https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Polo_Historical_Society

Polo Illinois Historical Society, 113 N Franklin Avenue, Polo, IL (2026)

09/03/2026

Polo History
Betty Obendorf

September 2, 2026

Having Daniel Ended the Week Nicely

The week started out sad when Beverly and I went out to Fairmount Cemetery for the burial of Dick Unger from the Class of 1950. Dick and I grew up together in the Lutheran Church and we were confirmed March 25, 1945. There were 18 of us in the confirmation class with Rev. Kabele as the minister.
Then in September of 1946, we headed off to high school and graduated in 1950. I went then to Watt Publishing in Mt. Morris and Dick eventually went into the United States Air Force. He married Marilyn Bruce, also from the Class of 1950 and two years later she died from a brain tumor.
Marilyn was brought back to Fairmount Cemetery and many from the Class of 1950 consoled Dick with letters of love and comfort. One of those was Margaret Wilson, Class of 1950. She by that time was a music teacher at Midland, MI. They continued to correspond and soon Dick felt he needed to be in Midland instead of in the air force.
After Dick and Margaret were married I continued to hear about what was going on in their lives. They retired to Lake Ann and a little house by the lake. When Kenneth and I visited them we took our daughter Susan and two granddaughters along. The little girls loved to play in the little row boat by the lake while we chatted away and caught up on our lives.
All too soon Margaret was gone and she was brought back to Fairmount to rest near Marilyn. Now Dick is there in the shade of the tree in a beautiful spot near Marilyn and Margaret. All of us from the Class of 1950.
On Wednesday came the news that Betty Ebert had passed away and she was from the Class of 1951 and we were all in music together. Betty and I both taught for Polo and we worked on some projects together even though she was in the high school and I was at Centennial. After we retired we would to together to retirement meetings. So it seemed the week was a sad week as I thought about past years.
But I got a call from grandson Daniel and he was coming out to visit before he headed back to seminary. He is 6 foot nine and has a big appetite. He is Steve and Cheri’s youngest child and I love to cook for him. What would I fix that would be easy so we could visit?
I decided on pot roast with vegetables which was Kenneth’s favorite meal. I went to the Farmer’s Market and got more fresh green beans from Jim. Daniel loved them and wondered how I had fixed them. Just green beans, potatoes, onions, and bacon. But you have to have fresh green beans from the garden. I also sent him home with orange rolls made by Beth. He had never had those.
What started out as a sad week, ended up with a great visit with a grandson who has started back to school. to be a priest. He will not be here at Christmas but will be in some other country so this was an important visit.

A good way to end the week.

09/02/2026

POLO HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL PICNIC!

When: Wednesday September 9th
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Henry School (Route 52 & Henry Rd)

Program: A special presentation by historian Paul Misko of New York on John Burroughs and his time in the Buffalo Grove/Polo area. Come hear the story of the young teacher who passed through our community before becoming one of America's celebrated observers and writers of nature.

Please bring your own utensils and a dish to pass,
Event is free and open to all.

In the event of rain, the picnic and program will be held at the museum, 113 N. Franklin.

[email protected]

08/27/2026

August 26, 2026 – Loving Fall

This year I am going to love fall and the beautiful maple tree across the street. This is because Steve came and washed my big picture window. It is now all sparkly and I can keep my drapes open. I have a two-foot overhang all around the house and rainwater rarely gets to the top. I am beyond washing windows, so I usually just close the blinds and that is that.
This year I want to put the haunted house in the front big picture window, so the window needed to be washed. Steve, my son, came and took care of getting it all sparkly again so I will love looking at the maple tree as it turns to fall.
I fed Steve well with produce from several gardens. I had green beans from the Farmer’s Market fixed with potatoes, onions, and bacon. Cucumbers from Bob and the Farmer’s Market fixed in vinegar. Tomatoes from Bob and the market turned into cream of tomato soup. I love fresh tomato soup with garden tomatoes. Then Steve stopped at Selmi’s Stand in Dixon and picked up Mitchell melons. I love meals with everything fresh from the garden.
This year earlier in the summer Krista came with little blankets of wild flowers for my flower bed next to the store. Three big squash plants came up immediately and they have literally taken over. I kept wondering if there would be ornamental squash for table decorations or would there be something to eat. They have now grown up over the wall into the parking lot of the store. Steve found one big white squash but I do not know if it is edible. I will wait to see how big it gets. There are little wildflowers now growing up through the squash plants, so some blooming plants actually have managed to wiggle their way through the squash invasion.
I think it rained a bit each night and mowing the grass got to be a problem. Finally, the mowing took place but then it had to be raked. I had the doors open and the smell of newly mown hay started drifting into the house. That was a smell I had not smelled in years and it took me back to the farm when I helped my grandparents. It was a wonderful smell and definitely the smell of the bailing of hay. I looked out to see mounds of grass that was eventually picked up and taken away. But for a while I enjoyed the smell of newly mown hay in the center of town.
At the museum we are getting ready for a class reunion and this time they want to add to their memory collection the story of Peek Home and country schools. So we will pull out the information of when we had Peek Home here in Polo and what it was like to go to a country school. It is fun to go back and remember what went on years ago in Polo.

