1 20 20 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/5674034c241ff8b97d08c8f7f8ef492e.jpg d6afcc6f675ca5706e461c511ef70c22 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/cdb681d326a23471dc27b7ab1b84267c.jpg ce687a4c2926997e93fd53f175fef91e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photo Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Subject The topic of the resource Front of house. Bliss House https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/38bbb8140cef848a44183a96ee8afb3a.pdf 214c5c5231dc21b9410ee4f5597465d3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society: About Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/efc799d176f46b63278c2cff45fc5bc4.pdf bc57ad265fd85d1e06200343209156a3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove and the Underground Railroad Description An account of the resource Sugar Grove and the Underground Railroad Hello Again from the [Sugar Grove] Historical Society! Thank you to all those who stopped in for a visit during Holiday in the Grove. The winner of our holiday gift basket was Kay Woulfe! Thank you for stopping by and congratulations! This time of year it’s nice to remember the good in people and to be thankful for what we have. Here is a story about Sugar Grove and the Underground Railroad. It was around the 1840’s that the Kane County Anti-Slavery Association was organized. Many of the members resided in the Sugar Grove and Aurora townships. There were two routes that converged in Sugar Grove, and it was a secret among a local Sugar Grove family that they had an “active participant” right in their own home. They say the slaves that passed through the area were primarily from Missouri, although it is possible they traveled from the southern states along the Mississippi before reaching Missouri. Once they hit the Sugar Grove area, they would travel east on Prairie road which ended at that time at the farm of John Wagner, on South Lake Street in Aurora. Some slaves were directed which trail to take to stay safe and would walk at night so they were undetected. Sometimes they were given rides in wagons that had hidden compartments. Back then, there would often be a bounty on a slave of $1,000, making it a lucrative job to be a bounty hunter. It seemed to be that people who lived along the route here in the Sugar Grove area were aware of the slaves that were passing through during the night. Most Underground Railroad Station Masters felt the satisfaction of having helped slaves gain freedom far out-weighed the possibly of losing everything they possessed if they were caught. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and we wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove and the Underground Railroad Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin Description An account of the resource Sugar Grove and the Underground Railroad Hello again from the Sugar Grove Historical Society...This time of year it’s nice to remember the good in people and to be thankful for what we have. Here is a story about Sugar Grove and the Underground Railroad. It was around the 1840’s that the Kane County Anti-Slavery Association was organized. Many of the members resided in the Sugar Grove and Aurora townships. There were two routes that converged in Sugar Grove, and it was a secret among a local Sugar Grove family that they had an “active participant” right in their own home. They say the slaves that passed through the area were primarily from Missouri, although it is possible they traveled from the southern states along the Mississippi before reaching Missouri. Once they hit the Sugar Grove area, they would travel east on Prairie road which ended at that time at the farm of John Wagner, on South Lake Street in Aurora. Some slaves were directed which trail to take to stay safe and would walk at night so they were undetected. Sometimes they were given rides in wagons that had hidden compartments. Back then, there would often be a bounty on a slave of $1,000, making it a lucrative job to be a bounty hunter. It seemed to be that people who lived along the route here in the Sugar Grove area were aware of the slaves that were passing through during the night. Most Underground Railroad Station Masters felt the satisfaction of having helped slaves gain freedom far out-weighed the possibly of losing everything they possessed if they were caught. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and we wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year! https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/be651b8a5c259f7dee93fbcaea9ef7ee.jpg 8d3e1fdb6ad92d168ce3c41317563074 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/9f22d77527165c2f2667d73acc3a0ab3.jpg 0be488410ce7a1361d30abd549ee7982 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Photo: 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 17th, 2010 House https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/f5e114486d7930b705fe7e2f9997af05.jpg f61dd2423e8abbac15da18bae526aa3e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Photo Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin House https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/c9ddef6081c819fb47c28598043abf8f.jpg 