Winnetka Historical Society debuts traveling North Shore history exhibit
The history of the North Shore is now on display across the Village of Winnetka thanks to the village’s 91-year old historical society.
The Winnetka Historical Society’s exhibit, Creating Communities: A History of the North Shore, is currently on display at the North Shore Senior Center at 161 Northfield Road in Northfield with plans to move sections of the exhibit to the Winnetka Community House and Winnetka Public Library starting Nov. 1.
The free exhibit highlights six areas of Winnetka and North Shore’s history including early settlers, architecture, transportation, recreation, commercial development and notable women.
The partnership between the historical society and the exhibit stops, according to the Winnetka Historical Society’s Executive Director Mary Trieschmann, helps further the goals of all the partners.
“It’s part of our strategic plan to share the stories. The traveling exhibit is one way to do it,” she said. “Part of their (North Shore Senior Center) mission is to share what they do with the public ... just to get people to walk in there to see the exhibit, they’ll learn more about the senior center.”
The architecture section holds a special place in Trieschmann’s heart due to its unique premise.
“We have one on architecture that is about preservation but it’s told through a canine’s perspective. It’s told through the dog of Winnetka architect Sam Otis,” she said. “I just think that’s a fun way to tell a story.”
The exhibit holds a plethora of objects linked to days past on the North Shore including a change belt conductors on the Metra wore while selling tickets, a bowling ball from the alley that used to be at the Winnetka Community House and numerous examples of old fashion from Fels and Company.
Trieschmann, a Winnetka native, connects to a large amount of items in the exhibit, a majority of which are from the society’s collection.
“I was on the train when they used that little coin belt. I shopped at Fels, my siblings worked at Fels,” she said. “It’s got some interesting things that I think will resonate with people that grew up here.”
Those at the senior center have said spoken to Trieshmann about the memories the exhibit and its artifacts have brought back to them. In total, the collection holds about 30,000 artifacts including every copy of the Winnetka Talk dating back to 1913.
One of the notable women highlighted in the exhibit is Joan Evanich, a current board member and former executive director/board president for the historical society, who was the driving force behind raising funds to move and preserve the Schmidt-Burnham Log House. The home, built in the 1830s with an addition finished in 1917, is the oldest log structure in Cook County and now belongs to the historical society.
“It’s a treasure and wouldn’t have happened without her,” Trieschmann said. “It would have been demolished had the historical society not stepped in.”
Trieschmann is hoping to bring the exhibit to other places across the village as well, potentially to local public schools.
Those interested can check out the exhibit at the North Shore Senior Center until Oct. 27. Sections of the exhibit will then be moved to the Community House and Winnetka Public Library from Nov. 1 until Feb. 28.
