In the northeast corner of McHenry County, the Fox River winds its way through Johnsburg, a small village of German ancestry settled in the 1840s. The center of all community activity was St. John's Catholic Church, which stood on the highest spot in town. Its steeples were visible when entering the village. On the other side of Johnsburg, Pistakee Bay was an unsettled area known for good hunting and fishing. Many of the visitors to Pistakee were wealthy businessmen or Chicago politicians who built large mansions here. The Pistakee Yacht Club with its colorful regattas brought visitors to both participate in and observe the white sails flying across the water. On summer evenings, the sound of music twinkled across the bay from parties held on the shore.
Sandra Landen Machaj enjoys writing about local history and has been published in various magazines. A resident of McHenry County, she is a member of the McHenry County Historical Society. She is also the author of McHenry and McCullom Lake.