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. 
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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.

​Join us for the 103rd anniversary of the Eastland Disaster on a multi-cemetery bus tour of the graves of victims buried in Forest Park. Tour participants will also receive a copy of our 2015 booklet with locates victims buried in Forest Park with photographs and biographical information on victims.  
We will meet Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore. After the tour, we invite you to join us at Shanahan's for an after tour get together. ​

Our first annual House & Garden Walk was a huge success! 110 people walked through seven beautiful homes and gardens.

We couldn't have done it without our amazing Board especially, our Vice President Chris Everett. 

Thank you to all our volunteers:
James Sullivan • Ramona Ramos • Andrea DiFebo
Mike Frantonius • Tracey Abbott • Mayoumi Barrack
Gwen Gregory • Jill Wagner • Rose Mattax
Jerry Lordan • Dave Borgealt • Brian Kuhr
Andrea Schoenhoff • Augie Aleksy  • Joe Spagnolo 
 
Thank you to all our sponsor:
AA Rental Center • @ Properties Meg Sullivan & Amy Hart Tomaso
Brown Cow Ice Cream • Everett Wealth Solutions • Fantastic Sams
Forest Agency Insurance • Forest Park Bank • Gillian-Baker Real Estate
State Farm Meghan Good • Team Blonde • Todd & Holland Tea Merchants
O’Sullivan’s Public House • Mark Zinni Architects • Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore 
 McAdam Landscape •  Kiwanis •  Eagles • @Properties Lisa Pasquesi  

Thank you  to our host homeowners
• Tricia Foley • Mark and Maura Zinni • Pat and Larry Cima 
Lori Lipkin • Jennifer Wolfe • John Cunningham and Rob Sall
Rick Wagner and John Sahli

Photos by Brian Crawford​

In 1886 during a peaceful rally in support of workers striking for an eight-hour day and in reaction to the killing of several workers the previous day by the police. An unknown person threw a bomb at police as they acted to disperse the public meeting. The police panicked, and in the darkness, many shot at their own men. Eventually, seven policemen died, only one directly accountable to the bomb. Four workers were also killed.

Eight men, representing a cross-section of the labor movement were selected to be tried. On August 20, 1886, the jury reported its verdict of guilty with the death penalty by hanging for seven of the Haymarket Eight, and 15 years of hard labor for Oscar Neebe. The national and worldwide pressure did finally force the Governor to change the sentences of Samuel Fielden and Michael Schwab to imprisonment for life. Although 5 of the 8 were still to be hung the next day, on the morning of November 10, Louis Lingg was found in his cell, his head half blown away by a dynamite cap.

Forest Park Illinois is proud to be the final resting place for seven of the eight Haymarket Martyrs. Radicals still choose to be buried alongside the Haymarket Martyrs, referred to as Radical Row, including Lucy Parsons, Emma Goldman, and Ben Reitman. The Haymarket Martyrs Monument became a National Historic Landmark in 1997,

To celebrate our historical connection to International Labor Day, the Historical Society of Forest Park will present a Sunday afternoon of food, history, music, and fun at Howard Mohr Community Center. Tickets include a buffet of German food with vegan options. Musical performances by Jon Langford and Al Scorch. Presentation by Author Kenneth J. Knack and Peter Cole, Editor of Wobblies of the World.

Both the Howard Mohr Community Center and the Haymarket Martyrs Monument are a short walk from the Forest Park CTA blue line stop. A shuttle bus will be available between the community center and monument. 

The following organizations and business will have tables during the event

Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore 
Girls Rock Chicago!
League of Women Voters Oak Park-River Forest
Illinois Labor History Society
IWW
Artist Tararchy
Artist Rafael Nieves

Sponsored by Revolution Brewery, Kinslahger, and Liquor Warehousemen Union - Local 3

Quilts have been used for hundreds of years as vehicles for thought and political action: now more than ever! Join textile artist Nora Renick Rinehart for an afternoon of art and action. First, you’ll learn about a few projects - historic and contemporary - that combine activism with quilting. Then you’ll learn some basic embroidery stitches and create a collaborative signature quilt to mark the occasion.
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​Every Stitch Counts: Quilts, Activism and Making Your Mark this past Sunday was terrific. Big thanks to Nora Renick-Rinehart for teaching us the history of activism in quilts and as well as how to embroider. Together we made a beautiful signature tumbling block quilt. Big thanks to the Forest Park Public Library for co-hosting this event with us.

Did you know that the Historical Society of Forest Park started in the Forest Park Library? Now we're back with a display case to show off items from our collection. We're next to the local history bookcase, right where we belong.