The "Old Northwest Territory" Chapter

ABOUT THE CHAPTER

Although geographically centered in the Chicago area, the ONWT Chapter routinely draws Company members from other parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. Meetings are generally day-long events held at a site or museum of historical significance. The agenda at our meetings features speakers from within our ranks as well as presenters from outside the organization. 

   While the primary purpose of this Chapter page is to keep our members informed about scheduled activities,  it is also intended to introduce non-members to our orgasnization. Even if you are not yet a Chapter member, we can assure you that you are welcome to attend any of our meetings -- come as our guest and see what we are all about! History-based hobbies can sometimes be a lonely pursuit, and sharing your interests with others makes the hobby much more enjoyable. Besides, if that book you just read or that show you just saw on the History Channel has sparked some questions, you'll probably find someone who can answer them at one of our meetings. Come and get to know the friendliest (and possibly the most knowledgeable) group of armchair historians you'll ever run across. You'll be glad that you did!.

   Our meetings usually feature an "outside" speaker telling us about how their organization caters to a different aspect of interest in military history. Networking with other organizations of similar interest and picking up new ideas is very important to the members of this chapter. Regular meeting  features also include a segment on historic preservation, a segment on some aspect of military collecting, and our popular "show and tell" segment, too. 

   Members of the Chapter must be also be members of the Company, but we can arrange membership in both organizations if you are not yet a Company member. There are no dues for the Chapter, but there is a $5 administrative fee to cover the cost of mailings, etc. For more information on joining, e-mail the Chapter Secretary, Linnea Bass.

MEETING REPORT: Saturday May 5  at Apple River Fort, Elizabeth, Illinois 

14 members and 3 guests present were present, which was a good turnout considering the location was so far from our home base.  The meeting went well and everybody who came really enjoyed themselves. I believe we will pick up one, if not two, new members as a result of being there.

            The story of this fort is a formidable one . . . a truly inspirational story of the womenfolk standing side by side with the men fighting off an attack by hostiles. The town is even named after three of the fort's defenders who were all named Elizabeth! But the story of the fort coming back to life in the 1990s, emerging phoenix-like from the prairie, is just as wondrous. Only a few forts in Illinois have been reconstructed on the original site. The Apple River Foundation, a non-profit organization, found the site through archaeological studies and launched the project in 1996. Volunteers from the local area and seven states built the fort using logs from nearby woods.

            As a manifestation of our Chapter's ongoing commitment to both historic preservation and interpretation, we heard presentations from Susan Gordy, the director of the State's on-site interpretation center; from the folks who rebuilt the fort through thousands of hours of volunteer effort; and from representatives of the Sangamon County Militia of the 1840's who will explain to us their period dress and accouterments.

            Other presentations included Chapter Chairman Marc Gaynes speaking on the "Development of the Stockade Fort in North America" and long time member Steve Gilbert speaking on 18th Century tents. Steve's talk focused on another recurring theme at our meetings, the collecting, identifying and conserving of militaria. Both  speakers are experts in their fields and presented new information and theories based on hours of original research.

 MEETING REPORT: Spring meeting at the 1st Division Museum (Cantigny), Wheaton, IL 

On Saturday, April 7 we had a great meeting hosted by our friends at this wonderful museum. 

Our speaker on militaria was Paul Fischer who brought along a fine grouping of 18th Century firearms and spoke knowledgeably about each, from blunderbuss to Brown Bess. Ever wonder about the relative weights of a Pennsylvania long rifle and a German jaeger rifle? This was your chance to find out for yourself! 

Walt Keener, although a long-time Company and Chapter member, at-tended  representing an allied organization, the Military Miniature Society of Illinois. Walt spoke about the history of toy soldiers and military miniatures, particularly as that story interconnects with the members, past and present, of the Company. Many of the founders were collectors of toy soldiers, many manufacturers have been noted members, and today many of the sculptors used by manufacturers are prominent CMH members. 

Linnea Bass, our Chapter Secretary, is also on the Company Board of Governors and gave us a full report on events transpiring at the National level.  For our "show and tell" segment Steve Sullivan displayed a magnificent Civil War US Cavalry musician's shell jacket made at the Schuykill Arsenal. Shep Paine had an officer's Campaign hat from the period just before the Second World War, complete with its unusual storage frame.  Kathy and Loy Conley brought a soon-to-be-published Company plate on the Navaho Code talkers of World War II, for which Kathy wrote the text and Loy did the artwork.  The day passed quickly -- so quickly, in fact, that there was barely time to see the museum and its fine collection.