In 1986, village residents decided to celebrate the town’s 100th anniversary. The resulting centennial celebration lasted all twelve months!
Spring Rock Park Fireworks – 1986
Lighting the candles – January 1986
Twenty-seven years ago, village residents were in the midst of celebrating the town’s 100th birthday. And, what a celebration it was! Virtually every organization in town, from churches to fraternal organizations, played a part in what was the biggest party the town had ever seen.
In January of that year, a Centennial Birthday Party was held at the Lyons Township South Campus featuring music by the Centennial Band, balloons, and a slide presentation celebrating the past. Even Kirschbaum’s Bakery got involved by creating a fantastic birthday cake in the shape of the historic water tower.
And, in an effort to help finance the year-long celebration, the Centennial Committee issued $25 shares of “souvenir stock”. In addition, the Historical Society published a hardbound book describing the village’s first 100 years.
Centennial souvenir stock certificate
John F. Wilson, producer and director
In March 1986, the Centennial’s musical pageant took place. Entitled “Cherish the Memories”, the four-night event featured an orchestra, choral group, actors and dancers. Each of the village’s four elementary schools was featured on a separate evening. The sell-out shows were produced and directed by John F. Wilson, a nationally recognized composer with 15 musicals and more than 400 compositions to his credit.
1986 “Citizens of the Month”
Another feature of the Centennial was the selection of a “Citizen of the Month”. The resulting list of honorees read like a “who’s who” from that era. If you lived in town at that time, you’re sure to recognize some of those faces.
In May, the Centennial House Walk took place, the first one having been held 25 years earlier for the village’s 75th anniversary. This was followed by the Tower Trot, just before Memorial Day.
Next came the Centennial Fourth of July Parade. This included marching units from every neighborhood, as well as antique cars, floats, fire trucks, and scout troops. That same evening, a concert was held in Spring Rock Park, followed by a spectacular fireworks show.
In October, Western Springs’ numerous churches held open houses, culminating in a joint Religious Observance and Combined Choral Concert at St. John of the Cross Church. And, in November, the newly formed Tower Chorale performed its first concert as part of the Centennial.
Invitation to Centennial Ball
But, what would a party be without a dance? So, the Centennial Committee organized a Ball to be held at the Drury Lane in Oak Brook Terrace. But, when the tickets went on sale in May, it was an immediate sell-out. So, a second, identical ball was slated for the following evening to accommodate the overflow.
Perhaps the Centennial Committee’s most significant accomplishment was organizing and producing all of these events and still ending up in the black, with no cost to the taxpayers. So, while the names of the committee members and volunteers were too numerous to mention, suffice it to say that they did the village proud on its 100th birthday.