Welcome to the Village of Bartlett Museums; the Bartlett History Museum and the Bartlett Depot Museum. Both museums are operated and funded by the Village of Bartlett, Illinois and are committed to the exhibition and education of our community's rich history. We invite you to visit our museums and participate in the many events each offers. Please click on the links to learn more about each.

Picture of the Week

This month the museum looks at golfing in Bartlett. Fore!

In the early 1920s, a group of Chicagoans cleared the Glos farm to make way for the Bartlett Hills Golf Club. It is speculated that builder Charles Maddox must have been an avid card player because he designed some greens in the shape of a heart, spade, diamond and club.

The local rules on the back of a Bartlett Hills score card from the 1930s instructed this golfing gal that "high heeled shoes must not be worn on course" and that her partner "treat his caddie as he would his son." This couple, Vi and Carl Steve, would have paid 75 cents for one round of golf played during the week or $1.25 for a Sunday spent on the course.

Viola Steve, born 1894, was the former Vi Kaiser of Bartlett, daughter of Charles and Minnie. After her marriage to Carl, the couple resided in Elgin and later moved to Arizona, returning occasionally to Bartlett to visit family and friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artifact of the Month, May 2012 -- Apple Orchard Golf Trophy

Standing 13 inches tall, this golf trophy was awarded to Vernetta Benicke in 1970 for being the champion of the Monday Night Ladies League at Apple Orchard Golf Course.

By 1961, the once private Apple Orchard Country Club was part of the amenities of the new Apple Orchard subdivision, bounded by Stearns Road on the north. A 1961 Daily Herald newspaper story stated the following, "Enjoy Apple Orchard's exciting new way of living providing Country Club membership with home ownership in an ultra modern club house, Olympic pool, shower rooms, golf course, riding stables and kiddieland."

By 1967, the Apple Orchard Country Club was facing financial woes and was for sale for $350,000. The newly created Bartlett Park District was very interested in purchasing the property for use as a public park. The park district began leasing the property in 1970 and completed the purchase in 1974. Today, the Apple Orchard Golf Course is a 9-hole, par three, public course.

Vernetta Thurnau Benicke was a lifelong Bartlett resident. Born in 1915, Vernetta attended Bartlett School through her sophomore year and completed her high school education at Elgin High. She married fellow resident and classmate Fred Benicke in 1936. The couple, who were both avid golfers, had three daughters.

 

 

 

 

Museum Donations

Ever wonder how the Bartlett History Museum acquires all of the artifacts, images, textiles and more for its collection? These items come from past and present residents, family descendants, and generous individuals who donate them. The Museum is always seeking objects and photos that capture a moment in Bartlett's rich past. The archives contains hundreds of items, ranging in size from a button off the first Bartlett Girl Scout uniform to a six-foot nail bin from the old Schultz Hardware. Do you have Bartlett items you would like to donate to the Museum's archives? Please contact Pam Rohleder, Director, at 630-837-0800.

 

The museums are members of the American Association of Museums, Association of State and Local History, Illinois Association of Museums, and the Kane-DuPage Regional Museum Association.