12 Days of West Chicago Artifacts: Immigrants
12 Days of West Chicago Artifacts
As part of our 12 Days of WeGo History series, we’re celebrating the stories behind some of the most meaningful pieces in our collection. With nearly 40,000 artifacts to choose from, we couldn’t possibly pick just 12, so each day we are sharing a themed group that helps tell the story of West Chicago.
This year’s series is also in conjunction with our preparation for the 250th anniversary of the United States by highlighting local history in a national context.
As part of West Chicago’s “Immigrants Are Essential” recognition this winter, we celebrate the generations of immigrants who helped shape our community and continue to do so today.
From the earliest German farmers, to English merchants, and Irish and Mexican railroad workers, the people who built West Chicago came from many places. Today, we are proud to be home to immigrants from all around the world, contributing to every aspect of local life.
As we kick off the commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, these artifacts remind us that immigration has always been central to the American story, and to West Chicago’s too.
Anna Kline memorial card, the Kline’s, whose family farm is still preserved by the Forest Preserve of DuPage County, were one of the earliest German families to reach this area in the 1830s
Lantern used by Hills family on their ocean voyage. When the Hills family came to the United States from England in 1849, the only place for them to sleep was on the deck of the sailing ship. Mr. Hills had to buy canvas to make a shelter so that his wife and seven children had protection from the wind and water during their
journey. He also bought a lantern for their journey so the family would have some light.
Thomas Mulligan’s Final Certificate of Naturalization, 1867. Thomas migrated to Turner in 1864.
Chair from the Zarate family home, the first home owned by Mexican Americans in West Chicago in 1945.
Want to explore more West Chicago artifacts on your own? Check out our online artifact database where we upload recently digitized items every month!
