Town file
Spring Grove, Illinois
Spring Grove, Illinois (McHenry County, Illinois) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 669, "The Fireplace Poker Murder" (29 January 2026). Shortly before eleven o'clock on the night of May 5, 1992, a resident driving on a secluded road in Spring Grove, Illinois, swerved to avoid a car coming straight at him.
- Town
- Spring Grove
- County
- McHenry County
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 669
- Approximate location
- 42.451, -88.240
Episode 669 / 29 January 2026 / 183 min / full
The Fireplace Poker Murder
"We're going to Spring Grove, Illinois... it's in northeastern Illinois... This is in McHenry County, so it's pretty, you know, same county as the other one." about 0:05:22
The case: Murder of Kathleen 'Kathy' Twarowski (May 5, 1992). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2026
- Population
- 5,713
- Median age
- 38.1
- Median household income
- $131,735
- Median home value
- $312,100
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,620
- Cost of living
- 101.9
- Religious
- 54.1%
- Property crime
- ▼ about one third
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one third
History, in brief
- In the 1700s the area was occupied by the Potawatomi. about 0:06:33
- The Potawatomi named Nippersink Creek, which runs through Spring Grove; it translates as 'a place of small waters'. about 0:07:00
- Settlers named it Spring Grove after finding natural springs and groves of trees in the area. about 0:07:10
- The tall prairie grasses reminded the first English settlers of their homeland, so they named the area they settled English Prairie. about 0:07:16
- English Prairie Cemetery, road and subdivision still carry the name. about 0:07:35
- It was established as an agricultural community in the 1830s. about 0:07:43
- The first vertical silo constructed in North America was built in 1873 by Fred Hatch on a small farm in Spring Grove. about 0:08:07
- Parts of unincorporated Lake County also use Spring Grove postal addresses. about 0:08:42
- It is a commuter village where pretty much everybody works in Chicago. about 0:08:50
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Born and raised there, met so many amazing people; it may be a small town but it is abundant with love."about 0:09:03
5 stars
"A great place filled with every store, shop or restaurant you could want; the school districts are some of the best in Illinois and the festivities are enjoyable."about 0:09:30
4 stars
"A tight-knit community, but hard to get into if you are new and did not grow up there; some people can be a little high maintenance."about 0:09:50
3 stars
"The area is more populated with small businesses than corporations, and is not a good place to seek a six-figure salary."about 0:10:15
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- McHenry, Illinois8.3 miles
- Woodstock, Illinois14 miles
- Libertyville, Illinois18 miles
- Raymond, Wisconsin27 miles
- Arlington Heights, Illinois28 miles
- Streamwood, Illinois30 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.