Estate Planning Attorney in Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake History

The City of Crystal Lake traces its origin to two separate communities which were established in the 1800s. Those communities were generally known as Nunda and Crystal Lake. In 1835, Ziba S. Beardsley had come to the shores of the lake and commented that the “waters were as clear as crystal”, thereby giving the lake its name. Ziba Beardsley continued south to Naperville. In February 1836, the first white settlers, Beman and Polly Crandall and six of their ten children, came from New York State traveling to Crystal Lake in a covered wagon. Their original cabin was built in the vicinity of today’s intersection of Virginia Street and Van Buren Street. Four of the Crandall children were born there. Najah Beardsley’s family was the second to settle in the area; his grandson, William Beardsley, was the first white child born on the Crystal Lake prairie, on May 7, 1837.^[6]

The town was first known as Crystal Ville. It was changed to Crystal Lake sometime before 1840. The area known today as downtown Crystal Lake was first called Dearborn and later, Nunda (pronounced locally as “Nun-day”), from an area in New York where many settlers originated.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Lake,_Illinois

Crystal Lake History Continued

The village of Dearborn was founded in the 1850s after an extension of railroads through the area. The first train station was built in 1856, although it was pre-fabricated and shipped from Chicago on a flatcar. At that time, the main business district for the village of Crystal Lake was located on Virginia Street, about one mile (1.6 km) southwest of the railroad station. The railroad served to connect both the people and industries of Crystal Lake and Dearborn to Chicago and the rest of the country. Dearborn grew quickly due to this new rail connection.^{[citation needed]}

On October 7, 1868, Dearborn’s name was changed to Nunda. The village was platted in 1868 by local surveyor, John Brink, after whom a downtown street is now named. The village included the area now generally bounded by Illinois Route 176 on the north, Crystal Lake Avenue on the south, Main Street on the east, and Walkup Avenue on the west. Much of the land was originally owned by two early settlers, Daniel Ellsworth and Simon S. Gates. The villages of Crystal Lake and Nunda were both incorporated in 1874. In 1908, the name of the village of Nunda changed its name to North Crystal Lake. Several attempts were made to consolidate the two villages, and finally, after much disagreement, the village of North Crystal Lake was annexed to the Village of Crystal Lake in 1914, and a consolidated city government was established.^[7]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Lake,_Illinois

Crystal Lake Park District

The Crystal Lake Park District, a separate elected governing body not associated with the city, offers in excess of 40 parks (totaling over 2,000 acres) and recreation areas. Notable parks maintained by the Park District include the 140 acre Veteran Acres Park and Lippold Park, the largest single park in the district at 305 acres. Lippold Park has played host to the McHenry County Youth Sports Association Summer International 15-year-old Baseball Championships for the past 22 years, drawing teams from across the United States and Puerto Rico as well as from Japan, Brazil, and other countries. The Park District also owns and operates 2 beach parks located on the city namesake Crystal Lake and also maintains Illinois Nature Preserve land and the Col. Palmer House a historic landmark and home of the first settler in the area. Additionally, the district operates The Racket Club, an indoor/outdoor tennis facility that has 9 indoor courts. The facility is operated as an Enterprise Fund meaning that it is totally self-supporting with no tax dollars going towards it in any manner.^[23]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Lake,_Illinois

Crystal Lake Climate

The city’s climate is much like that of its large neighboring city, Chicago. The city experiences hot summers and cold winters, with temperatures slightly more extreme than those of closer suburbs, because rural land still surrounds the city. Due to the lack of the urban heat island effect, Crystal Lake experiences colder nights and lower precipitation than recorded at Chicago. High temperatures are usually comparable to those in Chicago, with only a few degrees difference on most days.

The hottest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is approximately 86 °F (30 °C). Temperatures in July, and in summer in general, can frequently exceed 95 °F (35 °C), and occasionally exceed 100 °F (38 °C), although this does not happen each year. The coldest month of the year is January, where the average high temperature is 23 °F (−5 °C). Overnight low temperatures are usually around 8 °F (−13 °C). In winter, the low temperatures fall below 0 °F (−18 °C) on many (often as many as fifteen or twenty) occasions per year. Extremely cold nights may record temperatures as low as −20 °F (−29 °C) or lower, but this is rare and does not happen each year.^[6]

The wettest month of the year is August, when thunderstorms contribute brief, heavy downpours of rain. July is the second-wettest month of the year, also mainly due to thunderstorms. However, long dry spells can also occur at this time of year, sometimes lasting weeks. The two driest months of the year are January and February, where almost all of the precipitation falls as snow. In a typical year, total precipitation is 37 inches (940 mm) with a winter snowfall total of 40 inches (1,000 mm). Large snowstorms, although rare, do occur and can accumulate large amounts of snow. In many years, at least one storm will deliver 12 inches (300 mm) of snow in one day. Most snow-bearing systems are Alberta clippers, while the more infrequent heavy snows are caused by Panhandle hooks.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Lake,_Illinois