8739fdd8a59d530cc0cdb38b4093f76f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Photo Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin House https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/fdefb32876b055e8a9c5793682af5311.jpg bff54e68a9bae9f1abe6e08e37b745ec https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/a78143f9cc64918cc98b18f1a7c6b258.jpg 32ebf731b839fe3ea7cacc284be31ff5 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/259e4e58a2e70973629386e5fd059b8e.jpg eed42a1fefcb3b0590488a9a17ffa005 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/b4ed3526d5c2b6b194e07515965e6286.jpg 149b711b18388fb45ae156f84ea8c858 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/76526a3eb5d34bfa411650cb5a1be6cf.jpg 6410469e671ba5df60d3eb43474d1386 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/56f399dc6e00b27862e64cdea5c0b173.jpg cd14bd960a6bf060e1d9c5ee1bf44477 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/b860e1fc06ae9824a758bb4cfef49c0c.jpg ce595fc1fb4ed07ecf08998892662d15 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/0f9f2b0909b0cd1e933004500bbd0771.jpg b9fe57dd3c00339014a1812350176ef8 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/78ed97e4c436eea8092ab2a3d33bbf4c.jpg ecd920ce2bdeee870f41f3a99835ad2f https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/01cb537dcfb03a70ebdca82690ef5cae.jpg 81d7c835fb1393432483312c6d516856 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rosie Eroth: Memorial Garden at Bliss House Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tim Wilson Description An account of the resource The Rosie Eroth Memorial Garden at the Bliss House blooms and provides colorful accents to the garden. The garden sign is engraved "In Memory of Rosie Eroth". Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Photos taken in 2008. House https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/24e1d4cd2dffe54a17a7eb7dedb22b9a.jpg 4408fa3ab339ff12eb94d5dc0cfcb1fc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society: Sign Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin Sign https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/c161401bb5445e579f7ca98a7520f65f.JPG 2c42ed483653d14c2286eb1e0e44447d https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/a45a9b0aadb47d04c706aada99718dfa.JPG d66f17887c3af533562c4572ec47392c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Blisswood Farms Ash Tray Description An account of the resource "Blisswood Farms, Res. of P.Y. Bliss, Esq., 1847, The Sizers, Sugar Grove, Illinois"; Ceramic Ash Tray Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 2005-10a (Accession Number) https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/e9838dff9c0cacd072085409a90e0841.jpg 44997a44cf2f1fddade1e95753da7339 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/2f9623a9e43849fe67d8540584dfa25d.jpg 004b0c242577da5caad0700efc19bbe0 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/3fd0f49224334ba3267ec21837d57225.pdf d14d17b781cf8ddfcaa9e7163cc1905b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Bliss House. Source: "Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois". 1878 Description An account of the resource On the 22nd day of November 1838, a man popularly known as “Boss” Read, who still lives in Blackberry, erected for P.Y. Bliss a frame house, which is still occupied by its original owner, on its original site. In the Spring of 1839, the Methodists held their quarterly meeting in on of its rooms, before it was quite completed; but religious exercises had been introduced into the township some time previous, the first sermon having been delivered by the devout and conscientious “Father” Clarke. On the 1st of June, 1839, Mr. Bliss filled the new building with such goods as are demanded by the country trade, and opened the first mercantile establishment in the township. Its trade extended over a territory reaching from Dundee to Yorkville, and from the borders of Kane County on the east to Johnshon’s and Shabbona groves, DeKalb County, on the west. No other store in Kane County ever drew such a wide range of custom, and according to Mr. Bliss, the annual sales exceeded those of any other in the county by thousands of dollars. In order to have exceeded the sales of any establishment by thousands, the population must have increased very rapidly during the two or three preceding years, for when, in 1837, a vote was taken for the division of Kane and DeKalb Counties, the ballot stood 170 for to 83 against the erection of the proposed new county. It is known, however, that it had increased thus rapidly, and that real estate had become proportionately dear, while in the main, other property which had been previously introduced into the settlements at a greater expense had become relatively cheaper. Source: "History of Kane County", "Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois". 1878, page 415. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Logan C. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1878 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/b8cc2c144bb4bbb86f859bfe4be8220b.jpg 245481d84c3ecc8e95d4daccd78d5e2b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Irv Ochsenschlager: Certificate of Appreciation from Sugar Grove Historical Society Subject The topic of the resource "Sugar Grove Historical Society, Certificate of Appreciation is awarded to Irv Ochsenschlager for his invaluable help up-dating the Sugar Grove Historical Society's Bliss House lease with the Sugar Grove Township. Thank you from all the members." Signed by President Kathleen Whildin and Secretary Sue Jacobson, December 6, 2010 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 6, 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kaitlin https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/b47eba49955aebb7e7c4c2129e8621d6.jpg 4939de2bebeb434fcdf2d12c9b09dd63 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/ce74d7ad1b1ae491ece4e970763c5d3c.png 33148bc3036a20585d7fb5db74df6ebb https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/9b72dc9f64ddb90e055417abfccc4fa5.jpg 9ee254ac4f2c4766a2d580113f978fdd https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/cf1d16005c0437dbfff5c35c01d68172.jpg c7d759e408b9221c92d5cb97675952c4 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/55b75525c7aa30b85fcfb89cb6f3c085.jpg 01c43040f4731eb51f0163ecbb896441 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum with Bell from Sugar Grove Normal and Industrial School Description An account of the resource Old Sugar Grove school bell finds new home at Bliss House Published: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 11:39 a.m. CST By CHRIS WALKER - editorial@kcchronicle.com SUGAR GROVE – The old Sugar Grove school bell finally has a new home. Originally located at the Sugar Grove Normal and Industrial School, which opened in 1906, the bell was recently installed in front of the Bliss House. https://www.kcchronicle.com/2016/12/07/old-sugar-grove-school-bell-finds-new-home-at-bliss-house/aozmlu/?fbclid=IwAR1Dpaad-kHEh_J4vcfqJCeGVj1YvSSxk_kNMHTeMB04AcO-XuPym5g89Ss Azim & Sons, Inc., which also relocated the Bliss House from Bliss Road to where it’s now situated at 259 Main St., was hired by Sugar Grove Township to handle the project. “It’s beautiful,” said Tom Rowe, township supervisor. “It does need a sign so people understand the significance of it, and I think that will come in the spring.” The bell had been stored in the old bus barn behind the Sugar Grove Township Community Building as well as in the senior center in the Township Building for eight to 10 years before a proper home was chosen. There had been considerations to display it in front of its old home, but since those are now apartments that didn’t seem to make much sense. “We thought for a while about what we were going to do with this so we contacted the Sugar Grove Historical Society and they had some interest in it,” Rowe said. “Then it was just a matter of getting a quote and getting it done.” No restoration work was needed on the bell as it has withstood the test of time. It can still operate but it’s been installed in such a way that it will not ring. It’s unknown if the bell was installed when the school first opened, although Ruth Frantz, a long-time volunteer with the Sugar Grove Historical Society, has a picture from 1922 that shows the bell. “I’m not sure how long it had been up there prior to 1922,” she said. “I do remember them taking that down because my husband was one of those who helped take it down. You can still see the enclosure in front of the building of where it was at.” Since the bell is on display in front of the Bliss House, at 263 Main St., Sugar Grove, visitors can come see it daily. The Bliss House is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every Tuesday, or by appointment. Call 630-466-9726 for information. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lisa Subject The topic of the resource Sugar Grove School Bell, Sign installed by Danny Moore (L) and Jim Murray (R) 8-17-17 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/6bf00ad496bd02ba50a0dc228127313e.jpg 509752e20e43d202495bf32eca27f6b8 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/7ec0a856ef0e1bdf04159cd934bca66b.png 5ca0957ee459cb289ee964dcedb13291 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/963a0aaf2e6901ac5d3453f1d6d8a280.png 7399f32797e829a03760606d28938036 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/66d50d0ea2a2f40605572006d4b7f21e.png 6834757f5133d1efe45b8b11634612c6 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/dd3769c62ee12ebb495d54de13b483b6.png f1a438b3a3eeb2a82223b84556780126 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society: Presentation Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tim Wilson Description An account of the resource Information about the Sugar Grove Historical Society from a presentation. https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/15cb7bb7b1022aea84a4afc5acac9997.jpg 38e896c3480a8fe30e8a8c461649afd2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society: Hosting 3rd Grade Class from John Shields Elementary School, 2017 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tim Wilson Description An account of the resource The Sugar Grove Historical Society hosted Sarah Linden's third grade class from John Shields Elementary School in 2017. Historical Society Members Sue Jacobson and Lori McCaffrey assisted and told the children stories. https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/7798f064856eb8e9cf16137c1b3e289a.jpg e6ff4437cf421ae4351eb17dfdd303d2 