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Community Corner

Society forms to preserve Huntley's past

Group starts raising funds, is seeking new members

After years of planning, the Huntley Historical Society is moving forward to preserve the past of this quaint McHenry County community.

The organization recently got approved as a tax-exempt non-profit, fundraising projects are in full swing and the group is seeking new members.

This renewed push comes after years of discussing the possibility of forming an official group. In recent months, a core group of members came together to make the idea a reality.

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Getting approval as a 501(c)(3) was one of the first steps needed to move forward, according to Ronda Goldman, a society member who serves on the publicity committee.

The goal of the organization is to "preserve and promote Huntley history through educational events and community activities."

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"We came to realize that with Huntley changing and expanding so rapidly, there was a need to  preserve the history of the area," Goldman explained.

Members set up a booth at the Annual Fall Fest in September as one of the first public outreach events to spread the word about their mission. A public meeting was held earlier this month. So far, local interest has intrigued about 50 people to join the society.

The first 100 members will be designated as charter members. Those members will receive certificates, indicating their role in chartering the organization.

To raise funds for future projects, the society is selling note cards with photographs of historical buildings, including the Huntley House, the home of village founder Thomas Stillwell Huntley, and the First Congregational Church, the oldest church in continuous use in McHenry County.

The society is critical to having local stake in how history is preserved.

Before the group formed, residents seeking historical information about the village looked toward the McHenry County Historical Society and the Huntley Area Public Library. The library is home to displays that include old yearbooks, family letters, photos, memorabilia, maps and issues of the Huntley Farmside. The library also has a filing cabinet full of local history that must be sorted.

Eventually, members say, they'd like to find a site that could be used as a museum where historical artifacts could be housed.

But that kind of project is years away.

Right now, the focus is on raising awareness about the group and collecting information about the community.

For more information, visit the society's Web site:  www.huntleyhistoricalsociety.org.

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