SVM-MAG_09182014

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Published bySauk Valley MediaAm

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Amboy, IllinoisAm

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Get to know us

2014-2015

Ambo

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2 Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Illinois ~ 2014-15

The Center for KSB Health Services/Amboy305 E. Joe Drive, Amboy, IL

(815) 857-3044

healthy. happy. here.

WelcomeEmilee Bocker, MDFamily Medicine

Get To Know Us ... Amboy, Illinois ~ 2014-15 3

ILLINOIS

Publisher: Sam R Fisher

Advertising Director: Jennifer Baratta

Advertising Sales: Jill Reyna

Kelly Shroyer

Editors: Larry LoughMarla Seidell

Page Design: Marla Seidell

Welcome ..................Page 4A rich history ...........Page 6Health care ..............Page 7Education ................Page 8College life ...............Page 9Library .....................Page 10Parks ....................Page 11Places to camp .......Page 12Points of interest .....Page 12Dining ......................Page 12Caring community ...Page 13Places of worship ....Page 14Depot Days .............Page 15Of historic interest ...Page 16Phone numbers .......Page 18

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.

Much of the information was compiled from “Amboy Illinois: First 150 Years 1854-2004”

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Dear Reader,

A mboy is a historic village in north central Illinois. Located ion Lee County, 12 miles south of Dixon,

President Ronald Reagan’s home town, Amboy started out as an agricultural center and a railroad town.

The Illinois Central Railroad attracted people, businesses, persons of differ-ent faiths from it very beginning in 1852 when they started buying land. It was briefly the home of the Mormon settle-ment, the Green River Ordinance Plant, and Carson Pirie, Scott & Co. The only remnants of the Mormon settlement is a cemetery on Rocky Ford Road and a historic marker on a building, the site of an important conference for the Church of Latter Day Saints in a building across from the depot. Abraham Lincoln stopped long enough in Amboy to get a haircut. He was the lawyer for Illinois Central Railroad. He also campaigned

in Amboy and stayed overnight on his way to Freeport for one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Today, the Depot Museum and Depot Days serve as a strong reminder of those hardy people, immigrants from Germany, Italy, and England. Amboy Depot Days is a celebration of our rich history and multicultural traditions. The depot was built in 1876. In 1992, the museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Incorporated in 1857, Amboy is richly and uniquely American and Midwest-ern. It’s churches, schools and parks, and safe environment make it an ideal retirement community, as well as a

wholesome place to bring up a family. There is ample room for growth, new residential construction, the high-end kind. Great programs for the kids such as soccer, baseball, football and many activities to keep everyone busy.

Our banks are friendly and helpful to those just starting out. We are proud of the modern KSB Medical Clinic and Sensient Technologies, a manufac-turing company; Amboy Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center; Teen Turf, a youth center; Amboy Pharmacy, a quaint, old-fashioned drug store and soda fountain; Kaleel’s, a fine-clothing store; Twigs & Sprigs, a new boutique and hair salon; Arts and Antiques Shop; a new tourist center; and bakery – Artisan Market.

We welcome you to visit Amboy.Mayor Tom NaumanCity of Amboy

Tom NaumanMayor of Amboy

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T 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 Illi-nois 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 accom-modate 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 grocer-ies, a planning mill, three hotels, two liv-ery stables and other shops, including a carpenter, cabinet, blacksmith, tin, mat-tress, 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 nameThe town continued to grow and pros-

per, 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 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.

Some thought the name Amboy came from Perth Amboy, N.J., 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 cho-

sen 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 GroveAmong some of the early settlers in the

Amboy region were Benjamin and Eliza-beth 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, N.Y., 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 com-munity, 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 warIn 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.

Stewart-Warner Corp. operated the 8,342-acre facility for the Army Ordnance Corp., which had seven munitions lines.

The types of ammunition manufac-tured at Green River ranged from rifle grenades to armor-piercing shells to bombs. The bazooka rocket was devel-oped 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, espe-cially on the loading lines where explo-sive powder in the air caused skin infec-tions 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 pro-duction and won two more stars by the end of the war.

Only 5 percent of the nation’s war pro-duction plants received this award.

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

First lot deeds executed in 1854

Photo courtesy of Lee County Historical Society


Quality health care close to homeT he 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 & Reha-bilitation Center is on the north side of town.

