Archives Held by the Museum

Wilmette Historical Commission

For a number of years, "Ye Olde Towne Folk," a social group for residents of Wilmette for at least 25 years, did research and collected information on the history of Wilmette, but eventually the need for a more formal body arose and a resolution forming the Wilmette Historical Commission was passed by the Village Trustees in September 1948. Much of the Commission's early activity concerned establishing a museum to house the artifacts and records collected by the commission. In 1951, two rooms in the basement of the Village Hall were obtained for the Museum, but they were damp and unsafe and the Museum closed to the public in 1967.

Two years earlier, in 1965, the commission had sponsored the formation of the Wilmette Historical Society in order to gain wider support for the museum project, both financially and in personnel, and in 1969 the Museum re-opened on the second floor of the old Police and Fire building on Green Bay Road. Then, in 1973, when the Historical Society began to focus efforts on the preservation of the 1873 railroad depot instead of focusing solely on the Museum, the Commission and the Society split. The Village wanted to sell the building on Green Bay, and while most of the Commissioners put their efforts into retaining the Green Bay building, Society members began looking for a new home for the Museum. In 1977, when Highcrest School closed, and the possibility of moving the Museum into part of that building arose.

The Wilmette Historical Commission was dissolved and reorganized as an integral part of the Historical Society Board in an effort to heal the split. The Trustees, appointed by the Village President, became the legal representative of the Village in financial matters and in ownership of the artifacts, and the Village allocated funds to hire a part-time Museum Director and operate the Museum. Commission chairmen included Horace Holley, a leading figure in the formation of the Commission, Charles Henderson, James Williams, Julian Bloom and Edward Whiteside.

Box #1

• Inventory and historical information
• Village Board action creating the Commission
• Horace Holley [1]
• Horace Holley [2]
• Horace Holley [3]
• Horace Holley [4]
• Horace Holley [5]
• Horace Holley-Minutes
• First Annual Charter Day, Second Annual Charter Day
• Civic organization list, 1949
• Third Annual Charter Day
• Annual report, 1949
• Annual report, 1950
• Annual report, 1951
• Annual report, 1952
• Annual report, 1953
• Annual report, 1954
• Annual report, 1955
• Charles Henderson
• James Williams [1]
• James Williams [2]
• James Williams [3]
• James Williams [4]
• James Williams [5]

Box #2

• 7 September 1966 Commission meeting
• September 1967 Charter Day
• Commission meetings, 21 Mar 1968 to 20 Feb 1974
• Julian Bloom
• Edward Whiteside
• Dissolution of Commission, 1977
• Heritage Dinner, 1966
• Heritage Dinner, 1967
• Heritage Dinner, 1968
• Heritage Dinner, 1969
• Heritage Dinner, 1970
• Heritage Dinner, 1971
• Heritage Dinner, 1973
• Publik Notice [Historical Society newsletter], Sep 1967
• Publik Notice, April, 1969
• Publik Notice, January, 1969
• Publik Notice, April, 1970
• Publik Notice, July, 1971, September and October, 1972
• Minute book, 1949-1952
• Minutes, 1974, 1977
• Museum [Green Bay Rd.]
• Museum Cases

Box #3

• Activities and programs
• Annual reports
• Commission members
• Correspondence
• Museum and collection
• Organization of Commission
• Publications and historical reports

Scrapbook

• Collection of Wilmette lithographs