Scattered across northeast McHenry County are small communities that have grown in close proximity to one another with the common thread of the Nippersink Creek. Each prides itself on maintaining a unique identity despite some common characteristics and shared resources. Richmond, Ringwood, and Spring Grove were all settled in the mid-1800s by European immigrants who farmed the land. The presence of the railroad helped them prosper, encouraging commerce. Wonder Lake was founded in the 1900s, formed by the damming of the Nippersink Creek and flooding farmland to produce the first and largest man-made lake in McHenry County. Today each of the four communities are thriving, maintaining the small-town friendliness of the past while stepping into the sophistication of modern-day life.