History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff

<h5>A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.&nbsp;</h5>
Laurie Stein, Deputy Director and Head of Curation at the History Center of Lake Forest–Lake Bluff, explores the early settlement of northeastern Illinois with a focus on Lake County and the communities of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.&nbsp;
Stein examines who the region’s early homesteaders were, what drew them here, and how they laid the groundwork for the communities we know today. Tracing the area’s transformation from the hand-hewn log homes and roadside taverns of the 1830s to the platting of Lake Forest in 1857, this program follows the shift from frontier settlement to planned community, culminating in the rise of elegant estates and a new business district.
<hr>
<h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: Making Lake County Home: From Homestead to Hometown

Lake County

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff

Illinois

Making Lake County Home: From Homestead to...

A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series. 
Laurie Stein, Deputy Director and Head of Curation at the History Center...

Making Lake County Home: From Homestead to Hometown

<h5>A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.&nbsp;</h5>
Drawn from letters, diaries and photographs in the Dunn Museum’s collections, this presentation discusses the personal stories of Lake Countians on the battlefield and on the Homefront.
<hr>
<h3></h3><h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: Lake County in the Civil War: Home Front to Front Line

Lake County in the Civil War: Home Front to...

A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series. 
Drawn from letters, diaries and photographs in the Dunn Museum’s...

Lake County in the Civil War: Home Front to Front Line

<h5>A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.</h5>
Jim Phelps, local historian with the History Center will discuss how,&nbsp;in the 19th century, Chicago literally rose from the mud to become an industrial giant and the nation's transportation hub. The business leaders and innovations transformed the face of Chicago and American industry. The legacy of these men would be evident in Lake Forest, Chicago, and the United States for decades afterward.
<hr>
<h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: Big Shoulders & Big Business: Chicago Comes of Age in the Industrial Era

Big Shoulders & Big Business: Chicago Comes of...

A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.
Jim Phelps, local historian with the History Center will discuss how, in...

Big Shoulders & Big Business: Chicago Comes of Age in the Industrial Era

<h5>A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.&nbsp;</h5>
Rebecca Graff, Professor of History Lake Forest College and author of The Vanishing City and the Enduring Home: Approaching Modernity at Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and the Charnley House, did archeological and archival research on the “White City” and Midway Plaisance of the 1893 Chicago Fair. She will speak about the changing world of urban America at the turn of the twentieth century and how the 1893 fair created markets for new goods and influenced consumer practices that ripple in today’s world.
<hr>
<h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: 1893 Columbian Exposition

1893 Columbian Exposition

A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series. 
Rebecca Graff, Professor of History Lake Forest College and author of...

<h5>A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.</h5>
&nbsp;Laurie Stein, Deputy Director and Head of Curation at the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, takes a close look at the community during the tumultuous years of 1916-1919. With Great Lakes Naval Station to the north and Fort Sheridan to the south, it is no surprise that the towns of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff were highly active during America’s involvement in World War I. Close on the heels of the war was the 1918 influenza pandemic. This talk also delves into the local response to the "flu," drawing on newspaper articles and personal accounts.
<hr>
<h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: Over There and Close to Home: Lake Forest Faces War and Pandemic

Over There and Close to Home: Lake Forest Faces...

A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.
 Laurie Stein, Deputy Director and Head of Curation at the History Center...

Over There and Close to Home: Lake Forest Faces War and Pandemic

<h5>A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.</h5>
&nbsp;Carol Summerfield, executive director at the History Center. This lecture looks at the unusual role that Frances Perkins, a Lake Forester, played in shaping significant policies and practices for President Franklin Roosevelt and how she helped build his legacy.
<hr>
<h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: Frances Perkins & the Social Safety Net of the 1930s-40s

Frances Perkins & the Social Safety Net of the...

A part of our Cornerstones of History lecture series.
 Carol Summerfield, executive director at the History Center. This...

