This month’s theme is apples. Stop by at our open house for a variety of hands-on activities and make and takes. This FREE event welcomes all ages and no registration is necessary. The Dietrich Friedrichs House Museum will also be open for tours.
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Second Sundays at the Society
Join us on our campus to chat with Director Emily Dattilo about her newly released book, Mount Prospect Historic Sites. Books will be available for purchase. No registration necessary. The Dietrich Friedrichs House Museum will also be open for tours.
Strawfest Bus Trip
Saturday, August 19
Depart from 101 S. Maple Street (Dietrich Friedrichs House Museum) at 9 a.m.
Return at 5 p.m.
Join us on a bus trip to the Eighth Annual U.S. National Straw Sculpting Competition, also known as “Strawfest,” in Mt. Morris. It is promoted as “Fine Art in Straw” and was inspired by former Arlington Heights resident/artist Fran Volz who now lives nearby in Rockford.
Participants will ride a luxury coach, leaving Mount Prospect at 9 a.m. After arriving in Mt. Morris, tour-goers will have plenty of time to enjoy the large, unique straw sculptures, arranged around the picturesque town square only two weeks each year; vote for their favorites; and then tour the Encore! Mt. Morris Old Sandstone Art Gallery which is filled with local artwork.
After perusing the artwork and straw sculptures, bus tour participants will enjoy boxed lunches from Jen’s Artisan Breads, in the air-conditioned Pinecrest Grove Auditorium.
Fran Volz, the one who inspired this contest, will speak during lunch about his first exposure to straw sculptures during a trip to Germany; his fondly-remembered “Chicago Snow Competition” event which premiered at Randhurst Shopping Center in 2004 and then moved to Navy Pier where teams of artists from Spain, China, Germany, Canada and Russia competed; and his other well-known artistic endeavors while living in the Northwest Suburbs. Many recall his gorgeous snow sculptures entertaining drivers along Arlington Heights Road each winter.
Following lunch, Jeff Bold, steering committee chairman of “Encore! Mt. Morris” which is working to revitalize the community, will board the bus for a guided tour of local points of interest including White Pines Forest State Park with its rare, picturesque grove of native white pine trees, and “The Eternal Indian” or “Blackhawk” statue along the river in nearby Oregon, IL which has recently been restored. It is a local landmark by famed sculptor Laredo Taft. Stops for locally-produced maple syrup and locally-grown corn-on-the-cob might also be possible if tour-goers are interested.
Comfortable clothing and shoes are strongly urged.
MPHS Member Cost: $80
Non-Member Cost: $90
Lunch Options:
- Chicken salad sandwich
- Pesto and salami sandwich
- Veggie sandwich on multi-grain bread
All lunch options include coleslaw, chips, water and dessert.
Trip highlights:
- Marvel at the straw art at the U.S. National Straw Sculpting contest
- Tour the Encore! Mt. Morris Old Sandstone Art Gallery, housed in the oldest building in Mt. Morris
- Enjoy a pre-ordered boxed lunch, provided by Jen’s Artisan Breads, with an exclusive presentation by Fran Volz
- Guided bus tour of local sites, including White Pine Forest State Park and the Blackhawk Statue in Oregon, IL
Registration is now closed.
Second Sundays at the Society
Join us in Central School (103 S. Maple Street) on the second Sunday of every month anytime between 11:30 am to 1:30 pm for a variety of hands-on activities, make-and-takes, and all around family fun! Free tours of the Dietrich Friedrichs House Museum will also be available. Second Sundays are FREE and registration is not necessary.
January 14 – “Meet” the Friedrichs
February 11 – Valentines
March 10 – A Peek in Mount Prospect’s Attic
April 14 – Pinecone Bird Feeders
May 12- Mother’s Day
June 9 – Old Fashioned Games
July 14 – Summer Crafts
August 11 – Surprise activity
September 8 – Apples
October 13 – Pumpkins
November 10 – Turkeys
December 8 – “Gingerbread” Open House
Volunteer
Do you enjoy local history and want to get involved in your community? If so, then the Mount Prospect Historical Society is looking for volunteers like you!
We need your help in preserving and sharing Mount Prospect history. Some of these opportunities include leading tours of the Dietrich Friedrichs House, “teaching” visiting classes at Central School, and processing artifacts in the Historical Society’s collection. A full list of jobs is located below the application.
Please fill out the Volunteer Application below which will assess both your areas of interest and your time availability. * Please note that weekend availability is limited. *
You will then be contacted by a Society representative to discuss the next steps.
Job Descriptions
Living History & Education Programs
DFH Museum Tour Guide: Give tours of the Dietrich Friedrichs House museum.
Central School Schoolmarm/Schoolmaster: “Teach” in the Schoolhouse (For more information see the Living History Experience.)
Run programs: Help with educational programming for children and adults throughout the year
Schoolhouse Rentals
Help facilitate and set up rentals
Be an on-site representative during rentals
Collection
Data Entry: Transcribe handwritten documents, update collection and storage records, etc.
Digitization: Scan photographs and documents
Preservation: Safely store documents, photos, and artifacts
Research Inquiries: Investigate historical topics for exhibits, events, social media, etc.
Catalog New Objects: Describe and label new artifacts
Holiday Housewalk
Tour Guide: Give scripted commentary in a prescribed portion of a featured home
Ticket Sales/Check In: Desk helper
Ladies Night Out!
Caroline: Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller
Book Chat & Wine — Friday, March 9 CANCELLED
Due to unforeseeable circumstances we regrettably announce that this event has been cancelled until a future date.
If you enjoyed reading the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder as a girl, then author Sarah Miller’s book Caroline: Little House Revisited told from the perspective of Wilder’s mother, Caroline Quiner Ingalls, will be sure to capture your interest. A Ladies Night Out Book Chat about Miller’s book is set for Friday, March 9, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Mount Prospect Historical Society Dietrich Friedrichs House Museum, located at 101 S. Maple St. The evening program is $15, which includes wine, coffee and light desserts. Attendance is limited to 20 people.
“Honestly, as a girl reading the original book series I never considered what making a home on the frontier was like for Caroline Ingalls,” said Michele Runde, member of the museum’s Living History committee. The book, which was written with the full approval of the Little House Heritage Trust, takes readers from the Big Woods in Wisconsin to the edge of the western frontier. “Miller’s book is very respectful of the original stories but moves deeper into the everyday reality faced by a pioneer woman. Leaving home in the 19th century came with the real possibility that you might not see your extended family again,” she said.
Caroline: Little House Revisited is published by Harper Collins and is available for order on Amazon. Mount Prospect Public Library also has the audiobook in its collection. To register through PayPal see below, or call 847/392-9006.
Our Organization
Mount Prospect Historical Society
101 South Maple Street
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
847.392.9006
info@mtphistory.org
The Mount Prospect Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to preserving the history of Mount Prospect, IL, through artifacts, photographs and both oral and written memories of current and former residents and businesspeople. On its campus in the heart of the Village, the Society maintains the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum, the ADA-accessible Dolores Haugh Education Center and the 1896 one-room Central School, which was moved to the museum campus in 2008, renovated and opened to the public in 2017, the 100-year anniversary of the Village.
MPHS notification
The Mount Prospect Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is committed to preserving the history of Mount Prospect, Illinois, through artifacts, photographs and both oral and written memories of current and former residents and businesspeople. On its campus in the heart of the Village, the Society maintains the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum, carriage house, the ADA-accessible Dolores Haugh Education Center and the 1896 one-room Central School, which was moved to the museum campus in 2008.