Civil War generals help Wood Dale Historical Society mark 40th anniversary

Larry Werline and his friends Tom Peacock and Paul Wood looked like the Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant, George A. Custer and Robert E. Lee and had an interest in them.

So, to the three, the natural next step was to create a company that allowed them to live out the generals’ lives through re-enactment.

The trio opened up Grant, Lee, Custer and Co. 10 years ago and since then have performed re-enactments for schools, museums and other venues.

The three, plus a re-enactor of Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, will portray their characters from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 24, at Alta Villa Banquet Hall, 430 Addison Road, Addison, for a Luncheon with the Generals celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wood Dale Historical Society and Yesterday’s Farm Museum.

The generals will sit with guests during the buffet luncheon, then take part in a re-enactment after the lunch.

“This is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, so we’ll be talking about the generals while highlighting the year 1862,” said Werline, who portrays Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. “This is a re-enactment of the characters rather than a re-enactment of the war.”

Reservations can be made by calling (630) 595-0360 or (630) 263-6192. The cost for nonmembers is $35 for a generals table and $30 for a non-generals table. For members it is $30 and $25, respectively.

Judi Ryan, vice president of the Wood Dale Historical Society, said the society hosts a re-enactment series every year, usually in March. Past years have included portrayals of Jackie Kennedy, Civil War surgeon William Hammond, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison.

The historical society was founded in 1971 by Mary Lou Mittel. Yesterday’s Farm Museum comprises 3¼ acres and consists of a 1920s farmhouse and garage, an 1850s barnhouse, an 1840s prairie house and an 1850s carriage house.

The 1920s barnhouse and garage were donated by the Rosenwinkel family and are open to visitors, with collections including clothing, furniture and household items from the 1800s, 1920s and 1940s. The other properties were donated by developers. Some collections are housed in the barnhouse.

“Mary Lou Mittel got a lot of people in town involved in getting the historical society going and getting the farmhouse on its feet,” Ryan said. “She literally just took hold of it and made the whole thing fly.”

Ryan said as the years have gone by, the number of volunteers has decreased and people have become more apathetic toward the historical society, something she feels is unfortunate.

“When you start something, you get a lot of people to help, to work. As the years go by, other people aren’t as interested because they weren’t involved in the beginning,” she said. “The amount of volunteers has changed over the years.”

But, she said it’s important for people to care about what the historical society has been providing for the community in its 40 years.

“I think that we need to connect with our past so we know why and where we come from, and what we should be going toward for the future,” Ryan said.

“Sometimes people forget the reason they’re here today is because of the past, and the only way to keep their kids informed of where they came from is through museums.”

Werline has been performing re-enactments for the past 25 years, and he said people are usually shocked by the resemblance.

“We bring these characters to life,” he said. “That’s the rewarding part of it, when people say, ‘wow, that was great; it’s like I was really with the generals.’”

If you go

What: “Luncheon with the Generals,” celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wood Dale Historical Society and Yesterday’s Farm Museum

When: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 24

Where: Alta Villa Banquet Hall, 430 Addison Road, Addison

Cost: $35 generals table and $30 non-generals table for nonmembers; $30 generals table and $25 non-generals table for members

Info: (630) 595-0360 or (630) 263-6192