Frances Perkins & the Social Safety Net of the 1930s-40s

<h5>The final event in our Cornerstones of History lecture series.</h5>
&nbsp;This finale will be a panel discussion of experts across a variety of fields who will look at where we are today and where the next half a century will take us. How will American life change? What is the next big thing coming our way? And how does our past provide insight into how we can shape the direction we are going?
<hr>
<h3>Thank You To Our Sponsors!</h3>
Visionary Sponsor - Maude Glore&nbsp;
Patron Sponsor - Jim Phelps
Friend of America 250 - Tom and Sally Coyle
Friend of America 250 - Fred Jackson

Local Event: Shaping The Next Fifty Years: A Community Conversation

Shaping The Next Fifty Years: A Community...

The final event in our Cornerstones of History lecture series.
 This finale will be a panel discussion of experts across a...

Shaping The Next Fifty Years: A Community Conversation

History Center Lake Forest-Lake Bluff

Rachel Barnes

Chicago Metropolitan Area

Vernon Hills

Highland Park

Eric DeGrechie

Deerfield

Amie Schaenzer

Libertyville

Buffalo Grove

Cook County

Northbrook

Grayslake

Winnetka-Glencoe

Lake Zurich

Glenview

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

Art Impact Project, with PRISM Signature Series Partner Forever Om, welcomes local artist and neuropsychologist Joalida Smit, who will share her life-changing story of creative expression and how the creative process rewires the brain. Guests will then partake in an interactive artmaking activity to take away as a memento. Beverages + sumptuous bites will be provided.&nbsp; Tickets: artimpactproject.org/events

Local Event: Art Impact Project hosts first PRISM event: ART-BRAIN Connection

Art Impact Project hosts first PRISM event:...

Art Impact Project, with PRISM Signature Series Partner Forever Om, welcomes local artist and neuropsychologist Joalida Smit,...

Art Impact Project hosts first PRISM event: ART-BRAIN Connection

Lake Forest College

Explore the art of cinema through the lens of legendary directors John Ford and Akira Kurosawa—join Lake Forest College professor Dr. Janet McCracken for this exciting new community engagement series.Close Up: Considering the Aesthetics of Film Through the Works of John Ford and Akira Kurosawa
Registration fee: $250 for the five-week series Registration deadline: Thursday, May 14
Course times:&nbsp;Thursday evenings, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Course dates:&nbsp;May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18
It’s hard to find a director that hasn’t been influenced by John Ford, whose classics like Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956) helped define the look and feel of American cinema. Across the globe, Akira Kurosawa was creating equally important and influential works such as Rashomom (1950) and Seven Samurai (1954)—films that continue to inspire directors today.
Held at the newly renovated Glen Rowan House, this five-week course will explore the art of filmmaking through selected works by these two titans of the film medium, and discover how movies communicate emotion, ideas, and meaning through images—and why their films still matter today. The opening and closing sessions will begin with a social reception featuring food and refreshments.
Both the educational content and social receptions will offer opportunities to build community, engage with College leadership, and learn more about ongoing campus initiatives.
Register&nbsp;for this course by clicking <a href="https://advancement.lakeforest.edu/register/spring26film" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">HERE</a> Visit&nbsp;the Community Engagement website by clicking <a href="https://www.lakeforest.edu/community" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">HERE</a>
Registration is required to attend.&nbsp;Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions, but full attendance is not required.&nbsp;

Local Event: Lake Forest College Community Engagement Lifelong Learning Series: Film Discussion Course

Lake Forest College Community Engagement...

Explore the art of cinema through the lens of legendary directors John Ford and Akira Kurosawa—join Lake Forest College...

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

Posting Activity

Making Lake County Home: From Homestead to Hometown

MAY

21

7:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

Lake County in the Civil War: Home Front to Front Line

JUN

4

6:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

Big Shoulders & Big Business: Chicago Comes of Age in the Industrial Era

JUL

16

7:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

1893 Columbian Exposition

SEP

10

7:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

Over There and Close to Home: Lake Forest Faces War and Pandemic

SEP

17

7:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

Frances Perkins & the Social Safety Net of the 1930s-40s

OCT

8

7:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

Shaping The Next Fifty Years: A Community Conversation

DEC

3

7:00 PM

History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, 509 E Deerpath Rd, Lake Forest, IL

Art Impact Project hosts first PRISM event: ART-BRAIN Connection

Lake Forest College Community Engagement Lifelong Learning Series: Film Discussion Course