Posted on by khlucas2@illinois.edu
*Originally posted on July 29, 2017*
Long Grove, Illinois (population 8,166), this week’s #SmallTownSaturdayfeature, stands out as the site of the state’s first historic district. Established in the 1840’s, Long Grove has evolved from a small settlement of German pioneers into a charming historic village less than 40 miles northwest of Chicago.
Virginia L. Park celebrates the village and its legacy in Long Grove Lore and Legend (1978) through a compilation of historical records, personal accounts, and photographs. In her book, Park records the history of one of Long Grove’s oldest establishments, the present-day Village Tavern, established by the Zimmer family in 1847 and lauded in its early days for “the high class of refreshments served and the good order at all times maintained,” as well as its “fine pool table…kept in the best possible condition.” [1] Park recounts one story of the tavern long enjoyed by locals that involves Jake Eissler, a professional dynamiter notorious in his day for his recklessness and “overzealous use of dynamite.” [2] Once, when hired to remove a tree stump near the Village Tavern, Eissler disregarded warnings that he was too close to the building and wound up sending the stump flying onto the tavern’s roof! Despite this and a change of ownership in the 1960’s, the Village Tavern still stands, now boasting the title of the oldest tavern in continuous operation in the state of Illinois.
For more interesting recollections of Long Grove’s past, stop in to peruse our copy of Long Grove Lore and Legend and learn more about this week’s #SmallTownSaturday feature.
Above is a photo of the Mill Pond Shoppes, located in the historic downtown district of Long Grove. Photo was taken by bogdanstepniak. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/73657366