KSB HospitalKatherine Shaw Bethea Hospital is an

80-bed acute-care facility founded more than 115 years ago.

Along with the typical services a hospi-tal 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 ser-vices.

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

Mendota Community HospitalMCH 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, physician-staffed emergency room and an inten-sive care unit. It offers other services, including cardiopulmonary care, gas-troenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, podiatry, pulmonology, rheu-matology, and surgery.

MCH has a community health services department that provides occupational health services, drug testing, and a vari-ety of public programming and screen-ings throughout the year to promote public awareness and offer early detec-tion or warning for certain diseases.

It also offers home health services, magnetic resonance imaging, a CT scan-ner, and it has its own rehabilitation ser-vices department.

Amboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center

Amboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Cen-ter offers residential nursing care, as well as therapeutic services, including occupa-tional therapy, speech therapy and physi-cal therapy. Services also include respite care and hospice support.

Serving AmboyAmboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center

15 W. Wasson Road, Amboy815-857-2550

www.amboyhealthcare.com

KSB Hospital403 E. First St., Dixon

815-288-5531www.ksbhospital.com

KSB Center for Health Services – Amboy Clinic

308 E. Joe Drive, Amboy815-857-3044

www.ksbhospital.com

Mendota Community Hospital1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), Mendota

815-539-7461www.mendotahospital.org

Alex T. Paschal/[email protected] Center for Health Services – Amboy Clinic, 308 Joe Drive E., Amboy


Providing premier educationT hrough data-driven decisions,

teamwork, community involve-ment and visionary leadership,

the Amboy Board of Education is striving for “excellence, every day” – the district’s vision statement.

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 cafeteria. A calendar of dates, which might vary based on holi-days and other school activities, is avail-able on the district website.

Amboy Community Unit School District No. 272

11 E. Hawley St.815-857-2164

www.amboy.net

The district consists of three schools:

Amboy High School11 E. Hawley St.815-857-3632

Amboy High School was formed as part of Amboy CUSD 272 in 1949 in Lee Coun-

ty. This district replaced the former Amboy Township High School District.

The 205-square-mile district encompass-es 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 Soci-ety, Spanish Honor Society, Student Coun-cil, yearbook, band, chorus and athletics.

Joshua Nichols is principal.

Amboy Junior High School14 S. Appleton Ave.

815-857-3528At Amboy Junior High, fifth- through

eighth-graders take courses in English, language arts, math, science, social stud-ies, 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, bas-ketball and track.

The school is the home of the Vikings.Joyce Schamberger is principal.

Amboy Central Elementary School30 E. Provost St.815-857-3619

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 read-ing, 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.

Alex T. Paschal/[email protected] mission of Amboy Central Elementary School is to meet the needs of all students in an atmosphere of mutual respect.


Learning and training at SVCCS 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, which sits on a 144-acre campus at 173 state Route 2, between Dixon and Sterling, enrolls more than 2,400 full- and part-time students a year. Students come from 18 in-district high schools, 29 different counties, 15 states, and three countries other than the Unit-ed States.

Sauk offers 2-year transfer associate degrees in art or science in more than 40 areas; 22 career programs and 52 cer-tificate programs; men’s and women’s sports; cultural activities and events; and more than 20 student clubs and organi-zations.

Sauk also offers adult education classes, literacy and GED services, community services and workforce services. Students also have access to a full fitness center and weight room.

Just east of the campus is Sauk Com-mons, the 144-bed student housing com-plex 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-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.

To take a class

To find out more about Sauk Valley Community College, go to www.svcc.edu or call 815-835-6273. Class schedules are available online.

For more information about Sauk Com-mons, call 815-835-2000.SVM file photo

Seventy-three schools and colleges attended College Night at Sauk Valley Community College in 2013.

www.shadyoakscc.com

18 Hole Public Golf CourseGolf & Lung CardsOutings & Play Days

Located on Rt. 52 between Amboy & SubletteTee Times Required • Soft Spikes Only

815-849-5424

Outings y Day

SHADY OAKS

Pine viewYour Family Campground

WEEKEND & PERMANENT RATESWater Hook-Ups, Electric Hook-Ups,

Full Hook-Ups, Flush Toilets &Free Showers, Free Dumping Station

Located near the corner of Morgan & Sleepy Hollow Rds.

