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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
GET TO KNOW US: AMBOY | WHAT’S INSIDE
Publisher: Don T. Bricker | General Manager/Advertising Director: Jennifer Heintzelman Get to Know Us ... Amboy, Illinois, is a specialty publication of Sauk Valley Media, 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021, 815-625-3600. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this guide is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.
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History between the hills THE CITY OF AMBOY SPRANG FORTH FROM HUMBLE ROOTS. In the mid-1800s, the land that now falls within city limits primarily was farmland, dotted with a few shanties and farmhouses, built by settlers who began arriving in 1837. All that changed in 1852, when the Illinois Central Railroad bought the farms owned by Cyrus Davis, Joseph Appleton and Joseph Farwell, with plans to make Amboy its manufacturing and repair shop hub.
HISTORY cont’d on page 5 A view of Main Street in Amboy, looking east, as seen in this vintage postcard.
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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
HISTORY cont’d from page 4 A survey was done on March 23, 1854, to establish the original portion of town, and bonds for lot deeds were executed that July. The first city lot, on the northeast corner of Main Street and South East Avenue, was bought by John L. Skinner for $600. He built a hotel on the lot, and within a year, there were 100 homes and 1,000 people in Amboy. As the Illinois Central Railroad made progress on its buildings, people came to Amboy and settled there. To accommodate them, Amboy’s original plat was expanded repeatedly until the city limits encompassed nearly 1,000 acres of land. By July 1856, a 2-year-old Amboy had nearly 2,000 inhabitants, 500 houses, two churches (also used as schoolhouses), a printing office, 16 stores, several groceries, a planning mill, three hotels, two livery stables and other shops, including a carpenter, cabinet, blacksmith, tin, mattress, paint and harness shop. Common storerooms were rented at $150 to $200 a year, homes from $10 to $20 a month.
A TOWN WITHOUT A NAME The town continued to grow and prosper, but did not have a name. The residents called a meeting to rectify that situation, and many suggestions were made, including Hornsby, Bolton, Painted Post and Elmira. Finally, the name Bath was chosen.
HISTORY cont’d on page 6
storic Amb i H t i s oy Vi
City of
Amboy
227 East Main St., Amboy, Illinois 61310
815-857-3814
www.cityofamboy.org SM-ST1809768
John Schamberger, Mayor
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HISTORY cont’d from page 5 Lorenzo D. Wasson was sent to Dixon with the necessary papers to have the town so incorporated, but when the papers were returned, to everyone’s astonishment, it had been incorporated as Amboy. The cause of the change never has been determined. Some thought the name Amboy came from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which was named for the Earl of Perth, while others attribute it to the Indian word “em-bo-li,” which means “between the hills.” It may not have been the city’s chosen name, but it stuck, and the city was incorporated as Amboy by popular vote on March 2, 1857. Later that year, Col. John B. Wyman was elected its first mayor.
MORMONS AT PALESTINE GROVE Among some of the early settlers in the Amboy region were Benjamin and Elizabeth Wasson. The Wassons built a cabin along the Green River in 1837, and later a house in what was then known as Palestine Grove, just outside of present-day Amboy. Elizabeth Wasson’s sister was Emma Smith, wife of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the Smiths and other members of the Mormon Church fled religious prosecution in Fayette, New York, they moved to Illinois and settled in Commerce. The village later changed its name to Nauvoo.
HISTORY cont’d on page 7
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HISTORY cont’d from page 6 Because Nauvoo and Amboy were not too far apart, the Smiths would travel to Amboy to visit the Wassons and helped establish Mormonism within the community, making Amboy one of the first settlements of the Mormon Church. Just outside of Amboy on Mormon Road, the Mormon Church established the Mormon Cemetery. One of Brigham Young’s wives is buried there. After Joseph Smith died and the church was moved to Plano, members of the Mormon Church began attending some of the other churches in Amboy. By 1854, there were nine churches in Amboy.
