Chemung, IL

Chemung, elevation 896 feet, is an unincorporated census-designated place in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The 2020 census counted 276 residents. A post office called Chemung was established in 1845, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1943. The name Chemung is comes from the word in the Seneca language meaning "big horn" after a large horned fossil was discovered in a nearby river. A newcomer can read Chemung through the overlap of its older landmarks, surrounding geography, and current places. For a newcomer, Chemung comes into focus through those concrete links among its past, landscape, and current routines. The town straddles the boundary shared by Chemung Township and Dunham Township. Chemung's downtown is part of the local map.