08/27/2026

Polo Area Veteran of WWII.

GOLD STAR

TSGT John "Jack" Edward Naylon

Born: 1/17/1915
KIA: 6/14/1944

US Army Air Corps

B-17 Heavy Bomber Flying Fortress

412th Bomber Squadron, 95th Heavy Bomber Group,
8th US Army Air Corps, 3rd Division.

Medals & Citations:

Air Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster,
Citation of Honor,
Purple Heart

THE CREW OF THE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS BOMBER WERE ALL KIA:

Goodwin S. Wells ~ PILOT
Orman W. Young Co ~ Pilot
William M. Shafer ~ Navigator
Kirby Fuller ~ Bombardier
Burleigh W. Warren ~ Top Turret Gunner
John E. Naylon ~ Radio Operator
Elvis L. Carter ~ Ball Turret Gunner
Walter A. Spears ~ Left Waist Gunner
Lunsford C. Edwards ~ Right Waist Gunner
Reuben T. Feiler ~ Tail Gunner

Tri -County Press June 29th, 1944

JACK NAYLON MISSING IN ACTION:
Fortress Fails To Return to Base June 14th.

Tech. Sgt. John E. "Jack" Naylon, Son of Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Naylon of Polo, was reported missing in action over Europe on June 14, D-Day plus eight, according to a dispatch from the war department to Mrs. Naylon in Evanston where she has been employed at Northwestern University.
Mrs. Naylon received a letter from her husband dated June 14 in which Jack and his squadron was preparing for a big raid over the continent the following day. It was on this raid that the Fortress on which Jack was a radio operator-gunner probably fell victim to N**i flak or an attack from German Messerschmidts. No details are available as to what did happen.
The TCP received in Tuesday morning's mail the following communication from the headquarters, United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, Dated June 22:
"An English AAF Bomber Station, England -- Technical Sergeant John E. Naylon, 29, of Polo, Ill., radio operator-gunner on an Eith AAF Flying Fortress has been presented the Air Medal for "meritorious achievement" while participating in heavy bombing assaults on vital N**i targets in Germany and the Occupied Countries of Europe.
Sergeant Naylon, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Naylon of Polo entered service on April 16, 1942, prior to which he was a retail merchant in that community.
The sergeant's wife, Mrs. Elizabeth J. Naylon, lives at 2131 Ridge Avenue, Evanston."
Jack, according to letters received by his family here, participated in at least one of the 1,000 bomber daylight raids on Berlin for the German capital was bombed on his very first raid. In one of his letters, he said, "the English Channel looks small enough to step across."
This is not Jack's first trip to Europe. Back in 1929 he and Osborne Hummel, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Hummel, of Milledgeville, attended the World Jamboree of Boy Scouts in Belgium. Jack had in about 15 missions on his Flying Fortress, and it is possible he got a new view of the country he visited as a kid wearing khaki suit and campaign hat of a Boy Scout.

Tri-County Press November 2, 1944

JACK NAYLON DEAD IS WAR DEPARTMENT REPORT

Mrs. Jack Naylon received a telegram Sunday night reporting her husband, Staff Sergeant Jack Naylon, of the U. S. Army Air Corps, dead. The telegram said a letter would follow giving further details. Jack was first reported missing nearly six months ago when his Flying Fortress was lost just off the British coast as the formation was leaving England for Germany. Mrs. Naylon cam Monday night to spend a few days with Jack's parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Naylon.

08/25/2026

The Polo Historical Society Museum will be OPEN Saturday August 29th, 8:30a - 3:00p.
Stop in and wander about, do a little research or just say Hi!

Admission = "FREE"
Research Assistance = "FREE"
Friendly Conversation = "ALSO FREE"
(donations graciously accepted)

113 N. Franklin Ave Polo, Illinois [email protected]

08/20/2026

The Polo Historical Society Museum will be OPEN Saturday August 22nd, 8:30a - 3:00p.
Stop in and wander about, do a little research or just say Hi!

Admission = "FREE"
Research Assistance = "FREE"
Friendly Conversation = "ALSO FREE"
(donations graciously accepted)

113 N. Franklin Ave Polo, Illinois [email protected]

*** After you visit the museum don't forget to check out the ice cream, food truck, & shaved ice... starting at 5:00pm
Chainsaw carving auction at 8:00pm & Fireworks at 9:00pm.***

08/20/2026

Polo History
Betty Obendorf

August 18, 2026

Interesting Evening with fireworks and a trousseau.

