2 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 SalBayron Realtor Broker 312-952-3409 Lisa Maher Realtor Broker 773-459-5472 Mary Lovgren Realtor Broker 815-994-1449 509 LaMoille Rd, PO Box 110 Sublette, IL 61310 815-849-5476 www.woodhavenassociation.com Any type of property – anytime of year Services offered: • Listings of residential, recreational and commercial properties. • Member of Multiple Listings Service. • Buyer and seller representation. • Competitive Market Analysis. • Extensive marketing of listed properties. • Individualized, confidential, and caring service! If you have any questions,or would like more information regarding the services provided at Woodhaven Lakes Realty, Inc., please give us a call. JustinRealtorWiley 815-849-5390Broker Bonita Willis, Realtor ePRO, C2EX Designated Managing Broker NicciRealtorLuffelman 815-501-0408Broker SM-ST2009414
3Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 Serving Lee, Whiteside, Carroll, Bureau and Ogle Counties • Weekly residential service • 2-8 yard commercial containers • 10-40 yard roll-off containers • Compactors, radio-dispatched trucks and experienced local drivers • licensed special waste & asbestos hauler 1214 S. Bataan Road | Dixon, IL 815.625.1000 or ®2018RepublicService.com815.284.2432RepublicServices,Inc. Get to Know Us: Amboy 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. Publisher/Advertising Director: Jennifer Heintzelman Amboy history .......................................................4-8 Amboy Depot Days 10-11 Attractions ................................................................ 12 Camping 13 Churches.................................................................... 16 Clubs & Groups ......................................................... 18 Food & Drink 19 Health Care .............................................................. 20 Library ...................................................................... 22 Parks 23 Schools ..................................................................... 24 Sauk Valley Community College 25 Who to contact................................................... 27-28
East Avenue in Amboy, circa 1910.
he city of Amboy sprang forth from humble roots. In the mid-1800s, the land that now falls within city limits pri marily was farmland, dotted with a few shanties and farmhouses, built by settlers who began arriving in 1837.
A town without a name
The town continued to grow and prosper, but did not have a name. 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.
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. 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, Amboy had nearly 2,000 residents, 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.
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.
HISTORY cont’d to page 6
4 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
Common storerooms were rented at $150 to $200 a year, homes from $10 to $20 a month.
5Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 DAILY SPECIALS Regular Menu Served along with the Daily Specials TUESDAY Mexican Food night featuring all of your favorites. WEDNESDAY All You Can Eat Wings • Family Style Chicken THURSDAY Beef Brisket & Ribs FRIDAY Fish Night SATURDAY Steak Night SUNDAY Family Style Chicken Spaghetti& DRINK SPECIALS TUESDAY Margaritas & Corona WEDNESDAY $1 Drafts THURSDAY $2 Domestic Bottles & Cans TRY ONE OF OUR WORLD FLAVOREDFAMOUSMARTINIS 55 S. East Ave. • Amboy • (815) 857-3486 Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday 5pm-9pm Friday & Saturday 5pm-10pm, Closed Monday Thank you to all of our loyal customers for their wonderful support through these COVID times! PLAY SLOTS
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.
Julie DeArmitt, Manager
Mormons at Palestine Grove
to page
Among some of the early settlers in the Amboy region were Benjamin and Eliza beth 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 Com merce. The village later changed its name to Nauvoo. 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. cont’d 6
HISTORY
Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-236 HISTORY cont’d from page 4
Make Your Event ...An Affair to Remember. ~ Accommodates 250+ People ~ ~ Great for Wedding Receptions ~ ~ Anniversaries and More ~ AMBOY COMMUNITY CENTER 280 W. Wasson Rd., Amboy 815-857-3814
John Schamberger, Mayor Visit Historic AmboyCity of Amboy
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
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.
SM-ST2009401
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.
Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 7 227 East Main St., Amboy, Illinois 61310 www.cityofamboy.org815-857-3814
HISTORY cont’d from page 6
A city at war 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 devel oped and produced there.
It has been completely restored inside and out, and includes the origi nal brick tarmac surrounding the depot and the grounds of the former rail-yard, now preserved as a city park.
(turn at Casey’s General Store).
n MORE INFO
Amboy Depot Museum 227 E. Main St. Contact: 815-857-4700, 815-857-3814 information@amboydepotmuseum.orgor
Online: amboydepotmuseum.org or find Amboy Depot Museum on Facebook.
