Editing McHenry, Illinois (section)

==History==
=== 19th century ===
In the 1830s various settlers arrived in the area and created the foundation for McHenry. Some of the family names can still be seen today: McCullom, McLean, Boone, and Wheeler.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/801.html|title=McHenry, IL|website=www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Munsell Publishing Company|title=History of McHenry County, Illinois (Vol 1)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cr6n6Z_BUAkC|year=1922}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Munsell Publishing Company|title=History of McHenry County, Illinois (Vol 2)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sqhXARZQy6wC|year=1922}}</ref>

[[George Gage (politician)|George Gage]] came to the area in 1835 and purchased a plot of land west of the Fox River. This area eventually came to be known as Gagetown. In 1854, George Gage played an instrumental role in bringing the railroad to the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwherald.com/2011/03/20/movers-shakers-shaped-mchenry/aadu9oh/|title=Movers, shakers shaped McHenry|access-date=April 5, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406110843/http://www.nwherald.com/2011/03/20/movers-shakers-shaped-mchenry/aadu9oh/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Gagetown was eventually renamed to West McHenry.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.mchenry.il.us/vertical/sites/%7B32BA702A-197A-429A-BC8D-0F4D5E307CAD%7D/uploads/GagetownBrochure.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=April 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404043550/http://www.ci.mchenry.il.us/vertical/sites/%7B32BA702A-197A-429A-BC8D-0F4D5E307CAD%7D/uploads/GagetownBrochure.pdf |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In 1851, a dam was built on Boone Creek which created Mill Pond. The pond encompassed an area between today's rail road tracks and Route 31 and north of Waukegan Road.

In 1860, the historical [[Count's House]] was completed.

On August 4, 1875, the first issue of the city newspaper, the ''McHenry Plaindealer'', was published by Jay Van Slyke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcigs.org/plaindealer-history.html|title=Plaindealer History|website=McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mchenrycountyhistory.org/day-mchenry-county-history|title=Day in McHenry County History - McHenry County Historical Society and Museum|website=www.mchenrycountyhistory.org}}</ref>

In 1880, the first bridge in McHenry was built at Pearl Street.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GeHHqIzw3BkC&pg=PA17|title=McHenry and McCullom Lake|first=Sandra Landen|last=Machaj|date=July 21, 2018|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|via=Google Books|isbn=9780738550602}}</ref>

=== 20th century ===

On March 30, 1908, a train bound for Ringwood crashed near the McHenry train depot. One person was killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mpldlocalhistory.blog/2016/08/22/the-mchenry-train-crash-of-1908/|title=The McHenry Train Crash of 1908|date=August 22, 2016}}</ref>

In 1929, Mill Pond was drained by removing the dam on Boone Creek.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mchenry-plaindealer-mill-pond-draine/8278603/ |title='Venetian Gardens' New Subdivision - Mill Pond Has Been Drained |date= June 20, 1929 |publisher=The McHenry Plaindealer |access-date=May 7, 2024}}</ref>

The original single lane <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nwherald.com/2015/12/18/next-step-for-mchenry-riverwalk-remains-uncertain/a9gepl5/ |title=Next step for McHenry Riverwalk remains uncertain |date=December 21, 2015 |publisher=Northwest Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307144212/http://www.nwherald.com/2015/12/18/next-step-for-mchenry-riverwalk-remains-uncertain/a9gepl5/ |access-date=May 6, 2024|archive-date=March 7, 2016 }}</ref> Pearl Street bridge was built 1880–1881 over Fox River.  The iron truss bridge was dismantled and a section of it was relocated to Terra Cotta Industries in Crystal Lake in Nov. 1976 to be used as a pedestrian bridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/07/07/rescued-bridge-still-has-future-to-span-thanks-to-private-firm/ |title=RESCUED BRIDGE STILL HAS FUTURE TO SPAN, THANKS TO PRIVATE FIRM |date=July 7, 1997 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref>  Other sections remain in storage.  The original bridge was replaced with a concrete bridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bridgehunter.com/il/mchenry/old-pearl-street/ |title=Old Pearl Street Bridge|website=Bridgehunter.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303024123/https://bridgehunter.com/il/mchenry/old-pearl-street/ |archive-date=March 3, 2021 }}</ref>

In 1985, the ''McHenry Plaindealer'' newspaper became part of the ''Northwest Herald''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mcigs.org/plaindealer-history.html | work=McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society | title=History of the McHenry Plaindealer Newspaper 1875-1985 | access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref>