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Olmstead Memorial Museum, 100 S. Depot Street/PO Box 411, Somonauk, IL (2026)

10/17/2026

🍽️❤️ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR RECIPE WEEK #3 — MAIN DISH RECIPES!

**OUR FINAL RECIPE WEEK OF 2026!**

What a wonderful five days it has been!

Over the past week, we've taken another little trip back in time through the kitchens of Somonauk's past, sharing five vintage main dish recipes from our community cookbook.

From Swedish Meat Balls and old-fashioned Barbecues to homemade casseroles and a traditional Ham Loaf, this week's recipes reminded us of the kinds of meals that once brought families, friends, and neighbors together around the dinner table.

And some of those recipes certainly brought back memories of ingredients and cooking traditions we don't see quite as often anymore!

**LET'S REMEMBER OUR FIVE CONTRIBUTORS!**

MONDAY — Swedish Meat Balls
Margaret Reuter

TUESDAY — Barbecues
Swanee Adrian

WEDNESDAY — Crunchy Ham Casserole
Bev Anderson

THURSDAY — Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Ann Underwood

FRIDAY — Ham Loaf
Gladys Grandgeorge

Five recipes. Five names. Five more little pieces of Somonauk history preserved and shared!

We hope these old recipes brought back a few memories, reminded you of someone you knew, started a conversation around the dinner table, or maybe even inspired you to try one yourself.

And perhaps, somewhere along the way, you recognized a familiar name and remembered a neighbor, friend, relative, or someone who was once part of our community.

That's what makes these old cookbooks so special. They're not simply collections of recipes. They're collections of people, families, traditions, and memories.

❤️ **A BIG THANK YOU** to everyone who followed along, liked, commented, and shared our posts!

Every time you interact with or share something from the Olmstead Memorial Museum, you help us introduce another person to the history of Somonauk and the surrounding area.

**AND WITH THAT, OUR RECIPE WEEKS HAVE COME TO AN END FOR 2026!**

This was our third and final Recipe Week of the year, and we hope you've enjoyed following along as much as we've enjoyed sharing these wonderful old recipes.

But don't worry... we're not finished sharing history! 😊

👀 **KEEP WATCHING OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!**

Although our Recipe Weeks are finished for 2026, we have plenty more photographs, stories, artifacts, museum happenings, upcoming events, and surprises from Somonauk's past to share.

And who knows? There are still plenty of recipes waiting in those old community cookbooks. Perhaps we'll open them again in 2027!

**HISTORY IS BEST SHARED!**

Whether it's an old photograph, a familiar family name, a treasured artifact, or a recipe that reminds us of Sunday dinner at Grandma's house, every memory helps tell the story of our community.

And that's the history we're working to preserve.

🏛️ **COME VISIT YOUR LOCAL MUSEUM!**

The Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum is open most Sundays from 2:00–4:00 PM.

📍 116 S. Depot Street
Downtown Somonauk, Illinois

**Admission is always FREE!**

The Olmstead Memorial Museum is run, managed, and preserved solely by volunteers. We are proud to continue preserving our community's history, but we need the community's help to keep moving forward.

❤️ **HELP US “LIFT UP SOMONAUK!”**

Please consider making a donation to our Olmstead Museum Building Fund and help support the continued expansion and improvement of your local museum.

Donations can be made online through our GoFundMe:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/OlmsteadMuseum

Donations can also be made by mail.

Checks can be made payable to:

**Olmstead Museum Building Fund**

And mailed to:

Olmstead Museum Building Fund
P.O. Box 411
Somonauk, IL 60552

Every donation — large or small — helps us preserve more history, improve our facilities, and make more of the museum's collection accessible to the community.

❤️ Thank you for following along, thank you for supporting the museum, and most importantly, thank you for helping us preserve Somonauk's history for generations to come!

**OUR RECIPE WEEKS MAY BE FINISHED FOR 2026, BUT SOMONAUK'S HISTORY NEVER STOPS!**

And remember...