DUTY CALLS In 1942, Amboy was selected as the site for the Green River Ordnance Plant, one of four munitions assembly facilities built in Illinois during World War II. The Stewart-Warner Corp. operated the 8,342-acre facility for the Army Ordnance Corp., which had seven munitions lines. The types of ammunition manufactured at Green River ranged from rifle grenades to armor-piercing shells to bombs. The bazooka rocket was developed and produced there. By Dec. 15, 1942, Green River employed 4,419 people on 3 shifts, 6 days a week. More than half of these workers were women, who were entering the work force in significant numbers for the first time.
HISTORY cont’d on page 8
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Backtracking Railroad played key role in Amboy’s growth RAILROADS GAVE ILLINOIS THE BOOST IT NEEDED TO FLOURISH IN THE MID-1800S, and Amboy was right on board with the rest of the nation, gathering steam as tracks criss-crossed the country, delivering prosperity and helping put the city on the map. Trains gave farmers and industries a faster way to ship their produce and products near and far, and The Amboy Depot, headquarters for the Northern Division of the Illinois Central Railroad, was a key stop along that journey.
RAILROAD cont’d on page 10 Northwestern Steel & Wire’s No. 76 steam locomotive is on permanent display at the Amboy Depot Museum.
HISTORY cont’d from page 7 Worker turnover was constant, especially on the loading lines where explosive powder in the air caused skin infections and inhaling the powder caused respiratory problems. Despite the constant need for new workers, Green River was awarded an Army-Navy “E” flag for efficiency in production and won two more stars by the end of the war. Only 5 percent of the nation’s war production plants received this award. By the time the plant ceased production on Aug. 20, 1945, Green River had produced 25 million rifle grenades, 10 million 75-mm projectiles and 10,921 1,600-pound bombs. Starting life in the heart of American’s farmland, and staying rooted in the ideals that helped it grow and prosper, Amboy is just like the train engine of storybook fame: It’s the little city that could. n 8
Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
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A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF HISTORY THE AMBOY DEPOT MUSEUM IS IN A FORMER DEPOT AND DIVISION HEADQUARTERS of the Illinois Central Railroad. The building is an architecturally unique two-story building built of brick and cut Joliet limestone and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been completely restored inside and out, and includes the original brick tarmac surrounding the depot and the grounds of the former rail-yard, now preserved as a city park. Also reconstructed were the distinctive chimney caps on the building’s eight chimneys, fully restoring the building to its original exterior configuration. Within the museum are artifacts of the history of Amboy and the Illinois Central Railroad. The museum complex also contains a freight house with additional artifacts, a fully restored one-room country schoolhouse, a retired steam engine and a caboose. The museum is downtown on Main Street, two blocks west of U.S. Route 52 (turn at Casey’s General Store). The museum is open April through October. It is closed Nov. 1 through March 31, and on holidays, except Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Sunday and Thursday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed MondayWednesday. Museum doors close 30 minutes before closing time. Admission is by donation. Museum membership is available and is open to anyone who is interested in preserving the museum’s buildings, the history of the Amboy Area and the railroad’s part in the birth of Amboy. Annual membership frees, go toward preserving the museum. For mor information, contact the museum at P. O. Box 108, Amboy, IL 61310; call 815-857-4700 or e-mail. information@amboydepotmuseum.org. Membership forms are available at amboydepotmuseum.org/membership.pdf
RAILROAD cont’d from page 8 The Illinois Central line was built in the 1850s, but unlike many other railroads constructed at the time, it ran north to south. Its main line ran from Cairo to East Dubuque, and eventually a branch line to Chicago was added. To help the railroad’s employees in their duties, the line was divided into divisions, roughly 100 to 125 miles long. Employees would board at one end of the division, work to the end of it and then return on a different train to complete their workday. Each division had its own headquarters. Because Amboy was the division’s headquarters, it had a much larger depot than many other towns along the line. The original depot, built in 1855, also contained a hotel. It was destroyed by a fire in 1875, and replaced a year later with the current brick and Joliet limestone building.
