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WOMEN OF ORLAND PARK

WOMEN OF ORLAND PARK

This display explores the lives of female residents of Orland Park from the 19th century to today. The biographical information of prominent Orland Park women is included throughout the display. We invite you to take a look back at signifigant events in women’s history and their connection to the women of Orland Park. We hope you enjoy this display showcasing our community’s history. These items were generously donated to and are cared for by the Village of Orland Park, along with a collection of over 25,000+ artifacts. These displays will be changed throughout the year, so be sure to stop back to see which collection will be on display next!

Pictured above: Pearl necklace, c. 1930s Pictured left: Godey’s fashion magazine engraving, 1853

HOUSE AND HOME This display showcases tools used and examines life in the early days of Orland Park (1830s-1850s). The items bring to light the early female settlers’ work in the fields with their husbands as well as in the home. The items would have been used by Mary Bisenius Hostert (1860-1937) (wife of Nicholas Hostert [1853-1931], the nephew of Jacob and Bernard Hostert, who built the Hostert Cabins). The right side of the bottom shelf highlights an important invention during this time period: irons with wooden handles instead of metal ones. In the 19th century, the standard clothes iron had a metal handle, weighed about 5-10 pounds, and had to be heated on a stove. The metal handle became so hot that a cloth mitt or rag was necessary to prevent burns. In 1870, Mary Florence Potts (1850-1922) received her first patent for a clothes iron with a wooden handle. Potts’ wooden handle could be detached while the iron heated up on the stove. Two examples of Potts’ irons are displayed in the cabinet. ARTIFACTS IN THIS CABINET TOP SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • Handmade potato masher and butter paddle, c. 1850s • Wilcox Meridian silver-plated teapot and sugar bowl, late 1800s

BOTTOM SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • Cast iron pot and ladle, c. 1850-1900 • Black iron sad iron, c. 1850s

• Mrs. Potts’ Cold Handle Sad Iron, c. 1889-1905 (In the early 1800s, the word “sad” meant “heavy.” The average weight was about 15 pounds.) • Mrs. Pott’s Sad Iron with Removable Wooden Handle, c. 1889-1890

Pictured top to bottom: Cast iron pot, c. 1850-1900; silver sugar bowl, c. late 1800s, Mrs. Potts’ cold handle sad iron, c. 1889-1905

The role of rural American women during the late 1800s included that of wife, mother and homemaker. A large family meant more children to help out on the farm and provide additional income. However, rates of infant and maternal mortality were unfortunately high during this period. Therefore, books like “For Wife and Mother: A Young Mother’s Tokology,” written by Mrs. Annette Slocum, M.D., were very important. This book provided easily understandable information and advice to young women on topics of marriage and childbirth. The bottom shelf examines job opportunities for women in the 19th century. Single women found work as secretaries, switchboard operators, teachers, servants or factory workers. Once a woman married, she was expected to leave her career to take care of the home and family. Maude Humphrey’s work as a newspaper correspondent acts as a case study of a woman operating outside of the constraints of her gender in this period. While it is unclear whether or not she actually published any articles, displayed are her credentials card, a letter from William A. Heacock, editor of The National Press Bureau and an instructional booklet with “lessons” on journalism. BREAKING BARRIERS ARTIFACTS IN THIS CABINET TOP SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • “For Wife and Mother: A Young Mother’s Tokology” (1913) • Pink and white gingham bonnet, c. 1910-1920 BOTTOM SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • Cabinet card of Maude Humphrey, c. 1905-1912 • Letter, pamphlet and booklet titled “Writing for Newspapers,” sent to Maude Humphrey in 1902 • Maude Humphrey’s newspaper correspondent credentials card 1902 • Ida Humphrey’s financial documents, 1921

Maude Humphrey, c. 1905-1912

WOMEN OF THE HUMPHREY FAMILY “Women of the Humphrey Family” includes artifacts from three women in the Humphrey family: Ida Stuart Humphrey, second wife of Senator John Humphrey (1861-1953), and Senator Humphrey’s two daughters, Clara Humphrey Myers (1876-1952) and Maude Humphrey Cannon (1880-1932). A newspaper article in the Tinley Star titled “Orland Park Women Frame Village Ticket” from 1929 is displayed in the bottom right corner of the cabinet. Though there was not an official women’s suffrage movement in Orland Park, according to newspaper articles from this period, women voted in local elections. Notably, in 1929, there was an all-female ticket for Village office. Though they were unsuccessful, they came third out of the four tickets.

ARTIFACTS IN THIS CABINET TOP SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • Ida Humphrey’s diary, 1903 • Ida Humphrey’s calling cards, date unknown • Cabinet card of Ida Humphrey, c. 1898-1905 • Cabinet card of Clara Humphrey, 1900 • .Maude Humphrey’s dance cards, various dates

BOTTOM SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • .Maude Humphrey’s autograph book, 1891-1893 • .Invitation to Maude Humphrey and Joseph Cannon’s wedding, 1915 • Ida Humphrey’s jewelry boxes, dates unknown

Pictured top to bottom: Ida Humphrey, c. 1898-1905; Dance card belonging to Maude Humphrey, 1903

