In
the 1700s the areas native Pottawatomi Indians named the Nippersink
Creek, which runs through Spring Grove, "Neversink", which
translates to "place of small waters". In 1834, as the result of a
treaty signed with our government, the Potawatomi and other Indian
tribes were removed from the area, although friendly wandering bands
still occasionally appeared. Related accounts of these Indians include
those of an early settler, Jonathan Imeson, who was said to have hidden
his bed from curious Indians who had never seen one before.
Spring Grove was named for the natural springs and groves of trees in
the area. Tall flowing prairie grasses reminded the first English
settlers of their homeland and they named the area they settled English
Prairie. English Prairie Cemetery, road and subdivision remind us of
these first adventurous pioneers. Spring Grove was initially established
as an agricultural community in the late 1830s. The first vertical silo
constructed in North America was built in 1873 by Fred Hatch on a small
farm located in Spring Grove. This new way of storing silage for his
dairy cows kept the corn dry and unfrozen and resulted in fatter cows
producing more milk. Improvements were made to the boxy wooden design
and in 1893 the first steel silo was exhibited at Chicago’s Columbia
Exposition. A small replica of the first silo was dedicated in 1984 and
stands today at Lyle Thomas Park in Spring Grove.
In
1900, the railroad was extended to Spring Grove affording both passenger
travel and freight service to the community along with the expectation
of new growth and prosperity. The Village was incorporated on October 6,
1902 and was, by this time, a thriving agricultural community with
working farms that concentrated on dairy production. In the early 1900s
the downtown area held a bank, three general stores, a meat market,
three taverns, a livery stable, a hotel, a barbershop, a blacksmith
shop, and a shoe repair shop. Also opened in 1904, was Wieland Dairy,
which employed about 20 men and produced two train carloads of milk,
butter and cottage cheese per day destined for Chicago. It remained in
Spring Grove until the mid-1920s, when it moved to Chicago and
eventually became Borden Dairy. A State Fish Hatchery was established in
1915 and was in continual operation until recently.
From
1910 to 1940 the Village’s population held steady at about 200 people.
In the late 1960s the train station was closed and many old downtown
businesses went out of business with the exception of the corner general
store and tavern which are both still in business today. The population
started to increase in 1960 when Intermatic, once known as International
Register Company, moved its production plant from Chicago to Spring
Grove. International Register manufactured the coin-meter in the 1930s
which collected daily payments (typically 25 cents) during the
Depression to cover the purchase price of refrigerators, washing
machines and dryers. The coin-meter provided an introduction to clock
actuated devices from which its present business is derived. Foremost
among their products are Malibu outdoor lighting and electronic timers.
They now employ over 1000 people.
Spring Grove’s growth was set in motion as more industry came to the
area and subdivisions started to be platted on the rolling green acres
of rich farmland. Residents enjoy the rural feel of the one-acre per lot
neighborhoods and move to Spring Grove for the beautiful countryside and
small-town way of life. Now a once-again thriving Village of over 5,000
people, Spring Grove looks to the future with optimism, exploring new
ways of developing traditional neighborhoods, building new parks and
other recreation areas, and welcoming new stores and businesses while
retaining the traditions and small-town friendliness of the past.
