Ramsey fox hunt was ‘a wonderful thing’

This Saturday, the village of Ramsey will celebrate its 150th anniversary. While searching for a topic for this week’s column, I decided that a story about Ramsey would be fitting, and the fox hunts or "chases," as they were called, held at what is now Ramsey Lake State Park is something you should know about.
Some of my information came from an article published in the Ramsey Centennial book, by JoAnn Klinker, titled, "The Fox Chase.” The area identified in the book where the event was held is the current boat dock area at Ramsey Lake State Park.
In JoAnn’s article, Charles Denton, who also served as secretary-treasurer of the Central Illinois Foxhunter Association, provided some details of how these early hunts were organized and operated.
“Armbruster Tent and Awning Co. of Springfield loaned us the tents. We had one large horse tent for the horses, their caretakers and feed; and one large tent for the dogs, their caretakers and feed.
“A dog food manufacturer of Battle Creek furnished free dog food for the five days.  They even sent a man down to help distribute it. Best advertisement he could get.
“There was one large dance pavilion, a large lunch stand with counters – they fed them day and night.”
In 1925, a master caterer from Stewardson, Mr. Mautz, kept two stands open, while "Teddy" Rogers supplied buttered popcorn.
Denton recalled: “The first year that we held the fox chase, we gave away two new cars, a Model A roadster and a touring car.  Charlie McDonald of Hillsboro, he was a millionaire; he gave them to us wholesale. I remember Raleigh Trueblood won the roadster.”
One building on the grounds, a log affair, and described as a comfortable hut, was built in the early 1920s by Sheridan Stokes, Henry Funderburk, George Bugle, Johnny Hunter and with a few others, and bore the name, "Doc Yak Club."
The Oct. 2, 1925, issue of The Ramsey News-Journal reported that an estimated 1,000 people were on the grounds the first day of the annual fox hunt. “The camp resembled a tented city, almost 100 tents are up and occupied.”
Programs of music were enjoyed all week long, and the Ramsey Community Orchestra entertained, along with speakers from the Illinois Department of Conservation. In 1925, Illinois Gov. Len Small was in attendance.
Charles Denton said that the races started at sunup and ended when the foxes were caught or holed. “There were plenty of wild foxes to chase, we never brought any in.
“Three judges followed the hounds and their handlers, and as many spectators who so desired. We painted their numbers on both sides of the hounds, and let me tell you,  it was conspicuous.”
He went on to say that the dogs were divided into two classes: "Derby" for the dogs 2 years and under, and "Old Age"  for dogs older than 2. He remembered the final year that they held the hunt, Charles Lindbergh, with a passenger, flew over the grounds and gave them an attendance estimate.
Some of the local fox hunters, in addition to those named above, were Thomas Slater, Wayne Kelley, Elder Willie Hill of Ramsey, and Jake Craig, whose hound, "Cricket," won the silver cup for best hound on bench at the 1929 meet.
“We spent all our money entertaining people,” Denton said, “and if we hadn’t gone broke the last year, it might still be going on. I just wish the younger generation could see it. It was a wonderful thing.”