Heritage Day in Bensenville gives visitors a taste of history

Richard Montoya has long enjoyed reading about history, but he said reading it doesn't come close to living it.

"You learn so much more this way and you appreciate it more," said Montoya, a Glenview resident and one of the Civil War re-enactors who worked at Heritage Day Saturday in Bensenville.

Montoya and other members of the Addison-based 2nd Kentucky Cavalry organization dressed as 19th-century soldiers and civilians and provided demonstrations on everything from food preparation to weapons firing.

"I think people are fascinated to actually see how people used to live," Montoya said. "And it's fun for me. I've met a lot of friends through this."

History re-enactments were just part of the fun at Heritage Day, which is run by Bensenville Park District. Visitors also enjoyed pony rides, a petting zoo and children's games, along with tours of the historic Fischer Farm property.

The Fischer property, which the park district rents from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, is the oldest remaining homestead in DuPage County. The park district makes sure the buildings on the site accurately reflect life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

"The Fischer story really is the epitome of what life used to be like here," said Kelli Parke, environmental and heritage education supervisor at the park district.

Parke said that despite Saturday's cold and windy weather, the turnout at Heritage Day easily fell within the expected 500 to 800 people.

"It's been great today," she said. "It's a nice fall fest, and people seem to be having fun out here."