For the owner of an Amboy cookie shop, the best is yet to yum
Franklin Grove couple invites people to get into a prairie state of mind
EAST
Compton celebrates 150 years of being “a good place to live.”
page
Though there’s no been shortage of big names on baseball’s rosters through the years, others have made a name for themselves too — and some of them even called Lee County their home base
RUSTY SCHRADER/SVM PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
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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 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Small Town Living? E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Small TownLiving 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.
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Small Town
inside ‘A good place to live’
It’s a village that began 150 years ago, when settlers followed someone else’s tracks, but before long the people of Compton had carved out their own identity — and they still are, as residents of a community that they’re happy to call home.
24 Major Lee/gue talent
While baseball’s roster is filled with names like Aaron and Gehrig and Ruth, other players have made a name for themselves, too — and some even called Lee County their home base.
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The best is yet to yum!
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A prairie state of mind
A welder who had an itch to get back to baking is mixing up made-from-scratch goodies, and the creative cookie shop owner said she’s just getting started — ‘There’s no stopping me.’
Want to unplug from the man-made world and connect with nature? A Franklin Grove couple invite you to visit their farm and learn the A, Bee, C’s of the world around us.
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It’s a village that began when settlers followed someone else’s tracks, but before long the people of Compton had carved out their own identity — and they still are, as residents of a community that ‘a lot of good people’ are happy to call home, and this year they celebrated their hometown’s 150th anniversary 4 | A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living East | Winter 2025
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railroad is gone in Compton. So are the gas stations, grocery store, school, bank and skating rink. But don’t feel bad; this eastern Lee County community still has a lot of things to be happy about — 150 of them, in fact. The village with roots that grew out of, and outgrew, a grove celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary this year, observing 150 years of perseverance and pride. While commerce and population have declined in past 50 years, the community’s spirit continues to thrive in the village of around 250 residents along state Route 251 — many of whom can remember a day when that highway once was U.S. Route 51, before it moved to a freeway a couple of miles east in the mid-1980s. The village held its sesquicentennial celebration July 19-20 with a craft show, kids activities, bags tournament, time capsule arrangement, cake walk, a display of local history, Lions Club lunch and dinner, live music and the dedication of one of its parks to late village president Donald “Doc” Swope. The festivities brought around 500 people to the community for fun times and fond reflections of a small town that’s been a big part of their lives. Much of it was coordinated by the Compton Community Club, which was founded in 1946 and is the oldest such organization in Illinois. Its president, Emily Kofoid, grew up in Compton and still lives there, hoping that one day her own children, and others who will come to Compton, will appreciate the same things that the community gave to her as a child. “I wanted that history to be shown to the kids,” Kofoid said. “It was about adults working toward an end goal. You don’t see that often. There were people working together, and the kids could see RIGHT: A replica of Compton’s that there was history here.” old water tower, outside of Kofoid’s uncle, Steve Gilmore, grew up on a farm Village Hall. BELOW: The a couple of miles north of town that has Compton Mercantile Co., been in the family since 1835. Now the circa 1909. According to the village’s fire chief, Gilmore is a source for book, “History of Lee County,” much of the information on the vilpublished in 1914, the store lage’s history, telling people of the was considered “one of the days when there was once was commodious stores of the a hospital in town and a golf county” and transacted “an course on the village’s east enormous annual business.” end, and how events could The book’s section on bring the townsfolk together. Melugins Grove Township can COMPTON cont’d to page 6 be found at https://ahgp.org/ ill/melugins-grove-townshiplee-county-illinois.html
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COMPTON cont’d from page 5 “When I was a kid, we had Homecomings, and they were on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a carnival and everything,” Gilmore said. “The Community Club would put that on, and they would get a lot of people to come. My parents went to church in Paw Paw, so we’d go over there to their Homecoming and they’d have a Ferris wheel, but we’d have a full-fledged carnival.” Even out-of-towners have come to appreciate, and play a
From left: Steve Gilmore, Neva Ikeler and Emily Kofoid each have special memories of Compton, a Lee County village that celebrated 150 years this year. Gilmore is a lifelong Compton resident and the village’s fire chief. Ikeler is The Village House of Praise co-pastor. Kofoid, who grew up in Compton, is president of the Compton Community Club.
role in, the close-knit community. Neva and Randy Ikeler of Paw Paw are co-pastors of The Village House of Praise, the only church within village limits (the next nearest church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, is located 3 miles south of town and has held services since 1865). In addition, Neva serves on the Community Club board, and Randy is a volunteer fireman. The Ikelers’ church had been the town’s Methodist Church until 2021, when it closed. COMPTON cont’d to page 7
Funding provided in whole or in part by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and Illinois Department of Human Services.
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COMPTON cont’d from page 6 “We fell in love with the church,” Neva said. “We used to come over here and substitute doing the music there, and when we saw that the church was not going to be able to continue, we couldn’t bear the thought of that building just standing there disintegrating, so we went through the process to purchase the building, not having any idea what we were going to do with it. We fell in love with the community, too, and the people. The kids ride their bike up and down the streets, and people watch out for them. It’s just a neat community, and we felt a real connection.” They’re not the only ones who feel that connection. The 150th anniversary celebration was initially meant to be one day, but was extended to two days so that more people
could see the displays of historical pictures, books and memorabilia that lined the tables in the church basement. Those who dropped by enjoyed the trip down memory lane. People who hadn’t seen each other in years reconnected, and the displays evoked memories of their time in the cozy little community where kids could easily ride from one end of town to the other and not even wear out the baseball card in their spokes. “When we first started talking about the different things that we were going to do, things were thrown out that we had done before,” Ikeler said. “Someone brought up an idea to get some memorabilia from people, and gather it in the basement of the church. I thought there would be just a few people that would bring things, but we had eight tables that were filled with photo albums and pictures, and old newspapers and articles. It was really neat when it got going how many people participated.” The Methodist Church in Compton, circa 1900.
