Fox River Grove, Illinois
| Fox River Grove | |
| Village | |
 Castle Vianden
|
|
| Nickname: The Great Town | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | McHenry, Lake |
| Coordinates | 42°11′44″N 88°13′0″W / 42.19556°N 88.21667°WCoordinates: 42°11′44″N 88°13′0″W / 42.19556°N 88.21667°W |
| Area | 1.78 sq mi (5 km2) |
| - land | 1.78 sq mi (5 km2) |
| - water | 0.00 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Population | 4,900 (2014) |
| Density | 2,753/sq mi (1,063/km2) |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Government | Village |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 60021 |
| Area code | 847 |
   Location of Fox River Grove within Illinois
|
|
|
Website: www |
|
Fox River Grove is a village in the Cuba Township of Lake County and the Algonquin Township of McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,854 at the 2010 census.
Pioneers built homesteads in the Fox River Valley between 1830 and 1860. They were originally attracted to the area that would become Fox River Grove for its beautiful scenery, abundance of clear water and opportunity for hydroelectric power provided by the Fox River.
The Ojibwe people continued to winter in the region into the 1860s.
In 1850, Frank Opatrny purchased 80 acres (320,000 m2) of land on the southern shore of the Fox River. The area gained a reputation with city dwellers as a vacation spot. Chicagoans were transported by livery bus from the Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad station in neighboring. In 1899, Frank's son Eman Opatrny bought the land from his father, converting the family land into a tourist destination, the Fox River Picnic Grove which featured several cottages and a restaurant along a stretch of beach on the Fox River. In 1902, Opatrny built the Castle Pavilion, a luxury hotel which incorporated windows from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Opatrny soon after bought approximately 100 additional acres in 1905 and erected several new facilities, including six bars, shooting and photo galleries, and a racetrack.
In 1905, the Norge Ski Club bought some land and built a ski jump at Fox River Grove. The Norge Ski Club is the oldest continuously open ski club in the United States. The Norge Ski Club is also home to the Windy City Balloon Port, which offers hot air balloon tours of the area.
In 1919, the village of Fox River Grove incorporated becoming the ninth Village in McHenry County. In the same year Louis Cernocky, Sr., established Louis's Place, a restaurant and bar frequented by many prominent Chicago residents. Cernocky added Louis' Crystal Ballroom, located behind the restaurant, in 1922.
...
Wikipedia