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/1ba04c3930b994536576014c49fa50d8.jpg cf8737d12ae925b70f94774786b4f7a6 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/2213e8325ed8498d04711d8b19ae2af7.jpg 4800e318d4549a7096580d6ce2bcdc7b https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/b6dadbca2a798f5b66064e2b6be684a1.jpg 1ee444f98b05a86610879737e2f45fce https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/06af6dd9e63b7d48f96d446e7263bd44.jpg 32ebf731b839fe3ea7cacc284be31ff5 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/c930b142fa75f6ac26aff46aa3d4f7db.jpg 03193b47246553a6e66a4ea707fc90c8 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/01aacb168431e6dd07aa295b01884426.jpg 6015eba74bf51b61bf2ceb1d2b06ffa8 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/b220135ff37c6cf631f3cc78ada82216.jpg b9fe57dd3c00339014a1812350176ef8 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/9ddd62d3ce0f3ee6aa305e8a746a60cc.jpg 658c767fe6c5c472bce8082097de2860 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/3e8485a80b3bf9bb749eb5e0747348b1.jpg ecd920ce2bdeee870f41f3a99835ad2f https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/afb2ca6feef7c86a39152bc1636a2180.jpg 5df332804e5b2119c9365880935748c2 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/afc21aeaf3f575aef6e5969aa8aac457.jpg 56eb9f4e55fe154e87a1a06f2885a4de https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/778c87b453d174bfa20bf17629e1049c.jpg 1d3add85a8f7f9d4a6197341d160a712 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/be452d27262c200db7a52b0e3ab3b3c9.jpg 2353b5eb857a394e6f26a08eaac0aae1 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/8800e3d404ddf6873555cb3cda8a749c.jpg c4dc681735bcbfd849bea4ae5bcd57c2 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/0d203d9653de757e70154372212b7542.jpg ac857ccaf19a90d0ef13b2288d308d70 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/80376d5160c7376375e4928307355d75.jpg 74db8845ea99054cc6953e2f94fd6d60 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/798b320aa399c1d5c05cdd07fa9b9f69.jpg 7ab79aa0d1c5e91a9a87dc1e1e8ade4a https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/8c9aa063a5d1c15f72651b6d232bc9a2.jpg 6c75f6bfb6f01697dca9a249a31b7100 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/86fe620150872d2595a96ad8bd29a6a4.pdf 214c5c5231dc21b9410ee4f5597465d3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Text/Book A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Sin-Qua-Sip by Patsy Mighell Paxton Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tim Wilson Subject The topic of the resource Bliss House Museum Description An account of the resource https://www.sugargrovehistory.org/ 259 S Main St., Sugar Grove, IL 60554 The Sugar Grove Historical Society is typically open Tuesdays from 1pm to 4pm. FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH APRIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10AM-1PM. We are located at: 259 Main Street Sugar Grove Illinois 60554 Mail can be sent to: PO Box 102 Sugar Grove Illinois 60554 Phone: 630-383-6394 Email us at: SugarGroveHistory@att.net If walls could talk, think of the stories the walls of the Bliss House could tell! The white frame structure with the brick filled walls stands on its new foundation south of the tracks on Main Street in Sugar Grove, filled with records and memoirs of over on hundred and seventy years. The move to Main Street in 1997 was the second move for the structure from its original site at the corner of Bliss Road and Merrill Road. It is recorded that on the 22nd day of November, 1838, the frame for the house was erected for Peleg Young Bliss (P.Y. Bliss) by a man known as “ Boss “ Read. The following spring, before the house was completed, the Methodists held their quarterly meeting in one of the rooms. On the first day of June, 1839, P.Y. Bliss filled the new building with such merchandise as was in demand by the settlers of the day, and opened the first mercantile establishment tin Sugar Grove township. The trade extended over a territory reaching from Dundee to Yorkville, and from the borders of Kane County on the east to Johnson and Shabbona Groves, DeKalb County, on the west. According to Mr. Bliss, the annual sales exceeded those of any other in the county by thousands of dollars, which was an astounding accomplishment for that day. Mr. Bliss had stated that in 1838, he rode horseback from his cabin in Sugar Grove to the county court house in Geneva, and saw nor a house nor living soul along the way. That simple statement attests to the remoteness of the area at that time, and may have sown the seed for the need of a general mercantile in the township. Most of the citizenry of Sugar Grove Township was originally of New England stock, with their roots in an area known for their strict adherence to record keeping. There were a few individuals who kept journals or at least passed their family lore on to their descendants, but much of the significant history of the township was lost when no one saw the importance of recording events in those early years. In a clipping from an Aurora newspaper of long ago, one sentence stands out from the remainder of an article about Sugar Grove. Although no documentation can be made, the few lines of print add greatly to the history of the Bliss House: “When