From a trail to tracks Before Compton, there was Melugin’s Grove, which was located a couple of miles north of town. COMPTON cont’d to page 9
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A lot of folks have set up shop in and around Compton through the years, below are just a few ...
If you needed a place to spend the night or a grab a bite, fill up the tank and grab a souvenir, all you had to do was look for the Flying Red Horse at the corner of Routes 30 and 51. Above: George Noble was an agent for safes, scales and school supplies. This circa 1890 letter from Noble was written to return some door rollers and tracks, as well as inquire about the price of a doublebarrel, breech-load shotgun. Right: Vintage trade cards for M.M. Avery, a dealer in dry goods, groceries, glass and queensware .
A 1966 catalog for Mayrath, which sold grain handling equipment. The company once had a dealership in Compton, at 907 state Route 251. Today, the location is home to an office for Goldwind, a wind turbine company.
Bud, Angel, Roy, Tillie, Arnie ... Through the years, the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and state Route 251 (back when it was still U.S. Route 51), a few miles north of Compton, has seen its share of names grace the businesses there. 8 | A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living East | Winter 2025
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COMPTON cont’d from page 7 Zacharia T. Melugin (photo at top right) settled in a large grove of trees along a Chicago-to-Galena stagecoach trail in 1834, approximately where Shaw and Richards roads meet. Melugin’s Grove grew to have a hotel and shops, but when the Chicago and Rock River Railroad (later named the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy) bypassed the grove in 1872, businesses and residents slowly followed the tracks, and three years later started the community of Compton, named for hotel owner Joel Compton (photo, bottom right). Main Street once was the center of the community, with businesses located parallel to the railroad track, but that changed after a fire in 1906 destroyed the downtown. Businesses moved to Third Street, including a shoe shop, hardware store, bank, butcher shop, blacksmith, barber, hotel, and grocer. The town also had stockyards, but they closed during the Great Depression, which also took out the town’s only bank. Dr. A.W. Chandler opened the town’s hospital in 1906 and operated it for nine years before moving to Rochelle and establishing one there (now Rochelle Community Hospital). Later operated by Dr. C.G. Poole, Compton’s hospital closed in the early 1940s and became apartments, which still stand today. One of the Compton’s memorable attractions was a boxcar diner along the highway that was part of the village for nearly 70 years. The diminutive diner was bought and brought to town in 1934 by Granville “Duck” Miller, a former bootlegger during Prohibition. The boxcar, which sat next to the current Village Hall, is no longer there, but during its time it took on several names before finally closing in the 1990s, by which time the exterior had been painted similar to an Amtrak rail car: in silver, red, white and blue. COMPTON cont’d to page 10
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Above: Compton’s grain elevator, built in 1872, seen in 1968 and today. Below: This building was moved to Compton from Melugin’s Grove. It’s been home to a hotel (at left), a bar called “The Cave,” and is currently an apartment building (right). Far left: Compton’s old water tower and its current one.
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COMPTON cont’d from page 9 Also on the highway, Jerry’s Tap, the town’s only bar, with a history dating back to 1928 when Arthur Archer started a restaurant, service station and garage there. The garage and service station are gone, but people can still top of their “tanks” with a brew or two. The Cave was another one of Compton’s bars, and the long building it was once in has a history that stretches back to the village’s earliest days. When Compton began, the building that had been located in Melugin’s Grove was cut in half and hauled on logs and horses to the new community, where it was reassembled. The building now houses apartments. Compton’s school, which once had high school courses from 1902-49, closed in 1976 and has since been razed. Firefighting in Compton began with an all-volunteer fire department in 1936, and the Compton Fire Protection District was formed in 1952. The first three Homecomings in town, from 1940-42, helped raise money for the town’s first fire truck. A new fire station on the southwest edge of town is under construction and scheduled to open early next year. In his role as fire chief, Gilmore has come to know many in the community, seeing them during Compton celebrated is moments both happy and sad — centennial in 1975, and 50 and he’s also seen their resolve years later is was time for another when it comes to helping their felcelebration, this time its sesquilow community members. centennial. Above: As part of its “We had a house fire here this D BY BETH EV 150th anniversary, on July summer where people had moved VI D E A O NS R -SE SP 19-20, one of Compton’s here from Paw Paw less than a O E OT parks was dedicated to year ago, and it was a total loss,” late village presiGilmore said. “They started asking dent Donald “Doc” for donations, and I asked Candy Swope. Below: In to put a message out for furniture, ’75, a Kutter — first and they ended up with everything name, Sadie — cut they needed in one day. Doing stuff a ceremonial riblike that, it’s always been that way bon. At 97, she was for as along as I can remember.” the oldest person in COMPTON cont’d to page 11 town at the time. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
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COMPTON cont’d from page 10
