The Huntley Farmside

              0)
H
JL JL   Farmside
Thursday December 7, 2000
Volume 40 No. 46
Your hometown newspaper
© 2000 Press-Republican Newspapers
100
Years
of
Christmas
by Elizabeth Harmon
Correspondent
The timeless appeal of the holidays feels right at home in a cozy log cabin, a Depression-era kitchen and a '60s. living room filled with toys sure to spark a few memories as the McHenry County Historical Society presents "100 years of Christmas" from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10, at the society's museum in Union.
The exhibit recreates holiday scenes from the 1840s through the 1960s, showing how much the holiday has changed and how much it's stayed the same.
"It just gives a nice feeling, it's a nice start to the Christmas season," said exhibits cura-
"It just gives a nice feeling, it's a nice start to the Christmas season.
Grace Molirte exhibits curator
Liberty photo by Joel Garretson
Nancy Fike, museum administrator for the McHenry County Historical Society, illustrates the simplicity of Gannon cabin's Christmas past - a stark contrast to the trappings of today's celebrations.
tor Grace MoUne.
Now in its third year, "100 Years of Christmas" was developed to offer a different perspective on the holiday.
"It was an idea that (executive director) Nancy Fike had for some time,"
said Moline. "You see a lot	
of exhibits talking about different cultures and customs but we thought this would appeal to adults who had lived through some of those times and kids that wondered what they were like."
This year's event also will include a number of commu¬ nity groups, businesses and toy collectors assisting with dis¬ plays and exhibiting their private collections. Displays will show holiday scenes from the 1840s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1960s.
The Gannon log cabin, which was moved to the museum from the Huntley area, is the setting for the 1840s log cabin Christmas.
"It's kitid of a sparse Christmas because it was more of a religious time. They didn't decorate much. It was a day for reading the Bible and eating a special dinner," Moline said.
Museum docents will prepare an authentic 1840s holiday meal, including rabbit cooked over an old-fashioned stove.
The 1890s Victorian Christmas is set in the museum's one- room West Harmony schoolhouse. Because schools served as community gathering places near the turn of the century and because the annual school Christmas program was a well- loved holiday tradition, the setting is especially appropriate.
See Christmas page 4