Keeneyville? (Chicago, Elgin, Wheaton: travel, house, subdivision)

[mdz]

I was looking at the old Rand McNally tonight and saw this town on US 20 between Bloomingdale and Hanover Park. Never heard of it or of anyone from there--what's the story on Keeneyville?

[tcs1366]

I dont think there is too much.

I'm assuming it's unincorporated.

The kids will go to Lake Park HS, but I do believe they have their own grammar and middle schools, or at least did at one point. I believe there was a school on the corner of Gary and Lake, but i believe it's been torn down.

The area is relatively small, and I even did a "google" on it, and really nothing came up.

sneeze and you go thru it. I actually did yesterday.... went thru it i mean.

[ahava]

It is an unincorporated area, and they do have their own K-8 school district which is small and not very good.

[HOWELL_STREET]

... And it MIGHT now be the SE part of Hanover Park. The problem in defining its municipality, is that there are a number of towns that corner right into what was once known as Keeneyville. Maybe Bloomingdale, Cloverdale, Carol Stream and the SW corner of Roselle. Most of the above towns have zig - zag boundaries.

Keeneywille is just directly north of Shick Road and I believe along either Gary Avenue or Main Street. Although I have lived in nearby Wheaton for 41 years, I still get mixed up between the two roads North of where I live, I.E. Gary or Main St.

That same Keeneyville area has the Stratford Square Mall just to the south of K ' ville.

Another adjacent community of many years ago - - and very close to Keeneyville - - was known as Cloverdale. But these are towns of yesteryear and today - - are only represented by long time residents who can recall the original town names and accurate boundaries.

K' Ville is struggling to retain its original identity and so they DO keep that name.

Immediately to the South - West of the Keeneyville area is Mallard Lake - - and that is the most beautiful lake in the Du Page County Forest Preserve System. But to OUTSIDERS, Mallard Lake's entrance is hidden and difficult to locate.

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL

[tcs1366]

Isn't Mallard Lake where the "dump" is? I recall that when i was a teen. I just dont know if it is still active.

>>either Gary Avenue or Main Street.

it's Gary, Main is a bit farther East. But then again, there are many "Main" streets as you head south in your direction.

as in GlenEllyn Road turns into a Main around North Ave, Schmale turns to Main after North Ave, then there is the other one just west of Park on Roosevelt. IT's not my area, so I don't really know ... but jumped on it once when i was heading to COD.

[HOWELL_STREET]

... Believe it or not, I just 'discovered' the entrance to Mallard Lake after living in Wheaton for 41 years. Yes, the 'dump' is inactive and has been that way for a long time.

When I visited Mallard Lake (on the North side of the 'hills'), I also looked at one of the Forest Preserve District brochures about the Lake. And in that brochure, they mentioned that it is recognized as the most beautiful lake district in Du Page County.

At the Lake, they permit boating (with a daily permit fee), and fishing with an Illinois Fishing license. There is supposed to be 'Pike' in that lake(?). And also there is a wide bicycle perimter trail that surrounds most of the lake(s). Of course, much hiking too. However....

... I would NOT recommend swimming in that lake. That's because the Forest Preserve districk is constantly monitoring the water purity. And there is no sense in taking a personal risk even though scientists might tell you 'It is perfectly good water'(?). I'm sure we have all heard that before major catastrophes have happened in the past.

So IF you want to visit that Lake, the easiest way is to take the rear frontage road (directly behind the Meijers store). Go north on that road until the zig zag intersection street. Turning west at that intersection, you will bump into the Mallard Lake entrance.

There is another way, but I can't recite it without visiting Map Quest.

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL

[tcs1366]

Thanks Carter -- I honestly had no idea there was actually a lake back there.

I'll have to check it out one day -- i'm a mapquest user myself. I'll check out the aerial view.

[deano52]

THE KEENEYVILLE SWAMP RATS
AND THE LAUGHING PLACE
By: Dean Glorso

Du Page County Resolution SM-0006-06 will put the funding in place to improve the drainage in Keeneyville. The county has studied the plan extensively and estimates the cost to improve the drainage in East Keeneyville to be $26 Million over the next ten years. One aspect of there studies, I’m sure never included some of the boy hood memories I have of the poor drainage and wetlands there. The wetland/swamps were our play ground.

In the past 40 years, since leaving the wonderful community of Keeneyville, I have watched the many changes during my infrequent visits to the Chicago Area. These drainage improvements will forever change the rural community I grew up in, but improvements will never drain the memories of the group of boys that called themselves “The Keeneyville Swamp Rats”.