Celebration time During the 150th anniversary celebration, Gilmore unveiled the new Doc Swope Memorial Park sign. He recalls Swope, who died in 2024, as someone who would go out of his way, and beyond his responsibilities as village president, to make sure residents were alright. “People like that taught people how to care for the people in town,” Gilmore said. “For a long time, we had trouble getting water bills paid, and when Doc was village president, he’d go up to the house and ask them why they were behind. He’d try to figure out how they can get the bill paid. I thought that was a good thing, and not to just send a letter saying we’re going to shut you off. There are a lot of good people in Compton.” As Compton marked its 150th year, it wasn’t just the photos spread across church tables or yellowed newspaper clippings that stood out, it was the way people leaned in to point, to remember, to say, “I knew them.” Today, neighbors still glance out their windows and know when something’s off. It’s an unspoken network of concern, an everyday kindness that didn’t make the history books, but probably should have. “You could live in the city and have someone next door to you, and you wouldn’t even know them, or if they were well or not,” Ikeler said. “Here, people know their next door neighbor well enough that they’ll think, ‘Their car hasn’t moved,’ or ‘I haven’t seen them,’ and they’re willing to jump in and help. That’s the thing about a small town I like.” That closeness is what keeps people like Kofoid rooted here, even when they may have pulled up those roots — and put them back down. “The community and people who live here make it a good place to live,” she said, recalling the time she moved away before returning to Compton. “I wanted to leave as soon as possible, and when I did leave I realized that I was missing out on a lot of being with people who live here that make the community what it is, and volunteer their time. Family’s a big part of it, and there’s a lot of family here.” n
A look back at Compton, circa 1910. Top left: A residential area. Bottom left: Chandler Hospital. Right: A postcard showing the school, Post Office/bank, and the Presbyterian and Methodist churches. Compton High School’s 1914-15 boys basketball team. Compton’s school offered high school education from 1902-49; the school ultimately closed in 1976.
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com. A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living East | Winter 2025 | 11
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f you’re in Amboy and you get caught with your The Cookie Jar owner Hayley Rogers knows that talent and hard work hands in the cookie jar, don’t worry — that’s are just part of the recipe for success; you need customers in the mix exactly where Hayley Rogers wants them. too — and she’s found them in Amboy. “They keep me going …” she Hayley’s the confectionary creator at The said. “Amboy has been a very welcoming town since I got here.” Cookie Jar, the colorful shop tucked into the corner of Main Street and Jones Avenue downtown, where she takes the lid off the jar and invites people to grab a cookie or sample some sweets. She opened the bakery in 2024, offering the soft cookies, swirled cinnamon rolls, and whimsical desserts she crafts at home under a cottage license, drawing both locals and curious seasonal campers. While the storefront keeps part-time hours, making treats is a full-time job. Just more than a year into business, with steady foot traffic and growing confidence, Rogers says the rhythm of each day fuels her creative momentum. “I see people and new things, and it keeps giving me motivation to just keep doing it,” Rogers said. “I enjoy it, and since I’ve been doing this full-time, there’s no stopping me. There’s so many ideas.” Rogers does it all at home, as the cozy cookie shop doesn’t have enough room for a baking set-up, but she hopes to someday have a larger space, she said. Her treats are placed in plastic boxes on a rack, while the rest of the space is decorated with ornate cookie jars — including one that looks like a disco ball — a small table and quotes, posters and other affirmations that send a positive message. COOKIE JAR cont’d to page 14
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CONT’D from page 13 The bakery’s hours have changed throughout the year, and when December rolled around, it was open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. That could change though, and announcements will be made on The Cookie Jar’s Facebook page if it does. Though the shop isn’t big on space, it’s big on flavor. The Cookie Jar’s menu is a rotating constellation of sweet comforts: cookies, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, brownies, Rice Krispies treats, cookie cakes, cake pops, scones, muffins, Oreo balls, iced cookie bites, and more. People especially love her wilder cupcake flavors, the kind that dare you not to smile while eating them. Rogers’ culinary creations started with her family. She grew up in Sheridan, in a home where cooking wasn’t just a necessity but a family pastime, an unspoken language passed across generations. Her family “was always just making something,” she said, and by high
school, when she took classes in culinary arts at Indian Valley Vocational Center in Sandwich, she knew she liked the hands-on side most — grilling, cooking, decorating — but she didn’t yet know it would eventually become her life’s direction. For a while, though, it didn’t. Before she took a spoon in hand, she was wielding welding tools, at HCC, Inc. in Mendota, laying clean lines and molten beads with a perfectionist’s attention. Though welding paid the bills, baking sparked something else in her, something she couldn’t quite shake. When the coronavirus pandemic happened in 2020 and her welding work slowed down, she turned to making candles for extra income, which eventually transitioned into picking up her baking tools of the trade again. After she and her boyfriend moved to Amboy two years ago — closer to work and a calmer pace, she said — she began to hear the call of the kitchen a little more each night. COOKIE JAR cont’d to page 15
