| Trout Valley, the Hertz Estate, and Curtiss Farm Contributor(s): Damian Kidder, Lisa (Author), Baker, Trout Valley Mayor Bob (Introduction by) |
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ISBN: 0738561606 ISBN-13: 9780738561608 Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC) OUR PRICE: $17.99 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 2008 Annotation: John D. Hertz, of rental car fame, discovered Trout Valley (then a part of unincorporated McHenry County) in the 1920s. He built a mansion, barns, and polo grounds on the banks of the Fox River, calling his new country estate Leona Farms. Famous landscape architect Jens Jensen designed its scenic landscape, fishing streams, and ponds. Here Hertz raised racehorses, including two Kentucky Derby winners, and hosted Gatsby-like parties for the rich and famous, including Myrna Loy, Will Rogers, and Walt Disney. Eleanor Roosevelt was once a guest too. In 1943, Hertz sold his estate to Otto Schnering, of Baby Ruth and Butterfinger fame, who transformed the grounds from a lush playground to the headquarters of a 10,000-acre farming operation. Old-timers still remember Schneringas six-pony hitch carrying joy-filled passengers down Main Street, the state-of-the-art livestock arena, and the trophy-winning cattle raised at Curtiss Farm. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - State & Local - Midwest(ia,il,in,ks,mi,mn,mo,nd,ne,oh,sd,wi - Travel | United States - Midwest - East North Central (il, In, Mi, Oh, Wi) - Photography | Subjects & Themes - Historical |
| Dewey: 977.322 |
| LCCN: 2008924110 |
| Series: Images of America (Arcadia Publishing) |
| Physical Information: 0.31" H x 6.6" W x 9.22" (0.70 lbs) 128 pages |
| Themes: - Geographic Orientation - Illinois |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: John D. Hertz, of rental car fame, discovered Trout Valley (then a part of unincorporated McHenry County) in the 1920s. He built a mansion, barns, and polo grounds on the banks of the Fox River, calling his new country estate Leona Farms. Famous landscape architect Jens Jensen designed its scenic landscape, fishing streams, and ponds. Here Hertz raised racehorses, including two Kentucky Derby winners, and hosted Gatsby-like parties for the rich and famous, including Myrna Loy, Will Rogers, and Walt Disney. Eleanor Roosevelt was once a guest too. In 1943, Hertz sold his estate to Otto Schnering, of Baby Ruth and Butterfinger fame, who transformed the grounds from a lush playground to the headquarters of a 10,000-acre farming operation. Old-timers still remember Schnering's six-pony hitch carrying joy-filled passengers down Main Street, the state-of-the-art livestock arena, and the trophy-winning cattle raised at Curtiss Farm. |
Contributor Bio(s): Damian Kidder, Lisa: - Trout Valley village trustee Lisa Damian Kidder worked with the Trout Valley Preservation and Restoration Society to bring this rich history to life in Trout Valley, the Hertz Estate, and Curtiss Farm. Royalties from the sale of this book will help in part to fund the establishment of a permanent museum and restoration work in historic Trout Valley. |