Our annual Veterans Day Dinner and Program is a time for our community to come together to recognize the sacrifices of the veterans in our community. Retiring Board member Chris Everett presented the amazing work of our Oral Historian Nancy Cavaretta's project, Our Neighbors, Our Heroes, featuring interviews with Forest Park Veterans. These stories can be found on our website.

During our annual meeting, The Historical Society of Forest Park said goodbye and thank you to our retiring board members Terry Steinbach, Chris Everett, Nancy Cavaretta, and Brian Kuhr and welcomed new board members Daniel Cross, Carol Gulyas, and Kristin Lyons. Visit our website to get to know our board. If you are interested in joining the board please contact info@forestparkhistory.org. 


Thank you once again to the American Legion for the donation of their beautiful hall and their support of our oral history initiative.

The Historical Society of Forest Park mourns the passing of our previous Board of Directors member and self-described “seat of the pants historian” Mark Rogovin.
If you were lucky enough to be at the Haymarket Martyrs' Monument while Mark was driving down Des Plaines he would have pulled into the cemetery to give you an impromptu tour by the man who wrote the book on it. Mark co-authored both editions of The Day Will Come, a comprehensive booklet with biographies of everyone who is buried or had ashes scattered at Radical Row. Digging deep into the handwritten cemetery records, Mark found the people and their sometimes forgotten stories.


In 2010, working with the Illinois Labor History Mark launched a successful crowdsource campaign to replace the stolen bronze fronds and flowers from the front of the Haymarket Martyrs Monument. Mark found historic photos of the fronds and flowers and worked closely with the restoration company, Conservation of Sculptures & Objects Studio, inc, even driving a few hours to the bronze pouring to see them made with his own eyes. On the 125th anniversary of Haymarket, the restored bronze fronds and flowers we unveiled.


Concerned that the intricate Altgeld pardon plaque from the rear of the monument could also face the same fate of being stolen Mark created another successful crowdfunding campaign to get a mold of the plaque made. The only remaining piece that needed restored was the small rear plaque with the names of men who were given sentences other than hanging at the Haymarket trial, Mark, of course, worked to have this piece recreated. The Haymarket Martyrs Monument is restored for all the world to see thanks to Mark Rogovin.
But restoring the monument wasn’t enough, Mark wanted to know what was under it. After learning of a time capsule buried at the cornerstone of the monument Mark and his co-researcher Bleue Benton worked to have the time-capsule exhumed. In 2016 the excavation to find the time-capsule took place with the team of experts they assembled. Unfortunately, this dig did not result in finding the time-capsule.


Working with the Historical Society of Forest Park Mark used his vast knowledge of Forest Home Cemetery and their records to locate victims of the Eastland Disaster buried there for the 110 year anniversary of the largest inland ship disaster in American history. Knowing that so many people came to Forest Home Cemetery to see the Haymarket Martyrs Monument, a National Historic Monument Mark created a website Forest Home Cemetery Overview to give a comprehensive background on this very unique cemetery as a whole.


Mark never would shy away from asking for people to donate their historical items to the society, often convincing them of the value he saw it in. From pulling out pieces of railroad when the street was redone to lamb cake pans from Kay's Bakery to the stained glass window from Wolf Bros. Mark wanted to preserve it all.


The monthly tour on the first Saturday of the month (May-October) at 11 am that he started and lead for many years still continues. His booklet The Day Will Come is available online, at the cemetery office and at Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore. We hope that you too can enjoy the history of the Haymarket the way Mark did.
​

Alexis Ellers
Executive Director

​Read more about Mark's exceptional life:
Forest Park Review: Missing Mark Rogovin
Forest Park Review: Mark Rogovin, 73, exemplified being a 'good neighbor'
Chicago Tribune: Mark Rogovin, artist and activist who promoted outdoor murals and social justice, dies
People's World: Mark Rogovin, 1946 – 2019; Artist, activist, organizer

We had a wonderful House and Garden Walk! We couldn't have done it without all the wonderful guest and support. 

Thank you to our Hosts
Enrique Zuniga and Christian Altman
Rob Abernathy and Peter Vamvakas
Gretchen Jankowski
Terry and Tony Steinbach
Nancy Cavaretta
Andy Johnson and Julieta Aguilera
Forest Park Community Garden

Thank you to our Volunteers
Chris Everett, Mike Frantonius, Teresa Molina, Andrea DiFebo, Ana Rios-Rico, Kristen Marie Lyons, Elizabeth Carpenter, Gwen Gregory, Mayumi Barrack, Joe Spagnolo, Jill Wagner, April Baker, and Brian KuhrThank you to our Florists
Westgate Florist, Garland Florist, Lilyput, Moss 
That you to our Sponsors

We had our very first History and Community Festival March 23rd celebrating Forest Park old and new. 

​Huge thank you to
The Park District of Forest Park for allowing us to use their space.
Our amazing face painter Ginger Gypsy
Abe Lincoln
Author Ken Knack
Forest Park Baptist Church 
The Harlem Maenner- und Damenchor 
Forest Park Review
Kiwanis Club of Forest Park
Forest Park Community Garden
Julieta Cristina Aguilera Rodríguez's Liter Project

The Historical Society of Forest Park’s Annual Meeting Presents: Veteran's Day Dinner. This year our annual meeting will take place during our Veteran's Day Dinner.  Our President Terry Steinbach will talk about the accomplishments of the year and upcoming changes prior to our Veteran's presentation. Members will be able to vote with a paper ballot on changes to society as a well as renew their membership or join for the first time. 
​

The Historical Society of Forest Park would like to honor our Forest Park Veterans with a complimentary dinner at the American Legion on November 11, 2018


Board member Nancy Cavaretta will present from her work on the oral history project, Our Neighbors, Our Heroes.  Featuring interviews with Forest Park Veterans Cliff Leber, Debra Funderwhite, Joseph Byrnes, Mike Mohr, Patrica Salazar-Davis, Paul Roach, and Raphael Davis.

Thank you to the American Legion for donating the use of the hall and supporting  our oral history initiation​ Our Neighbors, Our Heroes. 

​Despite the terrible weather, many came to the cemetery to enjoy both are regular and more advanced scavenger hunt. While rain poured and the wind howled, visitors enjoyed hot cocoa sponsored by Everett Wealth Solutions before and after venturing off see the interesting historical sites that Forest Home Cemetery holds. Quite a number were successful in their endeavors and came away with prizes, including candy and our Desplaines River Anthology book.