Relive 19th Century at Lisle Depot Days
By Annie Alleman For Sun-Times Media September 13, 2012 11:00AM
A Civil War-style cannon will be fired hourly from 12-4 p.m. by Taylor’s Battery, a Civil War reenactment group. | Courtesy of Rachel Staats of the Lisle Park District
Depot Days
♦ Sep. 15-16
♦ The Museums at Lisle Station Park, 921 School St., Lisle
♦ Free
♦ (630) 968-0499
lisleparkdistrict.org/depotdays
Updated: September 13, 2012 12:22PM
You will have a chance to see what life was like in the 19th century at Lisle’s 28th annual Depot Days.
You’ll be able to appreciate just how far we’ve come as a society after observing pioneer craft demonstrations like basket weaving and rope making.
Depot Days runs from 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Museums at Lisle Station Park.
“We have different demonstrators … like a leather maker, bee keeper, blacksmith, we have a lady who makes soap coming this year, we have quilters and rug hookers,” said Brian Failing, museum curator. “There are hands-on activities for children to take part in. They can grind corn and make rope, and we also have a petting zoo.”
Beginning at noon and occurring hourly each day until 4 p.m., a group of Civil War re-enactors will fire a cannon. They will be on hand to discuss aspects of the Civil War and show off the period-accurate encampments.
There will also be a Civil War lunch from noon to 2 p.m. each day prepared by Wheatstack — A Midwestern Eatery and Tap from recipes from “Civil War Period Cookery” by Robert W. Pelton.
The lunch will be served under a tent in the commons featuring three favorite dishes of different Civil War general. On the menu is General Hill’s bean soup, General Butterfield’s shepherd pie and General Butler’s bread pudding. Cost of the luncheon is $7 per person.
Live music will be provided by artists from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, he said. Other attractions include a giant operating HO gauge railroad, Maggie the Milking Cow, hayrides, antique cars, an operating blacksmith shop and a replica of the wooden Plank Toll Road, which once connected Aurora with Chicago.
Fest-goers can tour the historic Depot Museum, Beaubien Tavern and Netzley Yender House; as well as a recently restored waycar (caboose) from the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Additionally, they can tour the Lisle Pioneer Cemetery.
Children can take part in games from the 19th century, like a tug-of-war, finding the needle (in this case, candy) in the haystack, a pie-eating contest and other games by the Lisle Park District.
“People like being able to experience the different activities and have the hands-on experience,” he said. “You don’t need your Nintendo or PlayStation, you can have fun the old-fashioned way.”
