In 1956, developer Don L. Dise sold the first homes in his new subdivision, on the old Bereman stock farm between Oswego and Montgomery. Naming the development Boulder Hill, the same as the Bereman farm’s name, it quickly became the largest community in Kendall County and one of the largest unincorporated communities in Illinois.
To recognize the effect Boulder Hill had on the Fox Valley, the Oswegoland Heritage Association and the Oswegoland Park District will be host to “Boulder Hill at 65: An Anniversary Celebration,” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Little White School Museum, 72 Polk Street (Polk at Jackson) in Oswego.
Current and former Boulder Hill residents will want to see the exhibit of Boulder Hill documents, artifacts, and photographs, as well as “Boulder Hill’s First 36 Years,” a presentation by Museum director Roger Matile. Using maps, photos, and slides taken during Boulder Hill’s first 36 years by Bev and Ruth Skaggs, as well as documents and other materials, Matile will recount the story of what became one of the largest unincorporated subdivisions in Illinois and by far the largest community in Kendall County for its first 40 years of existence.
To commemorate Boulder Hill’s 65th anniversary, the heritage association has commissioned a special Cat’s Meow keepsake, an architecturally-accurate rendering of an iconic sign that once stood at the subdivision’s entrance at Briarcliff Road and U.S. Route 30. In 1961, Dise erected the colorful sign advertising the fast-growing subdivision’s latest model homes. The Boulder Hill sign keepsakes will be available at $20 each the day of the program. Proceeds will benefit the museum’s operations.
Residents, particularly those who either currently, or formerly, lived on “The Hill” are invited to stay after the program to visit and tour other exhibits in the Museum.
Admission is $5 for this program aimed at guests age 16 and older. Pre-registration is suggested by calling the Oswegoland Park District at 630-554-1010 or visiting the web site at www.oswegolandparkdistrict.org and referencing program # 20880, but walk-ins are welcome the day of the program on a space-available basis at the Little White School Museum, 72 Polk Street, Oswego.
The exhibit will continue through September and into October. Admission to the Museum is free. Regular hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and Mondays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call the Museum at 630-554-2999 or visit their web page at littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org.
—Little White School Museum