Wheaton Historic Preservation, 606 N Main St, Wheaton, IL 60187, US

The Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society was formed in 1972 to preserve the history of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. Elmer Vliet was the first president of the organization. For many years, the Historical Society maintained an office at the Gorton Community Center. The Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society took a step forward in 1998 by moving into its first museum building. Since that time, the artifact collection has expanded. Currently, the collection consists of more than 10,000 photographs, 1,500 maps and plats, 2,100 artifacts, about 200 bound volumes of the local newspaper, 100 yearbooks and thousands of references files organized by address, by architect, by business, by name and by event. A membership program (now at 800 memberships) and a related annual appeal letter were established to build a base of ongoing support and these areas have grown significantly.