| Living
History:
Memories
of long-time Montgomery Residents
Note:
Everyone is welcome to contribute their memories of early Montgomery
to this section. Simply email your items to vomadmin@ci.montgomery.il.us
or call the Historic Preservation Commission liaison at (630)
896-8080 ext. 1114. The Commission is also seeking donations of
old photos or other items relating to the history of Montgomery.
Below
is the first contribution to this section:
(More Memories.... )
***
By
way of introduction, I'm Gene Michaels, lifelong resident of
Montgomery. I have spent my entire life living and working in
the Village. I would like to share my memories along with stories
told to me by my father and others of his generation.
Montgomery
of the 1930's was a typical small, rural community caught in
the throes of the "Great Depression." The original
Village was situated between the Fox River on the east, the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad on the west, the Kane
County line on the south and Riverside Cemetery to the north.
With
a population of 550 people, the population sign on Route 31
never changed until after World War II. Montgomery was a satellite
community with direct access to downtown Aurora. Transporation
was provided by, first, the street cars, and later the buses
of the Aurora city lines. Upon mentioning the fact that you
were from Montgomery, you were viewed as being from a faraway
rural community, when in reality, you were closer to downtown
Aurora than a goodly part of that city itself. I mention downtown
Aurora because in the 30's it was the hub of the lower Fox River
Valley.
Town
meetings of the 30's were as much a smoker as a business meeting.
When the you consider the fact that one man, Ed Keasler, was
both the Police Department and road maintenance man, budgeting
was much, much simpler. Refuse removal was the backyard rubbish
burner and the town dump at the south end of Main Street, available
at your convenience.
It
was in this setting I grew up and was left with many fond memories.
If I had to make one comment about Montgomery of the 30's, it
would be that nothing seemed organized, but everything got done.
We always had a baseball team, but early signup was not required.
Just bring your mitt and be ready to play.
The
hardships of the 30's brought about by the Depression created
a bond amongst people that led to a strong spirit of community.
This spirit of community made these times a lot more enjoyable.
I
plan to touch on other yarns about early Montgomery in future
entries. If you have memories or pictures of early Montgomery
to share with everyone, please feel free to call me at 897-3164.
-- Gene Michaels.
***
More
Memories....
Watch for more information on Montgomery's history to be added
to the web site in the future.
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