February 22, 2025
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Oswego museum planning historical tours, History Happy Hours

By Kendall County Now staff report
The site of the old Oswego Stockyards loading chute (left) and railroad depot will be one of the sites visited during two historical bus tours of the village’s old manufacturing sites hosted by the Oswegoland Heritage Association on Saturday April 30.

The site of the old Oswego Stockyards loading chute (left) and railroad depot will be one of the sites visited during two historical bus tours of the village’s old manufacturing sites hosted by the Oswegoland Heritage Association on Saturday April 30. (Photo courtesy of the Little White School Museum)

The Little White School Museum’s Industrial History Bus Tours earlier this month were so popular that two more have been added to the schedule to accommodate visitor overflow.

Join the museum at either 10:30 a.m. or noon on Saturday, April 30 for “Industrial History Bus Tours” of Oswego. Registration and a $5 a person fee for participants age 16 and older is required. To register, go to the Oswegoland Park District website at oswegolandparkdistrict.org or call the park district at 630-554-1010.

The tours will begin and end at the Little White School Museum, 72 Polk St., Oswego, and last for about an hour.

Then on Thursdays, April 28 and May 12, join museum staffers for “History Happy Hours” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oswego Brewing Company in downtown Oswego.

This session of History Happy Hours for those age 21 and older will cover “Burglaries, Bootleggers, and Bonnie & Clyde.” Registration, which is required, is $15 for residents of the Oswegoland Park District and $20 for nonresidents. Register by calling 630-554-1010 or by visiting the park district website oswegolandparkdistrict.org.

The tours are hosted by the Oswegoland Heritage Association in partnership with the Oswegoland Park District.

In the 1920s, crime in Kendall County was getting out of control. Local newspapers were filled with stories of FBI raids, robberies, actual highway robberies and gangster activity. Join museum staff to chat about the biggest burglaries, buzzworthy bootleggers and the possible Bonnie & Clyde connection to Kendall County. Admission comes with a one-beer ticket to enjoy during the lecture.

“History Happy Hours” are sponsored by the park district in partnership with the heritage association.

For information on the museum or on upcoming museum events, visit littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org.