A P P R E C I A T I N G
H I S T O R Y
A N D
I T S
R E L E V A N C E
e Timepiece
M A RC H 2 0 1 7
Coming events
Wednesday March 1 • 11:30 am
Windy City Blues
1984: The Greatest Year
in Pop Music History
Friday April 7 • 7 pm
Pop Music’s Greatest Year
Friday, April 7
7:00 pm
Wednesday April 19 • 6:30 pm
Rise and Fall of Berlin Wall
Lake Forest High School
Raymond Moore Auditorium
1285 N. McKinley Road
Thursday April 27 • 7 pm
Centennial Family Awards
Tickets: $20 members,
$30 non-members
Students free
Wednesday May 3 • 8:30 am
Farnsworth House Tour
Friday May 12 • 11:30 pm
The Traitor’s Wife
Saturday May 13 • 10 am & 1 pm
Crab Tree Farm Tour
Details inside.
For tickets call 847-234-5253
or visit www.lflbhistory.org
Inside:
e year, 1984, was a time of Ronald Reagan, the first availability of the Apple Macintosh computer in stores, and a pop
music hit list that reached a wider audience than ever thanks to
the dominance of MTV. At the same time hip-hop and indie
rock were laying the groundwork for a musical revolution.
Both Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines have dubbed
1984 “pop music’s best year ever.” But is it really? Jim DeRogatis
and Greg Kot of WBEZ’s Sound Opinions will examine the
year-in-music for 1984 and its lasting impact.
Programs................................3
Jazz great Bix Beidebecke ......4
Board members & staff..........5
MVP Thanks............................5
We’ve moved ..........................6
I Would Die 4 U – Prince
Pride (In the Name of Love) – U2
I’ll Wait – Van Halen
The 1984
edition of
Born in the USA – Bruce
Springsteen
The 5th edition of The Gem, our award-winning historical newspaper,
will be covering all of the local news of 1984. Did you have a milestone
in that year or want to send someone special a secret message?
Runaway – Bon Jovi
Additional donors ..................5
Welcome, new members ........5
Do you remember
these songs
from 1984?
Like A Virgin – Madonna
Director’s message ................2
Collections Corner news: ........2
Sound Opinions is a nationally
syndicated radio program where
people who love music can come
together to make discoveries,
debate, learn about pop culture,
engage, have fun and find new
ways to further enrich lives
through music.
Personal ads are available and cost $50. Interested? Contact Lisa Frey
at [email protected] or 847-234-5253. Cue the big hair, shoulder
pads and leg warmers and watch your mail for The Gem in late March.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun –
Cyndi Lauper
Relax – Frankie Goes to
Hollywood
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Thriller – Michael Jackson
On the cover ..........................6
page 1
Spring programs
From the
Executive
Director
The staff is comfortably settled in our new location with lots of room
for volunteers, interns and researchers. Special thanks go to board
members Ron Taylor, Bob Shaw, Katie Hale and Tom Hunter for
developing plans for the office and research space and overseeing
the construction. I would also like to give special recognition to
our curator, Laurie Stein, who managed the packing and moving
of more than 20,000 artifacts. No small task! Plans continue to
develop for the church building itself.
Our annual mock newspaper continues to be popular and we are
looking at a much more recent year for 2017 – the year 1984.
You will not want to miss our first program exploring this pivotal
(for some of us!) year. We are thrilled to have nationally syndicated
radio hosts Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis give their thoughts on what
was called “the greatest year in pop music history.” The popular
artists of the year, including Prince, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen,
Michael Jackson, and U2, continue to impact us today. On a more
serious note, we are pleased to bring the perspective of a former
East German who will talk about the Berlin Wall.
Sign up early for the tour of the Mies Van der Rohe-designed
Farnsworth House. It is sure to sell out quickly.
Warmly,
Collections corner
100 years of Elawa Farm
is winter and spring we will be conducting research on the
history of Elawa Farm to create an exhibit celebrating Elawa’s
2017 centennial. If you have photographs or anecdotes about
Elawa’s past, let us know, and help us tell their story. We’re
interested in recent history too.
