On May 18th, the Main Street Cemetery Agreement between the Village and the Historical Society was renewed by the Village Council for another 10 years. This agreement, dating from 2000, arranges for the Historical Society to help the Village by providing research, guidance, and support for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of this historic resting place of many of our early settlers.
Research into who is buried there is an ongoing project by board member and historian Lois Sterba. Twelve new stones were placed marking the locations of researched and previously unidentified interred, and a number of information plaques were installed at graves where legibility on the original stones has deteriorated. New monuments were installed to commemorate those fallen from the Civil War, and another to provide educational information about Downers Grove’s place in the Underground Railroad history.
Our new web app (www.mainstreetcemetery.com) was launched, the new sidewalk was installed, and 9 Living Cemetery and Founder of the Year events have taken place. This partnership led to the successful Landmarking of the cemetery.
We have more important work to accomplish and we look forward to continuing our stewardship mission for this downtown historic site.