📖 Keep watching our page for historical photographs, local stories, museum events, and happenings at the Olmstead Memorial Museum.

There's always more history to discover.

**Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921.**

10/16/2026

🍽️ RECIPE WEEK #3 — OUR GRAND FINALE!

FIVE DAYS • FIVE VINTAGE RECIPES • A TASTE OF SOMONAUK HISTORY!

Well, we've made it to Friday!

Today marks the fifth and final day of Recipe Week #3, bringing to a close the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum's third and final Recipe Week of 2026!

Throughout the week, we've shared recipes from our vintage community cookbook, each one contributed by someone who was once part of the Somonauk community.

These recipes are more than just instructions for preparing a meal. They're little pieces of local history, reminders of family dinners, holiday gatherings, church suppers, neighborhood friendships, and the kitchens where so many memories were made.

And we're hoping that somewhere along the way, a few familiar names have brought back some wonderful memories!

FRIDAY'S RECIPE — HAM LOAF

Our final recipe comes from Gladys Grandgeorge of Somonauk, who contributed her recipe for Ham Loaf to the community cookbook.

This old-fashioned dish combines ground ham, lean pork, bread crumbs, eggs, and milk into a hearty loaf, baked in the oven and basted with a sweet-and-tangy mixture of brown sugar, vinegar, water, and dry mustard.

But Gladys didn't stop there!

Her recipe also includes a homemade horseradish sauce made with mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and whipped cream.

And there's even a little bonus suggestion at the bottom of the original recipe!

Gladys notes that the mixture can be made into small appetizer-sized balls, served with pineapple chunks and sauce. She even mentions that it freezes well!

It's the kind of recipe that might have been prepared for a Sunday family dinner, a holiday gathering, or a special occasion when there were plenty of people around the table.

GLADYS GRANDGEORGE'S HAM LOAF

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 cup dry bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 lb. ground ham

1½ lb. ground lean pork

Original Directions:

"Combine and shape into 10 x 5 x 3 pan. Score top and bake at 350 degrees for 1½ hours."

Baste With:

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup water

¼ cup vinegar

2 tsp. dry mustard

Serve With:

¼ cup horseradish

1½ tsp. vinegar

1 Tbsp. mustard

½ tsp. salt

4 drops worcestershire sauce

dash of paprika

½ cup whipping cream, whipped

(makes 1 cup)

Original Recipe Note:

"May be made in small balls as an appetizer, served with chunks of pineapple and topped with sauce. Freezes well, too."

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER GLADYS GRANDGEORGE?

Perhaps Gladys was a neighbor, friend, relative, or someone your family knew years ago.

Did you know Gladys? Do you remember her cooking? Maybe you enjoyed her Ham Loaf at a family dinner, church supper, or community gathering!

We would love to hear your memories of Gladys and learn a little more about the person behind this recipe.

And here's another question for our followers:

DID YOUR FAMILY EVER MAKE HAM LOAF?

Was it a regular Sunday dinner? A holiday tradition? Or perhaps a special recipe that was passed down through generations?

We'd love to hear about it!

Sometimes an old recipe can bring back memories of people, places, and moments that might otherwise be forgotten.

And that is exactly why we're sharing them.

A LOOK BACK AT RECIPE WEEK #3!

Over the past five days, we've shared five vintage main dish recipes from Somonauk's past:

MONDAY — SWEDISH MEAT BALLS
Margaret Reuter

TUESDAY — BARBECUES
Swanee Adrian

WEDNESDAY — CRUNCHY HAM CASSEROLE
Bev Anderson

THURSDAY — CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
Ann Underwood

FRIDAY — HAM LOAF
Gladys Grandgeorge

Five recipes. Five contributors. Five little pieces of Somonauk history.

Each of these names represents someone who was once part of our community, and each recipe gives us another opportunity to remember them.

NOW WE HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!

Of the five recipes we shared this week, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MAKE?

Would it be Margaret's Swedish Meat Balls? Swanee's Barbecues? Bev's Crunchy Ham Casserole? Ann's Chicken Broccoli Casserole? Or Gladys's Ham Loaf?

