The Civil War and its ties to Naperville and DuPage County

Dr. David Maas, Wheaton College Professor of History Emeritus, will present a program about the Civil War and its effect on DuPage County and Naperville from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 2 at Naper Settlement's Century Memorial Chapel, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville.

The author of numerous scholarly papers, books, and more than 150 newspaper columns about the Civil War, Dr. Maas said the title of his presentation is, “How Naperville won the Civil War (with a little help from General Grant and others).” The presentation will appeal to history buffs and novices alike as Dr. Maas examines the response to the conflict in DuPage County and ends with the stories of a few Naperville families caught in the vortex of the war. He researched his topic at Naper Settlement's Research Library and Archives and other museums, libraries and historical archives throughout DuPage County. His presentation will reflect that research and is a prelude to Civil War Days that will be held on May 18-19 at Naper Settlement.

“During the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Naperville resident Levi Shafer was still alive and he gave an interesting interview in the newspaper about his involvement during that battle,” Dr. Maas said. “I'll also talk about statistical trends and how Naperville compares with other towns in DuPage County.”

Admission is $5 for all ages and free for all Naper Settlement volunteers. Visit napersettlement.com or call (630) 420-6010.