Do You Know Your Morton Grove History?

With us all spending all our time at home and everyone looking for new ways to fill that time, what about take a daily stroll into the history of Morton Grove!

Our village has been around since 1895 (it was incorporated on Christmas Eve that year) with many early settlers living around here since the 1830's coming from England, Germany and Luxembourg. Before that, the Potawatomi were the first residents of the area.

The Morton Grove Historical Society has been posting a daily picture from its archives on its Facebook Page with a hint and question about the shared photo. The next day, a new posting with an answer to the previous day's hint is added. To spend some time learning about the past in Morton Grove, visit their FB page daily and see what the Village looked liked in better times.

The Morton Grove Historical Society & Museum Facebook Page is: https://www.facebook.com/mortongrovehistoricalmuseum/

Once the museum is reopened to the public, visitors will be able to walk through the Haupt-Yehl farmhouse and see how people lived in Morton Grove from 1888 to 1918 (including a new permanent exhibit "The History of Morton Grove" in the lower level. The John & Mary Helen Slater Education Annex will extend the exhibit "Morton Grove's Military Defends The Nation" featuring artifacts, photos and history of the people and conflicts that affected the village from the earliest days up until today. If you're out for a walk now, you can see the iconic "Doughboy" statue on Lincoln Avenue in front of the Library. The "Eagle Dancer" statue is behind the Museum in Harrer Park on the museum grounds; with gardens and outdoor items for all to enjoy.

Some of interesting pieces of history that was shared on Facebook already are...

• The Morton Grove Library's original building was put up in 1952 (30 years before the iconic "Doughboy" statue was dedicated by the Women's War Working Circle in 1921)
• The Auberge Senior Facility built just a few years ago is on the site of Jamaican Gardens, the last greenhouses in Morton Grove (which at one time were all over the area)
• The Native American marker tree was on Beckwith pointing to the river. When it came down, a piece was preserved and later made into a sculpture by Eric Widitz and placed behind the museum

Please consider joining the Morton Grove Historical Society to support local history ($20 annually, $15 for seniors and $10 for students). Send your dues and contact information to Morton Grove Historical Society PO Box 542 Morton Grove, IL 60053 or email us with questions at MGHistorical@gmail.com today!

“Study the past if you would define the future.”― Confucius