Mount Prospect Historical Society

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HS Board

Historical Society Collaborates on Veteran’s Project

The Mount Prospect Historical Society is collaborating with American Legion Post 525 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1337, as well as the Mount Prospect Public Library and the Mt. Prospect Park District, on a project to establish a memorial for Mount Prospect residents who were killed while in service to their country.

The project will involve identifying service members and then finding obituaries and other biographical information. Leading the project for the American Legion/VFW is Loren Helwink, a Mount Prospect resident.

To kick off the project, the Mt. Prospect Parks Foundation has donated $3,000 to the memorial. Once the material has been gathered, an appropriate memorial will be chosen and unveiled on Memorial Day. The memorial is adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Band Shell in Lions Memorial Park. It has been designed as a tranquil, contemplative setting featuring a fountain and columns for engraved bricks.  A limited number of bricks are also available for purchase. To purchase a brick through the Mt. Prospect Park District, visit www.mppd.org.

Please contact the Mount Prospect Historical Society via info@mtphist.org if you have information about a Mount Prospect service member who was killed in action.

The VFW Post 1337 is reserved for veterans who have received a campaign medal for overseas service; have served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea; or have ever received hostile fire or imminent danger pay. They meet monthly at Arlington Legion Post 208, 121 N. Douglas, Arlington Heights.

American Legion Post 525, founded in 1930 by 16 World War I veterans, provides service to veterans, the community and nation. It is open to any former service member whether they experienced hostile fire or not. Meetings are held monthly at Arlington Legion Post 208 in Arlington Heights.

A Peek in Mount Prospect’s Attic

Children in grades three through five are invited to come explore relics from Mount Prospect’s past at the MPHS. Household and domestic Items from the Society’s artifact collection will be on display and used during this unique, interactive event.

FREE Children’s Event

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Mount Prospect Historical Society

As part of its mission to preserve the history of our town, the Mount Prospect Historical Society has a vast collection of historic artifacts.  Most of these items are housed right on the Society’s campus.  An interactive program to explore some of these relics is set for Saturday, April 14,  from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s Central School, 103 S. Maple St. This FREE program is open to children in grades three through five.  

“This is a fun and unique opportunity to not only get to see, but to use, some of the items in our collection,” said Lindsay Rice, executive director of the Society.  “The children will learn what the items were used for in the daily lives of past residents, giving a hands-on peek into the history of Mount Prospect.” 

The program is being offered by the Living History Committee of the Society and will feature household and domestic items.  There is no fee, but space is limited and registration is required.  Walk-ins will be considered on the day of the event only if space is available.  For more information or to register, please call the Mount Prospect Historical Society at 847/392-9006.

History in the Headlines Dinner 2018

Celebrate Flappers, Gangsters & the World’s Fairat the Seventh Annual “History in the Headlines” Dinner

The Mount Prospect Historical Society will hold the “Guys and Dolls Speakeasy Soirée,” its seventh annual History in the Headlines dinner, on Saturday, April 21, at Rob Roy Country Club, 505 E. Camp McDonald Rd., Prospect Heights.

This year the Mount Prospect Historical Society will re-imagine the atmosphere enjoyed in area speakeasies during Prohibition. 

The Roaring Twenties was a time of sustained economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Western Europe, but particularly in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.  Jazz music blossomed, the “flapper” redefined the modern look for women in the United States and Britain, and Art Deco peaked. 

The spirit of the time was marked by a general feeling of novelty associated with modernity and a break with traditions.  Everything seemed to be feasible through modern technology and jazz, and dancing rose in popularity in opposition to the mood of World War I. 

Unlike the Society’s six previous History in the Headlines dinners, only one meal will be offered this year.  All guests will enjoy a prime rib carving station, along with salad, vegetables, bread and, of course, dessert for $50 per person.  Call the office with other dietary needs.

There will also be a cash bar for everyone with signature cocktails of the era offered.

Partygoers are welcome to dress casually or elegantly and even to wear clothing of the 1920s or 1930s.  After dinner they will be entertained by Bill Hazelgrove, author of “Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair.”

He will talk about Capone’s gangster life and how worried World’s Fair organizers got him out of the picture during the event.

There will also be a challenging 1920s and 1930s trivia competition, inserted during Mr. Hazelgrove’s intermission, and a raffle.

All of the proceeds from this event will benefit the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s many educational projects and help pay for upkeep on the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum and the 1896 one-room Central Schoolhouse.