The museum is open April through October, and closed Nov. 1 through March 31 and on holidays. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri day and Saturday; closed Monday-Thursday. Museum doors close 30 minutes before closing time. Admission is by donation. Museum membership is available and is open to anyone who is inter ested 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. Membership forms are available at amboydepotmuseum.org/membership.pdf
Also reconstructed were the distinctive chimney caps on the build ing’s eight chim neys, fully restor ing the building to its original
8 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
he Amboy Depot Museum offers guests a whistle-stop tour of local history.
Located in a former depot and division headquarters of the Illinois Central Railroad, the museum is an architecturally unique two-story building built of brick and cut Joliet limestone, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
westStreet,downtowncaboose.engineretiredschoolhouse,roomfullytionalhousetainscomplexRailroad.Illinoisoffactsmuseumconfiguration.exteriorWithinthearearti-ofthehistoryAmboyandtheCentralThemuseumalsoconafreightwithaddiartifacts,arestoredone-countryasteamandaThemuseumisonMaintwoblocksofU.S.Route52
9Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 Challenging & Picturesque, A Great Golfing Experience • Outdoor Deck • Snack Bar • • Banquet Facility • Outings & Play Days • • New Member Discounts Available • 18 Hole Public Golf CourseShady Oaks 577 US 52 • Sublette • www.shadyoakscc.com815-849-5424like us on
t’s not every town that can say it has a population explosion once a year. But not every town rolls out the welcome mat like Amboy does — along with one heck of a car show and a tumbler full of tickets worth a potential six-figure cash prize. Thousands flood the streets of Amboy each year for the town’s annual Depot Days festival, a celebration of all things Amboy and all things fun in this city of 2,500 people — and they don’t just come for the car show and cash. Depot Days also offers four days of food stands, a beer garden, 5K run/walk, carnival, music and entertainment, the Miss Amboy Pageant and Little Miss Amboy pageant, a pancake breakfast, craft and vendor booths, communitywide garage sales, and more. The centerpiece of the celebration of city pride is the car show and the 50-50 raffle.
Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
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Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com Above: Lyla Stage, 9, of Rock Falls sits in Al Kammerer’s 1934 Ford during the 2022 Amboy Depot Days’ car show. Right: Newlyweds Kaitlin and Jordan Crane of Lasalle fill out their 50-50 raffle tickets during the car show.
DEPOT DAYS cont’d to page 11
DEPOT DAYS cont’d from page 10 More info depotdayscarshow.comdepotdays.comFind“AmboyDepotDays50/50Drawing”or“AmboyDepotDays”onFacebook Community banking since 1934 … we understand the importance of experience, growth, local decisions in your personal or business financial needs. The First National Bank in Amboy Amboy Dixon Franklin Grove Monroe Center www.fnbamboy.com 815 857 3625, ext. 5306 Where you come first. Marion King Franklin Grove NMLS# 1493020 Katie Gottman Monroe Center NMLS# 2339139 Annette Early Dixon NMLS# 686407 Elsa Payne Amboy NMLS# 1248405 Franny Lilja Amboy NMLS# 449810 Kelley Rippentrop Monroe Center NMLS# 2009242 Chas Cross Monroe Center NMLS# 1846547 Sarah Wiersema Amboy NMLS# 2041883 Susan Gomez Amboy NMLS# 1027602 Todd Murr Dixon NMLS# 591637 David Lloyd Franklin Grove NMLS# 1609858 Home and personal lenders Commercial and agriculture lenders SM-ST2009405 11Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
The car show is one of the largest in Illinois and often attracts more than 450 vehicles downtown in more than 35 classes, including restored classics, muscle cars, street rods, modified vehicles and unique/special interest vehicles. Participants also via for “Best Of” honors in several categories. Tractors also rumble into town for the show.
The raffle attracts people from near and far who load up on tickets for a chance to win the grand prize, which has topped the $100,000 mark in recent years. Last year’s winner, Tim Hord of Dixon, took home $105,580. In addition to the main pot this year, five others won prizes of $2,000 each during the 2022 festival, which ran from Aug. 25-28.
Depot Days raffle proceeds benefit a wide array of community organizations, including the his toric Amboy Depot Museum, local food pantries, Teen Turf, soccer program, school library and Girl Scouts, to name a few. n
The owners of this historic farm, located about 4 miles northeast of Amboy, sell fresh eggs, pork and alpaca yarn.
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.
