SVM_Carroll County Living_Fall/Winter 2025

Eastland students learn to be at the top of their game

A Lanark teen loves being in the loop Hotel guests enjoy inn/habiting the past in Mt. Carroll

River offers some Mighty nice sights to see

When it comes to finding a profession and sticking with it, a familiar face in Milledgeville has raised the bar, greeting people with a cold beer and a warm welcome for five decades and counting / p. 14

Try our signature drink “The Filthy Marilyn”

SUNDAY FUNDAY! Featuring live music the last Sunday of every month. 6

Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman

Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader For Advertising

Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com

Published by Sauk Valley Media

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Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Carroll County Living may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine 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.

6 Rated ‘E’ for esports

... and for Eastland too, where the high school has found a way to engage, educate and entertain students in a club that helps them do their level best to be at the top of their game.

20 Inn/habiting the past

At the corner of a street of Clay and a street of brick in Mount Carroll stands a place that bridges the past and the present, a historical hotel where guests can relax and revisit a simpler time.

CARROLL COUNTY LOCKER

•Retail Meat & Hamburger for Sale

•Custom Slaughter & Processing

•Locally Raised Beef & Hogs

E. Carroll Street Lanark, IL 61046 (815) 493-2370

30 She loves being in the loop

A Lanark teen’s talent is keeping her in stitches, and giving her customers a lot to smile about too, courtesy of the cute creations that have helped her learn what it’s like to run a business.

36 Pooling nature’s resources

What’s deposited between two banks, generates a lot of interest from people, and is responsible for a huge cash flow? A mighty river that’s overflowing with things to do.

RATED FOR ...

ade Miller can’t wait to get his hands on the controls of his Rocket League car after school on Friday nights.

The Eastland High School junior doesn’t actually have a car entered in any motor sports league, but he still drives one — and what’s more, he plays soccer with it.

How did he get in the driver’s seat of a rocket-powered ride that defies speed limits, and gravity, tearing across and above a soccer field, sending balls careening toward goals? Simple: He just joined an extracurricular club at school.

Miller is one of around a dozen students who are part of the school’s esports program. Es ports (short for electronic sports) is competitive video gaming that involves skilled players and organized tournaments. It’s also become a big part of high schools’ extracurricular offerings.

Esports is an officially sanctioned high school sport, with rules and guidelines, leagues, tournaments, and a growing number of students taking part. Here at home, the Illinois High School Esports Association was formed to help support schools’ esports programs. Colleges are getting in on the action too, helping students who are seeking a higher education.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), more than 200 colleges and universi- ties offer nearly $15 million in esports scholarships.

Esports can also help students personally and academically, offering lessons in competitiveness and teamwork, improving social skills, and even improving their grades.

In other words, esports isn’t just fun and games.

ESPORTS cont’d to page 8

“It’s a lot of team building,” Miller said. “It’s a lot of working together to win. You can have a lot of good players and they’d still not win if they can’t coordinate correctly. It’s mainly about teamwork. Skill is valuable, but a lot of it is through knowing your team and working with them.”

Take Rocket League: Billed as a “high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem,” the game involves skill and strategy: figuring out force and angles, multiplying mass by acceleration, and determining crafty parabolas that score goals. Teamwork and life lessons come into play too, when students learn to overcome challenges and defeat while honing their skills, with support and encouragement from students and faculty advisers.

Video games have been an American staple for decades, dating back to the 1970s when Pong and Atari came onto the scene before exploding in popularity during the ‘80s — and they’ve come a long since a few lines bumped a square ping poll ball back and forth. As technology evolved, so did video games, leaving the confines of arcades and TVs and finding a world of possibilities online. Today, players can compete with someone on the other side of the world. In the past 20 years, online competitions gave video gaming a whole new dimension. Schools have picked up on the craze in the past decade, and the Illinois High School Association began a statewide competition series in 2022.

Eastland’s program began in late 2023 after its program co-adviser, Joshua Ehlers, found it was a good way to engage students and give them something to do when they weren’t in school. When Ehlers started the program, Miller — who learned about high school competitions while in eighth grade — was one of its first seven students. At the end of the 2024-25 school year, participation more than doubled to 15, and the group now has a co-adviser, Pat Foltz.

“Esports is about building a community through competitive video gaming,” Ehlers said. “It’s ‘The Breakfast Club’ of today. You bring kids together from all walks of life who can come here and have fun making great friendships and have an experience that you might not get elsewhere.”

As to whether esports is an actual sport, Miller offers his opinion: “They say that, and I’m half-there and I’m half-not. You’re not doing anything physically, but it’s very mental. It’s half-andhalf because it’s still a competition. You’re still working to win as a team, just like basketball, but in a different way.”

The program meets on Fridays at the school’s media center from January to April or May, depending on how far the group advances in IHSA competition. Students are divided into groups who play various games that IHSA offers in state series competition. In addition to Rocket League, games also include the racing game Mario Kart, one-on-one combat in Super Smash Bros., playing football on Madden NFL 25, and EA Sports FC, another soccer game.

Another difference between today’s games and their Atariage ancestors: There’s more than just “beating the game.” There’s scoring points, yes, but players also focus on getting the task done quickly and efficiently, and with a sense of style in their game play, all while remembering that they’re part of a group where trust is important.

“It’s teamwork and communication,” Ehlers said. “When these kids go and compete at the sectional level, like in Mario Kart for example, they’re racing, but they’re also like flying in a squadron, because they have to communicate as far as placement goes and know who is around us and who our potential threats are. With the communication skills, they have to be precise, they have to be clear, and they have to be able to think quickly. There’s communication skills, problem-solving skills; and if the situation you’re in changes, how do you change your strategy or play? You got to be thinking on the fly or be thinking creatively.”

