Historical DeKalb County

Historical

DEKALB COUNTY

DeKalb County is rich in history. Settlers came in 1834 for our fertile soil, hunting, and food supply. The county was named in honor of Johann de Kalb, a German hero of the American Revolutionary War.

DeKalb County’s industrial heritage is rooted in the agriculture industry. Barbed wire manufacturing was a booming business in 19th century DeKalb. The Sandwich Manufacturing Co. and Marsh Harvester Co. produced farm machinery; Gurler Brothers Pure Milk used early scientific processes to deliver a quality product to customers. DeKalb AgResearch created the famous “flying ear” logo for its revolutionary hybrid seed corn – the company was later acquired by Monsanto, which later merged with Bayer.

DeKalb also is home to Northern Illinois University, a public research university with 17,000 students, which was founded in 1895.

There are many guided and self-guided tours throughout our county. Some of our most notable attractions in DeKalb are the Egyptian Theatre, one of the last Egyptian movie palaces in the United States, the Ellwood House Museum, the Haish Memorial Library, and Altgeld Hall. In Sycamore you will find the historic Elmwood Cemetery, The Chicago and Northwestern Depot, and the Marsh House. In Sandwich, visit the Sandwich City Hall and Opera House as well as the Von Kleinsmid Mansion.

A full schedule of tours and events is available through the DeKalb County History Center website: dekalbcountyhistory.org/programs. All Area Codes 815 Unless Noted

Clinton Township Library 110 S. Elm St., Waterman 264-3339 • watermanlibrary.com Mon. & Wed. 1pm-9pm, Fri. 1pm-6pm & Sat. 9am-1pm

DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association 2280 Bethany Rd., DeKalb 756-8737 • daaha.org by appt.

DeKalb County History Center 1730 N. Main St., Sycamore 895-5762 dekalbcountyhistory.org Tues.-Thurs. & Sat. 10am-3pm Closed Mon., Fri., Sun.

DeKalb Historic SelfGuided Tours 2500 N. Annie Glidden Rd., Ste. F Community Outreach Building DeKalb • 756-1336 dekalbcountycvb.com DeKalb Public Library 309 Oak St., DeKalb 756-9568 • dkpl.org Mon.-Thurs. 9am-9pm; Fri. 9am6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm; Sun. 1pm-5pm

Ellwood House Museum 420 Linden Pl., DeKalb 756-4609 • ellwoodhouse.org March-November Tues.-Sun. 12:30pm-4:30pm-last tour starts at 3pm. Flewellin Memorial Library 108 W. Comanche Ave. Shabbona 824-2079 • shabbonalibrary.org Mon.-Fri. 3pm-7pm, Sat. 9am-12pm, Closed Sunday

Gurler House 205 Pine St., DeKalb aplace for everyone

Friday -Sunday

1:00 -5:00 p.m. Curbside pick-up Facebook story mes Summer Reading Media libraryand YouTube channel 758-4897 • gurlerhouse.org

Hinckley Historical Society 145 E. Lincoln Hwy., Hinckley 286-3319 hinckleyhistoricalsociety.com Open Sat. 10am-3pm Hoppe Heritage Farmstead / 1835 Miller Elwood Cabin / South Branch Prairie 31966 Pleasant Hill Rd. Kingston 895-7191 • dekalbcounty.org/ forestpreserve/pdfs/hoppe.pdf

Joiner History Room 103 E. State St., Sycamore 895-7271 joinerhistoryroom.org History Room: Tues. & Thurs. 10am-3pm

Joseph F. Glidden Homestead & Historical Center 921 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb 756-7904 gliddenhomestead.org May-Oct. 2nd & 4th Sun. 12pm-

DeKalb Public Library

9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.

Virtual events, materials, and resources!

4pm; Tues. 10am-2pm; or by appt.

Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society 622 Park Ave., Genoa 784-5559 Open 2nd Sun. of the month from 2pm-4pm; Wed. 1pm-5pm; or by appt.

Lincoln Highway Interpretive Gazebo and Seedling Mile Marker Kishwaukee College • Malta 825-2086

Malta Historic Guided Tours Malta • 825-2330 villageofmalta.net • by appt.

Malta Historical & Genealogical Society 127 N. 3rd St., Malta 825-2330 • villageofmalta. net/maltahistorcialsociety.htm by appt.

Marie Louise Olmstead Museum 100 S. Depot St., Somonauk 498-2417 or 228-1474 themonumentalarchives.com/ Olmstead_Museum.php Open Sun. 2pm-4pm, closed holidays, and tours by appt. Memorial Park/Soldiers & Sailors Clock Northeast Corner of 1st & Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb Milan Township OneRoom Schoolhouse 8 Gabel Hall, NIU, DeKalb 753-1236 or 753-1241 cedu.niu.edu/blackwell/ schoolhouse.shtml • by appt.

NIU Regional History Center Swen Parson, Room 155 DeKalb • 753-1779 libguides.niu.edu/rhcua Mon.-Fri. 8am-12pm & 1pm-4:30pm

North Grove School Association 26745 Brickville Rd., Sycamore 762-3603 northgroveschool.org Tours by appt.

Northern Illinois Veteran’s Memorial Franklin Township Park 3rd Street, Kirkland 522-6179 villageofkirkland.com Sandwich Fairgrounds 1401 Suydam Rd., Sandwich 786-2159 • sandwichfair.com Sandwich Stone Mill Museum and the Sandwich Historical Society 311 E. Railroad St., Sandwich 786-2513 or 498-4401

Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum 119 W. Comanche, Shabbona 824-2597 slrmuseum.com Tues. & Thurs. 9pm-11:30am & 12:30pm-3pm; Sat. 9am-11am or by appt. Sycamore Historic SelfGuided Tours 407 W. State St., Sycamore 895-3456 discoversycamore.com

Sycamore Public Library 103 E. State St., Sycamore 895-2500 sycamorelibrary.org Library: Mon.-Thurs. 9am-8pm Fri. 9am-6 pm, Sat. 9am-5pm Sun. 1pm-5pm

Waterman Area Heritage Society 180 W. Lincoln St., Waterman 264-3461 • villageofwaterman. com/waterman-area-heritagesociety Sat. 1pm-3pm or by appt.

All Area Codes 815 Unless Noted