DuPage Forest Blog

Candy as Medicine in the 1890s

on 12/20/22 2:44 PM By | Wayne Hill | 0 Comments | Recreation Living green History

In the 1890s, medicine was largely unregulated in the United States. While professional organizations for doctors and nurses existed, many Americans, including most rural farmers, relied on heirloom family recipes for relief of coughs and colds.

Among the Leaves So Green: Victorian Holiday Traditions

on 12/9/22 7:57 AM By | Emaly Allison | 0 Comments | Recreation Living green History

Many of the holiday traditions we follow today have come from around the world as emigrants moved to the U.S. or were created here during the 19th century as part of an ever-growing fascination with the winter season and its holidays. These traditions we hold onto so dearly were once brand-new and quite expensive for the average person during the latter part of the 19th century.

1890s Holiday Candy Making

on 11/17/22 2:40 PM By | Wayne Hill | 0 Comments | Recreation Living green History

Candy confections were a sweet part of historic holiday farm life. In 1895, both the Sears and Roebuck Co. and Montgomery Ward Co. catalogs had candy departments where families could purchase supplies to make their heirloom candy recipes. The catalogs offered over 30 different flavors of oil alone.

Hidden History of the East Farm Barn

on 8/1/22 9:05 AM By | Wayne Zaininger | 0 Comments | Insider Locations horse History

Looking at the east side of St. James Farm today, visitors might not fully appreciate the transformation it has gone through over the years. Let’s turn back the clock to the early 1900s, when this locale was a private family farm, to get a better view of its past.

Hidden History of the Baker House

on 6/30/22 3:41 PM By | Keith McClow | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

It’s hard to fathom the connections a little old house on St. Charles Road has to the history of DuPage County, Illinois and the nation.

Hidden History of McDowell Grove

on 5/25/22 7:32 AM By | Jordan Countryman | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

Sometimes the history of a DuPage forest preserve is simply forgotten, but other times it is purposely kept secret. In the 1940s, McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in Naperville played more than one clandestine role, sparking rumors that evolved into legends.

Hidden History: Burlington Park as Chicago's Recreation Destination

on 4/20/22 7:39 AM By | Dennis Buck | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

Railroads were crucial to the development of the United States, sparking economic and industrial expansion all around them and carrying people and goods across the country. One of the area’s most famous railroads also played an important part in the development of DuPage County’s park system.

Dying Easter Eggs in the 1890s

on 4/15/22 12:43 PM By | Wayne Hill | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Plants Nature native plant History

Natural dyes were used in a variety of ways in a colorful Victorian life in the 1890s.

Hidden History of Mammoth Spring Icehouse

on 3/25/22 4:52 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

If you look closely while walking along the Night Heron Trail at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook, you can find a little piece of history.

Hidden History of Dunham's Equine Legacy

on 2/24/22 9:49 AM By | Jordan Countryman | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

Most people know that “in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” But did you know that in 1893 Christopher Columbus took a train to Dunham Forest Preserve in Wayne?

Hidden History of the Blackwell Mammoth

on 1/12/22 12:34 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

It started like a normal day for Gary Jones, a heavy equipment operator for the DuPage Forest Preserve District.

The Hidden History of Ancient Artifacts

on 11/23/21 2:35 PM By | Keith McClow | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

People have lived in DuPage County for thousands of years, so it’s no surprise that some of the tools and objects they used are still being found in many DuPage forest preserves.

Hidden History of Waterfall Glen's Lincoln Park Nursery

on 10/26/21 10:20 AM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Plants Conservation History

Many people visiting the city of Chicago spend time in Lincoln Park, but few know the connection that DuPage Forest Preserve District’s Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Darien has with one of the largest parks in the city.

Nature's Tricks Are a Nature Lover's Treat

on 10/12/21 2:16 PM By | Stephanie Touzalin | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

Wildlife have long embodied the spirit of Halloween using tricks, treats, and costumes. These strategies are essential for wild animals to survive, find food, and attract mates.

Hidden History of the Steeplechase

on 10/6/21 1:49 PM By | Wayne Zaininger | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History

What happens when you combine a love of horses with a passion for philanthropy? At St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville in the 1980s and 1990s, it resulted in an annual steeplechase event that drew thousands to the farm, dominated the work schedules of farm employees, and made a meaningful impact on a local charity.