Sophie Preston also was one of the program’s original seven students. The junior has been the only girl in the program the past couple of years, and that aspect has added some competitive nature to her experience, she said. Mario Kart is one of her favorite games, and she also enjoys playing Fortnite.

“There’s never a dull moment,” Preston said. “It’s always entertaining, whether you’re good at a game or not good at it. Even if we lose, we still pick each other up, so we make very good bonds with everyone.”

Eastland High School esports

advisers Josh Ehlers (left) and Pat Foltz foster an environment that combines fun and learning. “There’s communication skills, problemsolving skills ... You got to be thinking on the fly or be thinking creatively,”

Ehlers said.

Sophomore Oliver Allen enjoys playing video games and the thought of being able to do it in a school setting appealed to him, especially while having fun with fellow players. He said he enjoys being part of a team and picking up tips from his teammates.

“It’s a real relaxed environment, and you can just come in here and can play games,” Allen said. “There are really comfy chairs. We’re here being casual and having fun while we’re at it.”

In Super Smash Bros., characters compete in one-on-one combat with each other, as characters from various Nintendo games, to knock them off a platform using fight moves and a variety of gadgets. Each character has their own unique skill sets.

“There’s a lot of learning with it, like with different combos and things, you got to take your time and try to get better and better at it,” Allen said. “There’s a lot of progression. Where the variety comes in play is, depending on what character you choose, it depends on how you can play with it. If you have a real heavy character, you have less damage and can fling him off the [platform]; if you’re playing a real light character that doesn’t do much damage, you have to play more efficiently.”

The team hones their skills in competitions against regional schools during the first four months of the season before competing in IHSA competition at the sectional level (a similar concept to sports competition in track and field and swimming and diving).

The Chadwick-Milledgeville and West Carroll school districts also have esports programs. It’s still a fledgling activity throughout northern Illinois, and since not many schools in the region offer it, Eastland has to compete in sectional competitions against much larger suburban schools if they want to advance to the state final competition.

Eastland High School esports club members, from top: Oliver Allen, Cade Miller and Sophie Preston, during a recent club meeting in the school library.

Get in the game

Find Eastland Schools on Facebook, go to eastland308.com/o/ecusd/page/e-sports or email adviser Josh Ehlers at jehlers@eastland308.com to learn more about Eastland High School’s esports program. Eports programs also are offered at West Carroll and Chadwick-Milledgeville schools. Call West Carroll at 815-273-7715 or Chadwick-Milledgeville at 815-225-7141 to learn more.

While going up against bigger schools has been a challenge, Ehlers is hopeful that the program will continue to grow throughout the region — perhaps through a cooperative arrangement with bordering districts – and that other schools can experience the benefits of esports.

Esports also has a presence at the college level, with Highland Community College in Freeport and Clinton Community College in Clinton having programs.

“I feel we’re reaching success, and I want to share that success with other schools,” Ehlers said. “ If I can get more schools in northwest Illinois to get on board, we can take this up the road and go against other schools. We could have a community of schools where we can challenge each other and make it be like an academic bowl, and in that aspect of it, you can pull in more kids as well. As these kids are continuing to have the success that they’re having, they’re going to bring in more of their friends as well.”

More than just a competitive outlet, esports helps foster a sense of community among students who may have thought it was “game over” for extracurriculars. According to the NFHS, 45% of current esport players in the U.S. say the program is their first experience in an after-school activity.

With any luck — and skill — it may not be their last. By creating a structured, inclusive environment, Eastland is using esports as a platform to connect students, encourage responsibility and build lasting relationships.

“My vision is to figure out how we can build a community within here,” Ehlers said. “They are somewhere where they are held accountable and where they belong.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

It’s 2 p.m. on a weekday, and Marilyn Long comes to work and takes her place behind the bar where she waits for her first customers of the day to drop in.

Through the front window looking out toward state Route 40, she sees a car slow down and turn in to the driveway of Wally’s Playce, where she’s worked early afternoons for the past seven years.

If she recognizes the car, she knows who’s behind the wheel and that’s her cue to grab a can of beer from the cooler or mix a drink and have it ready before the car door closes and the bar door opens. She even remembers where they like to sit, and that’s where she puts the drink.

It’s a familiar routine for the bar manager at Wally’s, and she’s a familiar face to the regulars who stop by to bend an elbow and bend her ear.

For Marilyn and the folks she serves, it’s their

While Long’s a pro at pouring a drink and setting up the suds, it’s the routine she appreciates— the people she meets, the regulars who stop by, the stories she hears. She’s at home behind the bar, and she makes her customers feel at home, too.

Wally’s is the latest in a long line of jobs in the service industry for Marilyn, and while her seven years at the same job is worth raising a glass to, that’s just the tip of the ice cube.

Marilyn has been in the food and drink business for nearly 50 years.

Cheers to quite a few years ... Marilyn Long, bar manager at Wally’s Playce in Milledgeville, has been serving up beer and drinks throughout Carroll and Whiteside counties since the 1970s. What’s her secret to staying in the business for so long? Simple: “I like people,” she said. “They bring joy to me.” Marilyn is seen here with her signature drink, the “Filthy Marilyn.”

Most of that time has been spent behind the bar and in front of customers, and close to home, with the Milledgeville native working mostly in Carroll and Whiteside counties. She’s poured more drinks than she can count, and there’s not much she hasn’t seen or heard. But those decades of experience have given her a gift of gab that helps her strike up conversations with just about anyone who warms a bar stool or pulls up a chair.

LONG cont’d to page 16

Ken Duncan, general manager of Wally’s Playce, is happy to have Marilyn behind the bar, and she’s happy to be there.