I am sitting here eating my second brat burger from the car show and mulling over several things from Polo Historical Society. Around noon I got my first brat burger since the stand was very close to our building. While I ate it, Linda and I talked about the Huntley family Bible that has been at the museum for several years. It has surfaced after we have rearranged things on the shelves . Linda found many of the Huntley family records in the middle of the Bible.

Marietta Maltby and Elizabeth Waterbury were Huntley girls and many years ago someone contacted me about Huntley history. At that time I did not know much about the Huntley family. I think that Bible was up with all the newspaper books and has now come down to the history museum and labeled. I will have to see if I can find the name of the person who contacted me.

We also talked about the great program Beth gave on the fireworks factory in Polo many years ago. Beth and her family are certified poly technicians and she added all the expertise of shooting off fireworks. There is a lot involved in doing this and the safety that goes along with it. Tying it in with the business Polo had many years ago made for an interesting program.

At each program we show what has come into the museum to be saved and this time it was a whole wedding trousseau. The wedding was Ruby Glaser and Buell Brodie in July 29, 1928. Ruby had saved everything and had given it to her best friend. Lori brought all in several weeks ago. It has been fun unpacking all. The big box contained her wedding dress, veil, shoes, hosiery, going away dress, negligee, night gown, slip, fancy garters, jewelry, notebook with every detail pictured and written down, music, pictures, patterns since all clothing was made, telegram, wedding booklet, announcement of marriage and even a little note card of what the groom was to say at the wedding. All the clothing was made by Mrs. John Coffman, an aunt if the bride. There was nothing missing.

I had fun unpacking it and the next day one of the high school girls helped me put it all away. She had never seen anything like it before and we talked over each detail as we put it in tissue paper. Now we are looking for two very small dressmaker forms for this dress and another one from 1906. They will be on display at Aplington House someday along with other vintage wedding dresses.

Linda and I then talked about what will be coming up and I informed her that Beth will be speaking on the Underground Railroad to Sterling in September. It was time to go home but before I got into my car, I had Linda go get me another brat burger for my supper. I will not have to cook. I loved them.

08/15/2026

*** Please Help Us Honor & Remember Our Polo Area Heros ***

One of our larger projects here at the Polo Historical Society is Honoring & Remembering the Soldiers of the Polo Area. We have been scouring our files and the internet searching for information about the men & women who have served our country as well as improving our Military display area. One of the additions to the Military display area we would like to make is to add a computer & TV monitor so that we can display names & photos of the Polo Area Soldiers.
Our list of Polo Area Veterans is currently more than 2,300 Veterans, 600 of them are buried at Fairmount Cemetery.

*** Here is How you can Help: ***

We are searching for the following information about Veterans who have passed away and our living Veterans:

Veterans Name:
Veterans Rank:
War Served in:
Branch of Service:
Unit/Ship:
Date of Birth:
Date of Death:
Service Number:
Awards/Medals:

We are also looking for any military records that may give us more information about out Polo Area Veterans.

*** Looking for Photographs~Photographs~Photographs ***

Military Photographs:
Personal photographs that may have been taken by your Veteran during their service:

The Polo Historical Society thanks you in advance.

Questions, Photos or Documents can be emailed to Kevin at [email protected]

We are more than willing to scan photos and documents for you here at the museum.

08/15/2026

First thing this morning Kevin is scanning a multiple page "Abstarct of Title" document which is dated back to July 30, 1841. It is so important to preserve these documents of history.
These abstracts not only tell the story of the land but, of the early settlers of Buffalo Grove, Polo, Buffalo township & Ogle County as well.
If you have an abstract for your land/home please feel free to bring them into the Polo Historical Society Museum and we will gladly scan them into a PDF file for us to keep here in our archives, as well as give you a digital copy.

113 N. Franklin Ave [email protected]

08/13/2026

The Polo Historical Society Museum will be OPEN Saturday August 15th, 8:30a - 3:00p.
Stop in and wander about, do a little research or just say Hi!

Admission = "FREE"
Research Assistance = "FREE"
Friendly Conversation = "ALSO FREE"
(donations graciously accepted)

113 N. Franklin Ave Polo, Illinois [email protected]

*** After you visit the museum don't forget to check out the ice cream, food truck, & shaved ice... starting at 5:00pm
Chainsaw carving auction at 8:00pm & Fireworks at 9:00pm.***

Polo Illinois Historical Society

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

08/25/2026

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

08/15/2026

08/15/2026

08/13/2026

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