Harvard, city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Harvard is a small city in McHenry County, Illinois, with a compact downtown of brick buildings, local shops, and churches. The surrounding land is largely agricultural, giving the area an open, rural character.
Harvard grew in the mid-1800s when railroad lines reached the area and attracted settlers from the northeastern United States. It was incorporated as a village in 1869 and became a city in 1891.
Every June, the Milk Days festival fills the downtown streets with parades, local food, and activities tied to dairy farming. The event draws people from across the region and gives the town a strong sense of shared identity.
Harvard is reached by U.S. Route 14 or Illinois Route 173, and the downtown area is easy to walk around once you arrive. The surrounding roads connect to larger highway networks for trips to nearby cities.
The city takes its name from Harvard, Massachusetts, brought over by early settlers who wanted to honor their home region. A cow sculpture named Harmilda stands in the downtown area as a tribute to the dairy industry that shaped the town for generations.
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