“She has a home here as long as she wants it,” he said.

She won’t reveal her exact age, other than to say that she’s in her 80s, but that hasn’t stifled her stamina. She can still stay on her feet the whole time she’s on the clock —and that’s even after she had to take a year off nearly a decade ago for hip surgery.

“I like the people, and I like to be busy,” Long said. “It keeps me going, the customers keep me going. And I like my boss. They’re all good people. It gives me joy. I have my customers who come every day.”

Long tends to Wally’s early shifts: She’s there when the place opens at 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday until 6, from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday and from noon to 6 p.m. every other Saturday.

Long’s command of the bar, along with the respect she commands, has earned her the nickname “’Ma” with both customers and staff. She’s even got a drink named after her: the Filthy Marilyn — a strong concoction of lemon juice, 7up, Seagram’s 7, dark cherry cocktail juice and a cherry. It’s only been her special drink for a few years, after learning about it from a visiting mixologist.

LONG cont’d to page 17

“I’ve been making a lot of those lately. It’s nice. I make them strong for everyone but me.”

While she’s become a familiar face at the Playce, Marilyn is no stranger to being recognized. Through the years, she’s also worked at Rhandy’s in Lanark, Spare Time Bowling Alley and Lucky Strike Lanes in Milledgeville (now The Other Bar), The Homestead in Sterling (recently where Candlelight Inn was in town), The Mill Wheel Tavern in Milledgeville, Manny’s in Freeport and Fulton, and 28 years working four nights a week at Sievert’s in Mount Carroll, then owned by Manny Castro and Sharon Woodhurst, owners of Manny’s Pizza.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Long worked at Sievert’s throughout most of her time there while also working at Elkay in Lanark; she would drive from Lanark to Mount Carroll in her work uniform and change at Sievert’s.

“When I was young, I wanted to be an owner of a bar and a restaurant,” Long said. “It’s just never happened, but I’ve worked waitress jobs.”

Long came to Wally’s in 2018, not long after general manager Ken Duncan opened the place, named for Duncan’s stepfather Wally Mennenga. Long brought her wealth of bartending experience with her — a skill set that’s made “Ma” a favorite with customers who treat her like family, bringing her Christmas and birthday gifts. She’s even got a fan club of sorts: the Friday Friends Club.

Duncan remembers being a kid and seeing Long when she worked at Sievert’s — and it would have been hard to miss her. She only missed one day of work during he nearly 30 years there; and she hasn’t missed a day at Wally’s yet.

LONG cont’d to page 18

A LOCAL FAVORITE!

Can you solve it? Yes you can! ... Fans of pop culture can pass the time rising to the challenge on Wally’s wall, where they can scan the hundreds of cans affixed there.

“Everybody loves Marilyn,” says Wally’s general manager Ken Duncan, especially the bar’s regulars, like Kenny Stanley of Coleta (above). She’s his favorite bartenders at Wally’s. “There’s friendly people here” Stanley said, “ … This is a good place, and it has to do with the atmosphere. I can come in here and I can tease a lot of people. I’d rather go here than any other bar.”

LONG cont’d from page 17

“That’s just the work ethic she has,” Duncan said. “Everybody loves Marilyn. People come from all around to see Marilyn. At Christmas time, people will bring her gifts; one end of the bar was once piled with gifts for Marilyn. She’s a sweet lady.”

It’s not often that Long sees a former regular from her Sievert’s days at Wally’s, but everyone once in a while some will stop in. Having seen thousands of faces from behind the bar through the years, she doesn’t remember everyone she’s met — but they remember her. Recently, a group of four-wheelers stopped by, and “they came in and one of them said, ‘I remember you,’” Long said. “They were from Amboy. They came back. Great people.”

Times have changed since Long started in the business in the 1970s. There weren’t as many brands of beer back then as there are today, especially with craft varieties,

and there are always new cocktail recipes. If one comes up that Marilyn doesn’t know, she’ll ask the customer what’s in it. Another change she’s seen: smoke-free bars.

Long didn’t have her first drink until well into her tenure at Sievert’s, a refreshing sloe gin fizz cocktail, she recalled, with sloe gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda. Another big change in the bar business since her early days is the drinking age, which was 19 in Illinois from 1973 to 1980, when it changed to 21.

When Long was in high school, Illinois’ drinking laws were unique: It was 18 for women and 21 for men until 1961, when it become 21 for both, and then reduced 12 years later.

“I can remember when I was 18, they would ask me to buy booze for them,” Long said. “My dad would have killed me if I had a drink.”

LONG cont’d to page 19

Marilyn isn’t the only attraction at Wally’s: Duncan had a large collection of empty pop cans from the 1980s and ’90s — popular brands, off-brands, Aldi store cans and even the yellow with black cans of generic beer sold at Eagle Foods — cleaned and hot glued to one of the walls. The display often sparks memories and conversations among customers. They can even be a challenge, with customers tasked with figuring out the total number of cans, finding the lone beer can in the bunch, locating the one can displayed upside town, and finding all 49 state-themed 7up cans, and then figuring out which state is missing.

Winners of the pop can challenge earn a kiss from the bartender, at their discretion of course (for the record, Long has kissed only two winners).

Wally’s Playce (and Marilyn’s, too!)

Wally’s Playce, 6 S. Washington St. in Milledgeville, is open 2 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, noon to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Find it on Facebook for more information.

“I always tell my staff: ‘Why do people come to a bar? If they just wanted to drink, they’d go by a 30-pack, sit in their garage and drink,” Duncan said. “They come here for camaraderie, conversation and entertainment. They come to the bar for the social environment. She’s ‘Ma’ to everyone.”

