“Manhattan in the Roaring 20s”, our latest featured exhibit, is opening to the public on Labor Day, Monday, September 1st. Our open time that day is 10am to 2pm.
Current and upcoming events:
“Right in the middle of the “Roaring Twenties”, in 1925, Manhattan may not have been “Roaring”: but it was certainly humming along on the wheels of progress. The population of the Township was near 1200 people, with about 170 households in the village proper, and about 145 households in the surrounding farming community. (These figures represent approximately 50% of the growth shown between the census of 1920 and the census of 1930.)”
This clipping from the introduction board, put together by Susan Carlton, presents only a fraction of interesting facts and images of life in Manhattan a century ago. A decade when Prohibition was still in effect, Manhattanites found ways to keep busy, industrious, and entertained. You will get a good feel for our town in those far away times and will definitely learn many new facts. Exhibit opens in September and can be vieved during any open time. Special showings and group visits are available by requests made to manhattanhistorical@yahoo.com.
Exhibit is curated by Susan Carlton, with assistance by Joann Jeffers, Mary Kay Cooper, Jill Stanek and Kadri Luering.
2025 Calendar
The troops were out once again in full color in this summer’s heat, on July 5, 2025. The camp was set up behind the Museum and characters in full period uniforms and costumes offered spectators a variety of information, demonstrations and live entertainment. Manhattan Township based Cypress Company, featured at this event, is an informal group of independent reenactors who are members of various reenactment units and come together for living history events. The 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry [The Historic Will County Regiment] set up a small tent area featuring a typical camp displaying food rations, weaponry and the typical personal equipment an infantryman would carry. Amongst presentations were periodic infantry drills presenting marching, weapon handling and actual musket fire. Thank you to all reenactors and visitors!
Past Event: Living History
Eileen Partak, MTHS Treasures, in her role as a Civil War period lady, introducing women of the era to bystanders.
Director of the board of the MTHS, Andy Partak, here in period costume, interacting with visitors.
Photographs from the event courtesy of Timothy Marcus.
Past Event:
On March 27th, 2025 we had a great pleasure of welcoming Dr. Larry McClellan at our museum for a speaker event. Dr. McClellan presented on the topic of Underground Railroads in our area and through Northern Illinois. Dr. McClellan is an author of three books on the same topic and is well known in the academia for his expansive research into the true history of the underground railroad movement. It was wonderful to have him as a presenter and guests also enjoyed spending time with Larry afterwards, asking questions and getting the books signed. We are glad to have had a number of attendees and are looking forward to our next speaker event.
Past Event: Museum Anniversary
On October 5th, 2024 the museum celebrated its ten year anniversary with an open house. We had many visitors and a beautiful day celebrating our past efforts. With this anniversary, we are presenting a new exhibit in the main exhibit room. Ten Years of Museuming is available for viewing on open days. On display is a chronological account of all of the exhibits and events presented in the past ten years and a small selection of artifacts to represent each event. The Historical Society is so grateful to all of the volunteers and members making this milestone possible.
L-R Kadri Luering, MTHS President; Bob Davis, Director of the Board; Susan Carlton, Vice President; Mary Kay Cooper, Secretary; Joann Jeffers, Director of the Board; Patsy Leadingham and Howard Clumpner, members and volunteers. Not pictured Andy Partak, Director of the Board, and Eileen Partak, Treasurer.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Past Event:
Annual 3rd Grade Field Trips (2024).
It has become a Manhattan tradition that every year in October the third grade classes walk to our museum from the Anna McDonald school and spend some time viewing the history of the area. Due to the large size of the grade, these field trips take place over several days (3-4) and each day several classes walk over for their turn. Museum volunteers spend some time with each group explaining exhibits, and some free time is also allowed. We have noticed that many of these children return to the museum in following years and bring their families. We have enjoyed reading the thank-you letters from the students and look forward to the next group of students in 2025.
Photos courtesy of Joann Jeffers
Past Event:
On August 20th, 2024 the Museum had a great pleasure welcoming a guest speaker, Bill Mueller, to our town with his “Time to Ship Another Steer” book tour and presentation. Thank you, Bill, for a memorable evening, stories and laughs!
Past Event:
On July 6th, 2024 the Museum hosted its annual Living History Event, a favorite Civil War reenactment demonstration taking place on Museum grounds each summer. A big thank you to The Cypress Company!
Photos courtesy of Andy and Eileen Partak