The Batavia Historian

ο -s- I 0I' " • ,M The Batavia Historian (Batavia Historical Society P.O. <Bo~14 <Batavia, Illinois 60510 01. 37 No.3 Jul 1996 byMarilyn Robinson the sanitarium who were mobile stayed Do you know this building? in the house. It stood in the clump of fear of going to the dentist. trees still near the Michealsen Center. The old, curving driveway to the house Most patients in the sanitarium is visible just south of the intersection of were those who were in advanced Fabyan Parkway and Batavia Avenue. stages of the disease. They were all Jeff Schielke remembers when the from Chicago, mostly of the Jewish Fox RIVlIR SANITARIIIII • • eATAV'A. ILL. house was razed in 1974. He recalls it faith, and stayed for prolonged as a two or three-story Victorian that periods. Usually there were about 50 In 1926 when Bessie Hirschberg was neglected and badly overgrown. patients in the hospital at anyone time. worked in a cigar factory in Chicago, The house and the sanitarium were she found facilities for caring for the . In 1940 the hospital treated 128 pa- both neglected after the hospital closed tubercular poor were inadequate. tients. In that year the Society raised for people were afraid the buildings Hirschberg began collecting pennies and gave to the hospital $65,275 of were contaminated. Even when the from the poor and formed the Chicago which $50,000 was used to run the hospital was in operation, local citizens Consumptive Aid Society. Her husband hospital and treat patients. pretty much ignored it, according to s.aw an ad in the newspaper offering Nurses worked for 32 cents an hour, Jeff. river-front land for sale in Batavia. 10 hours a day, and did all types of The Society soon built a long wooden When $150,000 was raised, the Soci- work. A private duty nurse worked 20 building for bed patients, with rooms on ety took possession of the land, and the hours a day and slept in the room with either side of a long hallway, all opening Fox River Sanitarium was built in the the patient. onto a porch so that patients could be early 1930s. The sanitarium was a town unto it- outdoors in all weather an aid in curing Batavia was chosen because it was self. There were out buildings around tuberculosis. The cornerstone for the far enough from Chicago to escape the the hospital, and it had its own wells permanent building was laid in 1926. and sewage disposal plant. There were city's noises, but close enough that The hospital closed in 1958 or 59. cement walks leading from one build- patients could be near loved ones and The Holmstad purchased the land in ing to another, and the grounds were be comforted by frequent visits. A Chi- the early 70's for its campus. Schielke beautifully landscaped. cago and North Western commuter visited the hospital in '74' after train ran along the river and visitors All food served in the hospital was Holmstad took possession. He recalls from Chicago could get to the hospital prepared in adherence to Jewish culi- that all the equipment and supplies by train. nary laws, Nearly all food not grown on were still in place. The beds were The Fox River Sanitarium was a pio- the property was donated through the made, and white sheets covered the leer.in TB care. It was directed along Society in Chicago and brought to examining tables. "It was as though the lines of a modern hospital with Batavia by train. everyone just left, locked the doors and sunny rooms, wards, solaria, modern The hospital was built on land previ- never came back," he said. operating rooms, sterilizing equipment, ously owned by Hamilton Browne. Mr. X-ray facilities, and a dental facility so an~ Mrs. Browne lived in a very large fine that is was said patients lost all white house there. The first patients at Continued on p. 2 Museum Doings Batavia Windmillers Trade Fair by Director Carla Hill The museum has been a beehive Makes History of activity over the last few months. by Francine McGuire-Popeck The Windmillers Trade Fair was a tremendous success and I am still receiving letters of congratulations The 8th International Windmillers fairs. Our special "THANKS" to all the from some of the participants. Trade Fair, held in Batavia between volunteers who helped ... " We have now moved the water June 12-15th, attracted 324 regis- Thanks also to those members tower in place and it will be painted tered attendees, almost double the who donated windmill-related items to this summer. We have also highest attendance figure from any of the Society and those who loaned us scheduled the painting and repair of the previous Fairs that were held in items for display at the temporary the Depot, Caboose, Coffin