History museum exhibit features women's winter fashions
A few ornaments depicting historical St. Charles sites adorn our Christmas tree, including the Mount St. Mary High School my wife attended, and St. Patrick's Church, where we got married in 1984.
Unfortunately, there isn't a new ornament at the St. Charles History Museum this year because the company that made those is no longer providing the service, Executive Director Alison Costanzo said.
"But we do have all of the past years' ornaments available in the gift shop," Costanzo said.
She was also quick to point out a way in which gift shop visitors could save some money.
"We are a Toys for Tots drop-off site this year (until Dec. 12), and History Museum members who donate get 15 percent off at the gift shop and nonmembers get 10 percent off."
The museum has experienced a makeover the past few months in preparation for one of its largest-ever temporary exhibits, a winter-themed showcase titled "Baby, It's Cold Outside." That exhibit, which highlights women's winter fashion, or basically how women dealt with cold weather from 1860 to 1960, is on display through Feb. 28.
"This is a really special display because we've never had textiles in here before, so there will be all sorts of coats and hats and other items," Costanzo said.
Another for the tree:
We haven't had a chance to get to the Patten House for lunch or dinner yet, but we could have the popular Geneva restaurant on our Christmas tree this season.
The 2015 ornament for the City of Geneva has an illustration of the Patten House on the front and a history of the building on the back.
Geneva is selling the Patten House ornament for $12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall, 22 S. First St.
Shoppers can also visit the city's website, geneva.il.us, and click "Shop The Geneva Store."
Nancy Luyten purchased the property, built in 1857 by owner George Patten at 124 S. Second St., to open a Cajun-style restaurant in 2014.
The site served as a temporary Kane County Courthouse from 1890 to 1892 after a fire destroyed the original courthouse. The Nottolini family owned the house since 1919, operating it as the South Park Hotel in the 1920s.
Getting bearings straight:
Some readers may have noticed a mix up in directions in my column last month about Elburn considering a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks to connect trails between Elburn Forest Preserve and Johnson's Mound.
Village President Dave Anderson said he meant to say such a bridge would be east of the village hall, not the train station as reported in my column. It would be on South Third Street, extended perpendicular to the tracks.
The trail coming out of Elburn Forest Preserve at the pavilion behind Elburn Co-op on North Street would go east, then hook up with another trail past the village hall and head south to a new bridge over the tracks.
Trail users would then go left on Nebraska Street toward the train station and hook up with a bike path being extended from Blackberry Creek subdivision. That trail would go through the subdivision near the train station and cross at Anderson and Keslinger roads to take walkers and bike riders south to Johnson's Mound.
"Once that all gets done, I am thinking someone could put in a bike shop right along the North Street area for maybe bike rentals and such," Anderson said. "It would be a cool thing."
She's getting around:
It was great to see Jamie Daniel out and about at a recent Geneva School District event.
The 94-year-old Daniel has played a major role in Geneva real estate and business, and chamber of commerce events and services, since the 1970s.
"I feel really good, but I can't walk any more," Daniel said while showing me her wheelchair that also serves as a walker.
But she's doing fine in her new home at the GreenFields assisted living complex, saying the people there do a great job in taking care of her.
A holiday observation:
With so many holiday events taking place, I didn't want to forget to make this observation. In my nearly 40 years of community journalism in the Tri-Cities area, I have never seen so many people congregate in one place for one short event as they did for the St. Charles Electric Christmas Parade.
Cars filled all neighborhoods near downtown, and were parked nearly all the way down Dean Street to the north of Main Street.
Usually some cars are parked near Thompson Middle School, just west of where the parade starts, but this time paradegoers were parking well past Haines Middle School and down the area side streets toward Howard Street and even Prairie Street.
Geneva's Christmas Walk probably draws as many, or more, people, but that's a five- to six-hour event. The St. Charles parade was about a half-hour long. There's only one way to describe this turnout. It was incredible.
dheun@sbcglobal.net