RAILROAD cont’d on page 12 10
Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
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RAILROAD cont’d from page 10 At the height of its operation, Illinois Central had 400 people working on the railroad. Any number of passenger or freight trains could pass through the Amboy station on a given day because there were no set schedules in the railroad’s early days. Because the line had only one track, the dispatchers had to keep in communication by telegraph to ensure there were no collisions. As the years passed, the Illinois Central eventually extended to New Orleans and connected with each east-west line it passed. The main line began to see less and less use, though, as more traffic was directed toward Chicago. Eventually, the main line became the branch line and went into a long, slow decline, although the records never formally changed the Chicago line to the main line. Passenger traffic ended along the Northern Division in the 1930s, but freight trains continued to use it. By the 1980s, use of the line was deemed unnecessary, and it was closed. The Amboy Depot fell into disrepair from lack of use until a group of concerned citizens formed the Depot Committee in the early 1970s and began a volunteer effort to preserve and restore the historic building, eventually bringing it back to life as the Amboy Depot Museum, which highlights the city’s history and the role the rail played in it. n
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See you in 2021 Pandemic sidelines 2020 Depot Days, but organizers look forward to 2021 IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ANNIVERSARY THE WHOLE CITY CELEBRATED. Then a pandemic derailed Depot Days. The 4-day, city-wide festival, which honors the town’s railroad heritage and celebrates the community, had been held every year on the weekend before Labor Day — 2020 would have been the event’s 38th celebration and the car show’s 30th anniversary. It also would have been another chance for someone to take home a six-figure prize in the event’s 50-50 raffle. But 2020 was different. The coronavirus took hold and wouldn’t let go, forcing organizers to cancel the event. The festival would have been held Aug. 27-30, but organizers decided they could not hold the event during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “It was disappointing, for sure,” City Clerk Melissa Eisenberg said.
DEPOT DAYS cont’d on page 16
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DEPOT DAYS cont’d from page 13 In a post at depotdayscarshow.com, organizers said that as much as they wanted to hold the event,“No reunion is worth risking your health.” As for the drawing, despite hopes that the raffle could go on, organizers said on the Amboy Depot Days 50/50 Drawing’s Facebook page that just simply wasn’t feasible.“The overwhelming majority of our money comes in solely on Depot Days weekend and mainly car show Sunday. The festival, car show and 50/50 drawing all work hand in hand so if one of those events is canceled the other two simply cannot be the success we strive for.” The car show, the highlight of the event, is one of the largest in Illinois and often attracts more than 450 vehicles. Tractors also rumble into town for the show. There’s also a carnival, petting zoo, fireworks, craft show, food stands, beer garden, parade, a 5K run/walk, and free live entertainment. Other events include community-wide garage sales, the crowning of Miss Amboy, and a Little Mister and Miss Amboy event. Sounds like you missed out on a lot of fun, right? Well, don’t be too disappointed, because organizers are already looking forward to 2021. A post at the Amboy Depot Days Facebook page said “we will see you in 2021,” and car show organizers plan to give their 30th anniversary bash a second chance, and they’re vowing to make 2021 a year to remember. “Make no mistake, we will celebrate our 30th year!” a post at the car show’s website says. The plan – at least for now – is to hold the show Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. “We can’t wait for you to come and spend the day with us. We promise to make it worth the wait!” n
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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
AMBOY CONFERENCE PLAQUE 9 S. East Ave. Amboy was one of the first Mormon Church settlements. The Amboy Conference was the settling of the official “reorganization” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints into the Latter Day Saint denomination now known as the Community of Christ. The conference was held April 6, 1860.
AMBOY DEPOT MUSEUM East Main Street and South East Avenue, 815-857-4700, amboydepotmuseum.org See “A whistle-stop tour of history” on page 10 for more information.
CARSON PIRIE SCOTT STORE PLAQUE 55 S. East Ave. Samuel Carson and John Pirie opened Carson Pirie & Company, a dry goods store in Amboy, on the site of what is today the Long Branch Saloon, 55 S. East Ave., in 1855. They left for Chicago after about 10 years, added business partner Robert Scott’s name to the firm in 1891, and Carson Pirie Scott would become one of northern Illinois’ leading retail chain stores. Business acquisitions came and went – including a 1989
sale to Bergner’s, which was bought by The BonTon Stores a few years later – but the Carson name stuck around until 2018 when Bon-Ton announced it would close all of its stores, including Carson’s. Carson’s was the oldest chain under the Bon-Ton umbrella, which also included the Bon-Ton parent stores, Boston Store, ElderBeerman, Herberger’s, and Younker’s. The Pirie and Scott names were dropped from the Carson’s banner upon Bergner’s sale to Bon-Ton. A plaque commemorates the site of the first store.
