas

Non-park district related recreational facilities include:

Neighborhoods

Huntley used to be a small town, yet has sprawled out in recent years and gained many new subdivisions. However, there are also distinct neighborhoods built before then which form the core of the old part of Huntley. Both subdivisions and neighborhoods are listed below:

Del Webb developed Sun City Huntley in the village, the largest age-restricted community outside of the Sunbelt

Shopping and dining

The village has a growing retail base, offering primarily neighborhood convenience retailers, but is also becoming a significant regional retail area.

Huntley Outlet Center area

The Huntley Outlet Center, owned by Huntley Investment Partners LLC, is a regional outlet mall located north of I-90, at the southeast corner of Illinois Route 47 and Freeman Road.[7] Built in 1994 under the original name "Huntley Factory Shops", it contains primarily brand name clothing and home accessory stores. There are about 50 stores total. An outdoor mall, the mall features lush landscaping, brick walkways, and over-hangs that shield shoppers from the elements. There is also an indoor food court serving as the centerpiece, with a fountain in front and a children's playground in the rear. In the early 2000s, the mall appeared to decline, but has resurrected since the mid-2000s, thanks to a rapidly growing residential base to serve, combined with a makeover, that included new additions to the tenant roster. The Huntley Automall is located in front of the outlet mall, fronting Route 47, and features Tom Peck Ford and a General RV dealership.

Route 47 Corridor

The Route 47 Corridor is also home to the power centers Huntley Grove, Huntley Village Green, and Regency Square, all located on the south end of the corridor in Kane County. All of the centers are planned to be expanded as the Huntley area continues to grow. Smaller neighborhood centers and stand-alone retail buildings are located further north, in addition to the larger community retail plaza Huntley Center, the village's first shopping center. These retail areas are currently home to anchors Walmart Supercenter, Jewel-Osco, Walgreens (2 locations), Wisted's Supermarket, Aldi's and Ace Hardware. Restaurants along the Route 47 corridor include Jameson's, McDonald's 2 locations, Taco Bell, Culver's, Subway (3 locations), Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Rookie's Bar & Grill, Jimmy John's, Little Caesars, Brunch Café, Papa Saverio's Pizza, Rosati's Pizza, Honey Fluff Donuts, China Palace, Goodfella's Beef, Alvaro's Tacos & Pizza, Jimano's Pizzeria, Dairy Mart, Papa G's, and Starbucks. Banks along Route 47 include Harris Bank 2 locations, Chase Bank, PNC Bank, Citizens Bank, Castle Bank, McHenry Savings Bank, American Community Bank & Trust, TCF Bank, Woodforest Bank, and Wells Fargo. Auto-related services include Auto Zone, Huntley Collision Center, JDM Automotive Services, Fast Eddie's Car Wash, the Huntley Car Wash, Penske Truck Rental, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and service stations Mobil (2 locations) and 7-Eleven. In addition, Bowl-Hi Lanes is located at the intersection of Route 47 and Algonquin Roads.

Downtown Huntley and other retail areas

Huntley's downtown area, along Main Street, just east of Route 47, includes several shops, restaurants, and bars, centered on Jim Dhamer Square and the village's signature gazebo. Downtown restaurants and/or bars include Sal's Pizza, The Village Inn, Parkside Pub, and Offie's Tap. Strode's Colonial Furniture serves as an anchor for the area. There are also several churches in downtown, in addition to the Post Office, the original fire station, and the American Legion Hall. A small neighborhood center, located southeast of downtown Huntley at the intersection of Huntley-Dundee and Haligus Roads, includes small shops, Snap Fitness, and Higher Grounds coffee shop.

Economy

The village is a haven for industrial businesses, as it is located along the high truck-traffic corridors of Illinois Route 47 and I-90 and a branch of the Chicago & Northwest rail line, and also maintains comparably low taxes, wide open spaces, and equal proximity to Chicago, Rockford, and Wisconsin.

Large businesses present in Huntley include a Weber Grill factory and a new distribution center, a Dean Foods dairy processing and distribution center, Freund International trucking center, Allied Asphalt paving company, and Union Special, an industrial sewing equipment factory. Additional businesses include FYH Bearing and Lionheart. Huntley used to be home to several agribusinesses, such as Marlowe Feed and FS, but as the area has grown and developed, these businesses are no longer in operation.

Huntley also has three industrial business parks, one at the intersection of East Main Street and Ruth Road,another along Kreutzer Road at Smith Road, and Huntley Corporate Park, just off of I-90. Several companies have facilities in these areas.

Transportation

Illinois Route 47 runs north-south through the village for nearly seven miles

Festivals/traditions

Local newspapers

Churches

Springbrook Community Church
Faith Community Church
Morning Star Church

The village has been served for many years, by three churches all located in downtown:

As the Village has grown in the 1990s and 2000s, additional churches have sprouted. They include:

Huntley, IL 60142

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History of Huntley, Illinois". Huntley Area Public Library. 2010. Archived from the original on December 18, 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Huntley village, Illinois - Population Finder". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "Huntley village, Illinois - Fact Sheet". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  4. ↑ "Huntley village" (PDF). Census 2000, Summary File 3. Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. 16 February 2004. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  5. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Village of Huntley
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2015. American FacfFinder, U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Huntley Outlet Center". Simon Property Group. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  9. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ "About Centegra Hospital Huntley". Centegrahospitalhuntley.com. 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
  12. ↑ "Woodcreek Arts". Woodcreekhuntley.com. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
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