Let us know in the comments!

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ALONG!

As we wrap up our third and final Recipe Week of 2026, we want to thank everyone who followed along, liked our posts, shared recipes, left comments, or helped us remember the people behind these old community cookbooks.

Throughout our three Recipe Weeks this year, we've enjoyed sharing a variety of vintage dishes and remembering the people and traditions that helped shape Somonauk.

Our hope is that these recipes will continue to be shared, talked about, and perhaps even prepared in kitchens today.

Because preserving history isn't always about famous people, historic buildings, or major events.

Sometimes it's about a handwritten recipe, a familiar name, or the memory of sitting around the kitchen table with family and friends.

And those memories deserve to be preserved, too.

RECIPE WEEK MAY BE FINISHED FOR 2026, BUT OUR WORK PRESERVING SOMONAUK HISTORY NEVER ENDS!

We hope you'll continue following the Olmstead Museum's page as we share more photographs, stories, artifacts, and memories from our community's past.

And we hope you'll stop by and visit us sometime!

🏛️ Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921

Please LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT! Help us keep these recipes, names, and memories alive for future generations.

History Lives Here.

10/15/2026

🍽️ RECIPE WEEK #3 CONTINUES! THURSDAY'S VINTAGE RECIPE!

FIVE DAYS • FIVE VINTAGE RECIPES • A TASTE OF SOMONAUK HISTORY!

We're back with another helping of Somonauk history!

Today, the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum continues our third and final Recipe Week of 2026 with another recipe from our vintage community cookbook.

Throughout the week, we've been sharing recipes contributed by people who were once part of the Somonauk community. Each recipe is a little piece of local history, reminding us of family dinners, church suppers, neighborhood gatherings, and the kitchens where so many memories were made.

And we're hoping that some of you might remember the people behind these recipes!

THURSDAY'S RECIPE — CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Today's recipe comes from Ann Underwood of Somonauk, who contributed her recipe for Chicken Broccoli Casserole to the community cookbook.

This hearty, old-fashioned casserole combines chicken, broccoli, Velveeta cheese, cream of chicken soup, bread, eggs, and milk into a layered dish designed to feed a crowd.

In fact, Ann's original recipe says it serves 8 to 10 people!

But what makes this recipe particularly interesting is that it isn't something you simply throw together and put in the oven.

You prepare it the night before!

After assembling the casserole in layers, the entire dish is covered and refrigerated overnight. The following day, it's baked until hot and ready to serve.

It's easy to imagine why a recipe like this would have been popular for family gatherings, holiday meals, or occasions when someone needed to feed a houseful of guests without spending the entire day in the kitchen.

And unlike some of the shorter recipes we've shared, Ann left behind detailed instructions for preparing her casserole!

ANN UNDERWOOD'S CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients and Original Directions:

1 chicken, cooked and b***d

1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped broccoli, cooked and drained

"Mix together.

Put one-half of chicken mixture in 9x13 casserole. Cover with slices of Velveeta cheese. Mix ½ cup milk with 1 cup cream of chicken soup. Pour ½ of the soup mixture over the cheese slices. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. chopped onion over all. Cube 6 slices of bread and place as the next layer. Repeat the chicken-broccoli mixture layer, the Velveeta cheese layer, and the soup mixture layer.

Next, beat 4 eggs with 2 cups milk. Pour over the prepared layers. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered 1½ hour in a 350 degree oven. Let set 10 min. before serving."

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER ANN UNDERWOOD?

Perhaps Ann was a neighbor, friend, relative, or someone your family knew years ago.

Did you know Ann? Do you remember her cooking? Maybe you enjoyed one of her homemade casseroles at a family dinner, church supper, or community gathering!

We would love to hear your memories of Ann and learn a little more about the person behind this recipe.

And here's another question for our followers:

DID YOUR FAMILY HAVE A FAVORITE MAKE-AHEAD CASSEROLE?

Was there a special dish your mother or grandmother always prepared the night before a holiday? Maybe it was something that regularly appeared at Christmas, Easter, family reunions, or church potlucks.