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COOKIE JAR cont’d from page 14 “I love to bake, I love to cook, I love to do it all,” Rogers said. “I was making candles during Covid, and then I ended up just baking, and was like, ‘Why not sell these instead?’ Then I just started baking and having fun with it. When I was working full-time as a welder, I would go home and bake at night. Now I bake all of the time, and I enjoy it.” Starting out, she dipped her toes in the water selling chocolate-covered strawberries. Then came mini donuts. Then she decided: “Let’s just do it all.” The momentum built fast. Customers wanted scones. They wanted more flavors, more creativity, more of whatever she dreamed up next. Each request nudged her further toward the idea that her love of baking could be a full-time gig. “In welding, you have to make perfect lines and make a perfect bead, and it’s like making cookies,” Rogers said. “You’ve got to be perfect, pay attention and keep your eyes on it and not be distracted. Welding kept me focused, and baking does that, too.” What welding couldn’t give her, though, was the feedback that food could — those moments when someone sinks their teeth into a treat she made and lets out a “YUM!” Rogers loves seeing and hearing people’s reactions, the way a simple dessert can coax a smile from mouth dappled in cookie crumbs. It’s that word of mouth that’s helped bring in more business. COOKIE JAR cont’d to page 16
Sweets and positive vibes — you’d have to be one tough cookie to walk out of The Cookie Jar and not have a smile on your face. “I just love how special treats can make people feel,” owner Hayley Rogers said. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@ SHAWMEDIA.COM
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COOKIE JAR cont’d from page 15 “I just love how special treats can make people feel,” Rogers said. “It makes me feel good that my customers are super excited about them, and they love it. Then all of their friends and family come and try the stuff, and they love it too. Then they reach out to people they know. People have taken their stuff to work, and then their co-workers call me to let me know they’ve had something and that they’re so good. I love how special it makes them feel, and it makes me feel good.” In her small-batch world, even a single chocolate chip cookie carries intention. Her philosophy is simple: treat each item with care, load it with flavor, never cut corners.
“I keep them soft and chewy,” Rogers said. “I don’t like it when I have a cookie with not enough chocolate chips in it. There’s plenty of chocolate chips in each bite — I load them up.” Her treats have attracted customers from both near and far, some driving an hour after spotting her creations online. Others wander in from the nearby campgrounds, surprised to find a dessert oasis tucked into town. Those first-time reactions have become part of the charm. “I love when they walk in for the first time, and go, ‘I didn’t know this was here,’” Rogers said. “It’s fun when all of the campers are here for the summer, and it’s fun for them, too.” Her work stretches far beyond the shop counter. Factories have ordered cookies for the crew. Families pick up batches for baby showers and gender reveals (sometimes even letting Rogers in on the secret ahead of time). And wedding parties have added sweet treats to their matrimonial menu. “I’ve done a lot of weddings, and multiple people from each wedding have reached out to me and said, ‘My wedding’s next year, let’s start something,’” Rogers said. “I’ve had people ask me years in advance to do their dessert tables.” And when it comes to wedding orders, she knows the stakes can be high. COOKIE JAR cont’d to page 17
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COOKIE JAR cont’d from page 16 “I need to make sure it’s perfect. If I had someone making treats for my wedding one day, I’d want it perfect. It’s so special for their family and friends.” Whatever the occasion, Rogers likes to give each customer personalized service — no cookie cutter approach here. Most customers trust her judgment implicitly, she said. That trust, and the occasions they invite her to be part of, is a big part of what keeps her cooking. “I get to be a part of their special day, and it’s making me feel special,” Rogers said. “I want to continue to do that. I get to do a whole bunch of special occasions here and there, and it’s fun. I love doing them.” Owning a bakery isn’t just a business; for Rogers it’s a dialogue with her customers — and they’ve
enjoyed the conversation. It didn’t take long for the Amboy community to embrace her, she said, and she’s determined not to disappoint. “It takes the people in town for it to be a talent,” Rogers said. “They keep me going .... They show up for me, and I keep showing up for them. Amboy has been a very welcoming town since I got here. In the summer, I like when everyone’s walking around, and the campers are coming to town, and it’s just a very peaceful town.” While The Cookie Jar is a small operation, it’s one built on intention, gratitude and the quiet joy of seeing people return for more. “I’m taking my time and doing this for my customers, and that’s what keeps me going,” Rogers said. “It’s fun when I can be at home, bake, and come to the store and people are showing up for them. It’s not like being at a vendor show, I have a whole store where people are coming to see me.” n
The Cookie Jar, 205 E. Main St. in Amboy, is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Hours are subject to change. Find it on Facebook or Instagram, or call 815-201-6065 to place custom orders or for more information.
