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Insight PEACE ON EARTH By Larry Swaim Professor Quincy Wright, in a study of wars, shows that in 461 years, from 1480 through 1941, the various nations of the world experienced war as follows: Great Britain engaged in 78 wars, France 71, Spain 64, Russia 61, Germany 23, China 11, Japan 9, and the United States 13. He also noted that in the past 4,000 years there have been fewer than 300 years of peace on earth. War has always been the world's biggest business and the words of Jesus describe the world of the past and the present, "And there shall be wars and rumors of wars." War seems to be the universal disease of man and no nation can long escape its ravages. Many of you reading this article can remember w a r s i n v o l v i n g J a p a n , Germany, Korea, and now North and South Vietnam. With all of our talk of civilization and with all of our supposed progress, our moon probes, satellites, and vast scientific knowledge, our great strides in medicine and technology, we are still left w i t h t h e i n e s c a p a b l e REPLACE IT NOW! For safety's sake -• for comfort and appearance - check ail windows and doors now and let us repair or replace. We reglaze in our shop or in your home ...with regular glass or new safety materials such as K-Lux Acrylic Plastics. McHENRY PAINT • GLASS & WALLPAPER 3 4 1 1 W E l M M c H t N R Y 3 9 5 7 3 5 3 vs. c o n c l u s i o n t h a t m a n h a s ' * " made little progress in getting along with his fellow man. N o t o n l y i s t h e r e w a r between people, but there is also the internal war that millions of people experience, the lack of peace of mind. Truly, we live in a world of searching, restlessness and turmoil where millions are searching for peace of mind. Yet, peace of mind is that state which God grants us when we are living according to His will and completely trust in His providence and promises. As long as we try to do it ourselves, w«! will experience insecurity and frustration but when we give our lives, ourselves, our burdens to Jesus and trust Him and His promises He will provide for our needs and we will find "that peace that passes all understanding." * * * * A new class of citizens has developed--the televi­ sion slave. Prolamine Time Capsules & Diet Plan. EIGHT Start losing weight the very first week, keep losing until you have reduced pounds and inches-whatever your body needs to be slim, trim & attractive as you follow this successful low calorie Prolamine Diet Plan. Read and follow all label information. Save 1.00 §1---- lUSiamine regular I NOW 2M / I6* 4400 W. RTE. 120 McHENRY RT. 47 & COUNTRY CLUB P - ROAD WOODSTOCK Our own idea is that Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln would be surprised at some of the things that people say they said. Don't worry too much about your boy or girl- just be sure their parents set them an example worth following. RENTAL NO installation charge NEW fully automatic softeners TWO year option to buy with FULL rental fee deducted per n.onth 0N£ phone call can answer any questions PHONE 312-259-3393 A*liwfo* Soft WoktCo. DIVISION OF RENTAS0FT INC. ' SERVING NORTH & NORTHWEST SUBURBS 1 \\\ _ w You can too! CALL 385-0126 What you hear may change your life! The death of both parents in early childhood brought their grandmother, Aisena Gage Smith, into the household to care for the three staters Maud, Fannie and Florence. Here is a typical The arrival of the Fox River Valley railroad (now the Chicago and Northwestern) in 1854 was largely through the efforts of George Gage. It opened a gateway to the water and woodland beauty of McHenry and to its industrial and recreational potential. East Side! West Side! This popular song about the sidewalks of New York may have been inspired by the two sides of early McHenry. An intense rivalry between old McHenry on the east side and the new West McHenry became explosive when the post office was suddenly moved from East McHenry to West McHenry. By subterfuge according to some historical sources. It took a year of petitions, public furor and the threat of a mini civil war to persuade Washington to restore the post office to the east side. For many years McHenry was th'e only town in the United States with two post offices. It was not uniil 1950 that the post office on the west side was finally closed. Caught in the middle of the East-West contest for supremacy was another section of McHenry known as Centerville with Green street as its thoroughfare. It was a separate town entity and may have added to its usefulness as a sort of buffer zone during the post office controversy. Although a competitive spirit prevailed among the three-cornered McHenry there was a unity of purpose that brought them all together as one indivisible McHenry. In preparation for America's Centennial anniversary in 1876, George Gage was commissioned by the President of the United States (Ulysses S. Grant) to write an historical sketch of McHenry. His history of early McHenry is brief, concise, factual and impersonal with no mention of his own accomplishments. It has many threads of philosophical thought characteristic of this pioneer. The history is among documents stored in the national archives in Washington, D.C. This paragraph from the writing is particularly descriptive of those early days, "The history of the early trials and privations of the settlers of this town can never be written to give an adequate idea of what they had to encounter. Situated 50 miles from the nearest depot for supplies with almost impassable sloughs and streams intervening, most families being at times driven to the alternative of hunting, fishing, or starvation, there being no sheep or hogs and few horses or cattle and no grain in the country." Looking back reflectively as he wrote the history he noted," that the comfortable homes today, surrounded with all the luxuries that a tropical climate can supply, it appears more like an illusive dream than what it really is, an important fact recorded indelibly in the records of eternity." We turn now to another McHenry pioneer who became a link in the Gage-Granger heritage chain. Flavel K. Granger, lawyer, farmer and legislator followed in the footsteps ofGeorge Gage coming to McHenry in 1853. Both men became prominent leaders in the political, social and business life of the community. Both served distinguished careers in the Illinois legislature. Flavel Granger served as speaker of the house for several years and was the first to preside in the then new state capitol building. An editorial in the Sunday Telegraph of Chicago dated May 11, 1879, spoke highly of his legislative ability: "Mr. Granger, who is now in his fourth term, keeps a better run of the business and knows better how to avail himself of the rules than any other member. He is well posted on every question of legislation; as a speaker he is easy and clear in his statements, always commanding the attention of his unruly audience." 1873 was a year to remember. This was McHenry's baptismal year as an incorporated village. It was the year that telegraphic SECTION 2 - PAGE i - PLAINDEALER-TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 23,1976 Family tree rooted in the Mayflower, American \ Revolution and early McHenry history Down by the Old Mill Stream, now a thriving shopping center. It was at the Landmark schoolhouse in the background that Fanny Granger first met her future husband, Robert Thompson, in the fifth grade. Following graduation Fanny taught at the school for many years. husband, Harrison, came into the household to care for the children. The McHenry County Fair was a major event in which their childish anticipation preceded the event by many weeks. It was a horse and buggy "pleasurette" that carried the girls and Grandpa Granger the 12-mile trek to Woodstock and an exciting day at the fair. Getting over Snyder's steep hill and over the hump along the Bull Valley road was a "worrisome but thrilling experience". The best fireworks in town were found at the Grangers on July 4 when the West McHenry skies were lighted by sky rockets, Roman candles and a wide assortment of fireworks. Family gatherings in their enclave of homes on Main street testified to a growing and flourishing family tree. There were stories of the early days to thrill the listeners. There was music, gaity, sometimes sadness when loved ones passed on, but always a sense of family solidarity prevailed. On the threshhold of a new century, the Granger sisters were to witness an acceleration of history beyond their wildest imagination, ranging from the horse and buggy days to the space age and interplanetary travel. They were to see the fledging McHenry grow from its humble beginnings to a town of urban maturity and opportunity. They were caught up in a whirlwind of events. Two devastating world wars, a great economic depression in the early thirties, prosperity and inflation in an ever rising spiral, an upheaval of old customs and traditions, a new morality, incredible advance* in technology, ar knowledge explosion, government corruption and illusive reform and restless, uneasy world in search of purpose and identity. It is an unfinished mural of the 20th century. It is doubtful whether future generations will ever experience the eventful, all-encompassing scope of history witnessed by the two Granger sisters and their contemporaries. A deeply religious nature reinforces their belief that a resurgence of spiritual values will ultimately give us a mural worthy of display for the next century. There's another legacy that Maud, Fanny and her husband, Robert, inherited. It's a God-given legacy of health, happiness and a full, active life. As a former teacher in the old Landmark school, Fanny has happy memories of former classmates and students. She is a member of the Elgin chapter of the Daughters of the AmericanRevolution, McHenry Women's club, Garden club and Royal Neighbors of America. She also possesses a 50- year membership pin in the Eastern Star organization. Maud enjoyed a long and interesting career with a law firm in Chicago. She has vivid recollections of the big blizzard back in 1918. A commuter train left the Chicago terminal on a Friday evening after work with Maud aboard. Swirling snow drifts engulfed the train iust short of Roselle. Stranded on the train overnight, snow plows finally reached the scene on Saturday and the marooned passengers were taken to Roselle, where they were fed and housed until Sunday when the tracks were cleared and the passengers taken to their destination. It was an exciting weekend for Maud. She was particularly impressed by the fine spirit displayed by the passengers during the ordeal. Along with Fanny, she is a member of the Elgin chapter of the D.A.R. This story would be incomplete if we overlooked an important member erf the family tree, Fanny's husband, Robert Thompson. As a farmer during his youth, Robert was not satisfied with just cultivating the soil. He studied the soU, experimented with it and learned many of its secrets. Combining seeds, soil, patience, skill and a natural love for gardening, Robertwon both local and national acclaim for his prize winning peonies, irises, gladioli, dahlias and other flowers. His garden has been called one of the loveliest in McHenry. Robert Thompson received a national award from the American Home magazine for developing a new peony, named by him, the "Victory peony", an appropriate name since the year was 1945. Among the many press clippings this one seems to typify his love for flowers, "The Thompson garden is filled with a variety of plants lending beautiful color from the blue of the delphinium to the varied hues of the columbine and beautiful tints of the roses." One year Robert had 1,500 gladiolas in his garden representing eighty different varieties. He raised peonies from seed, a process requiring infinite patience and tendercare since it is five years before a seedling peony will blossom and mature. A winner of Countless awards, Robert's garden today reflects the beauty and fascination that brought him not only awards, but a sense of fulfillment. Gardening is still a sun-up to sun-down hobby for Robert since he retired from the McHenry Lumber company some years ago. A 50 year member of the Eastern Star, Robert was recently awarded a 60-year membership pin, a rare achievement, in the Masonic lodge. The Granger-Thompson family has traveled extensively, having visited all of the fifty states, as well as countries in Europe. Their family, social, church and other interests keep them all young in spirit, alert and abreast of the times. But then all of this, for purposes of this story, is contemporary history and not a part of the heritage of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries that the story deals with. Because of their innate modesty and humility they were reluctant to have their story told. They were quick to point out that the names, events and geneology of others in McHenry might be of even more public or human interst. Perhaps so. The heritage of others is timeless and a part of history that eventually will be told. This story may serve as a catalyst to restore a sense of history in this Bicentennial year that might be helpful in guiding us into the next century. scene and costumes of the day when the parlor was the center of family music and culture. communication was established with the outside world. The name of Granger figured prominently in both events. He was on the first board of town trustees and was the first to inaugurate the new telegraphic system. The Gage-Granger creative energies built a strong foundation for the progress and growth that took McHenry into the twentieth century. Both have earned an important place in McHenry's history along with other pioneer leaders of the era; such names as Owen, Wheeler, McLean, Way, McCollum McOmber, Hanley and others. George Gage died in December, 1899, at the age of 86. The death of Flavel Granger in June, 1905, dissolved a pioneer partnership dedicated to the betterment of a community they loved. It was Flavel Granger's son,Charles, who provided the final link in the Mayflower chain when he married the granddaughter of George and Martha Gage. From this union the sisters Maud, Fanny and their late sister, Florence, became the heirs to a priceless legacy of history. Maud Granger, Fanny Granger Thompson and her husband, Robert, pictured on the porch of their ancestral home. The staters were born in this landmark house on historic Main street, center of early Gagetown, West McHenry, and now a thriving thoroughfare of an indivisible McHenry. The death of their parents in early childhood brought the Granger sisters into a close kinship with their grandparents. Their maternal grandparents, Aisena Gage Smith and her From farmland to fairway. This is the site of the McHenry Country club in the early 1900's. That is Robert Thompson at the controls of the 3-horsepower grain binder on what was then the Owens farm. Schooling and farming was a full time occupation for young Robert in those days. \