Depot Days to celebrate Lisle's start as a dairy town
Lisle's settlers likely used the slogan "Got Milk?" long before the town became known as "The Arboretum Village."
Why?
That's one of the tidbits of trivia residents will pick up at the 23rd annual Depot Days festival this weekend that celebrates the 175th anniversary of Lisle's settlement.
OK, we'll give you a sneak preview: when the village was settled years ago, it was a dairy town. At one point, it was known as the largest milk shipping stop between Chicago and Aurora, said Marilyn Cawiezel, charter member of the Lisle Heritage Society.
"We started out as a farming and dairy town and we've grown now to have three universities," Cawiezel said.
The festival -- open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at The Museums of Lisle Station Park, 921 School St. -- includes a variety of pioneer demonstrations, activities and educational exhibits.
There will be guided cemetery tours, potato sack races and the chance to sample homemade pies fresh from the antique beehive brick oven.
Attractions will include model trains; a 2.5-horsepower economy gas engine; antique cars; a Friends of the Lisle Library book sale; demonstrations of woodworking, knitting, lace-making, watercolor painting, quilting, rug-hooking, spinning and leather crafting; and the heritage society's annual Christmas ornament sale.
"We're very excited because this is such a historic year," society member Arden Goodwin said in a statement.
"It is important to remember our first permanent settlers, the Hatch brothers, who came here 175 years ago. Even though Lisle wasn't incorporated for another 124 years, this settlement was a milestone in the development of our community."
There also will be a photographic history of Lisle's Main Street and a special exhibit "Reflections: Looking Back Upon Ourselves," which includes more than 74 model ships, planes and other World War II artifacts.
If you go
What: Depot Days
When: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: The Museums of Lisle Station Park, 921 School St.
Cost: Free
Info: (630) 964-3410 or lisleparkdistrict.org
Events: See Page 4