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Mundelein Historical Commission
Quarterly E-Newsletter
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From the Commission Chairman | |
We ended 2022 on a high note. In early October, with help from MHS students from Puertas, an MHS student club, we featured a special Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) display in recognition of this unique Mexican tradition. The colorful, educational display was a real bright spot in the Museum, and a very popular exhibit.
At the end of October, in recognition of All Hallows Eve, we presented two old-time radio shows from the 1940's in the darkened, eerily-decorated museum. The free event was so well attended we are planning to have more such events in the year ahead.
The winter is our time to redo our rotating displays. Last year's featured display on Mundelein's Businesses will be replaced with a new display on Railroad History in Mundelein. Commission Member, Vern Lappe, is the curator. Shawn Kilackey is curator of a new display focused on the indigenous people of Lake County. Gary Gunther has added a new exhibit about barbed wire-- invented in Illinois--an invention that transformed the West! Barb Zander, Wendy Frasier, Anne Walker and Gary Shellenburger, all have a hand in updating some of the other displays. Our goal is to bring new things to the museum each year so it remains fresh and interesting. We want to make local history fun and educational.
If you visited us before, thank you! But, please plan another visit in 2023. You are sure to find something new. The museum opens for the season on Saturday, March 18th. Museum hours are Wednesdays 4pm to 7pm, and Saturdays 1pm to 4pm; mid March through mid-December. If you can't make it at these times, call us at 847-566-8122 and leave a message, or email mflynn@email.mundelein.org to arrange a special tour for your family, club, business or organization.
Mike Flynn, Historical Commission Chairman
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A Look Back in Time-
Mundelein High School's Beginnings
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In 1917 the Brainerd Building on Rt. 176 was constructed to serve high school students in Libertyville and Fremont Townships. It was the fourth high school built in Lake County. In the 1950's, the Butler Campus was added to accommodate the growing student body. By the late 1950's, it was clear Mundelein needed its own high school and its own school district.
In June 1959, voters of the Libertyville/Fremont High School District approved a $2.8 million bond referendum for the construction of a new, 183,000 square foot High School in Mundelein. Later that year, Architects Berger-Kelley-Unteed & Associates of Champaign, IL presented this architectural rendering (shown above) of the proposed facility with capacity for 1,500 students, 30 classrooms, 9 science rooms, 3 study halls, a library, 826-seat auditorium, 2 gymnasiums, a 400-seat cafeteria, 6 industrial arts shops, 4 language labs, and football stands with seating for 1,200 fans.
The cornerstone ceremony for the school was held on September 18, 1960. Historical memorabilia interred in the cornerstone included: the Citizen's Survey Report (1958); copies of 4 local newspapers (September 1960); maps; photographs; autographed materials from Adlai Stevenson; and timetables for the Milwaukee & North Shore Railroad.
The building was completed in time for the 1961/1962 students in grades 9 to 12, at a final cost of $2.586 million---slightly under the authorized amount! The Mundelein High School dedication ceremony was held on September 17, 1961. Subsequent upgrades to the facility were completed in 1988, 1991, 1997, and 2016.
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The Mundelein Historical Commission has "Adopted a Highway"! | The Historical Commission has adopted the section of Courtland Street from Rt. 45 east to Noel Drive, the entrance to the Museum. We are planning three clean-up days for May, July and September. The dates are still to be decided but they will be on a Saturday at 8 am. We would enjoy your help, if you are interested! This segment includes the Seavey Waterway shoreline and the railroad underpass. Both sections traditionally need extra work. If you can't make it, stop and say hello, or honk with support. Thanks for keeping Mundelein clean! | Special Programs and Events Planned for 2023 |
- Fremont Library Display: Mundelein Railroad History - February-April
- "Mundelein's Train Stations" photo installation at the Mundelein Metra Station- April
- Washington School 2nd Grade Presentation- April
- Fremont School 2nd Grade Presentation-April
- Mundelein Community Days Parade-July
- Mundelein History Day-August
- Haunted Museum and Classic Radio Show Presentation-October
Other projects under discussion include development of a Story Corps oral history program; implementation of a Historic Marker Program to recognize notable historic buildings and places; publication of a Mundelein History Visitors Map highlighting historic buildings, century homes, Mundelein Stars, and other points of historical interest.