STONE HOME FARM 1125 Inlet Road, Lee Center, 815-440-5556, stonehomefarm.com The owners of this historic farm, located about 4 miles northeast of Amboy, sell fresh eggs, pork and alpaca yarn.
TEMPERANCE HILL CEMETERY AND PRAIRIE PRESERVE Off U.S. Route 52 north of Amboy, west of U.S. Route 52 and Inlet Road junction This cemetery, started in 1846, is situated on a fragment of virgin prairie and is an Illinois Nature Preserve. Three crosses at the end of the cemetery drive mark the site.
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AMBOY, WITH ITS ABUNDANT NATURAL BEAUTY, HAS LONG BEEN A POPULAR DESTINATION FOR CAMPERS. On an average summer weekend, 35,000 people come to stay at one of the many campgrounds in the Amboy area. On holiday weekends, that number increases to more than 50,000 campers. The campgrounds are:
GREEN RIVER OAKS RESORT 1442 Sleepy Hollow Road Contact: 815-638-2088, 815-857-2815 or greenriveroaks@yahoo.com Online: greenriveroaks.com, and on Facebook
MENDOTA HILLS CAMPGROUND 642 U.S. Route 52 Contact: 815-849-5930 or mendotahillscamp@aol.com Online: mendotahillscampground.com and on Facebook
O’CONNELL’S YOGI BEAR JELLYSTONE PARK 970 Green Wing Road Contact: 877-570-2267 Online: jellystoneamboy.com or find O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Park on Facebook
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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
EAST GROVE UNION CHURCH – 449 Reuter Road; 815-376-6661; online: Find it on Facebook FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH – 24 N. Mason Ave.; 815-857-2682; online: fbcamboy.org or find First Baptist Church of Amboy on Facebook GRACE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH – 500 W. Main St., Sublette (formerly located in Amboy); 815-857-3900; online: graceisforyou.com or find Grace Fellowship Church Amboy-Sublette on Facebook IMMANUEL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – 960 Grace Fellowship Church of Amboy moved to U.S. Route 52; 815-857-2225; the former Sublette Union Church at 500 W. online: Facebook Main St. in Sublette in 2019. Grace Fellowship’s ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC 80 or so members had been looking for a place to call their own, and the Sublette church had CHURCH – 32 N. Jones Ave.; 815-857-2315; online: stpatrickbeen vacant for about 6 years. amboy.org UNITED FIRST CHURCH OF AMBOY – 326 E. Main St.; 815-440-0745; online: ucc.org, unitedfirstchurch.org/ or find it on Facebook
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AMBOY EDUCATION FOUNDATION – 815-857-2856; Online: shawurl.com/3dtw or Facebook AMBOY LIONS CLUB – 280 W. Wasson Road; meets second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m.; 815-440-1779; Online: amboylionsclub.com or Facebook AMERICAN LEGION & AUXILIARY POTHS-LAVELLE, POST 453 – P.O. Box 112, meets third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.; 815-973-4454; Online: illinois-dist13-legion.org DEPOT MUSEUM COMMISSION – 815-857-4700; Online: amboydepotmuseum.org and on Facebook FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA – 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-3632; Online: ffa.org or find Amboy FFA Chapter on Facebook GIRL SCOUTS – 815-997-5100; girlscoutsni.org or find Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois on Facebook GREEN RIVER SADDLE CLUB – 1580 Morman Road, 815-440-2698; Online: greenriversaddleclub.webs.com or Facebook LEE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS, LEE COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE – 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525; Online: https://extension.illinois.edu/clw/master-gardeners ILLINOIS CENTRAL MASONIC LODGE – 237 E. Main St., Online: 178-il.ourlodgepage.com KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 8277 – St. Patrick Catholic Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315; Online: https://stpatrickamboy.org/knights-of-columbus, kofc.org, or find Amboy Knights of Columbus on Facebook LEE COUNTY 4-H, LEE COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE – 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525; Online: extension.illinois.edu/clw/4-h-lee-county or find Lee County 4-H on Facebook ST. PATRICK’S WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION, ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCh – 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315; Online: stpatrickamboy.org/womens-organization TEEN TURF INC. – 235 W. Main St., 815-857-4800; Online: Facebook
