Crystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County in the northeastern part of the US state of Illinois. It is named after Crystal Lake, a lake located 1.6 miles west-southwest of downtown Crystal Lake. Crystal Lake is about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population was 38,000 at the 2000 census, but as of 2009 the population is at 42,142. Crystal Lake is the largest city in McHenry County, part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The City of Crystal Lake traces its origin to two separate communities which were established in the 1800s. Those communities were generally known as... Nunda and Crystal Lake. In 1835, Ziba S. Beardsley had come to the shores of the lake and commented that the "waters were as clear as crystal", thereby giving the lake its name. Ziba Beardsley continued south to Naperville. In February 1836, the first white settlers, Beman and Polly Crandall and six of their ten children, came from New York State traveling to Crystal Lake in a covered wagon. Their original cabin was built in the vicinity of today's intersection of Virginia Street and Van Buren Street. Four of the Crandall children were born there.
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