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Museum Opening Day 2023:
Saturday, March 18th
1pm - 4pm
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Featuring New Displays:
Mundelein Railroad History
The History of Barbed Wire: The Illinois Invention that Changed America
Native People of Lake County
Cemeteries Part II
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Mundelein Roots:
Bill Wirtz and the Wirtz Family
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William ("Bill") Wadsworth Wirtz (1929-2007) best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks was born in Detroit, attended the Latin School of Chicago, and Brown University in Providence, RI. Surprisingly, however, Bill identified strongly with his family roots in Fremont Township. By his own account, he was "raised in Chicago, AND on the family-farm in Mundelein." In a 2005 television interview, Mr. Wirtz humbly referred to himself as the "German from Mundelein."
Bill was the team president of the Chicago Blackhawks Ice Hockey Team for 41 years, and Chairman of the Board of the NHL for 18 years. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. Proud of his immigrant heritage and rural roots, Mr. Wirtz is buried in the Ivanhoe Cemetery in Mundelein, only a mile away from the family farm. He is interred alongside the pioneers, farmers, veterans, civic leaders and family members who shaped the land and community with which he identified. His wish was to be remembered by family and friends for "giving back to this earth more than I took out."
The Wirtz farm, located on Rt. 83 just north of Rt. 176, has been in the Wirtz Family for 165 years. Michael Wirtz (1833-1901) and his wife Caroline (Hapke) Wirtz (1828-1918), immigrants from Luxemburg, Germany and great-grandparents of Bill, purchased the original farm in 1857 for about 75 cents per acre. They named it "Ivanhoe Farm" where they grew corn, soybeans, wheat, and raised cattle. Bill spent time on the farm growing up, and maintained a home there until he passed away. Over time, the farm grew to its current size of 700 acres. It is still family-owned and operated. The sixth generation of the Wirtz Family now operates Ivanhoe Nursery & Farms, a wholesale tree and shrub business, on the original farm. The Wirtz farm was annexed into the Village of Mundelein in 2023. Future development plans call for a unique mix of residential, business and agricultural uses.
We are proud to recognize The Wirtz Family’s
Mundelein Roots!
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Do you have an interest in local history? Is there an event, person, business, building, or location in the Mundelein area that you are curious about, and would like to know more about? Are you interested in researching local history? Do you know something about Mundelein’s past that you would like to share with others? Do you have an interesting photograph or story to tell? If so, you might be interested in being a Hometown Historian and sharing what you know with the Historical Commission.
The Mundelein Historical Commission would like to give you a chance to share what you know about local history with others - you might say we are attempting to “crowd-source” local history. We believe that there are forgotten stories, photographs, news articles, and oral histories about Mundelein that, if told, would add depth to our Community story. As a Historian, the information you provide must be supported by eyewitness accounts, credible news articles, reference materials, photographs and the like. For more information or to submit story ideas, email:
mundeleinhc@outlook.com
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Museum Hours:
Wednesdays 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturdays 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
601 E. Noel Drive
Mundelein, IL 60060
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Donations
Items Recently Added to the Heritage Museum Collection Include:
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Donors Bob and Rosemary Alfredson: Pewter Christmas ornaments of the Fremont Library, the Soo Line RR Depot, Village Hall on Hawley Street, Mundelein High School, and University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML) Chapel.
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Donor Darlene Dorfler: Native American arrowheads and an ax head found in Mundelein.
Thank You All for Donating to the Heritage Museum!
If you would like to donate an artifact to the Heritage Museum, please contact us by phone (leave a message) at 847-566-8122 or email mflynn@email.mundelein.org, or stop by the museum during open times. All proposed donations are reviewed by the Museum acquisition committee, but not all items are accepted.
The Collecting Objectives for the Museum are in part: To display objects and photographs that depict daily life of the inhabitants of the Mundelein area throughout history; and, preserve the natural, native and historical culture of the Mundelein area. For more details on our mission and objectives, see the Museum Management Policy on our website:
Museum Management Policy.
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