242 E Main St. • Amboy • (815) 857-7020 Mon-Thurs 7am-9pm • Fri & Sat 7am-10pm • Sun 8am-8pm Full Service Grocery store offering Liquor department, Deli department, Meat department, Produce department Delivery available for disabled & senior citizens--in town only AMBOY FOOD & LIQUOR Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-2312
AMBOY CONFERENCE PLAQUE 9 S. East Ave. Amboy was one of the first Mormon Church settle ments. 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 227 E. Main St. Contact: 815-857-4700, 815-857-3814 or informa amboydepotmuseum.orgtion@amboydepotmuseum.organdon Facebook This Illinois Central Railroad depot, built in 1876, has been completely renovated and now is a 19-room museum reflecting the history of the Amboy area. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Other attractions adjoining the museum include a steam locomotive, a one-room schoolhouse, the Illinois Central Freight House, and a 1920s-era Norfolk & Western caboose all open to tour; free admission, donations wel comed; open April through October, and closed Nov. 1 through March 31 and on holidays. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Museum doors close 30 minutes before closing time.
CARSON PIRIE SCOTT STORE PLAQUE
55 S. East Ave. Samuel Carson and John Pirie opened Carson Pirie & Com
STONE HOME FARM 1125 Inlet Road, Lee Center stonehomefarm.com815-440-5556
TEMPERANCE HILL CEMETERY AND PRAIRIE PRESERVE
pany, 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 Car son 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 Bon-Ton 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 Car son’s. Carson’s was the oldest chain under the Bon-Ton umbrella, which also included the Bon-Ton parent stores, Boston Store, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s, and Younker’s. The Pirie and Scott names were dropped from the Car son’s banner upon Bergner’s sale to Bon-Ton. A plaque commemorates the site of the first store.
Off U.S. Route 52 north of Amboy, west of U.S. Route 52 and Inlet Road junction
Offers RV campsites, tent campsites (both primitive and sites with water & electric), swimming pool, rental units, and seasonal camp sites, and more. 642 U.S. Route 52 Contact: 815-849-5930 or mendota hillscamp@aol.com Online: mendotahillscampground.com and on Facebook
Contact: 815-849-5209 Online: woodhavenassociation.com and on Facebook 13
Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
mboy, 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:
Contact: 815857-2815 comaks@yahoo.greenriveroorOnline bookandaks.com,greenrivero:onFace
Offers cabin rentals, RV sites, tent sites, pool, mini golf, playground, ball filed, restaurant, theater, and more. 970 Green Wing Road
O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Jellystone Park
Contact: 877-570-2267 Online: campjellystone.com, or find O’Connell’s Yogi Bear Park on Facebook Pine ViewCampgrounds
Offers RV campsites, tent camp sites, low1273more.camping,seasonalfishingpond,swimmingpond,play-ground,andSleepyHolRoad
Woodhaven Lakes A members-only, private resort, Wood haven offers fishing, trails, lakes, swim ming pools, canoeing, sport courts, nature center, an amphitheater, general store, and more. 507 LaMoille Road, Sublette (3 miles west of U.S. Route 52)
Green River Oaks Camping Resort Offers RV campsites, tent campsites, rental units, seasonal campsites, swimming pools, fishing, playgrounds, planned activities and more. 1442 Sleepy Hollow Road
Contact: 815-8573964 Online: pineviewcamp grounds.com and on Facebook
Mendota CampgroundHills
14 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 Give Us A Call Sublette 815-849-5219 | LaMoille 815-638-2171 Our Family Protecting Auto • Home • Vacation Home • Farm Serving the area for
15Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 Call 815-638-2171Today!|Amboy815-857-2125 & ASSOCIATES INC. Protecting Your Family Farm • Crop • Business • Life & Health for over 50 years!
Flavors We bring life to products.TM 25 E. Main St., Amboy, IL 815-857-3691 SM-ST2009410 EAST GROVE UNION CHURCH – 449 Reuter Road; 815-3766661; online: Find it on Facebook FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH – 24 N. Mason Ave.; 815-8572682; 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 Sublette on Facebook IMMANUEL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – 960 U.S. Route 52; 815-857-2225; online: Facebook ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH – 32 N. Jones Ave.; 815-857-2315; online: stpatrickamboy.org or find "Parish St Patrick" on Facebook. UNITED FIRST CHURCH OF AMBOY – 326 E. Main St.; firstchurch.org/online: ucc.org,815-440-0745;unitedorfind it on Facebook FamilyRun, FamilyFun! www.greenriveroaks.com 1442SleepyHollowRoad,Amboy,IL greenriveroaks@yahoo.com Sports,Arts& Crafts,&ThemedWeekendsfortheWholefamily Annualseasonal,overnight, weekly&monthlysitesfor tents&campers;rentalunits Tubing,kayaking,rafting &newCorclrentals (815) 857-2815 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-2316
17Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 Experience the excellent food, friendly service and great value that have made us a neighborhood favorite for over 2 decades! SM-ST2010202 DEPOT TAP 49 S. East Ave. Amboy | (815) 857-3555
LEE COUNTY 4-H — Lee County Extension Office, 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525; findextension.illinois.edu/clw/4-h-lee-countyOnline:orLeeCounty4-HonFacebook
LEE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS — Lee County Extension Office, 280 W. Wasson Road, 815-857-3525; Online: edu/clw/master-gardenershttps://extension.illinois.
