Doing My History Thang this Past Weekend

It just ended up being an intense history weekend for me.

Saturday morning I went to the monthly Fox Lake Historical Society in Ingleside. I spoke about voting for my favorites among the 25 sites eligible for the million bucks from American Express and also told them about the Civil War Encampment in Lake Villa this weekend.

Heard an interesting presentation on the ice cutting industry in Fox Lake. Before refrigeration, summertime ice in the Chicagoland area came from the Chain of Lakes and other lakes in Lake County. Blocks were cut and put in huge wooden warehouses and used during the summers. Hence the name for refrigerators, ice box.

Then it was on to the Lehmann Mansion in nearby Lake Villa for the Civil War Encampment. The mansion was the former home of Ernst J. Lehmann, the founder of the Fair Department Store chain, based in Chicago. It was saved from demolition and now hosts lots of occasions, including many weddings.

I manned the Camp Douglas Sons of the Confederate Veterans table along with camp commander John for the afternoon. We talked with several prospective members.

I got to see a reenactment of what would be classified as a Civil War (although we in the SCV call it the War for Southern Independence, War Between the States, or War of Northern Aggression, but Civil War is just shorter, although incorrect) skirmish. The Confederates won the day. This took place in a field by the Illinois Highway 83 bridge. I can just imagine the motorists going over it wondering what was going on as they went over the bridge. All that smoke, cannon fire, and small arms going off like that.

They treated us to a great pig roast after the event closed at 4 PM. It was strange to see Robert E. Lee talking on a cell phone. Has it come to that?  Of interest, the gent playing Abraham Lincoln is a member of our SCV camp. Imagine that.

Yesterday, I went to the open houses at the Petersen Historical Farmstead in McHenry and the Spring Grove Fish Hatchery. These were held in conjunction with the American Express million dollar Partners in Preservation contest going on right now. The top vote getter gets its entire funding request and then the rest of the 25 sites will get a cut it.

The Petersen House and farm dates from 1843 and the city of McHenry wants to turn it into an operating historical farm. The very fast encroaching suburbia is rapidly taking its toll on area farms and we will soon be at the day when there won't be any left. This will enable future generations to see what it was like in the old days.

The Spring Grove Fish Hatchery dates to the turn of the century and was Illinois' first hatchery, providing fish for the Chain of Lakes, Lake Michigan, and other rivers and lakes as far south as Springfield.

A Historying I Will Go. --RoadDog