Grayslake Historical Society History

1976:

Grayslake Historical Society organized. The organizers were Jeann Frank, Ruth Mogg, Cornelia Roberts, Edwin Schroeder and Joseph Sikes with Joanne Lawrence, Ray Nicholas and Pat Patterson as incorporators. Robert Topel served in an advisory capacity. The first elected officers were Charlene Behrensmeier, president; Penne Lawrence, vice-president and Joanne Lawrence, secretary-treasurer.

1976 – 1994:

Meetings held in the Community Room of the Police Station, 243 Hawley Street.

1983:

Member Louise Deichman received an Award of Merit from Illinois State Historical Society for her oral history project.

1984 – 1988:

Society had two rooms at the then closed Woodview School, 400 Alleghany Road, which were used to display artifacts.

1988:

Artifacts temporarily stored in a storefront at 140 Center Street and in members’ houses.

1993:

Society moved its artifacts, images and documents into the former Grayslake Village Hall at 164 Hawley Street and opened the Grayslake Municipal Historical Museum.

Society had the Outstanding Civic Entry in Grayslake’s annual Summer Days parade.

1994:

Society changed its meeting place to the Community Room of the State Bank of the Lakes, 50 Commerce Drive, Grayslake.

Society published Grayslake: A Historical Portrait, which was researched and written by Ronald Brown, Marie Caviness, Aimee Messner, Kristin Pearson, Layton Plyman, Charlotte Renehan, Kathleen Starzec and Glenn Watt.

1995:

Member Layton Plyman received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Illinois State Historic Preservation Agency for his World War II oral history project.

1997:

Annex, built with donations from the community, was dedicated.

Society had the Most Entertaining Entry in Grayslake’s annual Summer Days parade.

1999:

Member Charlotte Renehan received a Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical Society for her book, Absent But Ever Present, a compilation of burials in the Grayslake Cemetery.

2001:

Society received a Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical Society for its restoration of the Grayslake Cemetery, which included painting the fence.

Society received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Grayslake American Legion Post 659.

2003:

Society received a Certificate of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society for its book, Memories of Lakeview School, compiled by members Charlotte Renehan and Connie Dunbar.

Society received a Certificate of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society for microfilming the Grayslake Times.

2005:

Member Charlotte Renehan received a Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical society for her book, Canning Factories of Grayslake.

2007:

Members Charlotte Renehan and Charles Groth compiled the Arcadia book Images of Grayslake and Avon Township.

2009:

Society moved its collections into storage and its office to the Grayslake Village Hall.

2010:

Grayslake Heritage Center and Village Municipal History Museum opened. Society moved its collections and office into the lower level.

David Oberg hired by Village of Grayslake as executive director of the Heritage Center.

2011:

Society received a Certificate of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society for its exhibit, “Embracing Change: the Growth of Grayslake”. Charlotte Renehan, Connie Dunbar, and Kathleen Starzec were the committee members.

Society received a Certificate of Superior Achievement from the Illinois Association of Museums for “Embracing Change: the Growth of Grayslake”.

Society received an Award of Merit from the American Association of State and Local Museums for “Embracing Change: the Growth of Grayslake”.

2012:

Society received a Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical Society for its educational program, “Reminisce”.

2013:

Heritage Center and Society received a Certificate of Superior Achievement from the Illinois Association of Museums for its “Lincoln Initiative”.

Society received a Certificate of Merit from the Illinois Association of Museums for its exhibit, “Aprons: Ties to the Past”.

Society moved Annex artifacts into storage.

2014:

Grayslake Heritage Center and Society received Superior Achievement Award for its exhibition “Farms: Seeds of Our Community” from the Illinois State Historical Society.

Grayslake Heritage Center and Society received a Superior Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for its special project,  “The Lincoln Project, a community wide series of programs and initiatives created by Grayslake Heritage Center/Grayslake Historical Society”.

Grayslake Heritage Center and Society received an Award of Merit for its exhibit “Farms: Seeds of our Community” from the Illinois Association of Museums.

2015:

Grayslake Heritage Center and Society received a Certificate of Excellence for its exhibit “Over There: Grayslake in the Great War” from the Illinois State Historical Society.

2016:

Society members Linda Willhite and Charlotte Renehan received a Certificate of Merit for their book “World War I Letters to the Home Front” from the Illinois State Historical Society.