LADIES IN LEADERSHIP “Ladies in Leadership” highlights four clubs and organizations that emerged in Orland Park during the twentieth century. The top shelf displays artifacts surrounding the Orland Woman’s Club. Ella Loebe founded the Orland Woman’s Club in 1933. From its inception, the club was dedicated to serving the community. During the Great Depression (c. 1929-1941), the Orland Park Woman’s Club provided relief and aid to residents through fund raising and donations. In 1949, the Jr. Orland Woman’s Club was formed as an offshoot of the main organization for young women. The bottom shelf focuses on the American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary and the Orland PTA. In 1941, Lilah Kruspe was elected president of the Orland American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary, a volunteer organization to fundraise and support veterans and their communities. During World War II, she led the charge to support U.S. troops and send them care packages. ARTIFACTS IN THIS CABINET TOP SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • .Ida Humphrey’s notes on forming a woman’s club, 1903

• Orland Woman’s Club yearbook, 1941-1942 • Photo of Jr. Woman’s Club in parade, 1973

BOTTOM SHELF (LEFT TO RIGHT): • Letters to Lilah Kruspe, 1942 • Lilah Kruspe’s American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary bracelet (c.1940s-1950s) and various American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary pins (c. 1940s-1950s) • Photo of Cook County American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary officers, 1953 • Arnold family PTA pin, 1932-1934

Pictured left: Lilah Kruspe’s American Legion Auxiliary pin, c. 1940s-1950s Pictured top: Lilah Kruspe’s delegate badge, 1953 Pictured bottom, left to right: Lilah Kruspe, Director; Bertha Garland, Alt. Director; Doris Jones, Secretary; Gertrude Vivante, Treasurer; Ava May Wales, Historian

FASHION FORWARD

The “Fashion Forward” display focuses on the development of women’s fashion from the Victorian era into the 1960s. The display contains artifacts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, such as gloves, hat/hair pins and a hat from 1905/1906. In the 1890s, hats were often heavily decorated, with tulle or floral accents. Many women also wore “masculine” styles, such as the “boater” or “trilby” hats. This trend continued into the 1900s. Alongside the shifting silhouette of women’s fashion, in the late 1910s and 1920s, hats sat closer to the head to accommodate for shorter hairstyles and often was adorned with jewels or feathers. An example

of this is the cloche hat, which was a bell-shaped hat that fit snugly around a woman’s head. In the 1930s, hat brims reappeared; since parasols had gone out of fashion, wide-brimmed hats protected women from the sun.

ARTIFACTS IN THIS CABINET • Godey’s Fashion Magazine engravings, c. 1850s • Women’s leather gloves, c. 1899 • .Ida Humphrey’s hat/hair pins, c. 1910s-1920s • Women’s beaver fur hat, c. 1905-1906

Pictured left: Hat or hair pins, c. 1910s-1920s Pictured right, top to bottom: Faux fur hat, c. 1955-1965; women’s hat, c. 1950s, women’s hat, c. 1930-1945 Pictured bottom: women’s gloves, 1899

FASHION FORWARD

Moving into the 1940s, a wide variety of styles emerged, many of which were heavily adorned with feathers, fake flowers, or large veils. This changed in the 1950s. The post-WWII period saw a decline in the popularity of women’s hats and most hats remained close to the wearer’s head (such as “pancake” or “cart-wheel” hats).

In the 1960s, many young women viewed the “formal” hat of the previous decades as outdated and old. In this decade, hats were often made out of “dramatic” materials, such as flower petals, nets or large ruffles. When “My Fair Lady” was released in 1964, “wide brim picture hats” increased in popularity.

ARTIFACTS IN THIS CABINET • Women’s hat, c. 1930-1945 • Pearl necklace, c. 1930s • Women’s hat with red feather, c. 1950s • Women’s faux fur hat, c. 1955-1965 • Ida Humphrey’s watch, date unknown • Women’s hat with ruffles, c. 1960s

Pictured left: Ida Humphrey’s watch, date unknown Pictured right: Women’s hat, c. 1960s

Molly Myrick Jackson’s Victorian dress, c. 1890s

MANNEQUINS

The mannequins on display highlight three examples of women’s fashion over the course of four decades. In the late 1800s, two notable silhouettes dominated women’s fashion: the “princess line” (a dress that molded to the body) and the return of the bustle in the 1880s (a round, almost shell-like protrusion from dress at the small of the back). By the 1890s, women’s fashion began to shift away from these two silhouettes. Instead, women’s fashion in this decade often include a vertical puffed sleeve at the shoulder, a bell-shaped skirt, and a nipped in waist to create the illusion of an hourglass effect. In the early 1900s, many women embraced the “New Woman” look by including tailored blouses and skirts into their wardrobes. Their silhouettes were still largely structured, following the fashion of the previous decade. However, moving into the 1910s and 1920s, women’s fashion became much more simple. House dresses, such as the one displayed, were designed for completing household chores and quick errands. Despite their informal purpose, house dresses still used decorative fabrics, such as patterned cotton with floral designs. The main look that dominated much of the 1920s was the tubular “la garçonne” or “flapper” dress, though once the stock market crashed in 1929, the modest, more feminine silhouette returned in the 1930s.

MANNEQUIN DISPLAY • Molly Myrick Jackson’s Victorian dress, c. 1890s • Floral home dress, c. 1910s • Flapper dress, c. 1920s

Floral home dress, c. 1910s

Flapper dress, c. 1920s

MAYOR Keith Pekau VILLAGE CLERK Patrick R. O’Sullivan TRUSTEES: William R. Healy, Cynthia Nelson Katsenes, Michael R. Milani, Sean Kampas, Brian J. Riordan, Joni J. Radaszewski

HISTORY MUSEUM