Kenny Stanley, 87, of Coleta is one of Long’s regulars. Long said her favorite memory of Stanley was a time when he brought her sweet corn — and Marilyn? She’s his favorite of Wally’s bartenders.

“It’s close to home. There’s friendly people here. I like my booze. This is a

good place, and it has to do with the atmosphere. I can come in here and I can tease a lot of people. I’d rather go here than any other bar,” he said.

Duncan has come to appreciate not just the skills Marilyn brings to his business, but her terrific personality, friendly smile, and her caring and trustworthiness, he said.

“She found her home here, that’s for sure,” Duncan said. “She has a home here as long as she wants it.”

And Long is happy to have found it: “This is my home away from home,” she said. “I like people. They bring joy to me. That’s my life. They make my life.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

from the

CUTTER CODY BY SAUK VALLEYMEDIA

In the heart of Mount Carroll’s storybook down town, where the past and present intersect along brick streets lined with small-town charm, a stately building stands on the same corner where it’s been for more than 100 years, welcoming tourists and travelers alike — people who’ve come seeking more than just a room, but a moment in time.

Beneath a decorative cornice where the building’s birthday towers overhead and ornate stars remain anchored to the past, guests walk through double doors and into history. With ornate furniture, warm lighting and echoes of 19th-century elegance, the Bridgewater Inn hearkens back to a long-ago chapter of hospitality.

Inside, echoes of history can still be heard in walls that have many stories to tell. This 139-year-old hotel has hosted dignitaries and doctors, survived fire, and battled decline and decades of mixed use before Maria and Brian Krull gave it a new lease on life as a place to stay for a day or an extended time away. The Krulls have poured their lives into restoring the once-shuttered Hotel Glen View into a haven of charm and comfort.

“You can come here just to relax and get away from everything, just to forget everything,” Maria said. “That’s what I usually tell everyone: That’s all you need to do. Everyone’s always so busy, and some people are here to see their family. When they leave, they’ll be, ‘This is just wonderful.’”

The hotel has 10 rooms — six suites and four with kitchenettes, and all equipped with TV, wifi, and a coffee maker. The Krulls also plan to add more rooms in the future utilizing existing space. Rooms are available at flat rate prices with no weekend or holiday premiums, and there are no minimum stay requirements.

Maria Krull, who owns the Bridgewater Inn in Mount Carroll with her husband Brian, wears a lot of hats at the hotel — booking, housekeeping, guest services — an adventure that began several years ago after Brian first saw the hotel and fell in love with it. He told the owners at the time to let him know if they ever wanted to sell it — about six months later, they did. “My husband came home and said, ‘I think we bought a hotel.’”

Austin

You probably see and hear a lot about alcohol-from TV, movies, music, social media, and your friends. But what are the real facts? Here are some common myths and facts about alcohol use.

All of the other kids drink alcohol. You need to drink

Don’t believe the hype: Most young people don’t drink alcohol! Research shows that almost 85 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds haven’t had a drink in the past month.1

Drinking alcohol will make people like you.

There’s nothing likable about stumbling around, passing out, or puking on yourself. Drinking alcohol can also make your breath smell bad.

Drinking is a good way to loosen up at parties.

Drinking is a dumb way to loosen up. It can make you act foolish, say things you shouldn’t say, and do things you wouldn’t normally do. In fact, drinking can increase the likelihood of fights and risky sexual activity.2

Alcohol isn’t as harmful as other drugs

Your brain doesn’t stop growing until about age 25, and drinking can affect how it develops. Plus, alcohol increases your risk for many diseases, such as cancer. It can also cause you to have accidents and get injured, sending you to the emergency room.5

Beer and wine are safer than liquor.

Alcohol is alcohol. A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a shot of liquor (1.5 ounces) all have the same amount of alcohol.6

You can sober up quickly by taking a cold shower or drinking coffee.

There’s no magic cure to help you sober up. One drink can take at least an hour to leave your body and sometimes takes even longer. And there’s nothing you can do to make that happen quicker.

There’s no reason to wait until you’re 21 to drink.

When you’re young, drinking alcohol can make learning new things more difficult. Also, people who begin drinking before they turn 15 are more likely to develop a drinking problem at some point in their lives than those who begin drinking at age 21 or older.

You can drink alcohol and you won’t get into trouble.

All states and Washington, D.C., have 21-year-old minimum-drinking-age laws.10 If you get caught drinking, you might have to pay a fine, do community service, take alcohol awareness classes, or even spend time in jail.

Don’t wait-get help. Talk to a parent, doctor, teacher, or anyone you trust. If you’re more comfortable speaking with someone you don’t know, call the confidential SAMHSA National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (800662-4357) (English and Spanish). You can find substance misuse treatment services near you by visiting SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator at findtreatment.gov. Think you or your friend has an alcohol problem?

Maria wears more than one hat at The Bridgewater. She’s also its clerk, personally booking guests’ reservations. She and Brian live in a suite on the third floor. When she books guests, she likes to get to know a little about their stay and even offer dinner suggestions to those who are new to the area. “You never know what they’re in the mood for,” she said. And when guests make reservations, they do it by picking up the phone or e-mailing; no online booking services like Expedia getting in the middle of things.

Maria also is the chairperson of Carroll County’s Hotel-Motel Committee, which helps hospitality business owners find ways to attract people to town. At the Bridgewater, the Krulls have had guests who have family members performing at Timber Lake Playhouse south of town, and touring crews for acts at the Rhythm Section Amphitheater north of town. Day trip guests are another group, those either just visiting the area or passing through. Family members who are visiting relatives in town and need a place to stay represent another active group, and the kitchenettes also have been used for extended stays by people having their

homes renovated.

When their stay is over, Maria usually jokes with them about them going “back to reality.”