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
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or John and Lisa Ayers, making connections comes naturally. Whether they’re connecting with each other, protecting the carefully balanced connections of their prairie’s ecosystem or helping people connect with nature, it’s what they do. It’s who they are. The Franklin Grove couple are curators of a prairie they own north of town, where wind and wildflowers guide the rhythm of the land, and where they weave meaning into every acre. Spanning 110 acres of protected prairie, a humming apiary and an apple orchard, the Ayers’ Nomia Meadows Farm reflects their belief that land flourishes when people pay attention to it. Bees, blossoms and native grasses form an ecosystem shaped by a love of the land and their steady stewardship, and shared with those who want to see a place where The Prairie State lives up to its name. It’s this shared devotion to the experience that guides how the Ayers’ welcome every visitor who arrives for a tour of their paradise, which takes it name from a figure in Greek mythology and a genus of bee (see “Nomia’s name” on page 22). “Sharing the experience is the true gift of the whole thing,” Lisa said. “They can come out here to learn something, or learn to love something. As we say in environmental education: You only protect what you know, understand and love. Talking about honey bees is a conduit to talking about our native pollinators. Having that full-circle experience, rather than just talking about it, makes a difference.” NOMIA cont’d to page 20 A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living East | Winter 2025 | 19
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NOMIA cont’d from page 19 The Ayers’ have built much of their life around that full-circle idea. Together for more than 20 years and married in 2015, they celebrated their wedding at Nomia Meadows with a milkweed seed release, with guests tossing handfuls of silk into a prairie wind that carried it west toward the grounds for the butterflies. But even before they had found their love for each other, the seeds had already planted that would lead to their love of the land. Long before they bought Nomia Meadows, prairie preservation had already shaped their lives. After years living on the north edge of Naperville near woods and wetlands, they often drove west from suburbia to wander the Nachusa Grasslands. Lisa also volunteered with the Cook County Forest Preserves’ citizen science programs and, with her background in outdoor recreation and environmental education, learned to read the land with intention. John shared that instinct from childhood. Known as the “butterfly boy,” Lisa said, he spent his days studying anything winged, and carried that curiosity into adulthood as he and Lisa traveled in search of rare species, from Jamaica’s giant swallowtail butterfly to the pink Amazon
river dolphin. Their prairie now holds more than 220 species of forbs and grasses, including two not found elsewhere in Lee County: the Black footed Quillwort plant and the Eared False Foxglove herb. A series of pothole ponds (depressions in the land left behind by glaciers, found most often in the upper Midwest) rise and recede with the rain, sustaining eagles, cranes, reptiles, amphibians and whatever else their trail cameras catch moving through the grasses. No pesticides touch this ground; even neighboring farmers work to keep drift away. “When we were looking at property, the prairie piece of it was important to us,” Lisa said. “It didn’t even have an address, it was just a piece of land there. We had looked at around 20 properties throughout northern Illinois. When we came to look at this one, I’ll never forget that John was waiting for us at the front of the driveway and had two ATVs ready, he said, ‘Just go and explore.’ We just fell in love with it.” In 2011, a year after the Ayers began shaping what would become their prairie, they built their first two beehives. After taking classes with Jeff Ludwig at Jarrett Prairie Center in Byron, their small experiment quickly expanded into something larger, a kind of “natural alchemy,” Lisa said. The prairie is the farm’s living canvas, blooming with wild native flowers that color the land. The bees trace those shifts, turning wildflower forage into the deep, season-shaded honey that anchors their apiary. What began as a beekeeping experiment evolved into a mission to protect the habitats that sustain not only honeybees but a host of native pollinators. “One of the biggest challenges for all of our pollinators is habitat loss,” Lisa said. “If a pollinator has a source to forage through the season, they don’t have to fly the three to five miles that a honeybee would if it didn’t have enough food sources. Providing these swaths of protected areas is really important.” NOMIA cont’d to page 21
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Mother Earth’s family tree wouldn’t be complete without the bee. Among her offspring is the industrious insect that has a key role in the planet’s pollination — and the bees are also on the staff at Nomia Meadows Farm, where, when they’re not pollinating the prairie, they’re making honey that the Ayers harvest and sell. “They’re busy all the way through goldenrod season, from late summer into early fall,” says Lisa, and, she adds, “The beekeeping has been a great portal into conversations with visitors to the prairie,”
Lisa, above in her beekeeping gear and at right with a wheel of rendered bees wax that will be used for lotions, lip balms, and candles. PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM, AND SUBMITTED
NOMIA cont’d from page 20 Her bees, she said, are never idle. “They’re busy all the way through goldenrod season, from late summer into early fall. As early as April, they’ll start collecting the pollen from the cottonwoods and the early natives.” Inside the lone building on the prairie, the bees’ work meets the beekeeper’s. Downstairs, the extractor spins honeycomb until warm amber ribbons slide free. Upstairs, a bottling tank waits for the honey to settle before it’s poured into jars. Rendered wax becomes lotions, lip balms, and most recently, beeswax candles. The work is practical but meditative, each motion part of an ongoing conversation between pollinators and the people who tend both. “The beekeeping has been a great portal into conversations with
John Ayers (left) gets a shipment of bees from Jeff Ludwig of the Jarrett Prairie Center in Byron. John and Lisa took beekeeping classes from Ludwig that helped them start an aviary of their own.