TEEN TURF INC. – 235 W. Main St., 815-857-4800; Online: Facebook
ILLINOIS CENTRAL MASONIC LODGE — 237 E. Main St.; meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month, January to June and September to December; Online: 178-il.ourlodgepage.com
ST. PATRICK’S WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION, ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH — 32 N. Jones Ave., 815-857-2315; Online: stpatrickamboy. org/womens-organization
SM-ST2009413 “GREAT DEALS - GREAT SERVICE SINCE 1926” CHEVROLET,BROTHERSVAESSEN800-227-5203INC. HIGHWAY 52, SUBLETTE, IL 61367 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
AMBOY EDUCATION FOUNDATION — 815-8572856; Online: Facebookamboy.net/amboy-education-foundation/https://sites.google.com/a/or
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 8277 — St. Patrick Catholic Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., 815857-2315; Online: Knightsknights-of-columbus,https://stpatrickamboy.org/kofc.org,orfindAmboyofColumbusonFacebook
DEPOT MUSEUM COMMISSION — 815-8574700; 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; Online: girlscout sni.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
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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 find "Amboy Illinois Lions Club" on Facebook AMERICAN LEGION & AUXILIARY POTHSLAVELLE, POST 453 — P.O. Box 112, meets third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.; 815973-4454; Online: Illinois-dist13-legion.org
AMBOY FAMILY RESTAURANT & PIZZA JUNCTION – 211 E. Main St.; 815-857-3985 CASEY’S GENERAL STORE (CARRYOUT PIZZA) – 308 E. Main St.; 815358-3992 DEPOT TAP – 49 Southeast Ave.; 815-857-3555; on Facebook LONG BRANCH SALOON – 55 S. East Ave.; 815-857-3486; on Facebook MARIA’S PIZZA – 110 E. Main St.; 815857-2200; find Maria's Pizza Amboy on Facebook MEUSEL’S DAIRY DELITE – 303 S. Mason Ave.; 815857-2050; 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; 815-8573482; on Facebook 204FuneralJonesHomesAskUsAboutOurGuaranteedPrearrangementContractsDIXONS.OttawaAve.815-288-2241 Christopher Jones 303AMBOYE.Main 815-857-2611St. Patrick R. Jones, Jr. www.thejonesfh.com Proud to be a leading distributor of turnout gear, SCBAS, tools,imagers,thermalrescueapparatus,andmore! 243 E Main St Amboy, IL info@dingesfire.com Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 19
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
20 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
KSBINFOMOREHospital 403 E. First St., ksbhospital.com815-288-5531Dixon KSB Center for AmboyServices,HealthClinic 308 E. Joe ksbhospital.com815-857-3044Drive
OSF Saint Paul Medical Center 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route org/saint-paulosfhealthcare.815-539-746134)
he Amboy community is served by two area hospitals, a clinic and a nursing and therapeutic care facility.
OSF Saint Paul Medical Center
Mendota Community Hospital, now named OSF Saint Paul Medical Center, opened its doors in June 1951. An entirely new, acute-care facility was opened in 2011, employing more than 300 people. It's the newest member of the OSF Healthcare Sys tem and was welcomed into the Ministry in April 2015.The hospital has a 24/7, physician-staffed emer gency room and an intensive care unit. It offers other services, including cardiopulmonary care, gastroen terology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, podiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology, and surgery.
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 bal ance center, cancer center, diabetes center, foot and ankle center, sleep lab, occupational therapy, and hos pice and home nursing care, among several other medical services. In 2006, KSB opened a $3 million, state-of-the-art cardiovascular ser vices lab and endoscopy area. And in 2011, it completed a $16 million expansion of the outpatient surgery and emergency departments. In spring 2014, a newly renovated Intensive Care Unit was opened.