“I’ve heard people who have been like. ‘We could stay at a chain, but we want to experience your downtown,’” Maria said. “They enjoy the streets and looking around at all of the houses, and they think our stores are really cute. They’ll ask what there is to do here, and I’ll tell them that it’s more of the outdoors. We have shops, but it’s definitely an outdoorsy area. I’ll bring up the playhouse and the state parks and their trails.”

Tourism and the arts aren’t the only draws to Mount Carroll. As Carroll County’s seat of government, the city has a history of attracting people of prominence and importance to town, including politicians, professors, attorneys and doctors — most of who came for a temporary stay. The Mount Carroll Hotel Company was formed by Benjamin Patch in the early 1800s to accommodate them, and the company built the Hotel Glen View in 1886, with David Conklin as its first general manager and August Olson as the culinary manager of its dining room. Conklin’s tenure as manager was brief — he died from a stroke in 1889 — and Olson would become general manager a few years later.

The hotel survived a fire in 1896, largely due to the quick response of the fire department, who were on the scene in just three minutes. The hotel’s early history, including details of the fire, has been commemorated on a plaque on the street corner as a stop on the Mt. Carroll Historic Preservation Advisory Committee’s walking tour.

BRIDGEWATER cont’d to page 25

After going through several owners, the Hotel Glen View closed in 1976 and was converted into other uses for the next four decades: apartments, a flower shop, law offices, the county’s Republican headquarters, and a mini-mall of smaller shops. Eventually, the building caught the attention of the Krulls, who started investing in property in town while living in the suburbs.

During a visit to town one day, Brian saw the former hotel and thought it would be a good candidate for a remodel and restoration, returning it to its former glory. He kept in touch with then-owners Larry and Laura DeSpain, who decided to sell to the Krulls in 2017, around the time Brian started an early retirement from his job.

“By chance, he would walk downtown, see the building, met Larry … and had a tour,” Maria said. “He fell in love with the building, and he said to Larry, ‘If you ever want to sell, let me know.’ About six months later, Larry spotted Brian at our property and was like, ‘We’re ready to sell.’ My husband came home and said, ‘I think we bought a hotel.’”

The Krulls had remodeled homes before, but the three-story hotel was their biggest project yet, taking 8 years and counting. Rooms were remodeled, kitchenettes added and the front lobby returned to its former elegance. They are about three-quarters through with their remodeling plans, and when all is said and done they hope to have 18 rooms available. There are no plans to bring back a dining room, but the lobby does have a coffee bar.

Restoring the hotel has been their “next phase” in life, Maria said and they try to get a major project done each year during the slow months. Another part of bringing the past back to the present is finding decor and period pieces of furniture to add. Most of the hotel’s original items were sold at auction

upon its closure, but Maria’s had the owners of pieces of the hotel’s history contact her about helping bring pieces back home.

“It’s been fun,” Maria said. “There have been some struggles trying to figure out how to make things work, but meeting new people and learning a lot of history is what really caught our attention. We’ve done so much remodeling, and sometimes the plans change in the middle. You got to be very flexible.”

The Krulls have furnished the lobby with pieces reminiscent of the hotel’s first few decades, such as ornate chairs, and added vintage-style decor including tables and drapes. They procured many of their items just down the brick street, from The Mad Hatter’s Ideas and Designs, owned by Len and Linda Anderson (the Mad Hatter was featuring in the Spring 2025 issue of Carroll County Living; read it at issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/carroll_county_living_-_spring_2025). One of the unique items that’s found a home at the hotel is a chess set with empty Avon perfume bottles as its pieces. Len also helped them acquire an 1899 Henry F. Miller Co. piano that was manufactured in Boston and last located in Iowa before coming to Mount Carroll. Some guests still like to tickle the ivories during their stays.

BRIDGEWATER cont’d to page 29

Left: Benjamin Patch, president of the Mt. Carroll Hotel Company when the Hotel Glen View was built in 1886.

Right: August T. Olson, culinary manager when the Hotel Glen View opened, later became its manager.

The Bridgewater Inn has been part of Mount Carroll’s history since 1886, when The Hotel Glen View was built by the Mt. Carroll Hotel Company. Today, owners Maria and Brian Krull are committed to preserving this piece of local history. The rooms are tastefully appointed with pieces reminiscent of its past, while still offering modern amenities that today’s guests expect.

The Bridgewater Inn, seen today (far left) and during the 1940s (left). Below: The hotel’s old cash register from its days as the Glen View Hotel — it doesn’t ring up guests’ bills anymore, but it’s still on duty, as decor behind the hotel’s coffee bar.

Oldest Working Hotel”

Maria Krull stands in front of a piece of artwork that’s become a favorite of both guests and local visitors: a painting of sights throughout Carroll County, by local artist Armella Kneale, who was also an instructor at the former Shimer College in town. “People come in, especially people who have lived here and are staying here, and they’re like, ‘I can’t believe you guys have this.’ They’re excited to see all of the different places.”

PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

UPCOMING

“One guest came here with his friend for the weekend and asked if he could play on the piano because he taught music,” Maria said. “It was the same time my son was at Loyola and taking piano classes. [We talked] and he started laughing, and then he goes, ‘I think I know your son.’ I told my son, ‘I think your professor was just here.’ Listening to some of these guests play, it’s fun.”

A cash register from the hotel’s past has also found a place in the lobby. It doesn’t work anymore, but it’s still a nice reminder of the hotel’s history. Frontand-center behind the front desk is a large painting from the 1980s of sights throughout Carroll County, painted by former resident and Shimer College professor Armella Kneale, who painted into her 100s before she

died in 2010.