visitors to the prairie,” Lisa said. “It’s a way for them to be introduced to what native plants are and why they’re important. Then the next evolution of the conversation is about the native pollinators and their importance. We really like to tell the full-circle story about the prairie.” That story begins each spring when temperatures pass 50 degrees and the bees take flight, a process that took a little longer to get off the ground with this year’s cold stretch. Their honey has found a loyal following, bottled under labels Lisa designs herself. It can be found at Pfeiffer Farms Fresh Market in Ashton, Oliver’s Corner Market in Dixon, Cypress House and Benny’s, both in Rochelle, and Aframe Family Greenhouse in Oregon. Palmyra Pub and Eatery in Dixon has infused her honey to create a hot variety for its chicken sandwiches. NOMIA cont’d to page 22
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NOMIA cont’d from page 21 tor who helped them choose varieties and learn the rhythm of the rows of trees. “We had been researching the best place to get the trees, and which trees and “We’ve had phenomenal support from varieties to grow,” Lisa said. “Noel came out to talk with us about how to local small businesses that sell our put them in, where to put them, and which varieties to have. We’ve honey,” Lisa said. “SupportNomia remained the closest of friends, so much that I also work for him.” ing small businesses is at Meadows’ name was Their older trees today stand as testaments to that friendthe heart of our values. inspired by both mythology and entomology... Nomia, a ship and the couple’s care of the orchard’s life cycle. A tree It’s really important nymph in Greek mythology, “carries the planted today won’t hit its stride for 3 years, and by 15, its – creating a qualspiritual and emotional essence of untouched best seasons are fading. Some of their oldest trees are ity product that landscapes. ... Her presence teaches that the nearing that cycle’s end. people feel good wilderness nourishes not only the body, but the Apple season concluded in November, and this year about, and the imagination and the soul.” Nomia is also a genus of tallied a slightly smaller crop than the year before, as bees in the family Halictidae, which “are all groundconcept of knownesting bees ... collectively called sweat bees long dry spells stressed the trees and Japanese beetles ing your farmer due to some species’ habit of landing on people arrived in higher numbers. Still, the orchard came and knowing your to lap up sweat (... to obtain salts). ... The through. beekeeper.” alkali bee, Nomia melanderi, has beautiful Among the rows is a variety with a name that’s like a When the bees rainbow abdominal bands, and is the passage through the past. The Whitney crabapple is large have done their work, only solitary ground-nesting bee 02 T commercially managed for and golden-tinged, with a sweetness that defies its tiny kin — a 5/ H the Ayers turn to the 11 & /AG crop pollination.” ML local fruit with a lineage that’s never truly left home. The variety T RE orchard beyond the prairie’s US Y.H -N O LO G O M H I traces back to Franklin Grove itself, to Col. Nathan Whitney, a War of T O edge. The same pollinators that S-N O MIA-GRE EK-MY 1812 veteran who settled south of the village in 1836 and founded one of move through wildflowers sweep the region’s first successful nurseries. His son, A.R. Whitney, is credited with develthrough the apple blossoms each spring, carryoping the Whitney crabapple around 1865. ing their quiet industry from prairie to fruit tree. “People really love it for making apple jelly,” Lisa said. “Historically, people reFruit growing requires its own patience. ally, really loved it for that reason. We still have a few customers who buy them for The Ayers began planting their orchard in that specifically. It’s really cool that it was created right here.” 2012 with guidance from longtime orchardist NOMIA cont’d to page 23 Noel Miller of Gays Mills, Wis., a friend and men-
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NOMIA cont’d from page 22 Crimson Crisp, Jonathan, Whitney crab apples, Cortland, Liberty, and Malus sieversii. By October, late-season fruits such as Crimson Topaz, Sun Crisp, Wine Crisp, and SpitzenOther trees carry their own, deeper histoberg take their turn. The Snow apple — Lisa’s mother’s favorite — is small, tender, and ries. The Malus sieversii, for instance, grows faintly floral, like a memory that lingers on the tongue. That, as well as gold gnarled and defiant at the edge of the orchard; rush, ambrosia and wolf river, recently have been planted and are awaiting it’s an ancestor of all modern apples, native their first crop. to the wild forests of Kazakhstan. The Those expecting a roadside stand or farm store on their farm won’t find apples themselves are tart and toughone. Visitors come by appointment and walk the rows quietly with bags skinned. They’re not the kind you’d in hand, picking what the trees offer that day. They can also buy honey, reach for on a picnic, but ideal for baking which comes in a variety of sizes. or cider, Lisa said. Lisa has noticed that when guests stand near the hives, a calm settles “It’s the original spirit tree, as my in with the hum of the bees. husband calls it,” Lisa said. “It’s a “A lot of people have never seen a honey frame straight from the cool tree. It’s gnarly, not tiny, no Nomia Meadows Farm is hive,” Lisa said. “The magic intoxication of opening up a hive on a matter how you prune them. located at 2051 Hoosier Road in beautiful, warm summer day — the scent of the wax, the honey, the We’d love to go to Kazakhstan Franklin Grove. Tours are availpollen — is like nothing else in the world.” one day and see the original able by appointment. Find it on The Ayers fell in love with this area for its land, people, and apple forests.” Facebook or call or text 708-860culture of interconnectedness, and hope to spark that same apThen there’s the Spitzen2311 or 312-968-1052 for honey preciation in others. berg, an heirloom apple said availability, summer orchard “We’re not doing this for the money, especially with a small orto have been one of Thomas picking or more inforchard,” Lisa said. “It’s because we love the growing, the sharing, and Jefferson’s favorites. “It makes mation. the whole experience of it. This whole project really is about sharing the phenomenal caramel apples,” experience. This gives us a place, a portal in the universe, to help people Lisa said. have those experiences, for both young and old.” n Early August brings the first Red Free Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at apples, followed by Zestar, Pink Pearls, and 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com. Autumn Crisp. September delivers Honeycrisp,