We were part of the baby boomer generation. We Swamp Rats were especially lucky because our parents were smart enough to leave the crowed city of Chicago and move west to this wonderful rural subdivision. “Keeney’s Lake Street Farms”, located about 25 miles west of Chicago, was created when Virginia Keeney signed, and recorded the subdivision plat in 1932. The original subdivision, East of Gary Road, and South of U.S. Highway 20 (Lake Street), contained approximately 115, 1-Arcre Lots. It was the perfect place for young boys to grow up in the 1950’s.

When I was age 10, I acquired a paper route delivering the Chicago American and the Elgin Courier in the community of Keeneyville. At that time, both were evening papers and a perfect way for a boy to earn a few bucks and get to know many of the people in the neighborhood.

Mrs. Mae Miller was one of my paper customers who, lived to be 100 years old. She and her husband Francis Xavier Miller were one of the first home owners in Keeneyville. They lived on Keeney Road in a lovely white house with green trim just south of Lake Street. I remember asking Mrs. Miller to help me with one of my school assignments, writing a brief history of Keeneyville. She was very willing to tell me some things I still remember to this day. One was the fact that Keeneyville had a lake that was considered by the Native American Indians to be a great fishing spot. According to Mrs. Miller, the lake was reduced to a swamp when drainage ditches were cut, and fill material was placed during the original construction of Gary Road back in the 1930’s.

Winter was a great time for the Keeneyville Swamp Rats. Bob Sherman organized a hockey team and The Swamp Rats skated regularly in the open areas between the cattails. But in the summer I distinctly remember one of those drainage ditches where the cottonwood trees on the banks seemed as tall as the buildings in downtown Chicago. We called our favorite playground “The Laughing Place”.

It was Dale Young and Warner Baumgartner. Two Swamp Rats who procured a heavy long rope from Case Foundation Company and made a wonderful swing in the trees. Dale and Warner were both very athletic and had the great upper body strength required to climb high in the tall cottonwoods. Like circus trapezes actors, they hauled up the large rope and draped it over a high limb. While Gary Olson tied one end of the rope to the trunk of the tree, Warner let the other end drop until it hung directly over the stagnant drainage ditch. A large knot at the swinging end of the rope completed the fabulous boy made swing.

Hot summer days were spent swinging on the long rope, in a large counter clockwise arc. The swing travel was over, parallel with then back over the smelly stagnant ditch. I remember watching Tim “Tink” McLaughlin take a turn dressed in his Sunday wing tip shoes. Tink had big feet for a young boy and as he left the ground on the high side of the tree bank, Terry Kupp and Bill Steiner inched the tie down side of the rope up the trunk of the tree until Tink was lowered closer to the slime green water. Soon his large shoes hit the surface and he looked like a water skier spewing green water in all directions. With a final nudge on the rope, Terry and Bill sent Tink to the mud and slime bottom of the ditch. It was at this moment, I remember, when the Laughing Place got its name. I can still see Tink’s blonde head emerge from the brown water, with a large piece of green moss rolling off his forehead. Belly laughs from both banks of the ditch secured the name of our play ground forever.

Quickly Dan “Porky” Williamson took charge of the rope while Ron Cabai and Mark Olson were starting a duet swing. Porky leaped from the bank just as Ron and Mark swung by, knocking the two boys and him self into the stinking ditch. This act caused a mud fight to break out and before long all the Swamp Rats present were soaked in mud, slime and laughter.

So as the County makes these drainage improvements to the Keeneyville swamps, remember there are some of us around who still consider Keeneyville’s poor drainage, “Our Laughing Place”.

[rwarmowski]

Originally Posted by deano52

THE KEENEYVILLE SWAMP RATS
AND THE LAUGHING PLACE
By: Dean Glorso

Du Page County Resolution SM-0006-06 will put the funding in place to improve the drainage in Keeneyville. The county has studied the plan extensively and estimates the cost to improve the drainage in East Keeneyville to be $26 Million over the next ten years. One aspect of there studies, I’m sure never included some of the boy hood memories I have of the poor drainage and wetlands there. The wetland/swamps were our play ground.

In the past 40 years, since leaving the wonderful community of Keeneyville, I have watched the many changes during my infrequent visits to the Chicago Area. These drainage improvements will forever change the rural community I grew up in, but improvements will never drain the memories of the group of boys that called themselves “The Keeneyville Swamp Rats”.

