Abolitionist Frederick Douglass to be Portrayed at Grayslake Heritage Center

Steve Cole will portray Douglass at the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum on May 4.

The great African-American Abolitionist Frederick Douglass will be portrayed by Steve Cole. The event will take place at 2 p.m. May 4 at the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum, 164 Hawley Street. Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838 and became an important leader in the Abolitionist movement. An eloquent public speaker, his speeches, and his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, played a critical role in the growing sentiment against slavery in the United States.  Douglass pressed Lincoln tirelessly on the issue of Emancipation. He also helped to enlist African-American soldiers to fight on behalf of the Union during the Civil War. His son, Lewis, served with the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment, …

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Grayslake Heritage Center Accepting Amateur Photos for Exhibit

The exhibit will open May 11.

Grayslake area amateur photographers are invited to showcase their talent at the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum this spring. The museum will display photographs by local contributors as part of a new exhibition, Picture This: Celebrating Grayslake. Categories include people, places and events. Submitted photographs should have been taken in the greater Grayslake area in the past five years by local photographers. For purposes of definition, the greater Grayslake area includes the 60030 ZIP code or residency in an area serviced by one or more Grayslake units of government. All photographs should be suitable for family audiences. Photographers whose work includes people should have permission from their subjects to publicly display …

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A Look Back at the History of the Grayslake Fire Department

Do you know who the first fire chief was?

Reading about history in books, newspapers and magazines is one way to be informed of what happened years ago, but experiencing it up close is a more exciting method of learning. Such is the case with the history of the Grayslake Fire Department. The history can be read about in books and on line, but it can be experienced and almost relived in the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum, where firefighting equipment and pictures of the past bring the dangerous and important role of the firefighters to life. The Annex behind the Heritage Center and Museum houses the larger items of the museum collection including Wilbur, a 1954 former Grayslake Fire Department truck that after many years of service retired to the Annex. It is a major …

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Video: Lincoln Exhibit at Heritage Center

Check out the Lake Visitor's Bureau's video of the Grayslake Heritage Center's new Abraham Lincoln exhibit.

The Abraham Lincoln exhibit can be seen Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon until 8 p.m., and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. Groups can schedule tours through the Grayslake Heritage Center by calling (847) 543-1745.

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What's that Smell at the Grayslake Heritage Center

"Scent is the strongest sense tied to the memory," according to Escential Resources Ltd.

Does the permanent gallery of the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum smell? You bet it does! There are four distinct smells emanating from four panels in the Embracing Change: the Growth of Grayslake exhibit. And they are all pleasant odors! The scented beads manufactured by California-based Escential Resources Ltd. provide the Grayslake smells of strawberry, grass, apple cider and cherry. "Just for the Smell of it," is the company's catch-phrase. The scented beads are in special containers embedded in the exhibit panels. They are: The idea of adding smells and aromas to the exhibit to enhance the experiences of museum visitors was born almost as a joke among the Grayslake Historical Society members planning the exhibit and the …

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Exhibit Offers Glimpse Into Lincoln's Life

"People love the hat," said Dave Oberg.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln is the only president to hold a patent? While most people know that Lincoln was a surveyor and a lawyer, they'll likely be surprised to learn that Lincoln came up with a floatation device to help lift boats off of sandbars, said Dave Oberg, executive director of the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum. Guests can see a reproduction of the patent model, along with high-quality reproductions of other items, at the "Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America" traveling exhibition. The exhibition will be at the Grayslake Heritage Center until June 16. "People love the hat," said Oberg. A self-proclaimed Lincoln enthusiast, Oberg noted that Lincoln used his hat to carry important papers. Guests who visit the …

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The President is Coming!

Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America Comes to the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum Saturday in downtown Grayslake.

The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum will welcome Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln at 2 p.m. Saturday. This appearance will mark the official opening of the traveling exhibition, Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America. The exhibition opens at noon with Mayor Rhett Taylor giving a welcome at 1:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $3. The exhibit runs through June 16. The museum will offer extended hours: From March 23-June 16, visit Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Group tours are also welcome.

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Lincoln Exhibit Opens March 23 in Grayslake

The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum is one of only 11 in the country to host the Lincoln traveling exhibition.

Special Lincoln Presentations Lead Up to March 23 Grayslake Exhibit Opening

The life and times of Abraham Lincoln will be featured as the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum is one of only 11 in the country to host a Lincoln traveling exhibition.

Remembering the challenging life and conflicted times of Abraham Lincoln are the goals of special events as the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum prepares to host the Lincoln traveling exhibition that opens March 23. The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum is one of just 11 museums nationwide to be selected to host a traveling exhibition from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, according to Dave Oberg, executive director. The exhibition, Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America opens later this month at the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum, 164 Hawley Street. According to their website, the show "features high quality reproductions related to the life of our 16th President, with proceeds aiding in the preservation and …

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From the Grayslake Historical Society Archives: Plank Roads

Do you know why plank roads were important?

With the spring thaws more than 150 years ago in Lake County, farmers and travelers alike dreaded the dirt paths and trails that would become a quagmire of mud and slow transportation throughout the area. An answer to the problem was the building of wooden roads or plank roads to improve and speed transportation. In Lake County, a plank road was announced in 1848 by three businessmen and civic leaders to build a toll road, or "turnpike" from Waukegan to McHenry using wooden planks. It was known as the Lake and McHenry Plank Road. The men—John Gage, Elmsley Sunderlin and John Tyrrell—were the first officers of the Lake and McHenry Plank Road Association. The landowners were encouraged to donate their property for the road, which followed …

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