Naper Nostalgia
Town Clerk, Supervisor, Mayor
Thomas Henry Betts was born December 6, 1834, in Rochester, Monroe County, New York, the son of Thomas Betts and Mary Wilson. His family...
Growing up in Naperville – Grateful for great memories
One of my first memories as a five-year-old boy was November 11. It used to be called Armistice Day and at exactly 11 o’clock...
Growing up in Naperville – Changing times
As I mentioned in a previous column, I was born in Naperville when there was no hospital. I was born at home at 616...
Pioneer, Village Trustee, Farmer, and Businessman
George Martin IV was born November 29, 1826, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of George Martin III and Elizabeth Christie.
George III was engaged in...
Publisher, Editor, Mayor
James Lawrence Nichols II was born December 9, 1890, in Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois. He was the son of James Lawrence Nichols, after whom...
Growing up in Naperville – Grateful for memorable career
Maybe this column should be renamed “All Grown Up in Naperville!”
From the time I was in first grade, I wanted to be in the...
PN connects community and Riverwalk with Haiku verses
Above-Below / Back in 1981, the Sesquicentennial Riverwalk was dedicated on Labor Day, Sept. 7. Today, 42 years later, the Civic Plaza located along...
William Wallace Wickel (Another ‘www’ connection)
William Wallace Wickel was born January 22, 1844, in Ephrata, Lancaster County, PA, the youngest child of Johann Henry Wickel and Rebecca Schmincke.
He attended...
Growing up in Naperville – Thanks for 57 years of memories
The number 57 seems to be in my genes. I graduated from Naperville Community High School, now Naperville Central High School, on June 7,...
Naperville Municipal Band tunes up for ‘A Salute to Illinois’ and the rest of the season
Above / The Naperville Community Concert Center, home to the Naperville Municipal Band, awaits another audience for its weekly Thursday evening summer concert through...
Growing up in Naperville – Victory gardens, war bonds and clinkers
When I was in kindergarten in 1944, I would take a dime to school every Friday. I would buy a stamp at the principal’s...
Dr. Hamilton Cyrus Daniels
Dr. Hamilton Cyrus Daniels was born April 30, 1820, in Canaan, Grafton County, New Hampshire. He was the son of Seth Daniels and Hannah...
Remember Flag Day June 14
Above / The American flag outside City Hall faces the Riverwalk along the DuPage River is the center of holiday observances at the Cmdr....
Oliver Julian ‘Judd’ Kendall, the ‘Nathan Hale’ of the World War
Oliver Julian Kendall was born in Naperville on Dec. 30, 1888, the son of Francis Austin Kendall and Linnie Mae Strubler.
Judd (as friends called...
Growing up in Naperville – A few more notes about band life
Over many years, I have witnessed many funny or unusual happenings in band or while teaching band. Every time I’ve related some of these...
Growing up in Naperville – From one band job to the next
As I said last month, my first band job was really tough because as a new teacher, you kind of feel you way as...
Barber, tobacconist
Charles Carl Gustave Gottlieb Robert Schulz was born June 26, 1829, in Anklam, Prussia, the oldest of thirteen children of Carl Joachim Schulz and...
Merchant, banker, coroner, village trustee
Henry Loomis Peaslee was born August 13, 1810, in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont. He was the second child of Robert Peaslee and Amanda Loomis....
Growing up in Naperville – Drawn toward the art of teaching music
Above / Ron Keller, pictured here in 1969, has been a member of the Naperville Municipal Band since 1954. (PN File Photo)
This column, “Growing...
Growing up in Naperville – Growth in Naperville
In the fall of 1944, I entered kindergarten at Ellsworth School. The first week of school my mom walked with me so I could...