We were part of the baby boomer generation. We Swamp Rats were especially lucky because our parents were smart enough to leave the crowed city of Chicago and move west to this wonderful rural subdivision. “Keeney’s Lake Street Farms”, located about 25 miles west of Chicago, was created when Virginia Keeney signed, and recorded the subdivision plat in 1932. The original subdivision, East of Gary Road, and South of U.S. Highway 20 (Lake Street), contained approximately 115, 1-Arcre Lots. It was the perfect place for young boys to grow up in the 1950’s.

When I was age 10, I acquired a paper route delivering the Chicago American and the Elgin Courier in the community of Keeneyville. At that time, both were evening papers and a perfect way for a boy to earn a few bucks and get to know many of the people in the neighborhood.

Mrs. Mae Miller was one of my paper customers who, lived to be 100 years old. She and her husband Francis Xavier Miller were one of the first home owners in Keeneyville. They lived on Keeney Road in a lovely white house with green trim just south of Lake Street. I remember asking Mrs. Miller to help me with one of my school assignments, writing a brief history of Keeneyville. She was very willing to tell me some things I still remember to this day. One was the fact that Keeneyville had a lake that was considered by the Native American Indians to be a great fishing spot. According to Mrs. Miller, the lake was reduced to a swamp when drainage ditches were cut, and fill material was placed during the original construction of Gary Road back in the 1930’s.

Winter was a great time for the Keeneyville Swamp Rats. Bob Sherman organized a hockey team and The Swamp Rats skated regularly in the open areas between the cattails. But in the summer I distinctly remember one of those drainage ditches where the cottonwood trees on the banks seemed as tall as the buildings in downtown Chicago. We called our favorite playground “The Laughing Place”.

It was Dale Young and Warner Baumgartner. Two Swamp Rats who procured a heavy long rope from Case Foundation Company and made a wonderful swing in the trees. Dale and Warner were both very athletic and had the great upper body strength required to climb high in the tall cottonwoods. Like circus trapezes actors, they hauled up the large rope and draped it over a high limb. While Gary Olson tied one end of the rope to the trunk of the tree, Warner let the other end drop until it hung directly over the stagnant drainage ditch. A large knot at the swinging end of the rope completed the fabulous boy made swing.

Hot summer days were spent swinging on the long rope, in a large counter clockwise arc. The swing travel was over, parallel with then back over the smelly stagnant ditch. I remember watching Tim “Tink” McLaughlin take a turn dressed in his Sunday wing tip shoes. Tink had big feet for a young boy and as he left the ground on the high side of the tree bank, Terry Kupp and Bill Steiner inched the tie down side of the rope up the trunk of the tree until Tink was lowered closer to the slime green water. Soon his large shoes hit the surface and he looked like a water skier spewing green water in all directions. With a final nudge on the rope, Terry and Bill sent Tink to the mud and slime bottom of the ditch. It was at this moment, I remember, when the Laughing Place got its name. I can still see Tink’s blonde head emerge from the brown water, with a large piece of green moss rolling off his forehead. Belly laughs from both banks of the ditch secured the name of our play ground forever.

Quickly Dan “Porky” Williamson took charge of the rope while Ron Cabai and Mark Olson were starting a duet swing. Porky leaped from the bank just as Ron and Mark swung by, knocking the two boys and him self into the stinking ditch. This act caused a mud fight to break out and before long all the Swamp Rats present were soaked in mud, slime and laughter.

So as the County makes these drainage improvements to the Keeneyville swamps, remember there are some of us around who still consider Keeneyville’s poor drainage, “Our Laughing Place”.

I played hockey on that swamp in the 40s. It was a wonderful place to grow up.

[user name]

Most maps will show Virginia road going through from Lake street all the way to Lawrence but that's incorrect. It actually dead ends 1 block in after Lake street due to a lake that interrupts the street. You'd never realize there's a lake there unless you lived right here because it's surrounded by trees. It continues and then turns and tapers off just south and halfway to Argyle.
As I understand it from my landlord, who grew up in the home that I'm renting and is a lifelong resident of the area, that was also once a drainage ditch until it grew and caused the street to be cut off.

Really neat area, by the way, with interesting wildlife walking through my backyard (coyote, deer, Canadian geese, Blue Herron, large spiders of countless type, etc). Also, an abundance of mosquitos as the county doesn't seem to realize that there's lake back there either and doesn't hit the water with any skeeter killer. And of course there's a nightly skunk fight outside my door...you can find my house with your eyes closed. I'm moving soon, overall I'm going to miss this area.