History of Barrington Hills

Interview Series 2010

Back Roads - Living History Interviews

Frttz Gohl, President Pro Tem and Trustee Liaison for the Communications Committee, and long time village resident, among other titles, has initiated a new responsibility for the Communications Committee. Residents with a significant background in the Community are being interviewed by Debbie Stone, Communications Committee member and professional writer and photographer. The title of the series of interviews, which include stories and photos, is "Back Roads." These stories help new and long time residents understand the values the village was built upon and the effort it takes to maintain the unique way of life we enjoy in our Community. You may never meet a resident again without wondering what "Back Roads" they have traveled.

The first interview was with Mrs. Peggy Richards. The introduction to her story appears in the February 2010 Newsletter, coming to mailboxes or email folders near you. The full stories will be posted here on this History section of this Website.

"Back Roads - Stories that connect people to the character of our village"

Peggy Richards

Mrs. Peggy Richards in her garden in 2009 - photo and story by Debbie Stone

Abstract Published February 2010

Back in December [2009], the village was covered by a heavy blanket of snow. One news channel even broadcast from the Barrington train station because this area was being hit the hardest, over 12.7 inches in just one snowfall! That seems like a lot of snow. But to Peggy Richards, a long time resident in Barrington Hills, it's but a dusting.

Mrs. Richards grew up in this area before it was known as Barrington Hills. Her father, Mr. Grigsby was a manufacturer who often played golf at the local country club with Mr. Cardwell, another early settler in the area. Falling in love with the land, Mr. Grigsby bought some property, moved his family from Des Plaines and, as many other residents at that time did, became a hobby farmer, raising chicken, cows, horses and the food to feed them. Except for the main roads, most roads were unpaved and in the winter, the snow was so abundant that sleigh rides were the delight of Peggy, along with almost every child in the area, as well as the easiest mode of transportation.

It was a snowfall many years later, in the 1960's, that Mrs. Richards remembers best. At the time, a group of people got together every Thursday night to play badminton in the Countryside School gym. After the games ended, the group would gather at someone's home to have a potluck dinner on paper plates, followed by piano playing and singing. This particular night, as they gathered for dinner at Ginny and Ed Reeds', snow started falling. It fell so hard and fast that, when it was time for the evening to end, everyone's car was stuck. After hours of shoveling and pushing they realized they were going nowhere. Ginny and Ed had over thirty people spend the night, probably setting the record as the largest impromptu adult sleepover in Barrington Hills!

The following morning after hours of snow relocation, the badminton players returned to find their homes inhabited by other neighbors not able to drive in the storm. Residents would drive as far as they could and then walk to the nearest house to provide shelter. In the weeks that followed it was talk of the village.

Peggy Richards Full Story - Interview with Debbie Stone

“Mallard Hens!” she said. I looked up to see Peggy Richards standing on a walkway looking the direction opposite from which I was coming. She turned to me; “Mallard hens, best I can tell.” I climbed up to the walkway as she continued her gaze out to the large pond on the side of her home. It was a late August afternoon. There they were, six swimming ducks, the objects of Peggy Richard’s immediate attention. We watched the ducks for a while as Ms Richards shared with me how the hen’s markings differed from those of the ducks that usually swam the pond. She had been walking the land, studying them for most of the morning and had her research books out trying to identify the exact species.

Peggy Richards, like most residents in Barrington Hills, is familiar with her land and yet, still fascinated by all of nature’s surprises and unexpected visitors. Ms Richards is different than many of the residents in the village, in that, her family was here before it was a village.

Ms Richard’s father, Mr. Grigsby was born downstate Illinois and met the future Mrs. Grigsby in England where they married and lived until Peggy and her brother Raymond James a.k.a. Pete were in elementary school. Back in the states, they lived in Park Ridge. It was when the children were in elementary school that Mr. Cardwell, an early settler in this area invited Mr. Grigsby to play golf at the local country club. Falling in love with the area, Mr. Grigsby soon moved his family and home to became a resident. And, as many other residents, he became a ‘hobby farmer,’ raising chickens, cows and horses and the food to feed the animals. This came in handy during the war, when eggs, butter and milk were hard to come by. There was no bus service in the area and, most kids were driven to school on unpaved roads by ‘Mom.’

What was it like when only a few of the main roads were paved? Ms Richards explains, “There was a lot of dust on the cars, then, after they oiled the roads to control the dust, there was a lot of oil on the car. At that time, you could look in any direction but east and all you would see was farmland. It was real country.” The residents were close. Everyone knew everyone and everyone was a character. She lived down the road from Mr. and Mrs. Buckley, whom all the kids knew as Uncle Bob and Auntie Mary. Ms Richards goes on to tell an infamous story of Uncle Bob on Neptune Night. “It’s all in the book,” she says. The history book that she refers to is available to read at the Barrington Hills Country Club.

Ms Richards got married on her parent’s property and lived in the village with her husband. Most socializing took place at the country club but she goes on to tell a story that happened one winter night in Barrington Hills.

In the sixties, there was a group of people that got together from all around the area to play badminton every Thursday night. They started playing in the gym at the old school in the village, later the group moved its venue to Countryside School. When the games ended, the group would all gather at someone’s home to have a potluck dinner on paper plates, followed by piano playing and singing. This one Thursday night, as the group gathered for dinner at Ginny and Ed Reeds’, snow started falling. It fell so hard and fast that when it was time for the evening to end, no one could move their cars. After hours of shoveling and pushing they realized they were stuck. That night Ginny and Ed had over thirty adults spend the night, probably setting the record as the largest impromptu adult sleepover in Barrington Hills. The following morning after more hours of snow relocation, everyone finally made it home, only to find their homes inhabited by other neighbors in the village not able to drive any further in the snow. People just drove until their cars got stuck and made their way to the nearest house on foot.

Since that time, Ms. Richards has trekked through more than drifts of snow. At her second home in Sun Valley, Idaho, Ms. Richards hikes and snow-skis throughout the winter. She is very fond of the area. “It’s better than Aspen. It didn’t grow like other resorts. Too hard to get to, that saved it!” she says convincingly. And, if anyone knows a thing or two about saving land and nature, it’s Ms. Richards. Since 1980, she has been donating parcels of land to the Citizens for Conservation. “Grigsby Prairie” is now over forty acres and after years of restoration, houses 175 native species. It is an educational site for school children, under the guidance of the Citizens For Conservation, who pick seeds that are then used in restorations of other local land projects.

Ms. Richards loves to spend time outdoors, walking and studying the land. She enjoys playing bridge, golf, and gardening. She’s hiked her way through Spain, Switzerland, and Italy and has trekked mountains in Nepal. According to Ms. Richards, a true resident of Barrington Hills, “That’s the only way to see a country, walk through it.”