The painting came to the hotel courtesy of Kneale’s grandson, Evan, who was one of the hotel’s first guests after the Krulls opened for business. He knew the painting was somewhere in town and was able to arrange for it to be hung at the Bridgewater. It had been at a few places prior, most recently at the West Carroll School District office.

Room & board

Bridgewater Inn is located at 116 E. Market St. in Mount Carroll. Find it on Facebook, go to ourbridgewaterinn. com, email ourbridgewaterinn@ gmail.com, 815-244-0201 for reservations or more information.

“It was meant to be here,” Maria said. “People come in, especially people who have lived here and are staying here, and they’re like, ‘I can’t believe you guys have this.’ They’re excited to see all of the different places.”

After years of painstaking effort, the Krulls have enjoyed welcoming guests back to a place that once defined Mount Carroll’s sense of elegance and civic pride. The building has witnessed the town’s evolution firsthand and the storied hotel is returning to its roots – one restored room, antique chair and shared memory at a time.

The Krulls invite people to visit Mount Carroll and see a city that embraces its past while welcoming visitors with open arms.

“With the time that we’ve taken to restore this, come and see what we’ve done,” Maria said. “You can see history — and even in the whole town of Mount Carroll with the time and work that they’ve put into their buildings and businesses. It’s unbelievable.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Kaelyn Carstens and some of her works of yarn, which she makes and sells through Kaelyn Crochets.

lot of kids Kaelyn Carstens’ age can’t get enough screen time. Others love sports. And some are just happy to get lost in a book. But Kaelyn? She’s hooked on something else.

This enterprising Lanark teen loves to crochet, and the 13-year-old has even managed to turn her talents into a way to earn some money, turning her warm and cuddly creations into cold hard cash (and PayPal and Venmo payments, too; a good business has gotta be flexible, after all).

Caterpillars and cats, frogs and dogs, birds and bunnies, and even an octopus — Kaelyn has crafted a whole menagerie of colorful creations in sizes big and small, selling them at regional pop-up, craft, and farmers markets in the area through her budding business, Kaelyn Crochets. You may have seen her out and about, peddling her plush goods: It was the stand stocked with cuddly creations behind a logo that’s as cute as a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. Another familiar sight at Kaelyn’s stands: A lot of smiling faces.

“I like seeing the smiles on people’s faces, like from little kids when they come and see everything,” Kaelyn said. “I think they just like stuffed animals.”

The budding young business girl’s experience has opened Kaelyn’s world, allowing her to meet many new people, customers of all ages — especially young children — who have come to appreciate her work and visit often to see what she’s made.

A lot Kaelyn’s creations fit neatly in the palm of her customer’ hands, but she can make larger members of the animal kingdom too, perfect for kids to cuddle up with at night as they drift asleep. One of her larger projects was an octopus she made earlier this year, with its eight tentacles “longer than my arms,” she said — and she’s got plans for even bigger things in the future, like making a dragon similar to the one she saw recently in the new movie, “How to Train Your Dragon,” a fanciful adventure yarn that spun a tale of dragons and friendship in ancient times.

Helping Kaelyn balance her time between her business and other demands for her time are her parents, Jennifer and Brian Carstens, who also accompany her to markets and shows. They’re not only encouraging their daughter’s creativity, but they’re helping her learn valuable lessons, like honing her sales techniques and building customer relationships — lessons that were put to good use when she set up at the Mount Carroll Farmers Market on July 12 (also her 13th birthday) where several customers wished her Happy Birthday.

KAELYN cont’d to page 32

With hook and yarn in hand, Kaelyn’s talents can create a whole zoo of crochet critters, as well as other items, such as catnip balls for frisky

“It’s exciting to see her learn business skills, and I’m excited to see where it’s going to go in the future,” Jennifer said. “People have been surprised that someone her age could do that kind of quality of work.”

Crocheting isn’t the only talent at Kaelyn’s fingertips. Before she turned double digits, she enjoyed painting, drawing and making bracelets (she used her artistic talents to design her Kaelyn Crochets logo too, using Canva software). She learned about crocheting when she was 11 and developed her craft by watching online videos. She eventually made her first piece, a small white and teal turtle, with help from Beth Calbreath of College Street Creations in Mount Carroll.

Working with several patterns and developing the dexterity it takes for single- and double-stitching took time for Kaelyn to figure out, but she didn’t let those early challenges slow her down. She picked up speed, and skill, and now her smaller figures take less than a half-hour to make. Bigger projects, such as the octopus she recently sold, took her 10 hours, she said.

“I saw a video online of someone showing what they were making,” Kaelyn said. “It was very difficult. I used to not understand patterns, and now I do. They’re all different. I watch people online and I see what they’re making, and I go and try to make the pattern. Then I add my own touch to it because I like to change up the pattern sometimes.”

Learning how to handle the hooks and yarn isn’t the only skill she’s had to learn. Kaelyn is also learning what it takes to run a business. She buys her own materials and tools, sets her prices, and budgets her earnings accordingly. Owning a car is just a couple of years away for her, and college life won’t be far behind, things she keeps in mind when she’s learning and earning.

“It’s challenging because I just want to spend all of it on clothes,” Kaelyn said, but she’s had good teachers in her parents, who’ve instilled in her the importance of being fiscally responsible. Her parents’ support and encouragement have been a big help on her journey.

“It’s exciting and it’s been a good lesson for her on how to budget,” Jennifer said. “With her earnings, she has to deduct her supplies, she buys all of her own yarn, displays and packaging. She’s learning about sales tax and income tax because she’s set up as a full business. She’s very good about budgeting for her car and college fund, and after that it’s fun money.”

KAELYN cont’d to page 33

Kaelyn’s patience and perseverance have paid off, and her parents are proud of how far she’s come, even when she hits a snag.

