fires

Most people have heard of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, but the Great Libertyville Fire of 1895 may not be as familiar. Nearly 125 years ago, a fire raged through central Libertyville destroying an entire business block in a single night. In the hours between August 30 and 31, 1895, cigar maker Max LeBeau…

In the 1950s one of the biggest draws to Libertyville was the Hawthorn-Mellody Farm. At the height of its popularity, the farm, which was owned by the Cuneo family, occupied more than 1,200 acres of land adjacent to the Cuneo Mansion. Hawthorn featured a working dairy farm, a milking parlor, a western town, and even a…