Research Center open
Stop by and visit our Research Center at our new location!
We have resource files organized by topic (including files on
many of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff houses), an extensive library
of local history books, hundreds of maps and plats, and bound
volumes of the Lake Forester up to 1984. Our hours are Tuesdayursday from 10 am to 4 pm and Friday by appointment.
page 2
Lecture: The Rise and Fall
of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
Wednesday April 19 6:30 pm
American Legion McKinlock Post 264
801 North McKinley, Lake Forest
Tickets: $10 for members,
$20 for nonmembers
With the rise of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the course of Germany’s
– and especially of Berlin’s – history, took a tragic turn. It would
take 28 years (until 1989), to tear down this icon of the Cold
War and cruel symbol of Germany´s division, thus giving birth
to yet another period in this European nation’s evolution. Join
German historian Anette Isaacs, M.A. as she presents you with
a historical and political overview of this very painful but also
almost miraculous period in Berlin’s captivating history.
Volunteer spotlight
Abigail Toohey
Our Leslie T. Chapman
Museum Intern for the 2017
spring semester is Abigail
Toohey. For her internship
project, Abigail is conducting
research for our upcoming
exhibit celebrating the
centennial of Elawa Farm.
Abigail is a senior at Lake
Forest College double majoring
in Biology and Environmental
Studies and minoring in Art
History. She graduated from
Libertyville High School in
2013 and her family resides in
Libertyville.
During her time at the
College, she has been a
member of the Cross Country
and Track teams, serving as a
three-year captain, and a team
representative for the Student
Athletic Advisory Committee.
Additionally, she is a member
of the Beta Beta Beta Biological
Honor Society, Curricular
Policies Committee, and
Student Conduct Board on
campus.
Abigail Toohey
Since early childhood,
Abigail loved spending hours
in her local library researching
various topics, making her own
miniature museum collections
in her bedroom filled with
knickknacks she found, and
visiting museums. She finds
this internship especially
enjoyable because it combines
many of her interests into one
accumulating project. She is
gaining archival and data
experience as she also learns
more about the natural features
and farms that surround
Lake Forest. As graduation
approaches, Abigail expects that
her internship will help her
make more specific decisions
about long-term career goals.
For tickets, please visit www.lflbhistory.org or call 847-234-5253.
Spring Luncheon at Shoreacres:
The Traitor’s Wife
Friday, May 12 11:30 am
$65 for members and $75 for non-members
Shoreacres, 1601 Shoreacres Road, Lake Bluff
A. Watson Armour with granddaughters.
Centennial Family Awards and Annual Meeting
Thursday April 27 7 pm
Elawa Farm, 1401 Middlefork Dr, Lake Forest
FREE!
Join us as we highlight the 100th Anniversary of Elawa Farm
by honoring the A. Watson and Elsa Armour family as our
2017 Centennial Family. Our Leslie Chapman Intern will also
share the results of some of her research on Elawa Farm. e
presentations will be preceded by a brief annual meeting.
Allison Pataki will present the fascinating story of Peggy Shippen Arnold, the
cunning wife of Benedict Arnold and
mastermind behind America’s most
infamous act of treason. Her book
e Traitor’s Wife, which transports
e Traitor’s Wife readers back to the American Revolution,
became a New York Times bestseller. A
former news writer, Ms. Pataki has written for the New York
Times and other outlets and is the bestselling author of e
Accidental Empress, and Sisi: Empress On Her Own. Her novels
have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She
will sign copies of e Traitor’s Wife, which will be available
for purchase at the event.
