Where History Is Happening

Links to some upcoming events:

Free Admission for Dad on Father's Day at Naper Settlement
Sunday, June 20
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Dads are free with paid admission for their child or another adult from 1-4 p.m. on Father's Day, Sunday, June 20. It's also a Settlement Sunday with free ice cream sundaes and all the toppings.

Garfield Farm Archeology Volunteer Opportunity
June 16 - 20
September 22
Morning or Afternoon Shifts
Garfield Farm, an 1840's farmstead and tavern, has started excavating the site of the original 1830's log cabin. If you've always wanted to be an archeologist, here's your chance to feed your inner Indiana Jones. Volunteers can register to help by contacting the museum at 630 584-8485 or by e-mail at info@garfieldfarm.org.
Work began June 9, continues until June 20, and will resume for two weeks in late September. If you are unable to volunteer, but have a desire to see the dig, you can also arrange to visit the site by contacting the Farm.

Log Cabin Days at Naper Settlement
Friday and Saturday,
June 25 - 26
10:00am -4:00pm
Sunday, June 27
1:00am - 4:00pm
To highlight the preservation of log cabins, Naper Settlement will be celebrating Log Cabin Days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26 and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 27.
This weekend is the debut of new hands-on activities in the Log House. Experience pioneer activities including carrying a yoke and bucket, grinding corn, building a fence, open hearth cooking and more. Visitors who can name the seven U.S. presidents born in a log cabin will win a prize. Activities are included free with regular admission.

Remembering Some of America's First Soldiers

When the United States of America was a very young country, there wasn't a lot of gold in the treasury to pay for a standing army. Still, there were wars to be fought such as the War of 1812, the Mexican War and of course the American Revolution.

One way the government could pay its soldiers was to offer bounty land grants for their service. Discharged soldiers applied for a warrant, and if the warrant was granted they could apply for a land patent which made them owners of a portion of the land in the public domain.

Certain swaths of land were set aside for war land grants. Sometimes the soldiers actually took possession of their land, but often they sold their grants to speculators and took a smaller amount of ready cash rather than move their families to an unknown territory.

A large chunk of western Illinois was set aside for soldiers who served in the War of 1812. Each soldier was eligible to receive 160 acres of land. Where that 160 acres was located was determined by lottery.

Many of the soldiers chose not to travel out to Illinois, which wasn't even a state yet when the bounty land was being granted. Instead speculators bought out a lot of the claims and amassed large holdings. Pioneers from the east often ignored the speculators' claims, however and simply settled down where they wished, "squatting" until they were kicked out or could legally stake a claim.

The United States government felt they had the right to grant these lands because no one of European extraction was currently claiming them, but the native people of course felt very differently. This same area was home to several Native American tribes who already were using the land for farming and hunting and didn't see why they should have to give it up.

Black Hawk took a stand in 1832, but he didn't get the backing he hoped for and was defeated by U.S. troops. The Native Americans were relocated west of the Mississippi and European settlers continued to arrive in droves to stake their homesteads.

Abraham Lincoln's only military service was during the Black Hawk War until he became Commander in Chief of the Union Army during the Civil War.

Very Brief History of Memorial Day

Originally known as Decoration Day, the day of remembrance was first observed on May 30 in 1868. General John Logan made the proclamation earlier that month to decorate the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington Cemetery.

The Southern states who were at one time Confederate chose not to recognize the holiday and decorated their veterans' graves on a different date until after World War I when the day of remembrance was expanded to include soldiers from conflicts beyond just the Civil War.

While those who sell cemetery wreaths would like you to decorate the graves of all loved ones who have passed on, Memorial Day was specifically intended to remember and honor those who served our country in the military.

Where History Is Happening

Links to some upcoming events:

Reddick Mansion Tours
Beginning May 31
Sunday, Monday & Wednesday - Friday
11:30am - 3:00 pm
Saturday
12:00pm - 3:00pm
The Reddick Mansion stands facing historic Washington Square in Ottawa, Illinois, and was built in 1858 for the then-costly sum of $25,000. Mr. Reddick served as a state senator. Mr. Stephen A. Douglas was one of the many politicians entertained at the Reddicks' home. This mansion has been restored to its original splendor and is open for tours. $ 5.00 per person

Railroad Days Galesburg
Saturday, June 26
9:00am -5:00pm
Sunday, June 27
10:00am - 4:00pm
Galesburg Railroad Days annual event celebrating the city's rich railroad heritage with a carnival, exhibits, a street fair, railyard tours, 5 & 10K run/walk, hobby train show, die cast toy show, flea market, rib cook-off, entertainment, beer garden, Saturday night Teen Dance 8 - 11PM, car show on Sunday and much more. Over 40 events----most of them free.

Rockford Area Historical Museum
Summer Hours begin June 3
Thursday, Friday and Saturday 1-4 pm
The Museum features a wide variety of artifacts, ranging from the prehistoric to the historic, representing more than 150 years of Rockford history. It also houses the largest collections of research and genealogical material in northern Kent County, pertinent to people, places and things of the past.

Illinois Pioneers Traveled by Sailing Schooner as Well as by Prairie Schooner

While most local citizens are aware that Joseph Naper founded what became known as Naper's Settlement and was later incorporated as Naperville, few people are familiar with the details of Joe's journey.

We usually picture wagon trains heading west, also known as "prairie schooners." But Joe had an actual schooner. Father Robert Naper was a ship builder and Joe and several of his brothers followed the family trade, building, owning, sailing - and wrecking - many different ships.

Joe sailed a regular run in Lake Erie from Buffalo to Cleveland, housing his young family in a small town near Dunkirk, New York. His brother John, also a ship's captain, operated out of Ashtabula, Ohio, where father Robert settled when the boys were young. Friends and family from both New York and Ohio joined their settlement journey, including sister Amy Murray's family; Amy's married daughter, Sarah; Sarah's in-laws; and several others.

While the exact dates are uncertain, we know the journey started in Buffalo around May 30. They traveled to Ashtabula to pick up more settlers and then sailed across Lake Erie, navigated up the St. Clair Flats to Lake Huron, swung around Mackinac into Lake Michigan and anchored offshore near Fort Dearborn about mid-July. It took another three days by wagon to reach the DuPage River.

Not all of the families stayed at Naper's Settlement. Some moved on to Wheaton, Plainfield and Lockport while others stayed in Chicago.

Joe sold his share in the Telegraph, the schooner that transported the
settlers, but John continued as a ship's captain for several years before
becoming a full-time farmer in what would eventually become Lisle.

The month of May was designated as Heritage Month in Naperville a few years ago, with events and activities happening all month long. Event hosts include:

* City of Naperville
* DuPage Children's Museum
* Naper Settlement
* Naperville Park District
* Naperville Public Library and
* North Central College.

There's still two weeks of Heritage Month Activities if you want to check out the calendar at NaperSettlement.org.

For kids interested in learning more about the schooner journey, or for adults who like a quick read, Kate's book "Ruth by Lake and Prairie" tells the story from the point of view of Naper's twelve-year-old niece, Ruth Murray. The book has a "Little House" feel and is available from the book's website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Anderson's Bookshops and Naper Settlement.