Abraham Lincoln was riding the circuit as an active member of the Illinois bar, he frequently stopped at the Bliss store when driving between Geneva, county seat of Kane, and Ottawa, county seat of LaSalle.” Abraham Lincoln rode the circuit in the early years of his law career, before he formed a partnership and established himself in Springfield. He may have been “just another circuit rider” at the time he passed through Sugar Grove. He was know to have visited Aurora on more than one occasion, so why not Sugar Grove and the only mercantile store in the area? The P.Y. Bliss store would have been a welcome sight to a rider traveling the dirt trail of the day, hot and dusty in summer and undoubtedly muddy after a rain. The combination home and store was moved across Bliss Road from the prominent corner where it had stood, and P.Y. Bliss’s son Harrison built a larger, grander home on the site. The smaller house sheltered many families during the following century, as it grew shabbier in appearance with each passing decade. In 1997, the second move for the Bliss House was from the Bliss Road – Merrill Road area, south to Main Street within the Village of Sugar Grove. It was discovered at the time the house was jacked from its foundation, that the old building weighed far more than anticipated. It was then it was discovered that the walls were filled with bricks! While bricks act as a poor source of insulation, they did serve as a deterrent to frost build-up between the exterior clapboards and the horsehair plaster on the interior. The newly discovered weight of the bricks cause a beam to crack, but once the house was secured, the move south began. Because of the overpass on Route 47, the structure was forced to take a rather roundabout route to its new location. The house was transported east along Galena to Gordon Lane, south to Prairie, then west on Prairie, and back to Main Street to the newly prepared foundation awaiting the arrival of the 150-year old house. The restored Bliss House now serves as home to the Sugar Grove Historical Society. The rear of the building where the original kitchen addition had once been is used for commercial business. Preservationist Barbara Hollmier oversaw the move and five years of restoration work. The preservation of the Bliss House is important because of its historical significance to the community. The use to which it is now assigned as a repository for artifacts, journals, maps, court records, and genealogical records, is quite fitting with the character of the house.   Source: “Sin-Qua-Sip: A History of Sugar Grove Township, Kane County, Illinois” by Patsy Mighell Paxton Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Current Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text Type The nature or genre of the resource Text https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/6144ffd828ad67d76f5d1d33166dafbe.pdf 6b48320d273929449794b122955e8926 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society: Brochure Subject The topic of the resource Click on the image to open a PDF of the Brochure. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/de52509f6be772ef5226096ccfe048df.jpg a1ad9916a791b3fd0e9e662eb083447d https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/9cfc67941f6c2f82d41501f55569c4ac.jpg d6e988f37d310f3c59b0e7a68772eeb7 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/7ac4b2e4ed188922e76cd866b31d8a09.jpg d2d422073a6fab0c2c4e742408a52473 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/36f747b8592f29c107d9048cf980ad90.jpg 35695b06136ee2d359598abbe99c4531 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/4f4f9250e9704cd9ee91991ba70649e1.jpg b000f87fef7efc9c5b2367c14d7c76bc https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/8a14865b3622453d805f552bf39bce3d.jpg 53c6c1fdab5b42b6054f51682464eeb7 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/964cfd4372601c7be233ccbbfbaf588e.jpg 9ee254ac4f2c4766a2d580113f978fdd https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/0503a5f84968730d72cb162e141cf2a9.jpg c7d759e408b9221c92d5cb97675952c4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Sign with History of House and Museum for "The Fox Runs Through it: Tales and Trails of the Fox River Valley" Description An account of the resource Sign in the front lawn at the Bliss House Museum commemorating the history of the house and the creation of the museum as the third place award winner in the 2000 Illinois Governor's Hometown Awards Program. SIGN READS: P.Y. Bliss House The 1838 Greek Revival Peleg Young Bliss House is an example of post and beam construction, which utilizes large wooden timbers joined together with wooden pegs. While this construction technique was commonly used in homes, churches, barns and covered bridges in the nineteenth century, few examples survive today. This building housed the first mercantile business in Sugar Grove Township and was later a residence and Methodist meeting house. While the P.Y. Bliss House was slated for demolition to accommodate a new housing subdivision in the 1990s, the historically- and architecturally-significant building was relocated to Main Street by the Sugar Grove Historical Society to serve as a museum. The relocation and rehabilitation project was the result of a public-private