Here, from the files of the Wilmette Historical Museum’s newsletter, is a selection of a few of our favorite stories. Click on a thumbnail to download the story as a PDF. To receive our newsletter by mail, join the Wilmette Historical Society today!
Looking Back at Wilmette’s Farm Stands
Locally grown produce was once found all around.
Wilmette & the US Census
Our nation’s head count reveals much from the past.
Real Photo Postcards
The fad that captured Wilmette 100 years ago.
Rocking the Sixties on the North Shore
Even 50 years later, these garage bands have left vivid memories.
Three Wilmette Airmen in World War I
Remembering three dashing young pilots.
Wilmette Bakeries: A Light, Fluffy History
Including the very first Girl Scout cookie!
Civil Rights on the North Shore
Born amid the turbulent 1960s, the Wilmette Human Relations Commission campaigned for fairness.
The Development of Indian Hill Estates
The roots of this distinctive subdivision lie in the Roaring Twenties.
Voices of Early Wilmette
Memories of pioneer days in the young village.
The Mystery of Archange Ouilmette
Her name lives on, but we know so little about her.
The Union Church
A good idea for church-sharing that didn’t quite work out.
The Store
Wilmette’s first general store, and what happened to it.
Before Mallinckrodt
A tract of land that started as a marsh and ended as a convent.
Kenilworth Sanitarium
An extraordinary institution that once stood on Beechwood.
Gross Point Boys
Remembering Ed Schuett and Ralph Klinge.
The Strange Journey of Ben Marshall’s Apollo
From the Roaring Twenties to today.
Stolp Class of 1937
Charlton Heston was just one of a remarkable trio of graduates.
The Cold War on Washington Ave.
How an old laundry became a center for pioneering climate research.
Connecticut Village
The Olde New England visions of architect/planner Irvin A. Blietz.
Cops and Robbers at Edens Plaza, 1957
A jewelry store, a young cop, and “Pops” Panczko.
The Great Alewife Invasion of 1967
When the smells of summertime were truly memorable.