“Remembering Rich East” DVD for Sale

The Park Forest Historical Society is now selling “Remembering Rich East,” a DVD full of images, along with some versions of the school songs.  It is not a documentary but a video and photo tour of the school, along with scans of brochures and photographs from the early days of the school. The DVD is available for $20 at the 1950s Park Forest House Museum during open hours, Wednesday and Saturday, 1-3:30 p.m., or by appointment at other times. If you come during open hours, your museum tour is free with the purchase of the DVD. You may contact us via email on the website or via Facebook message on our page, “1950s Park Forest House Museum,” to request that we hold a DVD for you to purchase in person.

“Remembering Rich East” can also be purchased via PayPal through the Society website, www.parkforesthistory.org, by using the “Donate” button and including the message “Rich East DVD”.  With shipping and handling, the DVD is $24.83.

It can also be purchased by mailing a check to Park Forest Historical Society for $24.83 to Park Forest Historical Society, 227 Monee Road, Park Forest, IL  60466. Be sure to include a note saying it is for a DVD and send your address and email or phone number.

Since May 2020, the PFHS Board has been invested, including financially, in documenting Rich East High School.  We hired a photographer/videographer to go into the school with us at that time to preserve images of the interior and exterior. More than 900 photographs and some videos were taken.  Jane Nicoll scanned early photographs and brochures from the collection, and scans from the scrapbooks of Arnold DeLuca were included showing Prom Train articles, photos, and more.

We then pursued recordings and sheet music for the Rich East Loyalty Song and “Hail to the Green and Gold.”   Peter Pisello, the former band instructor, supplied a fully orchestrated version. A Facebook appeal found people with sheet music in various states, some quite nice.  Jane’s son ended up having the melody to the fight song in his trumpet case. Two Rich East records in our collection, both a little rough for digitizing, were digitized by Chris Janota and Jane.  With COVID-19 restrictions, people were not willing to get together and sing. Finally, we found the Class of 1967 had sung both songs beautifully at their 50th and put them on YouTube. One recording had been remastered by Ken Kortge, who was willing for us to use the music.  David Peryam would let us use his YouTube recording of the fight song. We then hired Jared Amani to compile the video for us. Funds raised will go toward our considerable expenses of hiring the photographer/videographer and video artist and getting it copied.

Did you remember to sign up to be a member or to renew your membership?

Forms were in September 2022 “The Spirit.”  Can’t find your form?  Pick one up at the Museum Archive, or copy it from our website, parkforesthistory.org.

You can also opt to join via PayPal on the website with the message, “Membership.”  Just Join!

Visit our online store to purchase our vibrant print-11" x 14" of Anabelle Gould's original watercolor of The Park Forest Plaza and Holiday Theatre.  Buy yours now, while they last!  Prints are $15 each; shipping and handling $6.  Stop by the museum to purchase a copy during open hours, Wednesday and Saturday 1:00 to 3:30, or visit our online store and use PayPal.

How we got the print.
Sue Gould, daughter of Annabelle, donated her mother's watercolor to the Village of Park Forest.  From the moment we saw it hanging in the Village Manager's outer office, we knew we had to sell prints of it.  Jane Nicoll, helped the Village and Sue make the donation a little more legal on paper, which cleared the way for the Village to grant the Society permission to make a print and sell it to benefit the Society.
  We are grateful Sue decided to share the print with the Village and posterity.  Thanks to Village Manager Tom Mick for granting us permission to make the prints.
  Now it is up to YOU to buy some copies, so we make a wonderful profit to help further our missions!!

Park Forest Local History Collection and Archive

The Park Forest Local History Collection and Archive is once again fully available to researchers and the public.  In January 2012, PFHS found a space at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Room 2 of the former school at 227 Monee Road, Park Forest, IL  60466.  Park Forest Public Library and PFHS split the rent, and Village of Park Forest helped with a $1,000 grant to preserve Park Forest History.  The collection is open to the public Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and liberally by appointment.  Contact us, here, to visit the collection.  We need volunteers!  Read about the jobs we need done, here.

