Mount Prospect Historical Society

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HS Board

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Cleopatra to Visit MPHS

Martina Mathisen, a well-known and talented portrayer of historic women, will visit the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s historic Central Schoolhouse, 103 S. Maple St., at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 1 for a first-person presentation on the life of Cleopatra, the ancient female Egyptian pharaoh.

Attendees will enjoy tea, pastries and other treats during the presentation.

Cleopatra’s story is more amazing and incredible than a fiction author could imagine! She will share her astounding story, audacious spirit, and astonishing guile in this educational, entertaining, and engaging presentation about “the real Cleopatra” who was strikingly different from the Hollywood impression of her.

Mathisen has been an educational entertainer since 2013, annually giving over 200 first-person presentations for libraries and women’s groups and at fundraisers for various organizations. 

The cost of the tea is $25 for Society members and $30 for non-members, plus an on-line handling fee. Take note that attendance is limited to 36 people, ages 18 and over. Advance registration is required and there are no refunds.  Visit www.mtphist.org/afternoon-teas/ to register.

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Holiday Family Fun in December

December 14th – Holiday Family Fun: Cocoa, Crafts, and Cheer

Step back in time this holiday season by taking a tour of our decorated 1906 house and museum.  Warm up with a cup of cocoa and create a variety of crafts to take home.  It’s the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!

When: Sunday, December 14th 1:00pm-2:30pm 
Cost: Free
Where: 101 & 103 S Maple St., Mount Prospect

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Rails and Wright!

Join the Mount Prospect Historical Society at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, 2025 for a day-long bus trip, first to Union, IL for a morning tour of the Illinois Railway Museum, followed by an afternoon tour of one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian homes in Hampshire.  Between tours the group will stop for lunch where there is the option to purchase food at Hampshire’s Copper Barrel restaurant. You can pre-check the menu at www.barrelonstate.com.

Tour-goers will have plenty of time at the Railway Museum to peruse and possibly ride (on their own) the many trains (both diesel and steam) and streetcars on display there. Then, after lunch they will tour Frank Lloyd’s Wright’s Muirhead Farmhouse, built in 1951. Unlike the Wright homes in Chicago, Oak Park and River Forest which display Wright’s early “Prairie style” of architecture, this farmhouse shows his later Usonian architectural style. Wright built most of this style of homes outside of Illinois, so it is a treat to see one here.

Participants should be aware that the trip requires considerable walking and the ability to climb and descend bus stairs.

The cost for the day is $100 for Mount Prospect Historical Society members and $115 for non-members.

To reserve your space, please register and pay online here. Phone 847-392-9006 with questions.

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“Lucille Ball” Scheduled to Visit the Mount Prospect Historical Society

Leslie Goddard as Lucille Ball
Leslie Goddard as Lucille Ball

Leslie Goddard, a well-known and talented portrayer of historic women, will visit the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s historic Central Schoolhouse, 103 S. Maple St., at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 15, 2025 for a first-person presentation on the life of comedienne Lucille Ball.

Attendees will enjoy tea, pastries and other treats during the presentation. 

In the 1950s, Lucille Ball captured the hearts of television audiences across the nation.  Her wacky hijinks and fearless enthusiasm kept thousands laughing.  Off-screen, she and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz launched their own television studio and pioneered new technologies.  But what does it mean when an on-screen legend clashes with her off-screen reality?

In this historic portrayal, historian and actress Leslie Goddard brings Lucy to life, paying tribute to both the true comic legend and the real woman behind the scenes.

Goddard is an award-winning actress and scholar who has been presenting history programs for more than 20 years.  She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, specializing in American studies and U.S. history, as well as a master’s degree in theater.

A former museum director, she is the author of three books on history and currently works full-time as an author and public speaker, portraying memorable women from the past and telling historical stories so that lessons from the past are more entertaining, educational and inspiring.

The cost of the tea is $25 for Society members and $30 for non-members, plus an on-line handling fee. Take note that attendance is limited to 36 people, ages 18 and over. Advance registration is required and there are no refunds.  Visit www.mtphist.org/afternoon-teas/ to register.

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Order Your Pandemic Books Today

When a terrifying new illness – COVID-19 – struck the United States in early 2020, the Directors of the Mount Prospect Historical Society responded by carefully documenting the local Mount Prospect “pandemic experience.”  

Now this incredible treasure trove of information is being printed in a hardcover, 180-page book for researchers and history lovers of the future.  Within the book you will find a wealth of photos and memories from fellow residents, neighbors and friends that illustrate this important moment in Mount Prospect’s history. 

There are stories about how restaurateurs to nurses to ministers to funeral directors continued to do their jobs, as well as how politicians, teachers and schoolchildren coped in one Midwestern community. The Society also received permission from The Daily Herald newspaper to reprint articles which dealt with local people and events, as well as state and national news about how the pandemic was being handled.

“This book is dedicated to making sure memories of this traumatic time in Mount Prospect never fade and will serve as a record of our shared experience,” Frank Corry, President of the Society, added.

Individuals may order it for their personal collections.  It will only be available to those who order by December 31, 2023 (with delivery in early 2024).  The cost will be $25 plus shipping.

Ordering is now closed. If you purchased a book and chose local pickup, you will receive an email when your order is ready. We anticipate orders being ready sometime in January.