Living in the Past

Making history come alive is fun! And, researching history almost transports me to the past. As a child, I secretly wished I had been born one hundred years earlier – just so I could wear “real” long dresses and petticoats every day! Now, I wouldn’t willingly exchange my blue jeans and clogs for corsets and uncomfortable shoes, but I do long for the days when communities were smaller and more close-knit; when the chief entertainment was a local sporting event or theatrical group or a great book.

Tonight, I am meeting with some writing members of the Gifford Park Association (a.k.a. GPA), a local group dedicated to the preservation and safety of our neighborhood here in Elgin. GPA’s big money-making project is a house tour every year in late summer. Homes selected for the tour represent various types of architecture and interesting approaches that their owners have taken in preserving and decorating them. GPA puts together a well-researched brochure that accompanies the tour and details the history of each house.

The writing portion of the project begins tonight as the GPA writers gather at the Elgin Historical Society, which is appropriate. We’ll be assigned our houses so we can begin the research phase, which includes visiting with the current owners and getting a tour of their houses – a special bonus of this task. I am already looking forward to my trip in the way-back machine through local history!

I'll post some of the interesting tidbits I come across, as a sneak preview.