Norwood Park Historical Society

2010 Events

March 27: Native American Artifacts (more info available)
April 18: Tea Party
April 24: House History and Renovator Resource Day (more info available)
June 19: Yard Sale (more info available)
July 24: Birthday Party: Civil War Interpretation and Movie Night (more info available)
September 11: Wine Fest (more info, buy tickets)
November 7: Antiques Appraisal Day
December 1-5: Victoria's Holiday Boutique
December 4: Holiday House Tour

General Monthly Meeting (Wednesdays at 7 p.m.)

May 26: Pickle History: This free talk on the history of pickles will be presented by David Leider. Leider will detail the local Squire Dingee Company, which was around long before the Pennsylvania-based Heinz company was started. Other important Chicago firms were Budlong, Clausen, Libbey and Reid Murdoch. Most of them had large farms devoted to growing--Dingee and Clausen on the north side of Chicago. This was to end with the Great Pickle Blight of 1911. Learn what happened next, plus how pickles were made and transported. Pickle “treats” will be available to attendees.
April 27: Tree Care: Evan Shorr, certified arborist for The Care of Trees, will present a wide range of tree-related information, including how to chose the right tree for your yard, how to care for it (feeding, fertilizer, pruning, etc.), and the latest status of tree pests (Emerald Ash Borers and others) and what you can do to prevent them and/or treat your trees.
March 24: Amish Cabinet-Making: The Norwood Park Historical Society will host a unique program on Amish cabinet-making. This event is free and open to the public. Local Norwood Park business owner Steve Bailey will speak about the history of the Amish and their wood furniture-building process. His talk will center around Amish Custom Kitchens, the business he has owned since 1995. All cabinets that he designs are made by Old Order Amish from Central Illinois. Several cities make up these Amish community in Illinois, including Arthur and Arcola. Anyone interested in upgrading their kitchen and its cabinets will be enthralled with this talk. Visitors can view an example of these Amish cabinets at the Noble-Seymour-Crippen House, site of this event.
Feb. 24: Chicago's Forgotten Railroads: The Norwood Park Historical Society will host a free presentation about the history of the forgotten railroads that operated beneath downtown Chicago. Bruce Moffat will give an oral and visual presentation on the history of Chicago's long-forgotten railroad that operated beneath the streets of downtown Chicago for more 50 years—the Chicago Tunnel Company. Unique among the world's railways, Chicago's "freight tunnel system" moved parcels between downtown department stores and connecting railroad and truck terminals for delivery, handled the delivery of heating coal and removal of ashes from major downtown buildings, and even carried some mail. The idea was to reduce wagon and truck traffic on downtown streets. Closed in 1959, the tunnels gained new prominence in 1992, when the system flooded with river water, shutting down large parts of the Loop for weeks.

All events are at the Noble-Seymour-Crippen house unless otherwise noted.

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