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Delavan group looking to make its own history

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Delavan Historical Society

The Delavan Historical Society has settled in comfortably to a former airport office on the city of Delavan's east side.

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DELAVAN — The Delavan Historical Society plans to be around for a long, long time—even if its current location isn’t a permanent one.

The society is settling comfortably into a former airport office at 2375 E. Geneva St. owned by Lake Lawn Resort. The society moved into the small, brick building last summer and rents from the resort.

The location is good for airplane and car traffic, historical society President Patti Marsicano said.

“We get an amazing amount of people through here,” she said.

The office is the first home for the society, although it might not be for long. The society has looked into other locations, including possibly sharing downtown space with the Delavan Chamber of Commerce, Marsicano said.

The building at the airstrip contains several glass cases filled with antiques and memorabilia. It also has a small filing room to hold books, newspaper clippings and other papers.

Volunteers will regularly rotate materials in the display cases, Marsicano said.

The society soon will feature a display of watercolor paintings by Delavan artist Harriett Llewellyn, who died in 2008. The artist painted many Walworth County businesses, residences and scenes, Marsicano said.

Marsicano hopes people who own Llewellyn paintings will loan them to the society for a display.

“They’re hanging in homes and businesses all over the place, but not everybody gets to enjoy them,” Marsicano said. “We would like to change that.”

On Mothers Day weekend, local historical Gordon Yeadon will offer a presentation about Llewellyn at the society.

The displays include memorabilia from Lake Lawn and Bradley’s Department Store in downtown Delavan. Another features Delavan school memorabilia.

In April, the society will host a presentation about one-room schoolhouses in Walworth County.

Delavan residents might want to keep the society in mind during spring cleaning. The society is always looking for donated items from Delavan’s history. It is particularly interested in old Delavan and Delavan-Darien high school yearbooks for the research room, Marsicano said.

On the research front, a group of volunteers is working on histories of Delavan subdivisions, Marsicano said.

There is plenty of work available for residents who want to participate, Marsicano said. In addition to donations, the society has piles of pictures and clippings that need to be filed.

Residents and businesses also can join the society through different levels of membership.

Marsicano said residents have many worthy charities to choose from when they look to donate money.

She hopes people understand the importance of preserving local history.

“This is one (nonprofit) that will persevere and be around for a long time,” Marsicano said.