Curator's Corner: The Art & Alchemy of Curating

Last year, the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum celebrated 60 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing its county's history with the public. To commemorate this anniversary, our featured exhibit, "60 Years, 60 Objects: Stories from McHenry County," remains on display through October 2024. This exhibit highlights sixty objects from the historical society's collection. Object 60 is a Grecian-style decorative cast-iron urn manufactured by Collins & Burgie Stove Company in Marengo circa 1900. The company is said to have made numerous attempts to produce these urns, without total success, because the bases cracked.    The Collins and Burgie Stove Works of Chicago was established in 1857 by James L. Collins and Henry C. Burgie. In 1891, the company considered expansion, but wanted to relocate outside of Chicago. The company purchased 7 acres of land in Marengo to build the stove factory. The factory was built on East Street across from the Marengo Ci...

Love and Remembrance Last year, the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum celebrated 60 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing its county's history with the public. To commemorate this anniversary, our featured exhibit, “60 Years, 60 Objects: Stories from McHenry County,” remains on display through October 2024. This exhibit highlights sixty objects from the historical society’s collection. Object 57 is a lapel locket attached to a Fleur-de-lis pin. This locket was owned by Delia Cleary of Marengo. It was purchased from Gill Jewelers in Marengo in the early 1900s. Delia Greene Cleary, a daughter of James and Anna Mackin Greene, was born in Edgartown, Ireland, on February 11, 1874. She married James Cleary in Manhattan, New York, on October 14, 1913. At the time of their marriage, James was a Marengo stock dealer. Their first child, James Jr, was born in Marengo about 1915. James Cleary died in Marengo on June 2, 1941. He is buried in Marengo’s Sacred Heart Cemetery. ...

A Trowel's Gotta Do What a Trowel's Gotta Do! Last year, the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum celebrated 60 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing its county's history with the public. To commemorate this anniversary, our featured exhibit, “60 Years, 60 Objects: Stories from McHenry County,” remains on display through October 2024. This exhibit highlights sixty objects from the historical society’s collection. Object 53 is a trowel used by stone mason Andrew Simons of Crystal Lake in the 1850s. This trowel was used to build the Walkup and Wallace houses in Crystal Lake during the 1850s and1860s. Andrew Simons was born in Leroy, New York, on March 24, 1829. He came to Crystal Lake in 1849 and applied his mason’s trade.  He married Charlotte Crittenden in Crystal Lake on November 4, 1855. Andrew Simons fought in the Civil War as a member of the 36th Illinois Volunteer Infantry’s Company H. He died in Crystal Lake on February 10, 1892. Andrew Simons is bu...

  Last year, the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum celebrated 60 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing its county's history with the public. To commemorate this anniversary, our featured exhibit, “60 Years, 60 Objects: Stories from McHenry County,” remains on display through October 2024. This exhibit highlights sixty objects from the historical society’s collection.  Object 54 is a  pair of white leather shoes worn by Mary (Denison) McConnell of Richmond in the early 1900s.     Mary Denison, a daughter of Daniel and Julia (Falkner) Denison, was born in Hebron, Illinois on January 3, 1876. She married Frank B. McConnell of Richmond, Illinois on June 10, 1897. They built a large Queen Anne-style house on the west side of Richmond. Frank B. McConnell, a son of George and Susan Cushman McConnell, was born in Richmond Township on March 29, 1879. His father was the organizer and owner of the State Bank of Richmond. Frank became the president of ...

Last year, the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum celebrated 60 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing its county's history with the public. To commemorate this anniversary, our featured exhibit, “60 Years, 60 Objects: Stories from McHenry County,” remains on display through October 2024. This exhibit highlights sixty artifacts from the historical society’s collection. Object #46 is a n olive drab army uniform worn by Lester Edinger during World War I.    Many sources note that Lester Edinger wore this World War I uniform on horseback as Grand Marshall of the Woodstock and Greenwood Memorial Day parades for many years.  Lester Edinger, a son of Adam and Catherine Edinger, was born in Hebron, Indiana on December 21, 1893. Following the death of her husband, Catherine “Kitty” Edinger moved her family to Woodstock, Illinois where young Lester became a drill press operator at the typewriter factory. He joined the Illinois National Guard in Woodstock and ...

In 2022, the Crystal Lake Historical Society donated three Civil War diaries belonging to Dwight Andruss for 1863-1865. These diaries detail the life of a soldier from Seneca Township during three years of an important time in American history. This is primary material for research on several topics: the Civil War and the Walkup family of Crystal Lake. Dwight was born on Nov. 25, 1827. He wrote to his wife Eunice during the war and died December 29, 1870, at age 43. Eunice was living with her daughter’s family in 1900 and died in 1904. They are buried in Pioneer Cemetery in Seneca Township. They were the parents of Chester Llewellyn, whose daughter Ada married John M. Walkup of Crystal Lake.     In May 2023, the Polly Crandall Questers of Crystal Lake selected the 3 Andruss Civil War diaries to receive their Illinois Questers Matching Grant. Polly Crandall donated $500 of their funds, while the state grant awarded $1,000 for the project. All three Civil War diaries were prof...