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Around 20,000 men and women have played professional baseball in the United States in the nearly 190 years since the game was first played. Five of those players — four men and one woman — were born in Lee County. While the playing careers at the highest levels of baseball for Lou Bevilacqua of Nelson, George Bristow of Paw Paw, Betty Degner of Amboy, Leroy Herrmann of Steward and Frank Shaughnessy of Amboy didn’t make as many headlines as some of their more famous teammates, their journeys to the big leagues have their own interesting and unique tales to tale. Their stories began on Lee County farms and fields, and left local legacies that still inspire players today. The quintet’s careers took place at different stages in the game’s history, from the game’s expansion of professional teams during the turn of the 20th century, to when the New York Yankees were far and above baseball’s best dynasty, to a fledgling period when one’s gender or race didn’t stop them from attaining the recognition that only white men had enjoyed in newspapers’ sports pages. (A sixth person, Joe Zdeb, also called Lee County home, but wasn’t born here. He hailed from Mendota in La Salle County and lived in Compton as a youth before moving to Hoffman Estates; Zdeb played for the Kansas City Royals from 1977-79.) While stats are usually the first thing researchers look at when learning about a player, the numbers don’t add up to the whole picture — there are stories behind those facts and figures. One can only wonder what their experiences were like being in the same dugouts as some of baseball’s greats. In this edition of Small Town Living, we’ll look back on the careers of these five pro players who were born in Lee County, and tell the stories behind the stats, so sit back with some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and let us take you out the ballpark …
Lou Bevilacqua
The son of Italian immigrants, Bevilacqua’s abilities as an athlete were noteworthy during his time as a Dixon High School student in the late 1930s, where he is enshrined in its sports Hall of Fame. The Bevilacquas lived in Nelson, where his father Luigi worked for the Chicago and North Western Railroad and mother Victoria operated a restaurant in Rock Falls. BASEBALL cont’d to page 26
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BASEBALL cont’d from page 25 Born Nov. 27, 1922, Bevilacqua graduated from high school in 1939, and attended the University of Notre Dame where he pitched for the Fighting Irish for one season before embarking on a professional baseball career. He pitched for the Deland Red Hats of the Florida State League in 1940, the Thomasville Lookouts of the Florida-Georgia League in 1941, and then the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association throughout most of 1942 before his brief call-up to the major leagues with the Washington Senators in September of that year. Before a June 8 start in Chattanooga, he learned his father had died. Bevilacqua started anyway and led the Lookouts to a win both on the mound and at bat, where he drove in two runs. After the game, his father’s death was announced over the stadium’s loudspeaker and members of both teams stood beside him for a brief moment of remembrance. At only 19 years old, Bevilacqua made four appearances for the Senators in 1942, a year when many major league players were called into service during World War II. On his Sept. 2 debut, he was given the start during a home game against the Chicago White Sox, but gave up four runs in his only inning of work. He made relief appearances on Sept.
6, 11 and 13 to close the season and finished with two strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched. While with the Senators, he was managed by future hall of famer Bucky Harris, and was teammates with Early Wynn, another future hall member. Bevilacqua would eventually serve in the miliary, as a tank commander in the European Theater. He returned to baseball in 1946 and played for minor league teams in Orlando and Daytona Beach in Florida, and Anniston, Alabama, until 1950. For those looking for Bevilacqua in the record books and newspapers, you might not find him — unless you drop the “acqua.” Known in box scores as “Lou Bevil,” he worked for the railroad after baseball and died in 1973.
George Bristow
Paw Paw native George Bristow played three games for the 1899 Cleveland Spiders — one of the worst teams in baseball history. So bad, in fact, it folded after the season. Bristow was born George Howlett on May 13, 1870, the oldest of three children to James and Sarah Howlett, who lived in the area known as Allen’s Grove near the present-day intersection of Howlett and Woodlawn roads. He changed his surname to Bristow at some point in his life. BASEBALL cont’d to page 27
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BASEBALL cont’d from page 26 Bristow’s only known record in the major leagues was playing for the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who won only 20 of 154 games. The outfielder made nine plate appearances and reached base only twice: He hit a double in one game and was hit by a pitch in another. In the minor leagues, he played for 10 clubs from 1894 to 1900, and seven more from 1903-06 after moving to the West Coast. He hit his only known professional home run playing for Spokane of the Northwest League in 1906. Bristow also played for a local club in DeWitt, Iowa immediately following his time with the Spiders, alongside his brother Wilbur. The year before Bristow played in professional baseball, he was a member of the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry’s band. The infantry was called into service during the Spanish-American War,
but did not see any fighting. Nevertheless, when Bristow died in Washington State in 1939, he was buried under a military headstone noting his role in the service.
Betty Degner
The only woman from Lee County to play professional baseball at the highest level available to women at the time, Degner played for the Muskegon (Mich.) Lassies and the Springfield (Ill.) Sallies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1949. The professional women’s league existed from 1943 to 1954, founded by Chicago Cubs owner Phillip Wrigley. Degner was among 600 women to have played in the league, which is perhaps best-remembered today as the inspiration of the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.” Degner was born on Dec. 27, 1930, to Raymond and Sara Degner in Amboy. She attended school in Lee Center, where she graduated high school in the Class of 1948. By that time, she had established herself locally as a talented pitcher for local softball clubs. BASEBALL cont’d to page 28
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BASEBALL cont’d from page 27 Only a year after being in high school, Degner played in one game each for both of her professional clubs: the Lassies, one of the major teams in the league, and the Sallies, a rookie league team. She went 1-for-5 during her times at-bat. Among her local softball feats was pitching a no-hitter in 1949 for the DeKalb Hybrids during a tournament in the Quad Cities. Degner died in 1993 after living in Washington D.C., Arizona and San Diego.
