'Raising Riverview' exhibit explores Will County's farm roots

A new exhibit opening Friday, March 1, at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville will take visitors back in time to Will County's agricultural roots and early Wheatland Township settlers.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s “Raising Riverview” Riverview Farmstead Exhibit will run through Friday, May 31.

“This exhibit highlights one of our most unique sites, Riverview Farmstead Preserve in Naperville,” said Jen Guest, facility supervisor at the museum. “Visitors who experience the exhibit will learn more about how it transformed through the years from vast prairie to booming farm to beautiful preserve.

The free, family-friendly exhibit will be open during museum hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Isle a la Cache Museum is located at 501 E. Romeo Road (135th St.) in Romeoville.

The “Raising Riverview” exhibit will focus on the Clow family and the farm they created in the 1800s along the DuPage River in a section of Wheatland Township that is now in southern Naperville. The exhibit will feature the tools, grit and resources needed to build a successful farm and community.

After stopping by the exhibit, visitors are urged to explore Riverview Farmstead Preserve either on their own or as part of a guided tour (see below). The 388-acre preserve is located on Book Road, south of Hassert Boulevard/111th Street, in Naperville. The site has three historic farmstead structures including two barns and a limestone house, paths along the DuPage River and a beautiful prairie.

Complementary exhibit programs include:

• Armchair Historians – Riverview Farmstead: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Isle a la Cache Museum. An interpretive naturalist will share the stories of struggles and successes from the 19th century and into the 20th century that shaped the Clow family and their community. Free, ages 16 or older. Register by March 19.
• Riverview Farmstead Tour: 90-minute tours will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at Riverview Farmstead Preserve. A naturalist will share stories of the Clows and life on the farm and welcome you inside the 19th-century buildings for a peek into the past. Free, ages 12 or older. Register by April 18.

This exhibit was developed by museum staff, with the support of The Nature Foundation of Will County.

For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.