November 3, 2021
Dear Village Resident,
The Spring Grove Trunk or Treat hosted by our Community Engagement Committee was a ghostly good time! Almost 50 trunkers opened their trunks and passed out goodies to over 500 treaters! The committee estimates over 1,000 people, young and old, attended this first annual event.
 
I would like to thank everyone who came out: the Committee, our Public Works Department, and volunteers who made this event a Spooktacular good time! The committee is composed of Trustee Mike Lee and Members Helena Hernquist, Jamie Horvath, Salli Renz, and Mike White.
 
The winners of the Trunk or Treat Costume Contest were: Quill Wind (child), Jane Johnson (adult), and Odin McClennan (pet). The best Trunk went to Richmond Motor Sales for their Cars theme display. A big thank you and shout out to thank Salli Renz with Baird & Warner Real Estate for donating the prizes for best Trunk and adult and child costumes and Fur the Love of Dogs and Nature’s Feed for donating the prizes for best animal costume. See the Trunk winner in the Photo of the Week below and view more photos here.
 
The next planned outing is the Holiday Drive-Thru and Letters to Santa on December 4 at Horse Fair Park. Look for details in the coming weeks.

~Mark
Mark Eisenberg
Village President
Fall Back
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, when the clock will “fall back” one hour. Hope you get an extra hour of sleep!
Basketball Registration for Grades K-8
Recreation Basketball registration for ages K - 8 is on November 7 & 14 from 10 a.m. - noon at the Spring Grove Elementary Gym at 2018 Main Street. Please bring the children you are registering with you at time of registration. They are also looking for volunteers for various positions. View fees and more information.
Open House Holiday Sale
Visit Theresa & Lance at T's Toffee Seventh Annual Open House Holiday Sale on Saturday, December 4 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. You can pre-order by phone or email and pick up on the day of the sale. Watch Facebook for updates. Located at 8815 Hidden Trail. View the flyer with more information here.
Spring Grove Elementary Now Hiring
Spring Grove Elementary School is hiring Special Education Paraprofessionals. Apply online at www.mchenry.k12.il.us or direct letters of application, resume, letters of reference and other appropriate documents to: Mr. Chris Pittman, Principal, Spring Grove Elementary School, 2018 Main Street, Spring Grove, IL 60081. Phone: 815-678-6750 or Fax: 815-678-6760
Photo of the Week
Richmond Motor Sales won the Trunk prize for their fun Cars theme display! If you have a photo of Spring Grove you would like to share, email it here.

View more photos of Trunk or Treat here.
Last Weekend of the Season!
Halloween is over, but there is still one more weekend of fun at Richardson Adventure farm! Get lost in the corn maze or enjoy the many other activities they offer. Open Thursday - Sunday, November 7. View hours here. Thank you to everyone who joined them for Halloween weekend! Located at 909 English Prairie Road.

Purchase Stickers by November 12 to Avoid a Ticket
Have you purchased your 2021-2022 vehicle stickers? The vehicle sticker fee doubled on October 1 to $40 per vehicle and if not purchased by November 12, tickets will also be issued. The police will be making subdivision checks to make sure stickers have been purchased for all vehicles and that they are being displayed properly. Drop the envelope in the Municipal Centre drop-box, purchase in person, or make a payment on-line here.
Nature's Feed Pet Adoption Event this Saturday
The Nature's Feed November Pet Adoption Event, sponsored by Fromm Family Pet Foods, is this Saturday, November 6, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Meet furry friends from Helping Paws Animal Shelter and Young At Heart Senior Pet Rescue to see if you can give a loving pet their forever home! Receive a FREE bag of Fromm Pet Food with a donation of $5 or more! Limit one offer per household. Donations benefit the shelters at the event. Located at 2440 Westward Drive.
Salon Jevee News
Salon Jevee will be closed for repairs and maintenance from Saturday, 11/6 - Monday, 11/14. Please book your appointments with your stylist now as the holidays are fast approaching. Get 10% off all retail products with any service! Expires 11/05/21. View the flyer here. Visit them at www.salonjevee.com.
Blast from the Past - Tweed Family
Location of Tweed & Son 1863-1889
Tweed's store in later years
Tweed monument with three small headstones
Engraving on monument
Robert B. Tweed was an adventurous young man who was born in Ireland in 1818, spending time as a sailor in the coasting trade before marrying Sarah Mitchell in 1841. In 1847 he, his wife and children, emigrated to escape a famine that swept Ireland, like thousands of others. They landed in Grosse Isle, Canada, but Sarah died soon after landing, (possibly of Cholera which was prevalent), leaving Robert and two little boys, Alexander and John.

He came to Lake County in 1848 where he worked in many occupations, including fishing, sailing, farming and chopping wood, until a mysterious ailment overtook him and he was unable to do anything for several months. Upon recovery, he took on a much less strenuous vocation: peddling tinware and notions. He married Fanny Bell, a cousin of his first wife in 1853, and they had two more children: Fannie (1854-1856) and Robert B. (1855-1914). Little Fannie died of scalding before the age of two. Boiling water was used for cleaning everything, including clothes and floors, in those days and was very dangerous for toddlers to be around.
 
Robert rented a room in Spring Grove and opened a small store until he was able to open a real storefront in 1863 at the southwest corner of Main Street and Blivin. He was appointed Postmaster of Bliven’s Mills in 1869 and served in that capacity for 17 years. In time he changed the name of the town back to Spring Grove.
 
In 1875 he built “a fine residence” and in 1878, his son, Robert B. became his business partner after schooling at Bryant & Stratton Business College in Chicago. “Tweed & Son” were doing a “good and honorable business” in Dry Goods and groceries. Soon Robert Jr. had a baby boy and the paper jokingly surmised that the name of the store would be changed to "R. Tweed, Son & Grandson".

In 1889 Robert and Fannie sold the store to Robert Esh who continued the business. They also sold the property just west of that corner in 1890, to William Shotliff, who purchased the blacksmith shop and tools the pair also owned.
 
Robert's son Alexander served three years in the Union army during the Civil War, and became a merchant himself in Fox Lake. Son John moved to Fairfield, Nebraska where he built a house and his own store. He named his son Robert in honor of his father.
 
Fanny died in January of 1892 and Robert followed in June of that year. A fine monument was built for them and their daughter in Spring Grove Cemetery. The monument was straightened and cleaned and the finial reattached during the recent cemetery restoration.
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