Glencoe Historical Society
at the
Eklund History Center & Garden

The Glencoe Historical Society wishes to thank its friends their generous support of Phase One of the Garden Renovation Project that was completed on August 24, 2004. This support came from businesses and foundations as well as individuals. The $25,000 they contributed consisted mostly of many small donations and was supplemented by the very significant generosity of Mariani Landscape.

View of Eklund History Center from Park Avenue

This Phase completes the garden’s foundation of large trees, a pathway, and soil enhancement. With its completion the community can now see the full potential of this unique, turn-of-the-century garden—a jewel in Glencoe’s downtown business district—which is characteristic of the period buildings donated by Sally Eklund four years ago. Future Phases will build on this foundation with additional plantings and other details. Fundraising for Phase Two begins now.

View of garden looking west from Eklund History Center

Neighbors of the Historical Society were wonderfully cooperative. They offered their driveways for use by those whose regular parking spaces were temporarily blocked by the significant amount of large equipment—including the three 18-wheel trucks—necessary to complete Phase One of the Project. Additionally, neighbors were good-natured about the disruption of traffic in the alley and street fronting or adjoining their homes and garages as materials were hauled to and from the Society’s property.

Phase One of the Garden Renovation Project consisted of:

• Clearing the property of debris including: very large chunks of an old concrete foundation, the remains of an old fire pit, as well as invasive, overgrown, and undesirable plant materials
• Installation of numerous large truckloads of stone for the limestone-based gravel path, very significant amounts of new soil, and large quantities of leaf mold necessary to enable the new and transplanted plant materials to thrive.
• Planting understory trees and shrubs including: three 15-foot spruce trees, a large number of azaleas, four mature yews, a red bud tree, burning bushes, etc.

The crew consisted of as many as 11 individuals at some points in the construction process that took an entire week.

Sally Eklund, who celebrated her 97th birthday in May and now resides in a nursing home, has an intense interest in the renovation of the Garden. The desire to “thank” Sally for generously donating her property to the Glencoe Historical Society for use by Glencoe residents and others has been a motivating force by the Society to complete the Garden Renovation sooner rather than later. She attended the Society’s annual dinner in November 2003 to everyone’s delight; unfortunately, her physical condition at present does not allow her to visit her former home to see the progress made to the Garden. Nevertheless, she is ecstatic with the progress made to date. She joins the Society’s board in thanking all those who have made the transformation possible. Sally’s abiding wish is that her former property will endure as an “oasis in downtown Glencoe for all to enjoy for generations to come” and the Society is helping fulfill that dream as it kicks off the fundraising for Phase Two of the Garden Renovation Project.

Garden seating on patio in front of Eklund History Center

The Society is proud of the progress to date as well as plans for additional renovation of the garden. You are invited to:

• Take a personalized tour of the now completed Phase One Garden Project
• See the overall plan for the completion of the Garden, or
• Make a contribution to Phase Two of the Garden Project

For additional information, please contact Vivian Zahniser, Garden Chairperson and Society board member at:

Glencoe Historical Society

377 Park Ave., Glencoe, IL 60022-1551
847.835.0040

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1145 Carol Lane, Glencoe, IL 60022
847.835.4163