DeKalb’s Joseph F. Glidden Homestead & Historical Center recently received a
$1,500 grant from AT&T Illinois as part of the “Beyond the Call Community Awards” program.
From left are State Senator Brad Burzynski; Jim Morel, past president of the
Homestead board; and Brad Jensen, AT& T Illinois.

AT&T grant kicks off Glidden Homestead fund drive

     A $1,500 donation from AT&T Illinois has helped kick off the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead & Historical Center’s $2 million fund drive.
     The Glidden Homestead is seeking the community’s help as it prepares to “tell an American story” by expanding its DeKalb museum campus – the site where Joseph Glidden invented “The Winner” barbed wire.
      The Glidden Homestead was among two local organizations announced by AT&T Illinois to earn special recognition for making a difference in the DeKalb County area.  For their outstanding efforts, they have been named as recipients of “AT&T Illinois Beyond the Call Community Awards.”
      The other group honored is the Midwest Museum of Natural History in Sycamore.
     Brad Jensen, AT&T Illinois executive, presented a $1,500 stipend to the two organizations in recognition of outstanding local community commitment and service programs.
      “AT&T Illinois takes pride in supporting these organizations in the local communities we serve,” said AT&T Illinois vice president, Marc Blakeman. 
     “In addition to our customers around Illinois, our 21,000 employees statewide are part of those communities, and they also benefit from the great programs like those we are honoring today.”
            The “Beyond the Call Community Awards” were created to provide special recognition to organizations that are expanding economic development opportunities and providing community service programs to improve the quality of life in Illinois.
            “The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead is working hard to establish itself as an educational facility and museum that will be a premier destination for students and adults alike,” said Jim Morel, past president of the Homestead board of directors. 
             “It is a special honor to receive this recognition from our community partner AT&T Illinois and we appreciate their commitment to our community and those we serve.”
     State Senator Brad Burzynski assisted AT&T Illinois in nominating recipients for Beyond the Call Community Awards.  
     “Both of these organizations make a significant impact on the quality of life in the DeKalb County area.  They do important work in educating our residents and they have earned a reputation for doing it well,” said Sen. Burzynski.
     “The Midwest Museum and Glidden Homestead are truly deserving of this recognition and I commend AT&T Illinois for recognizing the significant contribution their people make to our corner of the state,” he added.
     The Glidden Homestead is located at 921 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, between Burger King and Copy Service. The organization kicked off the $2 million fund drive at its annual meeting Jan. 29.
     Chairing the fund drive is long-time DeKalb resident and business leader, Kathy Siebrasse, recently-elected president of the Glidden Homestead board.
     “Glidden’s invention is a true American story. His innovation not only affected DeKalb County, but it had far-reaching impact on the development of the American West and the world,” said Siebrasse.
      “We have a unique opportunity to develop the property as a center for education and innovation that secures its place in history and also enriches our area as a cultural destination point,” she said.
     “The Museum will tell not only Joseph’s story, but the story of icons and innovation, paying tribute to pioneers both past and present while serving as an important educational resource and tourist destination.”
      The vision for the museum campus includes a Welcome Center where a state-of-the-art media department will share video-biographies of local icons, said Morel, who just completed his third term as board president.
     “It will be an educational center where the stories of this area’s inventors and innovators, visionaries of social progress and philanthropy come to life. To help the fund-raising effort, we will be contacting local residents, businesses and organizations to give them the opportunity to have their stories told through video-biographies,” said Morel.
     The Glidden Family has offered the Homestead board an option to purchase property adjacent to the house and barn that includes a building. In order to complete the purchase, funds must be raised in the next three years, Morel said. That building will become the museum’s Welcome Center.
     Other funds raised during the $2 million effort will help restore the barn where Glidden first manufactured his barbed wire invention. The barn will then become additional museum space for the Homestead.
     Funds also will be used to continue restoration efforts in the house where Joseph and his ancestors lived since the 1860s. 
     The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center was established in the mid-1990s to preserve the site where Glidden’s world-changing invention was made. As a not-for-profit [501(c)3] corporation, the Homestead is run by a 15-member board, including two Glidden family members.
      Support for work at the Homestead has come primarily from a membership base, local and regional donations, along with some state and regional grants. The house and barn at the Homestead are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
         For more information about the Glidden Homestead, visit www.gliddenhomestead.org or call (815) 756-7904.