“She’s always been into arts and crafts, and she found something new she wanted to try,” Jennifer said. “It takes a lot of patience. She would have to rip out, start over, rip out start over, until she figured it out. She could have easily given up, but she’s come a long way in the year-and-a-half she’s been doing it.”

She’s also had support from others along the way, selling her creations to friends and family, as well as her teachers who’ve made her works part of their classroom decor and her bus drivers who’ve heard about what she does.

Ideas for her designs come from a variety of sources, and she can also make custom creations when time allows, like cats and dogs modeled after pictures of people’s pets.

“It can be a challenge because you have to make spots that aren’t already in the pattern,” Kaelyn said, but the end result comes with plenty of rewards. “They’re really excited because it looks like their pet.”

Kaelyn Crochet got its start last summer with her first setup, in Mount Carroll. She started out with simpler pieces with fewer colors — strawberries, blueberries, carrots, eggplants and the like. Today, she’s gone from plants to animals, creations that take more skill with their various anatomies. She’s also branching out, incorporating her pieces into packages, like crochet characters from popular children’s books packaged with the book, and buildyour-own aquarium kits that include a fish she makes with a small “aquarium,” rocks and flora. She’s also crocheted catnip balls for customers’ feline friends.

Like any savvy business person, Kaelyn knows the power of packaging, and she’s found creative ways to sell her crochet creations, like offering miniature “aquariums” with her fish, and crocheting Hungry Caterpillar, the title character of a book series, and selling them together.

Since her first farmers market she’s set up at other area markets — Dixon, Lake Carroll and Lena — and at special events such as Livengood’s Backroads Barn Sale in Milledgeville, Ensign Jade Acres’ Fall Barn Market in Freeport, and Camanche Days in Camanche, Iowa. She posts her appearances on her Kaelyn Crochets Facebook page.

With another school year on the horizon — she’ll be in eighth grade at Eastland Junior High School in Lanark — Kaelyn is using her summer vacation to work ahead, already working on her Christmas lineup, which so far in cludes snowmen, gingerbread, Grinches and reindeer; and who knows what else Santa will bring before all’s said and done? She’s already planning to take her holiday goods to her farthest market yet from home: Sandwich’s Holiday Lane Craft Show in early December.

At just 13, Kaelyn has already come farther than many people her age — and who knows what’s next? In some ways, life is like crocheting: There are patterns to guide us, but we make the journey our own, sometimes challenging but always different.

“There are so many different patterns that you never do the same thing over and over,” she said. n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

More info

Find Kaelyn Crochets on Facebook to learn more about the Lanark teen’s unique crochet designs, and where she will be selling her products. Kaelyn can be reached through Facebook Messenger on the page.

• Treatment for mental illness

• Treatment for substance use

• Individual and family counseling

• Child and adolescent services • Early childhood mental health • Crisis services • Many other services

There are some pretty big names in Carroll County’s history.

Its namesake, Charles Carroll, was one of the signers of The Declaration of Independence (and, incidentally, the last of its 56 celebrated signatories to die, in 1832 at the ripe old age of 95, an impressive feat for the time, and the oldest surviving signer).

Its western border also boasts a pretty big name: one of the largest waterways in the world and one of the most storied rivers in U.S. history, The Mississippi River. It’s a distinction shared with 17 other counties in Illinois. Early explorers charted it, America made it famous, and the world’s economy has made it indispensable.

The iconic waterway, which stretches 2,340 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, serves as not only a natural highway for people and wildlife, but

also as a major artery in the lifeblood of the shipping industry, carrying nearly 200 million tons of freight and commodities each year.

It’s also a great place for some R&R.

The second-longest river in North America is also one of the richest sources of biodiversity in the world, and during its travels along Carroll County’s border, some natural peculiarities exist that are unique along the river’s long and winding path, providing a living lesson in the fascinating role the river plays in our ecosystem.

Nestled among those miles are classrooms overflowing with knowledge and playgrounds brimming with places to retreat from the clamor of the daily grind and find solace in the sights and sounds of nature.

Carroll County’s 24 nautical miles are part of a larger area with the designation of Pool 13, which is a 33 nautical mile stretch between Lock and Dam 12 in Bellevue, Iowa, and Lock and Dam 13 in Fulton. With its sloughs, islands and backwater lakes, Pool 13 is a prime spot for fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing.

It wasn’t always that way, though.

While nature had taken its course long ago, when man came along during the mid-1930s and built the lock and dam system along the river, it reshaped parts of the area, making the river much wider in certain spots, transforming some areas into swampland, and creating small lakes and islands.

As the natural order was re-ordered, wildlife began to adapt to the new lay of the land. Some fled while others found different places to call home, further from their new neighbors — but there are still some areas around Carroll County’s river shore where man and nature come together.

The river’s expanse also lends itself to breathtaking views of the area — of the river and its surrounding land, and the skies and bluffs above. Spots along the river attract tourists who come to soak it all, some at city and state parks, some on self-guided tours, and some who cast off from boat launches created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the dam system.

In this issue of Carroll County Living, we’ve put together a list of places on both sides of pool: recreation areas, parks, boat access points, even an interpretive center where nature lovers can learn more about what makes this stretch of the Mississippi a unique one. So, if you feel like exploring the Mighty Mississippi, turn the page and join us on our journey …

Take a small city best known for outdoors tourism, and add Iowa’s only island town to the experience, and you’ll find several areas of the Mississippi River enjoyed by both boaters and sightseers alike. Savanna and Sabula are connected by the Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 52 and state Route 64 over the river. The stretch of highway in Iowa en route to Sabula features an isthmus with tree-covered islands and sloughs on both sides.

