Related Records

1. Elmer Vliet owns a bayonet - An article from an unknown newspaper about Lake Bluff Historian Elmer Vliet; a photo of Vliet shows his grandson, John Bailey, a bayonet which was given to Vliet by his grandfather, who got it from his grandfather who used it against the British in the Revolutionary War. As a student at the University of Illinois, he visited Abbott Laboratories in 1917 and returned to work there in 1919 as a research chemist, where he held several positions. Vliet was also village trustee and later president of the Village during the period between 1930 to 1937; was president of the Park Board from 1937 to 1939 and of the Lake Forest High School Board from 1949 through 1952. He authored "Lake Bluff History: The First 100 Years: from 1836-1937. In 1981, two Lake Bluff elementary school teachers, Janet Nelson and Kathleen O'Hara, found a need to collect more data and artifacts for their classrooms. This led them to contact Elmer Vliet, one of the town’s highly respected residents. Over the years he presented history slide shows to school and adult groups. Vliet shared his photographs and documents with the two teachers while telling interesting and little-known facts about Lake Bluff’s history. After several visits and many discussions, he became enthused with the idea that his knowledge and his photographs could be made available to all school children and also be enjoyed by the community. As a result, in the summer of 1982, he donated his collection to the project and provided the school district with funds toward sustaining the project. Two large unused classrooms in the East School were provided to house the donated materials along with the items already assembled by the two teachers … thus creating a local "museum." In October 1982, the School Board held a formal dedication of the area and aptly named it "Vliet Center for Lake Bluff History." (LBHM Website)

   Elmer Vliet owns a bayonet

   Record Type: Archive

   
2. Revolutionary War bayonet

   Revolutionary War bayonet from Elmer Vliet's family. The text reads as follows: This bayonet was carried during the American Revolution by John Van Patten of New York. Van Patten was born March 3, 1749 and died January 27, 1827. Donated by Elmer Vliet, John Van Patten's great, great, great, great grandson.

   Record Type: Object