Pot-luck dinner. Bring a dish to share.
Rolls, bread, butter, coffee, tea, and milk provided.
A short business meeting will be held to elect four selectmen.
The terms for Wolf Berthold, Linda Musak, Reva Konefes, and
Ruth White will expire at this meeting. Jill Ballock is heading
the nominating committee (phone 356-0395).
Our speaker for the evening will be Millburn resident
and H.M.C.A. member Anita Thompson.
She will display and discuss antique toys.
Items from the museum will be on display tables.
Our internet website will be available for inspection.
Nominations - Have you considered taking a more active role in the operations of the H.M.C.A? Jill Ballock is heading the nominating committee for the election of Selectmen. Four positions will be elected, each to a two-year, term at the February meeting. Call Jill at 356-0395 if you would like to be considered.
Museum hours - Our museum building will be closed to the public until mid-March of 1999. As that time approaches, we'll be making a request for help with "spring cleaning". For the last couple of weeks, we have not been able to get the sidewalk in front of the museum cleared of snow.
Changes around town - In 1998, we had some new property owners come to town. The Millburn Church Parsonage was purchased by Kristine Melby. Gary Hughes bought the Paulsen home. We welcome our new neighbors. Margaret Paulsen moved to Gurnee, but is close enough to still be a part of Millburn's activities. Jean Wooley moved from the family farm to a new home at Victory Lakes. Alice Anderson thought that was a good idea and moved there too.
Loss of a member - A memorial service was held during November at Millburn Cemetery for our friend, member, and supporter, Barbara Pope. She had helped us document her family, completing this task only days before her passing. The selectmen, your board, meet on the first Tuesday of each month (except February) in the museum building at 7:00 p.m. You are welcome to attend. Please let a selectman know any of your ideas, complaints, or praise.
The group decided that the best way to protect Millburn was to place several structures on historic registers. To accomplish this goal, we met with various groups, including the Landmark Preservation Council, from Chicago, and the Illinois Department of Conservation. With the help of the latter (now known as Preservation) we wrote and submitted applications to the National Register of Historic Places. By developing a National Register Historic District, we felt that we might limit federally funded highway development through the village.
The group felt a need to become more formally organized. On July 19, 1977, a Town Meeting was called of Millburn area residents, several consultants, and guests. Our consultants present that evening were: Ellis Fuqua and Douglas Stiles, Attorneys; Mike Seiman, States Attorney for the Lake County Building and Zoning Department; David Roston, Attorney for the Landmarks Preservation Committee; Jim Mcall, Landmarks Preservation Committee; Robert Teska, board member of the Landmarks Preservation Committee; Murray Conzelman, Attorney for Old Mill Creek and Millburn landowner; and Barbara Pope, Old Mill Creek village Trustee.
On February 22, 1979, after several organizational meetings and with the help of Attorneys Fuqua and Stiles, the Historic Millburn Community Association was incorporated. We elected a board of eight selectmen to serve as our directors: William Paulsen, Milton Anderson, Mildred Haisma, Alice Anderson, Ruth White, Robert Brooks, Tom Erlenborn, and Dorothy Fettinger. Officers were elected at the first meeting: Dorothy Fettinger, Chairman; Milton Anderson, Vice Chairman; Robert Brooks, Treasurer; and Ruth White, Clerk.
On October 8, 1979, we received notice that on September 18, 1979, our Historic District of eighteen structures in Millburn had been placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. Robert Brooks and Thomas Campbell made plaques for each of the buildings proclaiming that status as well as the date of construction.
On December 6, 1979, we received our notice of not-for-profit incorporation from the State of Illinois.
In September of 1981, the "Jake Strang" house was placed upon the Illinois Register. This structure near Mill Creek had been the home of Beatrice Anderson for many years before being sold to David and Ann Bonner.
In 1985, member Richard Martin passed away. In his will he left his family's general store building to our Association. He had made the informal request that we operate a 1900's general store museum in honor of his family. At that time, the building was still leased to a tenant, with two years remaining on the lease.
On October 22, 1988, we held a Grand Opening at our Martin's Gen'L Store museum. Our not-for-profit museum/store continues to operate on an all volunteer basis. We have accumulated our exhibits through a combination of purchases, donations, and consignments. To help defray costs, certain items which lend themselves to our displays are taken on consignment and sold to the public. We retain 25% of the sales price. Our staff has worked with over 5700 items so far.
In 1991, the Selectmen, with support of the membership, turned attention to U. S. Route 45. We felt that traffic patterns dictated that a by-pass around Millburn should be constructed. We organized and attended meetings. Due to our efforts, the Illinois Department of Transportation has recorded a corridor for a by-pass. We were assisted by several elected officials, including the Old Mill Creek Village Board and their Land Planner John LaMotte. A very special thanks to State Senator Geo-Karis.
In 1992, traffic signals were installed at the intersections in Millburn. Safety concerns, especially for our school bus passengers, have been addressed. Thanks again to State Senator Geo-Karis for interfacing with the Illinois Department of Transportation.
In November of 1992, as the surrounding municipalities inched closer to Millburn, many of the land owners in Millburn petitioned to annex to the Village of Old Mill Creek. Soon accepted, most of Millburn has now become Millburn of Old Mill Creek.
Confirmation was received from the Illinois Department of Transportation in 1994 that they had mathematized a centerline for the by-pass of U. S. Route 45. It would be west of Millburn, as we had worked hard to obtain.
In 1995, we assisted the Millburn Church house walk. Visitors toured several of the old homes in Millburn.
By 1996, the museum building needed a new roof. Trying to keep our building in character, we had a cedar shingle roof installed. We used the interest from our small endowment, left to us by Richard Martin, to pay the costs.
Also in 1996, after several years of research, we published booklets for seventy-one Millburn area properties. Beginning with land grant information and documenting sales since that time, each booklet contains a history of that specific property. We have transcribed news articles about the residents of those buildings beginning in 1854 and included photographs that we can find. Contact a board member for a copy of your family's "old homestead."
On March 5, 1997, our Martin's Gen'L Store museum joined the world wide web. Our volunteers have developed an impressive website at no cost to our Association. Our website is hosted by NorthStarNet, through a relationship with our Warren-Newport Library district. Internet visitors from all over the world can view photographs of many of our exhibits. We have biographical sketches of our early settlers and other prominent citizens available. We have been transcribing old books and old newspapers as we find them. So far, we have received two awards of excellence. Descendants of our Millburn families have found us on the web and sent email to let us know. We have received other email from as far away as Australia. Local school students have accessed our information as part of their social studies program. Be sure to check us out at (((link removed by webmaster 2003Jun10))).
During the summer of 1997, we had the exterior of the museum building cleaned and painted. We had the sign over our door painted, too.
During 1998, we turn our attention toward the interior of the building. We have added a number of light fixtures and reorganized our office area. Our files have been organized so that information is more readily available.
We continue to open our museum to school groups. This past year we had Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and over four hundred students from Woodland School tour the museum.
We continue to organize and support the Millburn Cemetery Veteran's Day Memorial Services. Join us at the cemetery on Memorial Day at 2:00 p.m.
Our volunteers work at the museum on most Wednesday mornings between 9:00 a.m. and noon. If the flag is flying at the door, stop in and lend a hand.
Each September we have a picnic in Mildred Haisma's back yard. At Christmastime we have a seasonal get-together. This upcoming annual meeting is one opportunity to hear a speaker.
Our mission is to preserve, protect, and enhance the Village of Millburn. We feel very proud of being able to preserve this history for your tomorrow.