In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, Naper Settlement recently launched its newest exhibit titled “We the People: Naperville and the American Story.”
The exhibit, which spans three rooms inside the Pre-Emption House, is scattered with artifacts and rare documents, highlighting the key people and moments that shaped both U.S. and Naperville history.
“We have rooms that will allow you to look at the sort of national story, to explore the declaration, learn more about it, think about what freedom means…Look at the transformation that happened in the United States over the 250 years, but also spaces where you will get to see how Naperville residents participated in that history,” said Andrea Field, curator of history at Naper Settlement.
‘We the People’ exhibit features interactive elements
The centerpiece of the first room is a giant touch-screen table where guests can read important historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Other displays in the room discuss pivotal moments like the Civil Rights Movement and the Great Depression.
The second room highlights technological transformations in history and features some interactive machines. Guests can type in Morse code or operate a restored switchboard.
Interactive tools are found throughout the exhibit, an effort to use modern technology to immerse visitors in history, Field said.
“I just think that’s so cool because I really love the ability to let people try out technologies of the past to actually see how they worked,” she said.
Also on display in that room is the oldest surviving map of Naperville, and the shoes of Naperville’s first Indian American city councilman, Ashfaq Syed, worn during his campaign last year.
Naperville community highlighted in Naper Settlement exhibit
The final room of the exhibit is dedicated to notable moments in Naperville’s history and residents who have made an impact on the city in one way or another, from the first female mayor, Margaret “Peg” Price, to local Girl Scouts, to late Naperville resident Arnie Massier, who was a WWII veteran and a prisoner of war.
“He was a Naperville resident his entire life, and he actually started talking to schoolchildren about his experience. He passed away right before COVID, and we were able to go into his house and take a lot of the materials,” said Field.
“And so we have both his American flag to connect with the national story and then his P.O.W. flag that he flew at his house to talk about his local work with veterans and especially schoolchildren, teaching them what it meant to serve.”
While in his home, Field said they also noticed his fridge was decorated with stickers showing support for different groups and local organizations, including U.S. troops, so the exhibit features a wall where visitors can do the same using readily available stickers.
Field said it was important to showcase Naperville residents and groups in the exhibit to celebrate them and inspire others to get involved in their community.
“For us and for me as a historian, I always want to get to those everyday people. America doesn’t function as a country without the work of everybody,” she said.
“We the People: Naperville and the American Story” will be on display until the end of the year.
Naper Settlement will also host other events year-round, like Gettysburg Day and National Treasure Escape Room, in honor of the 250th celebration.
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