Farnsworth House
Bus Tour: Less is More – Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe’s Farnsworth House and McCormick House
Wednesday, May 3
8:30 am bus departs from the Historical Society
5:30 pm return
$125 for members and $150 for non-members
Tour the 1951 Farnsworth House – the famous glass house
along the banks of the Fox River and one of the world’s
great architectural masterpieces. An iconic expression of the
International Style, the house was designed by Ludwig Mies
Van der Rohe, a founder and leader of the modernist movement
in Europe and Chicago. Mies invented architecture of glass
and steel that changed the look of cities across the world. Enjoy
lunch at e Homestead 1854, an inn listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. Our trip will also include a stop at
e McCormick House (owned by the Elmhurst Art Museum)
– the second of only three residences in the United States
designed by Mies. Bring a pair of socks – no shoes in the
Farnsworth House!
Crab Tree Farm
Tour of Crab Tree Farm
Saturday May 13 10 am and 1 pm
$30 for members, $40 for nonmembers
Crab Tree Farm, Sheridan Road, Lake Bluff
Reservations required
Crab Tree Farm was designed by architect Solon Beman in 1910
as a model dairy for Grace Durand. e farm buildings have
undergone extensive renovation and now house a world-renowned
collection of Arts and Crafts furniture and Decorative Arts. e
annual spring tour is a must-see for anyone interested in history,
architecture or the decorative arts. A tour of Crab Tree Farm
makes a great Mother’s Day present! Advance reservations are
required for this popular, annual event.
page 3
Alphabet stories
Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark (Bix)
Beiderbecke was one of the
greatest jazz musicians of
the early twentieth century
and has a connection to
Lake Forest.
Bix was born in 1903 in
Davenport, Iowa. His father
Bismark was a manager of a
lumber and coal company
and his mother Agnes was a
musician who played piano
and was the organist for the
First Presbyterian Church in
Davenport. While he had
training on the piano, and
could play several instruments,
it was the cornet on which he
excelled. He taught himself
to play the instrument by ear
and experts believe his nonstandard fingering contributed
to his unique sound.
He was influenced by the
original Dixieland Jazz Band
and began to explore this
style of music. Bix attended
Davenport High School until
1920. In September 1921,
his parents sent him to Lake
Forest Academy hoping
that this would help to curb
his musical endeavors and
encourage more focus on
academics. On the contrary,
his time at Lake Forest brought
be unexcelled by his fellow
students.” It is believed that
during his short time at Lake
Forest Academy, Bix composed
what would become his most
famous song, “In a Mist”.
Bix Beiderbecke
him closer to the thriving jazz
community in Chicago. He
would sneak out of school to take
the train to Chicago and visit
the speakeasies and jazz clubs
there, including the predominantly African-American clubs
on the South Side.
Bix Beiderbecke joined
the school band and he and
a classmate (drummer Walter
“Cy” Welge) organized the
music-for-hire group, the
Cy-Bix Orchestra.
e orchestra played at
several school dances and it
was noted in the 1922 yearbook, “Bix” Beiderbecke …
and his orchestra furnished
music which was declared to
Bix’s adventures into the
City often lasted overnight
and his disregard for curfew
and his illegal drinking got him
into trouble at the Academy.
He was caught trying to sneak
back into his room on the
morning of May 20, 1922
and the faculty voted to expel
him the next day.
After leaving Lake Forest,
he played in several bands
around the Midwest including
the Wolverines, where he was
the star cornet player, and
e Jean Goldkette Orchestra.
He joined Paul Whiteman’s
Orchestra where he had the
chance to tour nationally and
play Carnegie Hall. ere are
several recordings of his music
with these groups.
His gift for improvisation –
which was very original – and
his distinctive tone, set him
apart from other cornet players.
Bix is considered one of the
pioneers of jazz music. His
ballad style had similarities
with what became known in
the 1950s as “cool jazz.”
An alcoholic, he died on
August 6, 1931 at age 28 of
pneumonia. He is buried in
his hometown of Davenport
where an annual jazz festival
is held in his honor. His death
at such a young age led to his
fame as a “martyr for his music”
and ultimately a jazz legend.
In today’s world of jazz,
most musical study and
performances revolve
around post-WWII era music.
