Gurnee History: 1947: The Rustic Manor Traditional Cache
psychovw: This cache is a casualty in the great flood of 2017
Gurnee History: 1947: The Rustic Manor
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Gurnee was settled in 1835 and became a farming community. The community was originally called Wentworth, and the name changed to Gurnee in 1874.
The Story
In 1930, Victor and Marian Trybom moved to Gurnee with their children Marjorie and Marvin “Moe.” They came from a Swedish farming background.
In 1947, they opened a restaurant in a house on the corner of Grand Ave and Kilbourne road, and called it The Rustic Manor.
1946 satellite photo showing the original house
In the 1950s-60s, westerns were really popular and they added on to their restaurant to create a sprawling log-style structure. Inside there were numerous taxidermist examples such as a bear and gray squirrels wearing clothes. When you first came in, there was a waterfall that was so loud you couldn’t hear the person next to you talk. People from all over would come to The Rustic Manor.
1961 satellite photo showing the bigger building and parking lot
1980 infarad satellite photo of the building even bigger than before
In 1981, Victor Trybom died at the age of 86.
In 1986, the Des Plaines River flooded and so did the inside of the restaurant. Renovations were done to rebuild it.
Shortly after, on January 8, 1987, a fire destroyed the building. The fire was believed to have started in the BBQ pit from the hot coals. Initially, rebuilding was not allowed because the property was located on a designated floodway. Through the State of Illinois, the designation was changed to “floodplain” to allow for the building project. However, the costs of a new building quickly dimmed that possibility, and the building was razed and the land sold.
The property was then donated to the Village of Gurnee, and in 1997, Esper A. Petersen Foundation Park started to be developed where the Rustic Manor once stood.
1997 satellite photo with no buildings or parking lots
References
Dretske, Diana. "The Rustic Manor." Lake County History Blog Spot. 20 Dec 2012. Web. 01 Jan 2015.
Dretske, Diana. Lake County Illinois: An Illustrated History. China: Sun Fung Offset Binding Co. Ltd. 2007. Print.
Mullery, Virginia. Lake County, Illinois. This Land of Lakes and Rivers. Northridge, Calif.: Windsor Publications, 1989. Print.
Warren Township Historical Society. Gurnee and Warren Township. Charleston , SC: Arcadia, 2005. Print.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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