Leroy Herrmann
Of Lee County’s five baseball players, Herrmann had the most accomplished playing career. The Steward native pitched all four years at Steward High School, winning all but two games before graduating in 1924. Just eight years after graduating, he would play a small role in helping the Chicago Cubs advance to the 1932 World Series. Herrmann was born Feb. 27, 1906, to Henry and Martha Herrmann, the seventh of 10 children. The family lived 2 1/2 miles south of town on Steward Road. After high school, Herrmann played for St. Bede College in Peru before joining his first minor league team, the Moline Plowboys, in 1927. He also played in the minor leagues for teams in Des Moines, Los Angeles and Reading, Pennsylvania before being called to the Cubs in 1932. He appeared in seven games for the Cubs in 1932, earning a 2–1 record. His debut occurred on July 30 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn against the Dodgers; he relieved Jackie May with two out in the eighth inning and struck out the only batter he faced, Max
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Rosenfield, who was 3-for-4 at the plate before the at-bat. He also was retroactively credited with a save in one appearance (the statistic was not made official until 1969). The Cubs finished the regular season at 90-64 and advanced to the World Series against the New York Yankees, who were led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. This series was notable for Ruth’s “called shot” home run during Game 3 at Wrigley Field. Herrmann didn’t see any playing time during the series, however. The season also was the rookie year for teammate Stan Hack, who later lived in and owned a restaurant in Grand Detour. Herrmann saw more playing time in 1933, appearing in nine games and throwing 21 innings, while improving his ERA slightly to 5.57. That wasn’t enough to keep him on the Cubs roster for the following year, when he played for the San Francisco Seals and was a teammate of another Yankee legend, Joe DiMaggio. BASEBALL cont’d to page 29
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Frank “Shag” Shaughnessy
BASEBALL cont’d from page 28 In 1935, Herrmann’s major league career was resurrected in a starting role for the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in 29 games and pitched every inning in two of them, finishing 3-5 with a 3.58 ERA. In a major league career spanning three seasons, Herrmann played in 45 games, threw 142 innings, struck out 39 batters and finished 5-7 with a 4.12 ERA. Herrmann spent 1936 playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the American Association, and threw a no-hitter during one game. He finished his baseball career playing for minor league teams in California until 1940, and was living there when he died in 1972. There was a lot of star power in the dugout during Herrmann’s time with the Cubs and Reds. He threw to Hall of Fame catcher Gabby Hartnett and later played alongside Joe DiMaggio with the Seals. Herrmann’s lone year in the American Association was the first year in which an Amboy native and former major leaguer served as its president.
While Herrmann played in the most baseball games out of Lee County’s quintet of players, Shaughnessy by far had the most impressive resume throughout multiple sports. The Amboy native left his legacy in baseball, football and hockey during a career in sports that led him to a wellknown college football program, Major League Baseball, managerial success as a coach in Canada, and enshrinement in the Canadian football and baseball halls of fame. Born April 8, 1883, to Irish immigrants Patrick and Hanora Shaughnessy, young Frank cultivated his great interest in sports as a student at Amboy High, starting as a left tackle for a team that faced others from much larger cities throughout the season. Shaughnessy also played baseball for the Amboy city clubs, graduated from Amboy High in 1901 and played 4 years of baseball at the University of Notre Dame, where he was captain during his senior year. BASEBALL cont’d to page 30
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BASEBALL cont’d from page 29 Shaughnessy also played some football for Notre Dame, and has his name in the storied program’s history book as having the longest fumble return for a touchdown, at 107 yards (the fields in the early days were 110 yards from end to end). His sports journey continued into adulthood, when he played two years of professional baseball for the Washington Senators in 1905 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908. Shaughnessy’s lone appearance for the Senators on April 17, 1905, was rather uneventful; the right fielder went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and was hit by a pitch. He went back to the minor leagues before being called up to the big leagues once again in early June 1908 by the Philadelphia Athletics. Playing for legendary manager Connie Mack, and surrounded by Hall of Fame teammates Eddie Collins, Jimmy Collins, Eddie Plank and Chief Bender, Shaughnessy played in eight games at center field and was 9-for-29 at the plate (all singles) with one run batted in and three stolen bases. Despite his decent .310 batting average, Shaughnessy wasn’t able to finish the year with the Athletics; he was
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traded to Reading of the Tri-State minor league in late June for Frank “Home Run” Baker, who would go on to have a Hall of Fame career with the A’s and Yankees. Shaughnessy also had a long minor league career that lasted from 1903-24. Along with his baseball endeavors, he coached in the collegiate football ranks at Clemson and McGill universities, and managed baseball teams for 10 minor league clubs from 1907 until 1936, when he became president of the International League (Herrmann being one its players during his first year). He also coached hockey for McGill, and for the original Ottawa Senators hockey club, which he led to the Stanley Cup final in 1915. After a long administrative career that ended in 1960, Shaughnessy died on May 15, 1969, but he lived long enough to see his then-hometown of Montreal have its first season of major league baseball team with the Expos. Shaughnessy is buried in Montreal; his parents are interned closer to home, at St. Patrick Cemetery in Amboy. n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
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DIXON • 204 S. Ottawa Ave. • 815-288-2241 Christopher Jones
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