A new exhibit at the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum sparks memories, for example, about the old outdoor theater for older visitors, while youngsters can hardly believe what used to be.
The scrapbook-style exhibit “Remembering Ten Grayslake Stories” includes a Grayslake Outdoor Theater section as well as a 1930s-era artifact that has children giggling. “One of the most eye-catching artifacts is the permanent wave machine,” said Michelle Poe, the Heritage Center’s executive director.
“We have a section in the exhibit about salons and barber shops in town, and there’s a chair with all these metal clips hanging above it, that you put in your hair and spread all over your head,” Poe said. “Kids joke that it looks like a torture device,” she said.
The exhibit, open noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays runs through November.
“We have a lot of stories and we though it’s time to bring some out in the open for all generations to enjoy,” said Charlotte Renehan, explaining why the exhibit was created.
Renehan is past president and charter member of the Grayslake Historical Society. Renehan, Poe and others met with residents to find out what they wanted to learn most about their town. “There were 10 topics that rose to the surface,” Poe said.
The topics, ranging from milk strikes to outdoor theaters to a favorite pizza place, really appeal to more than just Grayslake residents, she added. They conjure up memories of other places in time where people grew up. Renehan agreed. “Many people go to museums relating to what they know or what they have experienced,” she said.
The outdoor theater played a large role in people’s lives in Grayslake until around 1998 when it closed, as it likely did in many other Midwestern towns with similar venues. The College of Lake County Theatre Department created a miniature version of the screen from the outdoor theater. “We project photos on the screen, like a silent movie, about the outdoor theater,” Poe said. “There are some aerial shots that show large it was.”
That part of the exhibit includes quotes from people describing putting their children in pajamas and taking them to the outdoor theater and people sneaking friends in by hiding them in the trunk of a car.
In the old theater’s place today are a grocery store and hardware store. Poe said she recently gave a tour to a Boy Scout Troop and had to explain to them what a drive-in theater was. “The idea that at one time you couldn’t watch any movie at any moment is foreign to them,” she said.
Another favorite part of the exhibit is the carnival section where youngsters can play games such as knocking down a stack of pins or throwing a ball into one of three buckets. “Kids looked forward to the carnivals each year, especially the rides like the Ferris wheel and Tilt-a-Whirl,” Renehan said. “It was exciting to go to the top of the Ferris wheel and see the entire town below.”
She added a favorite child’s pastime years ago was scouring the grounds after the carnival looking for dropped nickels and dimes beneath the Ferris wheel.
The Grayslake stories exhibit shows that “times do not change,” Renehan said. “It’s just the players.” She is referring to the 1930s-era milk strikes, in Grayslake, as well as in bordering towns in Wisconsin. She was just a toddler during the strikes.
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“Research showed that dairy farmers were petitioning for higher wager while strikebreakers were selling milk super cheap,” Poe said. “There was a battle between those who were on strike and those who decided to break the strike.”
Poe said historical society volunteers researched different subjects including the milk strike and a former pizza place.
Every town has a favorite pizza spot, and Pat’s Pizza was it for more than 30 years in Grayslake. One of the tables from the place is on display with pictures attached. “It was a place a lot of people would go after sporting events,” Poe said. Whether a youngster or a member of the older generation, visitors recognize that table, she said.
Visitors also can learn when women in Grayslake began to vote. A part of the exhibit is dedicated to the women suffragette movement. In 1910, women from Illinois toured the state in their cars, stopping in towns like Grayslake to meet with women’s clubs. Women were allowed to vote in Illinois four years later, and in 1916, Grayslake women went to the polls.
“Even if you’re not from Grayslake, you can connect to these stories,” Poe said.
Remembering 10 Grayslake Stories
When: Noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays
Where: Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum, 164 Hawley St., Grayslake
Tickets: $1-$3
Information: 847-543-1745; grayslakeheritagecenter.com
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.