2024 STORIES THAT MATTER: Women of Cook County

Earlier this month, we hosted our second annual STORIES THAT MATTER: Women of Cook County event at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery. This new Fisherman’s Picnic tradition took place on Thursday, August 1. Over 60 people gathered to learn about three influential women in Cook County: Darragh Aldrich, Andrea Peterson, and Betsy Bowen (who was in attendance).

When putting together a presentation such as this one, we rely on various methods of research. First, our physical and digital archives are invaluable. Luckily, for Andrea Peterson, we had a lot of information gathered in our records, as well as the ability to talk with her daughter to verify facts and stories. For Betsy Bowen, we went straight to the source (a huge thanks to Betsy for taking the time to talk with us). But for Darragh Aldrich, we had to do a lot of research outside of our own archives and resources.

Where do we get items that are stored in our archives? We are incredibly grateful to have received over 35,000 photographs and negatives, 5,400 historic objects, more than 10,000 archival documents, 1767 library items, and close to 400 works of art over the past (almost) 100 years. None of that could be possible without the generosity of Cook County residents, visitors, and of course, our valued supporter members. And we are always looking for more so that we can continue to tell the stories of people and places in the area, like the three women mentioned above. If you have an item that you’d like to scan, upload, or donate, please visit our website here for more information.

For those who couldn't attend or who simply want to revisit the stories of Aldrich, Peterson, and Bowen and their impact on the area, the Cook County Historical Society has released the presentation with audio for all to enjoy. You can watch the video by clicking on one of the two options below.