A community health services department pro vides 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 dis eases.Italso offers home health services, magnetic reso nance imaging, a CT scanner, and it has its own reha bilitation services department. n
21Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 SM-ST1911440 Toni L. Trego DVM *Please Call For Appointment* 815-857-2215 or 815-857-3121 Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 8-5 Tues & Sat 8-12 315 S. Mason Ave. (On Hwy 52) Amboy Veterinary Clinic & Trego Veterinary Service
pmlamboy@gmail.com
Today, about a third of Amboy residents have a library card, and the library has more than 23,500 volumes. The library also offers an online e-book service. Its mission, according to its website, is "to select, acquire, organize and preserve books and other materials of contem porary interest and permanent value for the education, enjoyment and intellectual stimula tion of the entire community. The Library also strives to guide young people toward a love of reading and an awareness of books and other library materials as a means of satisfying their needs and interests." Library cards are free for people who live within the city limits and are good for 3 years. For those outside the city limits, cards are $50 for 1 year.
The Women’s Club now is the Amboy Civic Organization, but it continues to support the library through fundraising efforts. Pankhurst Memorial Library has been updated with a ramp and elevator to make it accessible to the disabled. Services to patrons include interlibrary loans, online e-book loans, programs and events for all ages, a copier and fax machine, DVD's, and a meeting room.
In 1928, James W. Pankhurst, a prominent farmer in the area, donated money for a new 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. The first borrower’s card went to Pankhurst when the library opened July 6, 1929. That day, 93 people registered for cards and 115 books were checked out. By the end of the library’s first fiscal year on May 9, 1930, the library had 508 registered bor rowers and a collection of 2,756 volumes, includ ing 2,061 adult books, 695 children’s books and nine newspapers and magazines.
22Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 n 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 each adult and 25 cents to each child patron. By 1922, the library had 2,800 volumes.
MemorialPankhurtLibrary 3 S. Jefferson Ave. Contact: 815-857-3925 or Online: amboy.lib.il.us and on Facebook Hours: 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday & Wednesday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday & Thursday; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday & Saturday MORE INFO
23To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
SHADY OAKS GOLF COURSE, 577 U.S. Route 52, Sublette, 815849-5424; 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 Wom en’s Club dedicated the park in fall 1919 to the veterans of World War I. Go to forboy.org/parkscityofam-moreinforma-tiononAmboyparks
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 MARSH NATURE RESERVE TRAILS – 1701 Mormon Road, 217-5442473; hike or bike trails through the 302acre wetland with black oak sand savan nas, 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, hik ers and birders. The 2,565-acre area includes prairie restorations, timber lands and a camping area.
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 SPORTS PARK – corner of Appleton Avenue and Main Street; soccer, football and baseball fields, plus a play ground, concession stand and bathrooms.
Get
At Amboy Junior High, fifth- through eighth-graders take courses in English, language arts, math, science, social studies, art and computers. Opportuni ties are available for advanced math, pre-algebra and algebra. All students can participate in beginning band, band, pep band and jazz band. Sixththrough eighth-graders also can join chorus. Extracurricular opportunities include an art club, computer club, academic team, student council, wres tling, volleyball, basketball and track. The school is the home of the Vikings.
11 E. Hawley
30 E. Provost St.
24 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
11 E. Hawley Online:815-857-2164St.amboy.net
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 hol idays and other school activities, is available on the district website.
140 S. Appleton Ave.
hrough 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.
Amboy Junior High School
Principal:Online:815-857-3619www.amboy.net/central.htmlJoyceSchamberger
Principal:Online:815-857-3632St.www.amboy.net/ahs.htmlJanetCrownhart
Amboy High School
Amboy Community Unit School District No. 272
Amboy High School was formed as part of Amboy CUSD 272 in 1949 in Lee County. This district replaced the for mer Amboy Township High School Dis trict. 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.
Principal:Online:815-857-3528www.amboy.net/ajhs.htmlAndrewFull
and on Facebook
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 edu cation services in all grades.
Amboy Central Elementary
The fully accredited college, which sits on a 144-acre campus at 173 state Route 2, between Dixon and Sterling, serves about 1,800 full- and part-time students a year from 16 in-district high schools, 18 states and three for eign countries, in courses that include GED and ESL classes, community enrichment courses, business training and dual credit courses for highschoolers.Sauk offers 2-year transfer asso ciate degrees in art or science in more than 40 areas, degrees,degrees,career-technical2224associateandanassociate in engineering science degree, along with 50 career-techni calIncertificates.November 2018, Sauk’s ag students harvested their first crop of corn and soybeans at the college, part of the college’s new and rapidly growing agricul tureTheprogram.college also offers mens and womens 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 Cru sade for Christ and Math Club, which contribute to the vibrant campus life. Students also have access to a full fitness center and weight room.