We'd love to hear about it!

That's one of the wonderful things about sharing these old community cookbooks. Sometimes a familiar name, a favorite dish, or even a simple cooking instruction like "refrigerate overnight" can bring back memories that might otherwise be forgotten.

AND DON'T FORGET — TOMORROW IS OUR GRAND FINALE!

Be sure to follow our page Friday as we share the fifth and final vintage recipe of Recipe Week #3 — our last Recipe Week of 2026!

Five days. Five recipes. Five opportunities to remember the people and traditions that helped shape our community.

🏛️ Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921

Please LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT! Help us keep these recipes, names, and memories alive for future generations.

10/14/2026

🍽️ RECIPE WEEK #3 CONTINUES! WEDNESDAY'S VINTAGE RECIPE!

FIVE DAYS • FIVE VINTAGE RECIPES • A TASTE OF SOMONAUK HISTORY!

We're halfway through our third and final Recipe Week of 2026!

Today, the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum is sharing another recipe from our vintage community cookbook, featuring the names and recipes of people who were once part of the Somonauk community.

These old recipes remind us of a time when homemade casseroles, family dinners, church suppers, and neighborhood gatherings were such an important part of everyday life.

And sometimes, just seeing a familiar name or an old family recipe is enough to bring back a flood of memories!

WEDNESDAY'S RECIPE — CRUNCHY HAM CASSEROLE

Today's recipe comes from Bev Anderson of Somonauk, who contributed her recipe for Crunchy Ham Casserole to the community cookbook.

This hearty, old-fashioned casserole combines elbow macaroni, cubed ham, broccoli, Colby cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and milk.

But what makes this recipe especially interesting is the finishing touch — a generous topping of Durkee French-fried onions, baked until crunchy!

It's the kind of comforting, homemade dish that might have appeared on the dinner table after a long day, at a family gathering, or among the many casseroles brought to a church supper or community potluck.

And unlike some of our earlier recipes, Bev left us some pretty detailed instructions!

BEV ANDERSON'S CRUNCHY HAM CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

1½ cups cubed cooked ham

1 can (10 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

½ cup dairy sour cream

½ cup milk

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen broccoli spears, cooked and drained

1 cup Colby cheese, shredded

1 can (3 oz.) Durkee french fried onions

Original Directions:

"Cook macaroni. Combine macaroni and ham in 3 qt. casserole. Blend soup, sour cream, and milk, pouring half of the mixture over ham and macaroni. Arrange broccoli on top. Pour remaining sauce over broccoli and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Top with onions and bake 5 min. longer."

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER BEV ANDERSON?

Perhaps Bev was a neighbor, friend, relative, or someone your family knew years ago.

Did you know Bev? Do you remember her cooking? Maybe you enjoyed one of her homemade casseroles at a family dinner, church supper, or community gathering!

We would love to hear your memories of Bev and learn a little more about the person behind this recipe.

And here's another question for our followers:

DID YOUR FAMILY HAVE A FAVORITE CASSEROLE RECIPE?

Was it something your mother or grandmother made regularly? Maybe it was a special dish that always appeared at family holidays or community potlucks.

We'd love to hear about it!

That's one of the wonderful things about sharing these old community cookbooks. Sometimes a familiar name, a favorite dish, or even an ingredient like French-fried onions can bring back memories that might otherwise be forgotten.

AND DON'T FORGET — WE HAVE TWO MORE RECIPES COMING!

Be sure to follow our page Thursday and Friday as we finish our final Recipe Week of 2026 with two more vintage recipes from Somonauk's past.

Five days. Five recipes. Five opportunities to remember the people and traditions that helped shape our community.

🏛️ Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921

Please LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT! Help us keep these recipes, names, and memories alive for future generations.

10/13/2026

🍽️ RECIPE WEEK #3 CONTINUES! TUESDAY'S VINTAGE RECIPE!

FIVE DAYS • FIVE VINTAGE RECIPES • A TASTE OF SOMONAUK HISTORY!