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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
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AMBOY FAMILY RESTAURANT & PIZZA JUNCTION – 211 E. Main St.; 815-857-3985 CASEY’S GENERAL STORE (carryout pizza) – 308 E. Main St.; 815-358-3992 DEPOT TAP – 49 Southeast Ave.; 815-857-3555 LONG BRANCH SALOON – 55 S. East Ave.; 815-857-3486; on Facebook MARIA’S PIZZA – 110 E. Main St.; 815-857-2200; find Maria’s Pizza Amboy on Facebook MEUSEL’S DAIRY DELITE – 303 S. Mason Ave.; 815-857-2050; online: meuselsdairydelite.com and on Facebook REVOLUTION WELLNESS (HEALTH FOOD RESTAURANT) – 205 E. Main St.; 815-857-7021; online: Find it on Facebook SUBWAY – 310 E. Joe Drive; 815-255-8363 SUNSET INN RESTAURANT – 1578 U.S. Route 30; 815-857-3482; on Facebook
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THE AMBOY COMMUNITY IS SERVED BY TWO AREA HOSPITALS, A CLINIC AND A NURSING AND THERAPEUTIC CARE FACILITY. KSB Hospital is 13 miles north of Amboy in Dixon. KSB also operates a medical clinic in Amboy. Mendota Community Hospital is 16 miles south of town. Amboy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center is on the north side of town.
KSB HOSPITAL Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital is an 80-bed acute-care facility founded more than 115 years ago. Along with the typical services a hospital provides, KSB offers a balance center, cancer center, diabetes center, foot and ankle center, sleep lab, occupational therapy, and hospice and home nursing care, among several other medical services. In 2006, KSB opened a $3 million, state-of-theMORE INFO art cardiovascular services lab and endoscopy KSB Hospital area. And in 2011, it completed a $16 million 403 E. First St., Dixon expansion of the outpatient surgery and 815-288-5531 emergency departments. In spring 2014, a newly ksbhospital.com renovated Intensive Care Unit was opened. KSB Center for Health Services – Amboy Clinic OSF SAINT PAUL MEDICAL CENTER 308 E. Joe Drive, Amboy 815-857-3044 Mendota Community Hospital, now named OSF ksbhospital.com Saint Paul Medical Center, opened its doors in June OSF Saint Paul Medical Center 1951. An entirely new, acute-care facility was 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), opened in 2011, employing more than 300 people. Mendota It’s the newest member of the OSF Healthcare 815-539-7461 osfhealthcare.org/saint-paul System and was welcomed into the Ministry in April 2015. The hospital has a 24/7, physician-staffed emergency room and an intensive care unit. It offers other services, including cardiopulmonary care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, podiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology, and surgery. A community health services department provides occupational health services, drug testing, and a variety of public programming and screenings throughout the year to promote public awareness and offer early detection or warning for certain diseases. It also offers home health services, magnetic resonance imaging, a CT scanner, and it has its own rehabilitation services department. n
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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
Come check us out IN 1875, A LIBRARY ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED TO CREATE A NEW LIBRARY. It was housed in various locations until 1910, when the Amboy Women’s Club rented rooms on the second floor of the Green Building for use as a public library. Within a year, though, the library outgrew its space, so it moved again to the Vaughan Building over Whonke’s Drug Store. To maintain the library, an annual fee of $1 was charged to MORE INFO each adult and 25 cents to each child patron. Address: 3 S. Jefferson Ave. By 1922, the library had 2,800 volumes. Phone: 815-857-3925 In 1928, James W. Pankhurst, a prominent Online: amboy.lib.il.us farmer in the area, donated money for a new and find it on Facebook library to serve as a lasting memorial to himself. W.F. Remsburg was hired to build this first permanent library in Amboy. The new library, named Pankhurst Memorial Library, was dedicated May 27, 1929, with the Women’s Club presenting all of the books from the old library to the new one. Today, about a third of Amboy residents have a library card, and the library has more than 23,500 volumes. Services include interlibrary loans, online e-book loans, programs and events for all ages, a copier and fax machine and a meeting room.n
