Diggins School, Marengo The Diggins School was built in 1914 and is set apart from many other frame schoolhouses of the day by its unusual hooded front entryway. Although the bell tower is absent, the interior of the building still retains many other old school features such as the original light fixtures, water coolers, desks, and chalkboard. The original merry-go-round, teeter-totter, flagpole and tower bell have also remained on the grounds. This fine old public schoolhouse is currently a private residence.
Coral Township Witness Tree, Marengo In the days of early settlement, federally commissioned land surveyors came to map the countryside. During these surveys, trees were often marked to "stand witness". Few witness trees survive from the 1837 survey of Illinois for the purposes of opening county lands to settlement. While many of these trees died from natural causes, more have been removed by nineteenth and twentieth century farmers as they cleared their lands for agricultural purposes. This 200 year-old bur oak tree is specifically referred to in the 1837 field notes of John Thompson and his survey crew. They "scribed", or marked, this tree as a quarter section post in the original survey so that land could then be legally described and therefore bought and sold. The old oak and surrounding 50-foot circle are < protected for the future by ordinance, allowing it to once more stand witness to the development of McHenry County. Barber Cemetary, Marengo The Barber Cemetary in Coral Township is a family Cemetary where Civil War Veteran and Author Lucious W. Barber is buried. Lucious wrote "Army Memoirs of Lucius W. Barber: Company D, 15th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, May 24, 1861, to Sept. 30, 1865" which was originally published in 1894 and is still reproduced today. He eagerly joined the Union Army during the War's first weeks, moved around a lot, fought in several battles, got a taste of prison, and returned home safe at War's end. He kept a detailed written record of where he went and what he saw, and he was a man of many strong opinions, which he did not hesitate to air.
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