Illinois’ longest natural sand dune is located on the grounds of the Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge, located on the former Savanna Army Depot, 8 miles north of town. The depot was used for manufacturing and storage of military weapons until it closed in 2000. The area has largely been left in its pre-closure state, with nature taking over in certain spots. The Black Oak Dune Overlook at the depot-turned-refuge provides a view of the river and its sand banks, as well as the mouth of the Maquoketa River. Before the depot was built, ornate box turtles were commonplace in the area; a repopulation effort has been underway for nearly a decade. According to the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge website (stewardsumrr.org), the prairie provides a significant habitat for grasslands birds whose populations have been in decline, including the upland sandpiper, western meadowlark, loggerhead shrike, grasshopper, henslow and lark sparrow.

High atop a bluff and home to one of the widest river views is Mississippi Palisades State Park, 16327A state Route 84, a 2,500-acre park perfect for people of all ages who want to enjoy nature, whether it’s a leisurely stroll or a hearty hike — or maybe you just want to soak in the sights of nature’s handiwork. Trees as far as the eyes can see create a sea of green during spring and summer and

serve up splashes of vibrant color during the fall. You can also take a hike along any of the 11 marked trails that run for 15 miles throughout the park. Trails on the north end of the park are wider and less strenuous than those on the south end. Some trails take hikers to the small limestone caves below the landscape.

Want to get out on the water? Miller’s Hollow Landing, 6896 Marina Road, provides boat access to the river opposite of the Palisades. The boat launch sits at the edge of Buffalo Lake, and crossing its extent will lead boaters to the main river channel. In an area about a mile wide and two miles long, several sloughs between islands with names such as Santa Fe, Indian, Apple River and Railroad (although no railroad is there) can be meandered through and weaved around like a maze. Navigating through the sloughs between islands of tall trees also drowns out traffic noises along the riverfront and amplifies nature’s sounds.

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Located south of the Dale Gardner Bridge is Marquette Park in Savanna. The park along the city’s riverfront was named for explorer Jacques Marquette, who sailed the river along with Louis Jolliet on an exploration mission in 1673. (Read more about Marquette and Jolliet’s adventure in the Fall/Winter 2023 edition of Shaw Media’s Carroll County Living, at issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ svm_ccl_082123/22). The park has a boat launch that leads boaters directly into the river channel, and on the shore are picnic areas and works of art involving local and river history, including the tall “Eagle River” metal sculpture designed by Jay Castro of Freeport, which incorporates pieces of the former Savanna-Sabula Bridge in its design.

South of Savanna is the large Spring Lake, between the Illinois mainland and several islands in the middle of the river; it is about 1.5 miles wide between its most distant points. The lake has a boat launch, at 9498 state Route 84, a mile south of town, and also has a long isthmus-like trail leading out toward other edges of the lake. Boating is closed each year from Oct. 1 to the announced end of Illinois’ duck hunting season. Both Spring Lake and the aforementioned Buffalo Lake at Miller’s Hollow Landing also provide panoramic sunset views around Savanna where land, water and sky come together to provide stunning views. Between Savanna and the Spring Lake access point is a frog pond, 9898 state Route 84, that is open to fishing and frog catching.

On your boat and need to fuel up? Sabula is home to Island City Harbor, a docking and fuel service business with a gift shop, bait store and Jackson County, Iowa’s Welcome Center

Wardrobe

Custom Printed Apparel

The river area around Thomson, near the widest point on the Mississippi, is situated on flat land formerly part of a large lake more than 25,000 years ago, before the last ice age. Since the area sits low enough to the river, several riverfront homes and campgrounds are found between Thomson and Savanna, including the Riverview subdivision. The bluff is located about a mile east of the river.

Sloane Marsh, 7071 Riverview Road, has a lookout area with a telescopic viewfinder so visitors can get a

Ed Britton, Savanna district manager of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, holds up a stuffed great horned owl.

closer look at nature. The marsh is named for the late Fred Sloane, who was a longtime volunteer with the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Across the road from Sloane Marsh is the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center. The facility not only celebrates one of the world’s most famous rivers and its tributaries, it’s the learning center and office for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, featuring hands-on exhibits and educational materials. The learning center is operated by the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge. The facility features a central exhibit area with interactive displays, preserved animals, pamphlets, a bookstore and gift shop. Outside, the surrounding area features opportunities for visitors to experience nature firsthand among 35 acres of native and sand prairie. Hikers and bikers are also welcome to traverse the Grand Illinois Trail.

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Speed up. Stay local.

Call us today!

Guests can grab a bird pamphlet at the center and check off the birds they see during their visit. The center and its stewards also hosts monthly bird walks and golf cart tours of sites along the river. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays from June to August. Call 815-2732732 for more information. (Read more about Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center in the Fall/ Winter 2023 Carroll County Living, at issuu.com/ shawmedia/docs/svm_ccl_082123/14).

Thomson Causeway Recreation Area, 1600

Lewis Ave., has Carroll County’s most expansive ground-based views of the widest point of the Mississippi River, and an ideal place to watch the sunset, too. Owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the park offers 131 camping sites, a boat launch and is also home to the 3/4-mile Hidden Slough Nature Trail. Additional river access for boats is located 5 miles upstream at Big Slough Recreation area, 5955 Riverview Drive.

The Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie, 22998 Railroad Lane, is just beyond the Carroll-Whiteside county line and north of Lock and Dam No. 13 near Fulton. The sandy ecosystem gives rise to several unique plants, including a form of cacti, the prickly pear cactus, which spreads along the ground and looks like a mini oven mitt. The area also includes Mickleson’s Landing, which has a boat launch and access to Potter’s Marsh, created as a result of the construction of Lock and Dam 13 from 1935-39. n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.