Bank and other cities. The Fair was indeed Windmill Museum. Many visitors the Gazebo. They are showing a lot "international" with representation thought that this museum was a per- of wear and need to be refurbished. from South Africa, the Netherlands, manent one and, believe me, by the The current exhibit, "Blades In The time it was set up we wished it could Sky", from Texas Tech University, and Canada. In addition, thanks to excellent media coverage, the Fair be. The old Appleton Windmill Manu- will remain at the museum until facturing factory, now City Hall, was August 1. We were extremely was well attended by the general an ideal setting for the museum as it pleased to have Tex Burdick, who is public, drawing hundreds of is centrally located, at street and eye the focal point of the exhibit, here for residents from Batavia, other Fox level, and still "authentic" in its pre the Windmillers Trade Fair. Valley and surrounding suburbs, Perhaps some of you have noticed Chicago, and Downstate Illinois. renovated condition. Windmills have the new sign in front of the museum. The Windmillers Trade Fair Com- long been an important part of our We have placed it there temporarily mittee, consisting of Bob Popeck, town's history and identity. The Trade until the work on Houston Street be- President, and Francine Popeck, Fair exhibited that our windmill gins next spring. Secretary, of the Historical Society heritage is a draw for visitors as well. We will be adding several new Board, Carla Hill, Curator of the De- It may behoove us to explore the items to our sales area at the mu- pot Museum, and Donna Dallesase, possibility of a separate museum like seum. Many of these items are a di- Director of the Batavia Chamber of space to house windmill-related items rect result of the Windmillers Trade Commerce, extend our thanks to the and other large items in the Society's Fair and will make nice additions to many Batavians who helped make collection. our gift section. this event so successful. Special The Trade Fair Committee also We are looking forward to the appreciation is given to the many thanks the Historical Society Board Windmill City Fest and the annual Historical Society members who for agreeing to fund the videotape Museum Volunteer Trip. If anyone is staffed the Depot Museum, which coverage of the Trade Fair. Close to interested in volunteering at the had extended hours during the days 20 reels of videotape were shot dur- museum, you can contact either of the Trade Fair, the temporary ing the event. This will be a wonderful Kathy Fairbairn (406-9041) or myself Windmill Museum, our Arts and addition to our archives. Once funds at (879-5235). Crafts booth, and the many special have been raised to create an edited I hope you are having a great events held during the Fair, including 20-minute videotape of this footage, Summer! the "old timer" talk sessions held at there could be numerous avenues for the formerwindmill factories. use of this video: 1) As an educational A consistent compliment was paid tool at our schools, 2) To promote to our townspeople by all who at- Batavia tourism, and 3) To market Continued from p. 1 tended the Fair. They found Batavia copies to those who attended the to be full of extremely friendly people Trade Fair. The building today is Holmstad's who also take great pride in their As Marilyn Robinson commented Colonial House at 831 North Batavia town and it~ history. Ken and Sharen to me, "It's nice to see a Trade Fair Avenue. O'Brock from Ohio wrote us: "We that draws people who are interested wanted you to know how much we in history, not in making money." This article is condensed from appreciate ... the beautiful display of Imagine ... tourists coming to Batavia Batavia Places and the People Who windmills, river walk, welcome signs, because of our history. It happened at Called Them Home by Marilyn clean city, friendly folks and your a Trade Fair held this past June what Robinson. This copyrighted material hospitality. (These) made for one of can we do to introduce more people is used by permission of the author the biggest and best yet trade to our proud history? who reserves all other rights. A copy of Robinson's book can be obtained at the Depot Museum. Page 2 The Batavia Historian More on the Newton Memorials by James Hanson Sin/Editor' Note: In "The Newton Memo- the city determined it needed to extend eny, these visits may have been part of rials" in the last issue, Jim Hanson Wilson Street west and tear down the trips to encourage enrollments and wrote about the Newton Monument in Levi Newton home, the D.C.

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