Historical museum celebrates county's 175th anniversary

DuPage County Historical Museum is commemorating the 175th anniversary of the founding of DuPage County with the opening of an exhibit titled "Inheriting DuPage: A Family History."

The exhibit will follow the lives and legacies of the Patricia Torode Vaillancourt Woodstrup family. Patricia was a descendant of several DuPage first families who settled, worked and made lives here.

"Patricia was the family archivist," museum educator Michelle Podkowa said. "She's really the one who kept and organized most of these pieces."

Patricia died in 2003; in 2005 her family donated the collection to the museum.

In 2008, the museum came under the umbrella of the Wheaton Park District and, in 2009, a curator and museum educator were hired. The collection slowly started to take form.

Mychal Brown, who now works at the museum as museum assistant, began as a volunteer and spent many hours poring over the pieces. It has been Brown who has drawn the story out of the massive collection.

"It's very exciting to see the culmination of four years of hard work," she said. "What we're trying to do is show these families' involvement in the county. For instance, how did they come here? How are they connected to Patricia? It's a very family-oriented exhibit."

The exhibit will run through September 2015 and will include many classes, programs and events, giving residents of all ages the opportunity to engage with these founding families and learn more about their own history.

College of DuPage is supporting the exhibit and programming related to the 175th anniversary by serving as an education partner to the museum.

"Inheriting DuPage" opened Saturday, Sept. 13, with a program that invited children to create artwork inspired by their families.

Upcoming events and information on the exhibit may be found on the DuPage County Historical Museum website, dupagemuseum.org. Those interested in participating in upcoming programs may register online or by calling (630) 510-4941. The museum is at 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton.