Ever wish you could go back in time? Have you ever thought of building a time machine in your basement, attic or backyard? The study of quantum physics was too hard for me to understand so I turned to “history” to take me back.
From very young, I have listened to and read history from people and books that surround me. Going to school, training and getting paid to do something I love is truly a blessing. As a historian I have the opportunity to go back in time and to help others get there, too!
Collection 56, “Local Authors” of the Naperville Heritage Society archives at Naper Settlement contains books written by Napervillians and/or about Naperville. The books are both fictional and non-fiction. Various mediums such as poetry, artwork and novel form are used to tell the story of Naperville. Pulling from a shared experience, Naperville authors bring us with them on their journey.
We are taken back to the Naper’s 1831 trek from Ohio to Naperville in Kate Ginghold’s, “Ruth By the Lake” or to 1950s Naperville in Kathy Keroson’s book, “My Hometrown.” “Good News from Over the Sea” by Napervillian Marie Gocker takes the reader to Cameroon, Africa, where Marie was a missionary.
Using the resources at the Library/Archives at Naper Settlement, many students and academics have written about Naperville in scholarly works such as “The Lyceum and Public Culture in the Nineteenth Century United States” by Dr. Angela Ray and “Chicagoland: City and Suburbs in the Railroad Age” by Dr. Ann Durkin Keating. Historical novels like the “Gloamin’ Bridge: A Civil War Remembrance” by Thomas McCabe and “Skyfire” by Arthur Johnson also were researched at Naper Settlement.
Poetry inspired by Naperville and/or written by Napervillians like Dorcas Toenniges Pearcy’s “Facets of Dorcas” or Jean Henning’s “Naper Scenes” help complete our understanding of the people and places of Naperville.
The newest book on the Naperville shelf will be Jo Fredell Higgins second Naperville book “Naperville: Images of Modern America.” This book will review the last 50 years of Naperville people and history through vibrant color photographs and personal stories. It will debut at 2PM Sun., Oct. 9, at Anderson’s Bookshop in downtown Naperville.
Explore Collection 56, Local Authors at Naper Settlement. Happy reading!