However, the Deer Path
Middle School Jazz Band
had a special opportunity
Deer Path MS Jazz Band students
this winter to learn about
under the direction of Andy Schumm
the music of Bix Beiderbecke
and other early jazz greats such as Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller.
The school partnered with world-renowned jazz cornettist and
arranger Andy Schumm, one of the leading experts on the style of
Bix Beiderbecke. The students played an original arrangement in the
style of Bix and are working with Mr. Schumm to develop a method for
other young students to study this era of music. This band program is
not only providing an opportunity for Deer Path Middle school to
engage with history, but also helping to keep the legacy alive of this
important Jazz artist with a Lake Forest connection.
Bix is at lower left. Courtesy Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall Archives
page 4
Board of Directors
2016-2017
Officers
President:
David R. Henkel
Vice President:
Bob Shaw
Treasurer:
Susan Wright
Secretary:
Julie Carter
Julie Barry
Jill Borega
Mike Conklin
David Forlow
Otto K. Georgi Jr.
David C. Grinnell
Katherine Hale
Gene Hotchkiss III
Thomas B. Hunter IV
Anne Hunting
R. Ann Jones
Jan MacDougal
Robert J. Marshall
Heather E. Sannes
Bill Schumann
Frank Sibley
Ron Taylor
Richard Thomson Jr.
Peter Witmer
Staff
Executive Director:
Janice C. Hack
Curator:
Laurie E. Stein
Director of Development:
Lisa M. Frey
LOCAL
LEGENDS
SPONSORS
MVPs: Members, Volunteers and People behind the Scenes
Additional Local Legends Patron Sponsors
Michael and Leslie Basedow
Joan DePree
Ned Jannotta
Caron and Alan Lacy
Marie Mosher
Deborah and Mark Saran
Collections volunteers needed
We’re looking for some volunteer help organizing new items into
our resource files. Must not mind maneuvering around file drawers,
high and low, and be available on weekdays during the day.
If interested, contact Curator Laurie Stein at [email protected].
Welcome,
New Members
Altounian Builders
Barbara and Richard Andersen
Jennifer Arch
Jean and James Barton
Barbara Cooper
Jill Horn Danly Design, LLC
Cherilyn and Robert Denisuik
Gayle Griffis
Linda Griffis
Sharon Hoover
Luis Mota
Becky and Blair Nagel
North Shore Distillery
Jorme and Thomas O’Regan
Yaga Olszewski
Margaret Remissong
James Stebbins
Carol and Philip W. K. Sweet III
Judith Urbanek
Nancy Volino Castagnet
MVP Thank You!
Lunch with
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Katie Hale
Innisfail: Fall Cocktail Party
Barbara Cooper
North Shore Distillery
History on the Move Program
Zen of Slow Cooking
Annual Report
corrections
Platinum Membership
Nicki Weeden
Family Membership
Marjorie and James Armstrong
Our apologies for these oversights
page 5
509 E. Deerpath
Lake Forest, IL 60045
847-234-5253
www.lflbhistory.org
Museum Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday 10 am to 4 pm
Friday by appointment
APPRECIATING
HISTORY AND
ITS RELEVANCE
1984: The Greatest Year in Pop Music!
We’ve moved!
e Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society announces the
move to its new location at 509 East Deerpath in Lake Forest.
e Historical Society’s new Research Center and offices are
open to the public.
“We are excited to be the new stewards of the former
Church of Christ Scientist property. Our plan is to transform
the property into a museum and research campus that serves the
needs of people inspired by history.” Executive Director Janice
Hack said. “Our new location enables us to continue providing
superior service to researchers while expanding our activities to
celebrate this community’s unique and special history though
programs and exhibits.”
e Historical Society is located across from Triangle Park at
Deerpath and Washington. ere is a parking lot located behind
the former church building. e Research Center is located
south of the driveway. Historical Society hours are 10 am to
4 pm, Tuesday through ursday. Friday by appointment.
On the cover: View of the deer in Triangle
Park, 1984 – now our view right across
the street from your Historical Society’s
new location!
page 6