Archivist, Jane Nicoll has been settling in the collection and writing grants in an attempt to get supplies and equipment.  We aren't entirely settled in, yet, but we are well on our way. We still have some shelving to get put together, so boxes are not all settled on the shelves.

The Park Forest Local History Files are still at the Park Forest Public Library at the back of the Adult Reading Room.  Ask at the reference desk for the key, sign in, and follow the rules about using pencils and glvoes.  Also at the library are the circulating copies of the "OH! Park Forest" Oral History Transcripts, two History Packet boxes, scrapbooks from ACB and early School District 163, and many catalogued books on Park Forest, or which contain references to Park Forest. 

It is always a good idea to start your search by contacting Jane Nicoll, PFHS Archivist.  The library does not have a Local History librarian, or anyone really specialized in searching the collection.  Jane can get you pointed in the right direction.  Contact her by clicking here.

Visit some of our other articles on materials available, listed under Archives.  We also just had an upgrade in the website, and it will take awhile to get everything caught up and where we would like it to appear on pages.  Bear with us!  There is a lot going on!

The Marshall Field's Brick Sale Story

For at least two years the Society has known, if the Field's building really went to the Wrecking ball,

we would be given a number of bricks to sell as a fundraiser.  As much as we need operating funds, we were all pulling for the building to find a successful re-use.  Sadly, that could not be, and in November 2010, demolition of the Marshall Field's Park Forest Store began.  It is truly heart-wrenching to watch the demolition.  The one saving grace for us is that we can share a piece of history with all of those who loved this Marshall Field's, or who love all things Marshall Field's.  And purchase of a brick will make it possible for the Park Forest Historical Society to Save our History for another 25 years.  For details on how to purchase a brick, click here.

If we have known about this possibility for two years, one would think everything would be in place for how we would handle the sale.  Only in theory!  Our board is small and has been dealing with a number of important programs and plans over the past two years.  This fall has been particularly busy, with a very special program and display on the 60th anniversary of the Holiday Theater; taking the display to the Holiday Theater lobby for their 60th Anniversary Gala; having Gregory Randall do a program, which initiated the sale of the 2nd edition of, "America's Original GI Town;"  opening the exhibit, "Step Back into a 1950s Christmas" to presale tickets (also available at the door); working on our 25th Anniversary Luncheon--January 30, 2010; and many other behind-the scenes projects to further our mission and vision.

Our new president, Michael Gans, took the reigns just in time to be given responsibility for the Brick Sale!!

The Board wishes to thank him for the many hours he has put in to make this sale a resounding success.

Everyone has pitched in to help.  Jane Nicoll has handled pr, and this website, updating news on the sale in several places, and helping with the physical set-up of the sale--on top of decorating the museum, designing tickets and posters for that! She also found time to write the Marshall Field's store history we include with each brick. And she is adding PayPal to the website to try to facilitate quick mailing of bricks and other gifts during the holiday season. Jerry Shnay, Secretary, designed the beautiful Ceritificate of Authenticity.  Thanks to Mike Gans and his sons who are helping physically move a number of bricks to each sale--a huge and heavy job!

Thanks to our entire board for all of the many hours they are putting in to make both the exhibit and the sale a success!

We want to share some photos with you of preparation for the sale: 

Sally Wallach, Gretchen Falk, Vice-president, Michael Gans, President, Suzie Brown, sleeving

Certificates of Authenticity, and Store history, then bagging bricks, pre-sale (below).

Sally Wallach, Gretchen Falk, Mike Gans, Suzie Brown, sleeving Certificates of Authenticity.

Sally Wallach, Gretchen Falk, Suzie Brown sleeving bricks pre-sale.

Boxes of Bricks in the Dining Room, prior to

December 11, 2010.  Several of these boxes are

empty, now.