Historical Society programs will explore supper clubs and boxcar communities
The McHenry County Historical Society & Museum continues its 30th annual Sampler Lecture Series. All programs will be held at the historical society museum, 6422 Main St. in Union.
A $10 donation is requested for individual programs. The boxcar program is made possible through a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council. For information or to buy tickets, call (815) 923-2267 or visit www.gothistory.org.
• "Wisconsin Supper Clubs - An Old-Fashioned Experience" presented by author/filmmaker Ron Faiola at 7 p.m. Monday, April 4. Discover why supper clubs are such a big part of Wisconsin's food culture and what the full experience of supper club dining entails: a brandy old-fashioned sweet at the bar, relish trays at the table, huge portions of steaks, seafood and game, and the friendly, loyal customers who have been dining at their favorite places for so many years.
Wisconsin's original supper clubs may have begun in the 1920s as gangster hangouts, but following the repeal of Prohibition these same roadhouse restaurants - located outside city limits - were the first to receive liquor licenses. In "Wisconsin Supper Clubs - Another Round," slated for release in June, Faiola will highlight 50 more of the finest establishments, including Fitzgerald's in Genoa City and the Colony House Restaurant in Trevor.
• "The History of Mexican Railroad Boxcar Communities in the Chicago Area & the Midwest" presented by Antonio Delgado at 3 p.m. Monday, April 18. Between 1910 and 1950s in the United States, particularly the Midwest, railroads employed a large number of Mexican immigrants to lay track. These immigrant railroad workers and their families literally lived on railroad property, in railroad boxcars and "section houses," year-round.
The program not only underscores the important contributions these laborers made to the area - with the use of photos, maps, political cartoon and other period images. It also will compare anti-immigrant practices employed then with the current climate.