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AMBOY CITY PARK – East Main Street, five blocks east of U.S. Route 52; picnic areas, shelters, charcoal grills, playground equipment, lighted ball diamonds, tennis courts, bathrooms, water and electricity, plus 30 sculptured trees; closed Nov. 1 through April 1. AMBOY SPORTS PARK – corner of Appleton Avenue and Main Street; soccer, football and baseball fields, plus a playground, concession stand and bathrooms. CLINT C. CONWAY HISTORICAL PARK – Main Street, two blocks west of U.S. Route 52; site of the Amboy Depot Museum, railroad engine and picnic shelter. AMBOY MARSH NATURE RESERVE TRAILS – 1701 Mormon Road, 217-544-2473; hike or bike trails through the 302-acre wetland with black oak sand savannas, sedge meadows and dry sand prairie. GREEN RIVER STATE WILDLIFE AREA – 375 Game Road, Harmon, 15 miles southwest of Amboy; this wildlife restoration area is popular with hunters, hikers and birders. The 2,565-acre area includes prairie restorations, timberlands and a camping area. SHADY OAKS GOLF COURSE – 577 U.S. Route 52, Sublette, 815-849-5424; a fun, 18-hole course, with tricky greens and a short course; club house with cocktail bar, food and pro shop. SEN. DAVID C. SHAPIRO PARK – U.S. Route 52, next to the Green River; picnic shelter and tables, bathrooms, and fishing. VETERANS PARK – Corner of East Avenue and Division Street; the Amboy Women’s Club dedicated the park in fall 1919 to the veterans of World War I. Go to cityofamboy.org/parks for more information on Amboy parks
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Jones Funeral Homes Ask Us About Our Guaranteed Prearrangement Contracts DIXON 204 S. Ottawa Ave. 815-288-2241
AMBOY 303 E. Main St. 815-857-2611
Christopher Jones
Patrick R. Jones, Jr.
www.thejonesfh.com Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
Reach for a higher education SAUK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS BEEN ON A MISSION TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION to its diverse student body since its doors opened in 1965. The college, which sits on a 144-acre campus at 173 state Route 2, between Dixon and Sterling, enrolls more than 2,500 full- and part-time students a year from 16 in-district high schools, 18 states and three foreign countries. Sauk offers 2-year transfer associate degrees in art or science in more than 40 areas; 22 career-technical MORE INFO degrees, 24 associate degrees and a associate in engineering science Go to svcc.edu or call 815-835-6273. degree, along with 50 career-technical certificates. Sauk also offers adult eduClass schedules are available online. cation classes, dual-credit courses for area high school students, literacy and GED services, community services and workforce services. Men’s and women’s sports, cultural activities and events, and more than 20 student clubs and organizations, including Phi Theta Kappa (the honor society for 2-year colleges), student government, Association of Latin American Students, Magic Club, Campus Crusade for Christ and Math Club, contribute to the vibrant campus life. Students also have access to the Sauk YMCA. Sauk has been fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools since 1972. n
AMBOY
AMBOY FOOD & LIQUOR
FOOD & LIQUOR
Full Service Grocery store offering Liquor department, Deli department, Meat department, Produce department Delivery available for disabled & senior citizens--in town only 242 E Main St. • Amboy • (815) 857-7020
Mon-Thurs 7am-9pm • Fri & Sat 7am-10pm • Sun 8am-8pm Sauk Valley Media
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THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS, TEAMWORK, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, the Amboy Board of Education is striving for “excellence, every day” – the district’s vision statement. The Amboy Board of Education meets once a month, generally on the third Thursday of the month, at 7 p.m. in the high school gym. A calendar of dates, which might vary based on holidays and other school activities, is available on the district website. Amboy Community Unit School District No. 272 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-2164 Online: amboy.net and on Facebook The rural district of approximately 700 students consists of three schools: Amboy High School 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-3632 Amboy High School was formed as part of Amboy CUSD 272 in 1949 in Lee County. This district replaced the former Amboy Township High School District. The 205-square-mile district encompasses Amboy, Sublette, Maytown, Harmon, Eldena and Walton. In September 1969, the new building at Metcalf and Hawley streets opened, replacing the former school building, which now houses Amboy Junior High School. Amboy High School is the home of the Clippers, whose colors are red, black and white. School activities include Academic Bowl, FFA, Key Club, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Student Council, yearbook, band, chorus and athletics. Janet Crownhart is principal. Amboy Junior High School 140 S. Appleton Ave., 815-857-3528 At Amboy Junior High, fifth- through eighth-graders take courses in English, language arts, math, science, social studies, art and computers. Opportunities are available for advanced math, pre-algebra and algebra. All students can participate in beginning band, band, pep band and jazz band. Sixth- through eighth-graders also can join chorus. Extracurricular opportunities include an art club, computer club, academic team, student council, wrestling, volleyball, basketball and track. The school is the home of the Vikings. Andrew Full is principal. Amboy Central Elementary School 30 E. Provost St., 815-857-3619 Central School includes kindergarten through fourth grade, Smart Start and Early Childhood Education. All classrooms are on the ground floor, and a large, safe playground is behind the school. Central is a progressive elementary school that uses research-based methods of instruction to teach the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Specialists also are on staff to teach science, music and physical education. The Ogle County Education Cooperative provides special education services in all grades. Joyce Schamberger is principal. 26
Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021
Service providers Republic Services – 1214 S. Bataan Road, Dixon, 815-723-3200, republicservices.com and on Facebook Amboy Community Unit School District 272 – 11 E. Hawley St., 815-857-2164, amboy.net Amboy Community Building– 280 W. Wasson Rd., 815-857-2324, cityofamboy.com Amboy Water Department –227 E. Main St., Amboy, 815-857-3814, cityofamboy.org ComEd (electricity) – 919 W. First St., Dixon, 800-334-7661, comed.com Xfinity (cable) – 1-800-934-6489, xfinity.com KSB Hospital – 403 E. First St., Dixon, 815-2885531, ksbhospital.com Lee County Animal Control – 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-288-5135, 815-284-3833 Nicor (gas) – 1844 Ferry Road, Naperville, 888642-6748, nicor.com OSF Saint Paul Medical Center – 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), 815-539-7461, osfhealthcare.org/ saint-paul Pankhurst Memorial Library – 3 S. Jefferson Ave., 815-857-3925, amboy.lib.il.us Post Office – 215 E. Division St., 815-857-2212, usps.com
The Telegraph/Sauk Valley Media (news outlet) – 113 S. Peoria Ave. Ste. 1, Dixon, 815-284-2222
Government/Municipal Amboy City Hall – 227 E. Main St., Amboy, 815857-3814, cityofamboy.com City Maintenance Building – 1 Water St., 815857-2422 Illinois Secretary of State (driver/vehicle services) – 925 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, 815-288-6685 Lee County Clerk – 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815288-3309, leecountyil.com Lee County Treasurer – 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-288-4477, leecountyil.com Lee County Chief of Assessments – 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-288-4483, leecountyil.com
Non-emergency numbers Amboy Police Department – 227 E. Main St., 815-857-3400 Fire Department and ambulance – 25 N. East Ave., 815-857-2325 Lee County Sheriff’s Department – 306 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon, 815-284-5217
In an emergency, call 911
243 EAST MAIN IN AMBOY (815) 857-2000 INFO@DINGESFIRE.COM
CARS815.com
Sauk Valley Media
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KSB CENTER FOR HEALTH SERVICES
AMBOY CLINIC DR. KURT CROWE, DR. EMILEE BOCKER & LEE MURRIN, FNP
815- 857-3044
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Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2020-2021