We're back with another helping of Somonauk history!

Today, the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum continues our third and final Recipe Week of 2026 with another recipe from our vintage community cookbook.

These recipes are more than just ingredients and cooking instructions. They're little pieces of local history, reminders of family gatherings, neighborhood friendships, church suppers, and the kitchens where so many memories were made.

And we're hoping that, along the way, some of you might remember the people who contributed them!

**TUESDAY'S RECIPE — BARBECUES**

Today's recipe comes from Swanee Adrian of Somonauk, whose old-fashioned recipe for Barbecues was preserved in our community cookbook.

For many families, "barbecues" meant something a little different than what we might think of today!

This hearty, old-fashioned dish combines hamburger or roast beef with onion, celery, vinegar, brown sugar, catsup, mustard and seasonings to create a sweet and tangy meat mixture.

It's the kind of simple, homemade meal that might bring back memories of family dinners, neighborhood gatherings, or a busy evening around the kitchen table.

And just like yesterday's Swedish Meat Balls, the original cooking instructions are wonderfully short and simple!

**SWANEE ADRIAN'S BARBECUES**

**Ingredients:**

1 chopped onion

4 Tbsp. vinegar

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 med. bottle catsup

3 stalks celery, cut up

½ tsp. dry mustard

½ cup water

¼ tsp. salt

1½ lb. hamburger or roast beef

**Original Directions:**

"Cook together; when it starts to thicken, turn off."

**DOES ANYONE REMEMBER SWANEE ADRIAN?**

Perhaps Swanee was a neighbor, friend, relative, or someone your family knew years ago.

Did you know Swanee? Do you remember this recipe being served at family gatherings or community events? Maybe your family had its own version of "Barbecues"!

We would love to hear your memories of Swanee and learn a little more about the person behind this recipe.

And here's another question for our followers:

**DID YOUR FAMILY CALL THESE "BARBECUES," "SLOPPY JOES," OR SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY?**

Sometimes the names of these old-fashioned dishes are just as interesting as the recipes themselves!

That's one of the wonderful things about sharing these old community cookbooks. Sometimes a familiar name, a favorite dish, or even an unusual ingredient brings back memories that might otherwise be forgotten.

**AND DON'T FORGET — WE HAVE THREE MORE RECIPES COMING!**

Be sure to follow our page every day this week as we share another vintage recipe from Somonauk's past.

Five days. Five recipes. Five opportunities to remember the people and traditions that helped shape our community.

🏛️ **Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum**
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

**Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921**

Please **LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT!** Help us keep these recipes, names, and memories alive for future generations.

10/12/2026

🍽️ RECIPE WEEK #3 IS HERE! OUR FINAL RECIPE WEEK OF 2026!

FIVE DAYS • FIVE VINTAGE RECIPES • A TASTE OF SOMONAUK HISTORY!

We're bringing back another helping of Somonauk history!

Beginning today, the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum is kicking off our third and final Recipe Week of 2026!

All week long, Monday through Friday, we'll be sharing five recipes from our vintage community cookbook, contributed by people who were once part of the Somonauk community.

These recipes are more than just ingredients and cooking instructions. They're little pieces of local history, reminders of family gatherings, neighborhood friendships, church suppers, and the kitchens where so many memories were made.

And we're hoping that, along the way, some of you might remember the people who contributed them!

MONDAY'S RECIPE — SWEDISH MEAT BALLS

Our first recipe comes from Margaret Reuter of Somonauk, who contributed her recipe for Swedish Meat Balls to the community cookbook.

This hearty, old-fashioned dish combines ground beef, lean pork, mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, milk and seasonings.

And like so many recipes from years gone by, the directions are wonderfully simple!

MARGARET REUTER'S SWEDISH MEAT BALLS

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground lean pork

1 cup mashed potatoes

½ cup bread crumbs

1 or 2 beaten eggs

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 small onion, cut fine and browned

2 cups milk

Original Directions:

"Mix in order given; should be soft. Brown and cook 1½ to 2 hours over low heat."

