St. Charles History Museum celebrates new acquisitions

At a VIP-only event, the St. Charles History Museum celebrated the reopening of the museum and recent collection additions with a reception on the museum's patio this past Sunday afternoon. Soaring temperatures and plenty of sun did not dissuade nearly 40 of the museum's most ardent supporters from attending the event.

After the outdoor reception, the guests were welcomed into the museum, where they were allowed first peeks at historical items that spanned the history of St. Charles.

Items included everything from financial records of Charles Haines, early St. Charles school superintendent and philanthropist, to Alice Davis, local historian, author, teacher, and school principal. Even a 1960s era "menu board" from the recently closed Pheasant Run Resort was on display.

But the crowning piece to be added to the collection in these pandemic times was a "drop front" desk donated by the Wheeler family.

James T. Wheeler was one of the original settlers of St. Charles, and this desk was in the family's possession since it was purchased some time between 1825 and 1850, according to our experts. On hand to discuss the desk was Stephen Reid, local antique specialist; Adam Gibbons, local historian and author; and Liz Safanda, former president of Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley and half-sister to Eric T. Wheeler, who donated the piece to the museum. Eric is the great-great-grandson of James T. Wheeler.

St. Charles History Museum President Mike Corbett welcomed the VIP guests, saying, "It is exciting to see such a great turnout to this event. This is evidence that our museum continues to strike a chord with our local residents, and we are excited to share these new items with the public."

Everyone is welcome to see these and other artifacts now on display.

The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, in accordance with local and CDC guidelines. The museum also has a gift shop that contains many one-of-a-kind St. Charles items, souvenirs, books, maps, and keepsakes.

For more information, visit stcmuseum.org or contact the St. Charles History Museum at (630) 584-6967 or info@stcmuseum.org.

Founded in 1933, the St. Charles History Museum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has been collecting, preserving, and presenting St. Charles' long history through unique programming, events, exhibits, and presentations.