1273 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Amboy, IL

815-857-3964

We are located Southwest of Amboyon 40 acres of beautiful, mature pines.

laygroundolleyball, Badminton,

Shuffleboard & Horseshoeswimming Lakeishing Lakelanned Activities

www.pineviewcampgrounds.com

Since1974


Alex T. Paschal/[email protected] 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.

First library card issued July 6, 1929I 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 out-grew 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 promi-

nent 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 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 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.

About the libraryPankhurst Memorial Library

3 S. Jefferson Ave.815-857-3925

www.amboy.lib.il.us

Hours1 to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday


Parks offer family funAmboy City Park: East Main Street, five

blocks east of U.S. Route 52; picnic areas, shelters, charcoal grills, playground equip-ment, lighted ball diamonds, tennis courts, bathrooms, water and electricity, plus 30 sculptured trees; closed Nov. 1 through April 1.

Amboy Sports Park: 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 south-west 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.

Senator 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.

Alex T. Paschal/[email protected] C. Conway Historical Park, Main Street, two blocks west of U.S. Route 5, Amboy


Visitors flock to area campgroundsAmboy, 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:

Amboy points of interestAmboy Conference plaque

9 S. East Ave.Amboy was one of the first Mormon

Church settlements. The Amboy Con-ference 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 MuseumEast Main Street and South East Avenue

815-857-4700www.amboydepotmuseum.org

This Illinois Central Railroad depot, built in 1876, has been completely ren-ovated 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.

Amboy Pharmacy202 E. Main St.815-857-2323

When you step in the Amboy Phar-macy, 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.

Carson Pirie Scott store plaque55 S. East Ave.

Samuel Carson left Ireland in 1854 and found his way to Amboy, where he opened a dry goods store called Car-son Pirie & Co. The store became the foundation of the retail department store chain. A plaque commemorates the site of the first store.

Stone Home Farm1125 Inlet Road, Lee Center

815-440-5556www.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 situ-ated on a fragment of virgin prairie and is an Illinois Nature Preserve. Three crosses at the end of the cemetery drive mark the site.

Green River Oaks Camping Resort1442 Sleepy Hollow Road

815-857-2815www.greenriveroaks.com

Mendota Hills Campground642 U.S. Route 52

815-849-5930www.mendotahillscampground.com

O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Jellystone Park970 Green Wing Road

815-857-3860www.jellystoneamboy.com

Pine View Campgrounds1273 Sleepy Hollow Road

815-857-3964www.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

www.woodhavenassociation.com

Dining in AmboyAmboy Family Restaurant

& Pizza Junction211 E. Main St.815-857-3985

Depot Tap49 S. East Ave.815-857-3555

Casey’s General Store (carryout pizza)308 E. Main St.815-358-3992

Long Branch Saloon55 S. East Ave.815-857-3486

Maria’s Pizza203 E. Short St.815-857-2200

Meusel’s Dairy Delite303 S. Mason Ave.

815-857-2050

The Beef Hut305 E. Bluff St.815-503-1268

Subway310 E. Joe Drive815-857-3249

Sunset Inn Restaurant1578 U.S. Route 30

815-857-3482

Amboy Depot Museum


Get involved with clubs, organizationsAmboy Education Foundation

815-857-2856Find them on Facebook

Amboy Lions Club280 W. Wasson Road

815-440-1779www.amboylionsclub.com

American Legion & AuxiliaryP.O. Box 349815-849-5219

www.illinois-dist13-legion.org

Depot Museum CommissionP.O. Box 108815-857-4700

www.amboydepotmuseum.org

Future Farmers of America11 E. Hawley St.815-857-3632www.ffa.org

Girl Scout Store229 First Ave., Suite 1, Rock Falls

815-997-5100www.girlscoutsni.org

Green River Saddle Club1580 Morman Road

815-857-3497http://greenriversaddleclub.webs.com

Lee County Master GardenersLee County Extension Office

280 W. Wasson Road815-857-3525

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw/leemg

Illinois Central Masonic Lodge237 E. Main St.815-857-2782

Knights of Columbus Council 8277St. Patrick Catholic Church

32 N. Jones Ave.815-857-2315

www.stpatrickamboy.org or www.kofc.org

Lee County 4-HLee County Extension Office

280 W. Wasson Road815-857-3525

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw/lee4h

St. Patrick’s Women’s OrganizationSt. Patrick Catholic Church

32 N. Jones Ave.815-857-2315

Teen Turf Inc.235 W. Main St.815-857-4800

www.teenturf.org

Photo submitted by Lisa ValleLarry Ermey of Lee County Master Gar-deners was on hand at the Lee County 4-H Fair, July 24-27, 2014, to answer gardening questions.

AMBOY OUTDOORSporting Goods

014 Martin BowsIn Stock!

uge Selection ofArchery Gearow Servicing &

Custom Arrowseer Calls, Lures &Cover Scentsuns & Ammo

rapping Suppliesuzzleloading Gear

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Live Bait

“Everything for the Outdoor Sportsman”

42 E. Main StreetAmboy, IL 1310

(815) 857Visit us at www.amboysportinggoods.com

A SIGN OFCONFIDENCE.

Woodhaven Lakes Realty, Inc.provides a myriad of real estateservices to meet your needs.They include:

istings of residential,commercial and farmproperties;

ember of ltipleListing Service;uyer representationree Competitive

rket Analysis;xtensive marketing of

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and caring service!

If you have any questions, or would like more information regarding theservices provided at Woodhaven Lakes Realty, Inc. please give us a call.


Places of worship

East Grove Union Church449 Reuter Road815-376-6661

Find them on Facebook

First Baptist Church24 N. Mason Ave.

815-857-2682www.fbcamboy.com

Grace Fellowship Church37 S. East Ave.815-857-3900

www.graceisforyou.com

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church960 U.S. Route 52

815-857-2225www.lutheransonline.com

St. Patrick Catholic Church32 N. Jones Ave.815-857-2315

www.stpatrickamboy.org

United First Church of Amboy

326 E. Main St.815-857-2415www.ucc.org

Alex T. Paschal/[email protected]. Patrick Catholic Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., Amboy

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Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/[email protected]: Klaire Martin, 2, of Lyndon, enjoys a ride during the 2014 Amboy Depot Days carnival.

TOP LEFT: Tom Carden (left), 18, and Michael Morley, 20, both of Chicago, entertain visitors with Irish music in front of the Long Branch Saloon in Amboy during the 2014 Depot Days.

TOP RIGHT: Miss Amboy, Tierny Hiatt, 17, of Amboy, grabs the winning ticket from the 50/50 tumbler at the 2014 Amboy Depot Days. The winner of the drawing won $107,575.

Depot Days fun for everyoneD 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 provid-ing plenty of fun activities for the entire family.

The highlight is the car show. It’s one of the largest in Illinois, often attracting more than 450 vehicles to the downtown shopping district. There are more than 35 classes of vehicles at the show, includ-ing restored classics, muscle cars, street rods, modified vehicles and unique,

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 area 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 trac-tor 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 Satur-day. Other events include community-wide garage sales, the announcement of Miss Amboy, and a Little Mister and Miss Amboy event.

Another major highlight: the annual 50/50 raffle. The 2014 winner took home more than $107,000.

For more informationFor more information, including a com-

plete list of Depot Day activities, go to www.depotdays.com or call 815-857-3814.


Rail line kept town chugging along

R ailroads gave Illinois the boost it needed to flourish in the mid-1800s. Trains provided

farmers with a way to ship their pro-duce to other regions to make a profit. Industries could bring in needed mate-rials and ship out finished products. Each brought needed growth and development to Illinois.

Q�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 Co. in Sterling.

Q�A 1915 Norfolk and Western wooden caboose No. 518125, built in Roanoke, Va.Q�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.

Years after closure, committee breathes life back into Amboy DepotHighlighting Amboy’s history

Alex T. Paschal/[email protected] Amboy Depot fell into disrepair from lack of use until a group of concerned citizens began expressing an interest in it in the early 1970s. They formed the depot committee and began a volunteer effort to preserve and restore the historical build-ing. In the past decade, the committee has brought the depot back to life, and now the museum and complex are filled with displays highlighting Amboy’s history.


The Amboy Depot Museum is in a for-mer depot and division headquarters of the Illinois Central Railroad. The building is an architecturally unique two-story build-ing 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 pre-served as a city park.

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

Within the museum are artifacts of the history of Amboy and the Illinois Central Railroad.

The museum complex also contains a freight house with additional artifacts, a fully restored one-room country schoolhouse, a retired steam engine and a caboose.

