Olmstead Memorial Museum

05/20/2026

Memorial Day 2026 🇺🇸🇺🇸 On this Memorial Day, the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum pauses to remember the sons of the Somonauk area who never made it home.

Since December 7, 1941, these local servicemen answered their nation’s call and ultimately gave their lives or suffered fatal casualties in service to our country. From the battlefields of World War II, to Korea, Vietnam, and the modern War on Terror, their sacrifice forever became part of the story of our community and our nation.

This year marks the 20th Memorial Day since the loss of Ensign Jeremy Lee Drag, United States Navy, who gave his life in 2006 while serving our country. For many in our community, Jeremy is not just a name etched into history — he is a reminder that the cost of freedom is not confined to distant generations. It is carried by families, friends, classmates, neighbors, and an entire hometown that still remembers.

Jeremy’s memorial portrait will be on display in the front window of the Museum Annex (116 S. Depot Street) from now through Memorial Day as a tribute to his service and sacrifice.

Below is the list of Somonauk-area servicemen who have given their lives or suffered fatal casualties in service to our nation since December 7, 1941:

Walter N. McHenry – Merchant Marine – 1942
Robert L. Stevens – PFC, Marine Corps – 1944
Merle A. Johnson – Sgt., Army – 1944
Henry A. Miller – Lt., Army – 1944
Alex Thomas – PFC, Army – 1951
Haldene Francis – Lt., Navy – 1952
Jerome D. Kupperschmidt – Cpl., Marine Corps – 1968
Charles F. Landers – PFC, Army – 1968
Thomas I. Smoczynski – PFC, Army – 1968
David E. Hann – Capt., Air Force – 1974
Edward J. Duffy – Sgt., Army – 1978
Jeremy Lee Drag – Ensign, Navy – 2006

Their names mattered. Their lives mattered. Their sacrifice mattered.

As flags wave across our cemeteries and memorials this Memorial Day, may we never forget those who gave everything so future generations could live in freedom.

We remember them today — and always.

“All gave some. Some gave all.”

05/17/2026

🧵 THE LOOM THAT SAVED A FARM 🧵

One of the most remarkable artifacts preserved at the Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum in Somonauk, is an original pioneer loom built in 1844 by Peter F. Hummel near Little Rock Creek, just west of present-day Somonauk.

Handcrafted from timber cut at the old Sterrit Saw Mill on Somonauk Creek, this loom was used to weave woolen cloth, linen, and rag carpet during the earliest years of settlement on the Illinois prairie. Nearly 180 years later, it still tells a powerful story of hardship, sacrifice, and survival.

In 1849, Peter Hummel left Illinois for California during the Gold Rush, hoping to find fortune in the West. He never returned.

Back home, the family farm was deeply in debt and in danger of being lost. With determination and sheer perseverance, Mrs. B. A. Eastabrook Hummel began operating this very loom, weaving cloth and rag carpet day after day, year after year, to keep the family afloat. According to a letter preserved by the museum, she worked the loom until 1868 and earned enough money through her weaving to save the farm.

The letter paints a vivid picture of pioneer life in Northern Illinois. J. Hummel recalled long days breaking prairie with oxen for just 12½ cents a day, often paid not in money but in corn, beans, pork, and wheat. Families raised nearly everything they ate, and simple items like candle molds and hand sickles were considered luxuries. He remembered hearing the old loom running late into the night, sometimes until two o’clock in the morning.

“My mother wove carpets enough to pay for the farm,” he wrote. “My father never returned.”

Stories like this remind us that history is more than names and dates. It is the story of ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges with courage and determination.

This loom is not just a museum piece — it is a survivor of Illinois pioneer history. Stop in to the Olmstead Memorial Museum in Somonauk, Illinois. We are open (most) Sundays from 2pm-4pm, or by appointment. Admission is always free.

05/10/2026

The Olmstead Museum will be closed in honor of Mother’s Day. We hope all the Moms out there enjoy their special day. Open next Sunday 5/17.

04/27/2026

The 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, was born on this date, April 27th, 1822 some 204 years ago. One of four U.S. Presidents from Illinois, Grant made a name for himself as a great General in the Civil War and played a pivotal part of helping then President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army defeat the Confederates. Grant was a renowned horseman, once getting a speeding ticket as President for riding his horse too fast through Washington DC. Grant was a prolific cigar smoker. It was widely reported that daily he would consume up to 20 ci**rs. When elected President, he was the youngest man ever to hold the office, just 46 years old. He would go on to serve two terms. He is the pride and joy of Galena, Illinois and one of the most important, iconic, and recognized figures in American history. 🇺🇸

04/14/2026

On April 14, 1865, at approximately 10:20 p.m., 161 years ago, John Wilkes Booth, a prominent American actor, snuck up behind President Abraham Lincoln as he watched a play at Ford’s Theater, and shot him in the back of the head. The President was carried across the street to the Petersen House, a private home, where he died early the following morning. Booth, pursued by Union soldiers for twelve days through southern Maryland and Virginia, died of a gunshot wound on April 26 after refusing to surrender to Federal troops.

04/09/2026

On April 9, 1865, 161 years ago today, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively bringing an end to major fighting in the American Civil War.

Grant, who commanded the Union armies at the time, had strong ties to Illinois. Before the war he lived in Galena, where he worked in his family’s leather goods store. When the war began in 1861, Grant left Galena to serve the Union cause—eventually rising to command all Union armies and accepting Lee’s surrender four years later.

More than 250,000 Illinois soldiers served in the Civil War—more than any other state except New York—and many of them fought in the campaigns that led to the final surrender at Appomattox.

Moments like this remind us how closely Illinois—and communities like ours—were connected to the events that shaped the nation.

At the Olmstead Memorial Museum, we are proud to help preserve and share the stories that connect our local communities to the larger story of American history. Our Museum collection features numerous Civil War items and Civil War period items on display for your viewing pleasure. Please plan on visiting us! We are open on (most) Sundays from 2pm-4pm and best of all, it’s FREE!

04/05/2026

Enjoy your Easter Sunday.

04/03/2026

02/16/2026

Happy President’s Day! Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama…all US Presidents and all from Illinois. These great men have contributed to our country’s history like few others have. Today we honor them and all the Presidents over the last 250 years, from Washington to Trump. We have lots of historical items in our collection featuring our great Presidents. Make plans to stop in to the Olmstead Museum. We are open (most) Sundays from 2pm-4pm. It’s always free of charge.