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Community Corner

Community Heritage Month Celebrates Naperville's Past

Events throughout May spotlight community's rich history.

Joseph Naper knew a good thing when he saw it.

As a surveyor for Cook County, he first came to the area in 1829 tosurvey the land for claims staked under the Preemption Act.

What he found was an area with beautiful timber to the north and great prairies and fertile soil to the south. The land also was adjacent to the West Branch of the DuPage River, which could provide a source of power for a saw mill, and later grist mill.

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“It was perfect geography,” said Bryan Ogg, curator of research at Naper Settlement. “He thought the combination of those things were excellent for building a town.”

In summer 1831, he gathered his brother and 13 other families and set sail from Ashtabula, Ohio, to Fort Dearborn aboard The Telegraph—the last ship he would ever build. When they arrived in July, they “sold the ship to a New York merchant, and brought the ox and wagons out here to Naperville” with the intention of building a sawmill, Ogg said.

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The rest, as they say, is history. It's also the city’s heritage.

is celebrating its fourth annual Community Heritage Month throughout May, started by the city in 2008 to coincide with a national celebration of history.

“May is also National Preservation Month, and this year’s theme is ‘Celebrating America’s Treasures,’” said Donna DeFalco, marketing and sales representative at .

“While there certainly are many treasures in Naperville, at Naper Settlement we have the Martin Mitchell Mansion. But Community Heritage Month is an opportunity for Naper Settlement and our community partners to come together and share our endeavors with the community.”

Joining the Settlement in hosting events are , , , and the .

More than two dozen events and activities are scheduled this month at various locations.

“Residents have an opportunity to choose what they’d like to do. Here at Naper Settlement, we have a variety of walking tours and programs,” DeFalco said.

Among the upcoming events is a Celebration of Craft Beerat the Settlement, which will include information about Naperville’s Stenger Brewery.

“Our signature event that we have every year is Civil War Days,” DeFalco said.

The two-day event will be held May 21-22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Settlement, featuring re-enactors who stage a battle each day. Naperville played an important role in the war, answering the call for troops early, Ogg said.

Of the nearly 1,500 DuPage County residents who fought in the Civil War, almost 300 came from Naperville, he said.

“That’s rather large, but again, Naperville was one of the largest towns at the time,” Ogg said.

From May 16 through May 21, North Central College will celebrate Cornerstone Week. The week, which kicks off the college’s sesquicentennial, celebrates the anniversary of the college’s 1870 move from Plainfield to Naperville and the laying of the cornerstone for Old Main, which housed all campus operations for its first 30 years in Naperville.

Activities at North Central College include a screening at 7 p.m. May 18, in Madden Theatre at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., of the first segment of  “A Promising Start,” a five-part documentary about North Central’s 150-year history, produced in conjunction with Naperville Community Television Ch. 17.

“We have a really proud history of community, and through the years we have celebrated community milestones,” DeFalco said.

In 1931, was built to celebrate Naperville’s first 100 years. For its 150th birthday in 1981, the Riverwalk was built. And in 2006, a series of events celebrated Naperville turning 175 years old.

“We found many ways to celebrate our history through the years,” DeFalco said.

For more information on upcoming events, visit the city’s website.

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