partnership between the Society and the Sugar Grove Township Board, with additional support from the Kane County Historic Preservation Commission and The Custom Source, a division of St. Paul Financial Development Corporation. In 2000, the project received third place in the Illinois Governor's Hometown Awards Program. The Fox Runs Through It: Tales and Trails of the Fox River Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lisa https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/bdb5bd5c7d48ce110ea5cf51f8a200a0.jpg b000f87fef7efc9c5b2367c14d7c76bc https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/9205717802fb2793628dcbe31bda0ad6.jpg 53c6c1fdab5b42b6054f51682464eeb7 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/24866ac5f188f70c47b3b026b8b9c06a.jpg a1ad9916a791b3fd0e9e662eb083447d https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/fe4f306c8cd2aff2ea058c9a134ae300.jpg d6e988f37d310f3c59b0e7a68772eeb7 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/8351e4ec44c570b5023aa58cdf7dc9d9.jpg d2d422073a6fab0c2c4e742408a52473 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/53e9d839f327ce3e0abccba2a00ba4f3.jpg 35695b06136ee2d359598abbe99c4531 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/29fa7abe92400dd67107a74d114337f3.jpg 9ee254ac4f2c4766a2d580113f978fdd https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/adac0501d6536172185c7c868963f52c.jpg c7d759e408b9221c92d5cb97675952c4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House: "The Fox Runs Through it: Tales and Trails of the Fox River Valley" Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lisa Description An account of the resource As part of the "The Fox Runs Through it: Tales and Trails of the Fox River Valley", the history of the Bliss House and the creation of the museum was commemorated as the third place award winner in the 2000 Illinois Governor's Hometown Awards Program. Sign in the front lawn at the Bliss House Museum commemorating the history of the house and the creation of the museum as the third place award winner in the 2000 Illinois Governor's Hometown Awards Program. SIGN READS: P.Y. Bliss House The 1838 Greek Revival Peleg Young Bliss House is an example of post and beam construction, which utilizes large wooden timbers joined together with wooden pegs. While this construction technique was commonly used in homes, churches, barns and covered bridges in the nineteenth century, few examples survive today. This building housed the first mercantile business in Sugar Grove Township and was later a residence and Methodist meeting house. While the P.Y. Bliss House was slated for demolition to accommodate a new housing subdivision in the 1990s, the historically- and architecturally-significant building was relocated to Main Street by the Sugar Grove Historical Society to serve as a museum. The relocation and rehabilitation project was the result of a public-private partnership between the Society and the Sugar Grove Township Board, with additional support from the Kane County Historic Preservation Commission and The Custom Source, a division of St. Paul Financial Development Corporation. In 2000, the project received third place in the Illinois Governor's Hometown Awards Program. The Fox Runs Through It: Tales and Trails of the Fox River Valley https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/276bcd075add65e5ec2121c93d3b712e.jpg b306e94b2fee50b0ebbb5958bf035158 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/d190dafc75b35299dcaba2517b5a76c3.jpg b832949e1c828860770463a7c83a4db1 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/75af5fdf1f9c5b446244777f398eb6f6.jpg 9ee254ac4f2c4766a2d580113f978fdd https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/a9c18240b7b73356453c53f500de6753.jpg c7d759e408b9221c92d5cb97675952c4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Carriage Stop from Nicholas Farm on Jericho Road: Display at Bliss House Museum Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lisa https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/813d1cf65ea915187526d47e28087d3c.jpg 9ee254ac4f2c4766a2d580113f978fdd https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/98ccc11ee5e497dd56f390c0c0533648.jpg c7d759e408b9221c92d5cb97675952c4 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/701667c996996307cf266c4134ab45d1.jpg b306e94b2fee50b0ebbb5958bf035158 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/9fd41cd078fd00bf84820d8c6c4a9598.jpg b832949e1c828860770463a7c83a4db1 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/dcc4d6fcf9fb65a32a05517c91a450c6.jpg a1ad9916a791b3fd0e9e662eb083447d https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/db22b98545d9b76c3a446fd85e195448.jpg d6e988f37d310f3c59b0e7a68772eeb7 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/8ebc7477b0626ccb2956792ea48cb077.jpg d2d422073a6fab0c2c4e742408a52473 https://museum.sugargrovehistory.org/files/original/a560866373f4f8398bd668d40d0babed.jpg 35695b06136ee2d359598abbe99c4531 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Text/Book A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Bliss House Museum History Text Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bliss House Museum Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 12-2020 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lisa