J.A. Hoth Ice wagons, circa 1908. Wilmette children welcomed a wagon's approach on a hot summer day, looking forward to a chunk of ice from the deliveryman.
The Museum's collections focus on items with a Wilmette connection, especially material that is either characteristically or uniquely Wilmette. The following list of collections is not meant to be comprehensive, but merely to describe some of our larger or more frequently used collections.
The photograph collection offers amazing views of Wilmette. Subjects range from natural disasters to street scenes to individual portraits of people. Our earliest images date from the Civil War era and our most recent ones were taken just last week. Generally speaking, the collection includes prints, slides and negatives.
Ranging from the rather ridiculous (a stuffed parrot) to the sublime (art glass made in Wilmette) and from the enormous (WPA murals) to the miniature (a tiny replica of a wood stove), the artifact collection helps document village history. The collection is a crucial component of our changing exhibits and is also used for research projects and for public programs.
The earliest records date from 1850, the year of incorporation of New Trier Township. Records are added when they are no longer required on a frequent basis by the local government. In addition to the official records, the Museum's holdings also include records of many local organizations, as well as some schools, businesses and individual's papers.
The relatively small book collection is a useful reference collection for those doing research on Wilmette, Chicago and the North Shore.
Included in this collection are local newspapers, minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Wilmette, minutes of the meetings of the Board of the Wilmette Park District, and federal census records for Wilmette and Gross Point from 1840 forward.
Our holdings in this area include maps of Wilmette and New Trier Township, local newspapers and architectural plans. The Museum also has extensive historical reference files organized by subject.