History Museum's Electric Park Retrospective Debuts Friday

volunteers have logged long hours putting the final touches on several new museum exhibits to be unveiled Friday, the centerpiece of which is "Down by the Riverside: An Electric Park Retrospective."

For those not familiar with it, Electric Park was a resort destination for Chicago-area residents in the early 1900s. People would travel from the city on an electric train for a weekend, week or even the whole summer to vacation along the banks of the DuPage River. It had a dance hall, a bowling alley, a water slide, even a passenger paddle boat.

The is currently raising funds restore the legendary park and recently held an open house to present the plans publicly.

“The exhibit follows the theme of the riverfront project,” historical society member Nicki Alander said.

As part of the new display, Alander and fellow volunteers have recreated an Electric Park cottage at the museum, 23836 W. Main St., setting up an old-fashioned gas-burning stove and hanging burlap curtains just like thost that would have divided the cottages into two to six rooms.

Historical society members used a six-week period over the Christmas and New Year's holidays to do the work. The public reception to unveil the exhibit will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday. The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every Saturday.

Another new museum attraction celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by showcasing a flag once owned by Plainfield native Capt. Edward McAllister, a famous Illinois Union war hero in the Battle of Shiloh.

Museum visitors also will get to see a famous photograph of another Plainfield native son, World War II Gen. John Philip "Jock" Henebry, author of "The Grim Reapers at Work in the Pacific Theater: The Third Attack Group of the U.S. Fifth Air Force."

By the end of the war, Henebry, who earned his stripes as a daring B-25 pilot, was so highly esteemed that he was present at the signing of the surrender of the Japanese.