Description An account of the resource If walls could talk, think of the stories the walls of the Bliss House could tell! The white frame structure with the brick filled walls stands on its new foundation south of the tracks on Main Street in Sugar Grove, filled with records and memoirs of over on hundred and seventy years. The move to Main Street in 1997 was the second move for the structure from its original site at the corner of Bliss Road and Merrill Road. It is recorded that on the 22nd day of November, 1838, the frame for the house was erected for Peleg Young Bliss (P.Y. Bliss) by a man known as “ Boss “ Read. The following spring, before the house was completed, the Methodists held their quarterly meeting in one of the rooms. On the first day of June, 1839, P.Y. Bliss filled the new building with such merchandise as was in demand by the settlers of the day, and opened the first mercantile establishment tin Sugar Grove township. The trade extended over a territory reaching from Dundee to Yorkville, and from the borders of Kane County on the east to Johnson and Shabbona Groves, DeKalb County, on the west. According to Mr. Bliss, the annual sales exceeded those of any other in the county by thousands of dollars, which was an astounding accomplishment for that day. Mr. Bliss had stated that in 1838, he rode horseback from his cabin in Sugar Grove to the county court house in Geneva, and saw nor a house nor living soul along the way. That simple statement attests to the remoteness of the area at that time, and may have sown the seed for the need of a general mercantile in the township. Most of the citizenry of Sugar Grove Township was originally of New England stock, with their roots in an area known for their strict adherence to record keeping. There were a few individuals who kept journals or at least passed their family lore on to their descendants, but much of the significant history of the township was lost when no one saw the importance of recording events in those early years. In a clipping from an Aurora newspaper of long ago, one sentence stands out from the remainder of an article about Sugar Grove. Although no documentation can be made, the few lines of print add greatly to the history of the Bliss House: “When Abraham Lincoln was riding the circuit as an active member of the Illinois bar, he frequently stopped at the Bliss store when driving between Geneva, county seat of Kane, and Ottawa, county seat of LaSalle.” Abraham Lincoln rode the circuit in the early years of his law career, before he formed a partnership and established himself in Springfield. He may have been “just another circuit rider” at the time he passed through Sugar Grove. He was know to have visited Aurora on more than one occasion, so why not Sugar Grove and the only mercantile store in the area? The P.Y. Bliss store would have been a welcome sight to a rider traveling the dirt trail of the day, hot and dusty in summer and undoubtedly muddy after a rain. The combination home and store was moved across Bliss Road from the prominent corner where it had stood, and P.Y. Bliss’s son Harrison built a larger, grander home on the site. The smaller house sheltered many families during the following century, as it grew shabbier in appearance with each passing decade. In 1997, the second move for the Bliss House was from the Bliss Road – Merrill Road area, south to Main Street within the Village of Sugar Grove. It was discovered at the time the house was jacked from its foundation, that the old building weighed far more than anticipated. It was then it was discovered that the walls were filled with bricks! While bricks act as a poor source of insulation, they did serve as a deterrent to frost build-up between the exterior clapboards and the horsehair plaster on the interior. The newly discovered weight of the bricks cause a beam to crack, but once the house was secured, the move south began. Because of the overpass on Route 47, the structure was forced to take a rather roundabout route to its new location. The house was transported east along Galena to Gordon Lane, south to Prairie, then west on Prairie, and back to Main Street to the newly prepared foundation awaiting the arrival of the 150-year old house. The restored Bliss House now serves as home to the Sugar Grove Historical Society. The rear of the building where the original kitchen addition had once been is used for commercial business. Preservationist Barbara Hollmier oversaw the move and five years of restoration work. The preservation of the Bliss House is important because of its historical significance to the community. The use to which it is now assigned as a repository for artifacts, journals, maps, court records, and genealogical records, is quite fitting with the character of the house.   Source: “Sin-Qua-Sip: A History of Sugar Grove Township, Kane County, Illinois” by Patsy Mighell Paxton Subject The topic of the resource Bliss House Museum Sugar Grove Historical Society Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Sugar Grove Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sugar Grove Historical Society Type The nature or genre of the resource Bliss House Museum Text Bliss Family History Bliss House Museum IL Sugar Grove Sugar Grove Historical Society