Toast Mount Prospect at History in the Headlines dinner
Reservations are now being accepted for "Toast our New Town," the sixth annual History in the Headlines dinner, sponsored by the Mount Prospect Historical Society. This Centennial-themed event will be held at Rob Roy Country Club, 505 E. Camp McDonald Road, Prospect Heights, Saturday, April 22.
When Mount Prospect was incorporated by a vote of 63 to 12 on Feb. 3, 1917, World War I was raging across the Atlantic. But with the United States not yet involved, the Germans in Mount Prospect were still speaking a mixture of German and English and continued to cling to their Old Country traditions when it came to worship, education and thriftiness, according to Lindsay Rice, executive director of the society.
This year the Mount Prospect Historical Society will re-imagine the rather modest, German-style celebrations that probably took place in local establishments following the incorporation of Mount Prospect 100 years ago.
As with the society's five previous History in the Headlines dinners, patrons can choose from two meal options. The $30 "Wille's Tavern" buffet meal will feature sausages, Chicken Limone, German potato salad, bread and vegetable medley.
Those who wish to dine more elegantly can choose the $75 "Wille's Hall" dinner featuring a glass of wine, soup, bread, sliced beef with sauerbraten sauce on the side, buttered noodles and green bean almondine. There will be dessert and a cash bar for everyone, with signature cocktails of the era offered.
Partygoers, who are invited to dress casually or elegantly and even to wear clothing of 1917, will be entertained after dinner by Suffragette Alice Paul, played by living history actress Leslie Goddard.
"Alice Paul was the organizer of the first picketing demonstrations ever held outside the White House. She spearheaded parades, lobbied politicians and endured imprisonment for women's rights. A fearless and innovative pioneer, she remains an icon in the struggle for justice and equal rights," says Goddard.
The fight for a woman's right to vote was very active in the United States when Mount Prospect was incorporated. In Illinois at that time, women were only permitted to vote in elections that involved schools.
Local women voted in 1914 to establish High School District 214, but three years later, they still were excluded by state law from the vote to incorporate Mount Prospect.
There will also be a challenging Mount Prospect trivia competition during Ms. Paul's intermission, and a raffle.
Tickets are limited and may be reserved individually or in tables of 10. For more information or to purchase tickets via PayPal, visit www.mtphist.org or call (847) 392-9006 Tuesday through Thursday during office hours to reserve tickets and pay by credit card.
All of the proceeds from this event will benefit the Mount Prospect Historical Society's Operating Fund.
The Mount Prospect Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to preserving the history of Mount Prospect through artifacts, photographs and both oral and written memories of current and former residents and businesspeople.
On its campus in the heart of the village, the society maintains the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum and carriage house and an ADA-accessible education center. The society is also in the midst of an adaptive restoration of the 1896 one-room Central School, which was moved to the museum campus in 2008.
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