212 West Main Street | Barrington, Illinois 60010

847-381-1730

BARRINGTON

HISTORY MUSEUM

In 2000 we have moved to our new location in the "Old Barrington Center" at 212 W. Main Street in Barrington, IL. Please call 847.381.1730 for information about our events and exhibits.

A Bisbee married a Crabtree
A Crabtree married an Applebee
And Applebee married a Maybee
A Maybee married a Weatherbee ………

The Applebee House - A Barrington Pioneer Story

212 West Main Street  |  Barrington, Illinois

In 1838, they came west in a covered wagon and went first to Crystal Lake. Out one day hunting, Applebee discovered the beautiful tracts of land around Spring Lake, on early maps often referred to as Mud Lake. He moved the family here and a log cabin was built on property southeast of the corner at the present-day Sutton and County Line Roads.Type your paragraph here.

In August of 1889, Emaline Hawley Brown, writing from the Octagon House across the street, had the following comment:  Yesterday, grandpa Appleby (sic) was 90 years old and they had the picture of their house taken and five persons standing out representing the five generations. Little Maud and her mother, grandmother, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather. They had a large party of their relatives there in honor of grandpa’s birthday.

Gilbert A. Applebee was born in Canada in 1799. In his early years he moved to New York State and worked in the logging business. In 1822 he was married to Betsey Crabtree and they lived in Spafford, Onondaga County, New York, where 9 of their 12 children were born.

At this time, the surveys of Northern Illinois were being completed and the Public Domain Land Sales began in 1840. The records for Township 42, range 9, North, are among those preserved in the Illinois State Archives. On September 9, 1840, Gilbert Applebee purchased 325 acres from the Government at $1.25 an acre. In 1843, and 1844, he added another 160 acres to his holdings.

In 1854, the extension of the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad Northwestward from Des Plaines towards the Wisconsin border; provided the impetus for the founding of the Village of Barrington at the Lake/Cook County Line Road. At that time, Applebee acquired acreage just west of the new village on West Main Street in Cuba Township. At that time he moved from the farm to the property near the village, where he built a house. His son John took over the farm, which remained in the Applebee Family for another 50 years, becoming known as Applebee Trace.

In 1888, the West Main Street House burned. Within a year, it was rebuilt to the scale and style that is seen today. The outlines of the earlier foundation can be seen in the present basement, but no record has been found of what the earlier house looked like.

In August of 1889, Emaline Hawley Brown, writing from the Octagon House across the street, had the following comment:

• Yesterday, grandpa Appleby (sic) was 90 years old and they had the picture of their house taken and five persons standing out representing the five generations. Little Maud and her mother, grandmother, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather. They had a large party of their relatives there in honor of grandpa’s birthday.
  

Gilbet Applebee died in 1894. His obituary provided part of the information which was the basis for restoring and interpreting the house.

From the Barrington News, Saturday, May 12, 1894

Information about Gilbert Applebee was provided by his daughters, Mrs. Jane Robinson and Mrs. Rhoda H. Waterman during an interview with Arnett C. Lines in 1919.  They said that his old age hobby was cutting hickory axe handles, and that he always ate sugar on his potatoes. Mrs. Robinson also related the following verse:

Other sources include the “Barrington Review” and “Barrington News” newspapers; Arnett C. Lines, Applebee Geneology; Illinois State Archives, Public Domain Land Sales in the State of Illinois; The Barrington Area Historical Society Photograph Archives.

By dedicating the restoration of The Applebee House to Mrs. Pauline Hart Smith, a circle of coincidence has been completed. Part of the original Applebee Farm came into the ownership of the Harold Byron Smith Family, and remains today as open space. Sections of the farm west of Sutton Road became part of the Cook County Forest Preserve District, and one of the most remarkable natural resources in Northern Illinois.