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER MARGARET REUTER?

Perhaps Margaret was a neighbor, friend, relative, or someone your family knew years ago.

Did you know her? Do you remember her cooking? Maybe you even enjoyed these Swedish meatballs at a family gathering or community event!

We would love to hear your memories of Margaret and learn a little more about the person behind this recipe.

That's one of the wonderful things about sharing these old community cookbooks. Sometimes a familiar name or favorite dish brings back memories that might otherwise be forgotten.

AND DON'T FORGET — WE HAVE FOUR MORE RECIPES COMING!

Be sure to follow our page every day this week as we share another vintage recipe from Somonauk's past.

Five days. Five recipes. Five opportunities to remember the people and traditions that helped shape our community.

🏛️ Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921

Please LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT! Help us keep these recipes, names, and memories alive for future generations.

10/05/2026

The Great Chicago Fire: Pieces of 1871 Preserved Right Here in Somonauk!
On the evening of October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn on the property of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary on DeKoven Street in Chicago. What began as a single fire would become one of the most devastating and remembered disasters in American history.

For roughly 36 hours, flames swept through Chicago. The city had endured an exceptionally dry period, and strong winds helped drive the fire through neighborhoods filled with wooden buildings, sidewalks and other combustible materials. By the time the fire was brought under control on October 10, approximately 3.3 square miles of Chicago had burned. About 17,500 buildings were destroyed, approximately 100,000 people were left homeless, and an estimated 300 people lost their lives.

The Famous Story of Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow
For generations, schoolchildren heard the story that Catherine O’Leary was milking a cow when the animal kicked over a lantern and started the Great Chicago Fire.
It's a memorable story—but it isn't established history. The exact cause of the fire was never determined. The story blaming Mrs. O’Leary and her cow became part of American folklore, while the O’Leary family endured decades of blame for a disaster they were never proven to have caused. The fire itself, however, was very real. Flames moved rapidly toward the heart of Chicago, crossed the Chicago River and tore through the city's business district and North Side. Homes, businesses, hotels, churches and public buildings were destroyed. When the city's waterworks was damaged, firefighters lost a critical weapon against the advancing flames.
Thousands of Chicagoans fled with whatever belongings they could carry, seeking safety near the lake, in open spaces and beyond the path of the fire.
By October 10, cooler conditions, diminishing winds and rain helped bring the disaster to an end.

Chicago Rises Again
Almost as remarkable as the destruction was what happened afterward.
Chicago began rebuilding almost immediately. The catastrophe influenced efforts toward safer construction and fire protection, while architects and builders helped reshape the rapidly growing city. Within only a few years, much of the physical evidence of the disaster had disappeared beneath a rebuilt Chicago. By 1890, the city's population had reached approximately one million people. But not everything from the fire disappeared. People saved objects from the ruins. Burned, melted and damaged items became physical reminders of what had happened. Some were kept by families; others eventually found their way into historical collections and museums. And that is where this story connects directly to Somonauk.

Pieces of the Great Chicago Fire — Right Here in Somonauk
Visitors to the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum might be surprised to discover that our collection contains several relics connected to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. More than 150 years after the disaster, these pieces of Illinois history are preserved right here in Somonauk. Rather than gathering them all into one display, we're going to make finding them part of the experience. When you visit the museum, follow our Great Chicago Fire Passport/Road Map and see if you can locate all six relics:

ROOM 1
Case 6 — Item 18
Case 23 — Item 9
Case 23 — Item 12
Case 24 — Item 40
Case 29 — Item 6
ROOM 2
Case 4 — Item 24
We aren't going to show you the artifacts here. You'll have to come find them.
Follow the cases, check off each location and see whether you can discover all six.