As part of its commitment to the region’s economic development, in early 2016 Sauk launched its Small Business Development Center, and the Sauk Valley Community College Community Leadership Program. The center is a resource for small business owners and aspiring entre preneurs, in collaboration with the Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls cham bers of commerce, city and county officials, and local banks. The leadership course is a 10-month skills-building pro gram in conjunction with area interestdesignedmanufacturers,topiquestudents’inthetradesatanearlierage,andbridgetheskillsgapfacedbylocalmanufacturers.StudentsalsohaveaccesstotheSaukYMCA.Thecollegehasalsomadeseveralmilliondollarsinimprovements,maintenanceandupgradestoitsbuildingin recent years, upgrading technology, expanding classrooms and training facilities, renovating the West Mall. The science, math and technology labs underwent major remodeling and upgrading a year or 2 before that. The college also has beefed up its Multicraft Technology program, in which local manufacturers partner with Sauk and the Whiteside Area Career Center to educate, train and employ workers and reduce the local trade skills gap, through internships and classes; 2017 saw enrollment in that program double. Moreinfo Go to svcc.edu, call 815-835-6273, or find it on Face-book for more information about Sauk Valley Com munity College.
25Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23
auk Valley Community College has been on a mission to provide quality education to its diverse student body since its doors opened in 1965.
HERE TO GUIDE YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY 1922 TOWER RD. SUBLETTE, IL. 61367 LORI ERBES, DESIGNATED MANAGING BROKER, 815.535.6296 ERBES REALTY LLC. SERVICE PROVIDERS Republic Services 1214 S. Bataan Road, Dixon, and723-3200, republicservices.com815-onFacebook 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 or find “Center Amboy Community” on Facebook Amboy Water Department 227 E. Main St., Amboy, 815-8573814, utilities/https://cityofamboy.com/ ComEd (electricity) 919 W. First St., Dixon, 800-3347661, comed.com Comcast (cable/Internet) 800-934-6489, comcast.com KSB Hospital 403 E. First St., Dixon, 815-2885531, ksbhospital.com Lee County Animal Control 280 E Progress Drive, Dixon, 815284-3833, Animal-Controlleecountyil.com/158/ Nicor (gas) 1844 Ferry Road, Naperville, 888642-6748, nicor.com OSF Saint Paul Medical Center 1401 E. 12th St. (U.S. Route 34), Mendota; 815-539-7461, mendota/www.osfhealthcare.org/practices/https:// 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 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-2326
27Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 The Telegraph/Sauk Valley Media (news outlet) 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, saukvalley.com815-284-2222 Amboy News (news outlet) 245 E. Main St., Amboy 815-857-2311, amboynews.com815-857-2517 GOVERNMENT/MUNICIPALAmboyCityHall 227 E. Main St., Amboy, 815-8573814, cityofamboy.com City Maintenance Building 1 Water St., 815-857-2422 Illinois Secretary of State (driver/ vehicle services) 925 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon 815-288-6685 Lee County Clerk 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-2883309, cuit-Clerkleecountyil.com/183/CirLee County Treasurer 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-2884477, leecountyil.com/268/Treasurer Lee County Chief of Assessments 112 E. Second St., Dixon, 815-2884483, County-Assessmentleecountyil.com/171/ChiefNON-EMERGENCY NUMBERS Amboy Police Department 227 E. Main St., 815-857-3400 Fire & ambulance 25 N. East Ave., 815-857-2325 Lee County Sheriff 306 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon, 815-284-5217 IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911 SM-ST2009412 PROFESSIONAL AUTO BODY SERVICES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES Shop: 815-849-9090 • Cell: 815-739-8121 sublettecollisioncenter@yahoo.com 344 US RT 52, Sublette, IL 61367 QUALITY • CONVENIENCE • RELIABILITY WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE WE ARE THE BEST PART OF A BAD SITUATION!
28 Get To Know Us: Amboy | 2022-23 KSB CENTER FOR HEALTH SERVICES AMBOY CLINIC ▪ ▪ ▪ MURRIN,LEE NP Family Medicine CROWE,KURT MD Family Medicine BOCKER,EMILEE MD Family Medicine MAUREN,NATHANDPM Foot & Ankle Schedule an appointment at (815) 857-3044Schedule an appointment at (815) 857-3044