The museum is open year-round. It is

closed on holidays, except for Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.

Amboy is on U.S. Route 52, 2 miles south of U.S. Route 30. The museum is down-town on Main Street, two blocks west of Route 52 (turn at Casey’s General Store).

It is open 4 days a week, from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday and Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Admission is by donations.Learn more at www.amboydepotmu-

seum.org or 815-857-4700.

The Amboy Depot Museum

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

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 com-plete 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 fire in 1875, and replaced a year later with the current brick and Joliet lime-stone building. The 19-room depot had space for administrative personnel, tools and supplies needed to operate the divi-sion.

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 for-mally 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 con-cerned citizens began expressing an interest in it 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 dis-plays highlighting Amboy’s history.

’’‘‘We thank each and every one of you that has contributed in some way to helping us develop the Depot,

and at the same time start a longstanding tradition that we all love – Depot Days. From our hearts to yours, thank you for all the support, hard work and commitment everyone has given over the past years.

Depot Days Committee

AMBOY303 E. Main St.

Patrick R. Jones, Jr.

DIXONS. Ottawa Ave.

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Numbers to noteService providers in Amboy

Amboy Water Department227 E. Main St., Amboy ....................................815-857-3814www.cityofamboy.org

Allied Waste1214 S. Bataan Road, Dixon, 815-284-2432,www.republicservices.com/corporate/home.aspx

ComEd (electricity)919 W. First St., Dixon, 800-334-7661www.comed.com

Comcast (cable/Internet)115 N. Galena Ave., Dixon, 800-934-6489www.comcast.com

Lee County Animal Control112 E. Second St., Dixon ......... 815-288-5135, 815-284-3833

Nicor (gas)1844 Ferry Road, Naperville ..............................888-642-6748www.nicor.com

Verizon .........................................................................800-483-4600www.verizon.com

Other need-to-know numbersAmboy City Hall227 E. Main St., Amboy ....................................815-857-3814www.cityofamboy.com

Lee County Clerk112 E. Second St., Dixon ..................................815-288-3309www.leecountyil.com

Lee County Treasurer112 E. Second St., Dixon ..................................815-288-4477www.leecountyil.com

Lee County Chief of Assessments112 E. Second St., Dixon ..................................815-288-4483www.leecountyil.com

Pankhurst Memorial Library3 S. Jefferson Ave. ............................................815-857-3925www.amboy.lib.il.us

KSB Hospital403 E. First St., Dixon ........................................815-288-5531www.ksbhospital.com

Mendota Community Hospital1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), Mendota .......815-539-7461www.mendotahospital.org

Post Office215 E. Division St. .............................................815-857-2212www.usps.com

Amboy Community Unit School District 27211 E. Hawley St. ................................................815-857-2164www.amboy.net

Amboy Community Building280 W. Wasson Road .......................................815-857-2324www.cityofamboy.com

City Maintenance Building1 Water St. ........................................................815-857-2422

Illinois Secretary of State (driver/vehicle services)925 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon ..................................815-288-6685

The Telegraph113 S. Peoria Ave. Ste. 1, Dixon........................815-284-2222

Nonemergency numbersAmboy Police Department227 E. Main St. .................................................815-857-3400

Fire Department and ambulance25 N. East Ave. .................................................815-857-2325

Lee County Sheriff’s Department306 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon .............................815-284-5217

In an emergency ... 911

307 First Ave.,Sterling 15-564-9376Mon.-Fri. 9 - 6p.m., Sat. 9 - 5p.m., Sun. 10 - 4p.m.

We invite you tostop by and enjoy amulti-level shopping

experience


227 East Main St., Amboy, Illinois 61310815-857-3814

www.cityofamboy.orgTom Nauman, Mayor

Visit Historic Amboy

City ofAmbo y

815-857-4700www.amboydepotmuseum.org

www.depotdays.com

2 blocks west of US 52 on Amboy’s Main St.Illinois Central RR & Amboy History in 3 buildingsDepot Days Celebration-held the last weekend inAugust before Labor Day to benefit the museum

AMBOY DEPOT MUSEUM

Museum HoursSun & Thur 1-4pm • Fri & Sat 10am-4pm

Open March 1 - December 1Admission by Donation -- Gift Shop

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AMBOY220 E. Main St.301 E. Joe Dr.815-857-3625

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OF THEAmboy

Depot Days

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