When an Artifact Makes History Real
When you find one of the relics, take a moment to think about what you're looking at. The Great Chicago Fire happened 155 years ago this October. The people who witnessed it are gone. Much of the Chicago they knew disappeared long ago. Yet physical objects from that moment in history survived. Someone recognized that an object was worth saving. Someone preserved it. It passed through time and, eventually, pieces connected to that enormous chapter of Illinois history found their way to Somonauk, Illinois. That is one of the reasons museums matter. History isn't only dates printed in books or stories handed down from one generation to another. Sometimes history is something you can stand directly in front of. An ordinary-looking object inside a display case can have an extraordinary story behind it. And sometimes a museum in a small Illinois town can preserve a tangible connection to one of the most famous events in the history of our state.

History Lives Here.
Come spend a Sunday afternoon exploring the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum, use your Great Chicago Fire Passport/Road Map, and see if you can find all six relics. While you're searching, be sure to look around. You never know what other piece of Somonauk, Illinois or American history might be waiting in the very next case.

🏛️ Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION — ALL ARE WELCOME
Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921
Please LIKE & SHARE and help us introduce another generation to the history preserved right here in Somonauk.

09/19/2026

FROM SOMONAUK TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
The Remarkable Story of John Lourie Beveridge

Long before he served in Congress, long before he became a Civil War officer, and long before he occupied the Governor’s office in Springfield, John Lourie Beveridge had roots right here in Somonauk.

His story is another reminder that the history of our small community reaches far beyond the boundaries of Somonauk.

Born in Greenwich, New York, on July 6, 1824, Beveridge came west with his family as a young man. In the spring of 1842, the Beveridge family settled in Somonauk, in what was then a sparsely settled part of northern Illinois.

Beveridge grew up working on a farm and pursued an education at a time when opportunities for advanced schooling in northern Illinois were limited. He attended school at Granville and later Rock River Seminary in Mount Morris. He eventually traveled to Tennessee, where he taught school while studying law.

He returned to Illinois and established himself as an attorney, first practicing in Sycamore before moving to Evanston and practicing law in Chicago.

A CIVIL WAR OFFICER
When the Civil War began, Beveridge entered Union service.

He served with the 8th Illinois Cavalry, eventually becoming a major. In 1864, he became colonel of the 17th Illinois Cavalry, and by the end of the war he had received the brevet rank of brigadier general.

After returning to civilian life, Beveridge began a remarkable rise through public office.

He became Sheriff of Cook County, served in the Illinois State Senate, and then was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served during the 42nd Congress.

And then came another remarkable chapter.

GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS
In 1872, Beveridge was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois alongside Governor Richard J. Oglesby.

But Beveridge would remain lieutenant governor for only a matter of days.

Oglesby resigned after being elected to the United States Senate, and on January 23, 1873, John Lourie Beveridge became Governor of Illinois. He served as governor until January 1877.

During his administration, Illinois continued moving state agencies into the new State Capitol in Springfield, state support was authorized for a number of charitable and reformatory institutions, and the state prepared its representation at the nation's 1876 Centennial Exposition.

Think about that journey for a moment:

Somonauk farm boy.
Teacher.
Lawyer.
Civil War officer.
Sheriff.
State Senator.
United States Congressman.
Lieutenant Governor.
Governor of Illinois.

And it all forms part of a story with roots here in Somonauk.

After leaving the governor's office, Beveridge continued in public service, including work as a United States subtreasurer in Chicago. He later moved to California, where he died on May 3, 1910. He was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.

SOMONAUK HISTORY IS ILLINOIS HISTORY
It can be easy to think of governors, congressmen and Civil War generals as people belonging to distant places and history books.

But sometimes their stories begin much closer to home.

John Lourie Beveridge once called the Somonauk area home—and decades later became Governor of the State of Illinois.

Stories like his are exactly why preserving local history matters. The people, families, photographs, documents and artifacts of our community connect Somonauk to much larger chapters in Illinois and American history.

Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street • Somonauk, Illinois
Open Most Sundays • 2:00–4:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION — ALL ARE WELCOME

Preserving Somonauk History Since 1921

👉 Please LIKE & SHARE and help us continue telling the remarkable stories of the people who helped shape Somonauk—and sometimes, the State of Illinois.

Olmstead Memorial Museum

10/17/2026

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