Patch Passport: Travel Back In Time With The Tracks

Early settlers in Cary and Fox River Grove came to this area from New York, Connecticut and other New England states. Most families were English, Scottish and Irish.

•  Cary was named after of its earliest settlers, William Dennison Cary.

• 1856 – First general store opens in Cary

•  1893 – Cary is incorporated

• The population of Cary is 18,713, according to U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 special census.

The Tracks in downtown Cary is one of the most popular restaurants in McHenry County because of its location, its history and food selection.

This year, The Tracks is celebrating 30 years of ownership.

Recently, Local Editor Quincy Hodges sat down with Pamela Losey and Shirley Beene, the authors of .

There are many excerpts in the book detailing businesses of Cary. This is a brief description of what The Tracks use to be.

“The Hrdlicka and Hubka Tavern, seen above around 1910, operated in a structure built in 1897 for Thomas Allen on part of the original plat for Cary Station. The first tenant was a tavern owner who operated until prohibition. In 1942, it was sold to Ed and Mary Patria Gitzke for $10,000. They opened a tavern, and it was here that the first television set in town was seen.”

A historic landmark along the Cary rail line, the building today houses yet another tavern, The Tracks, which Leo and Sharon Florio have owned and operated since they opened it on June 1, 1981. They celebrated 30 years of business on June 1, 2011. The Tracks has been used as a meeting place for residents, an eatery for commuters and a hangout spot for many living in McHenry County.

Go back to the Patch Passport to Cary.