A Road By Any Other Name

UNION – Ever wonder why certain roads in McHenry County have certain names?

Ernest J. Varga project/design engineer with the McHenry County Division of Transportation, will answer that question and many others during a special program at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the McHenry County Historical Museum, 6422 Main St. in Union.

After the county was settled in 1837, for example, townships soon became the primary form of government. Roads – or paths – reflected what township and the urban center they came from. Examples include Alden, Algonquin, Coral, Dunham, Franklinville and Hartland roads.

In “A Road By Any Other Name,” Varga instead will concentrate on quirky names that give drivers pause. Varga also will solve other mysteries which he has had an opportunity to unravel “due to multiple and sundry research projects accomplished for a variety of projects over the course of the last 14 plus years within the government sector.” Couple that with 20 years working as an engineer in the private sector, plus the “lore” he’s picked up along the way, and attendees can expect to be entertained.

Also, get ready to navigate your way through some road name trivia.

Admission is $5 for Society members and $8 for nonmembers, payable at the door. It includes free access to the museum. For information, call 815-923-2267.