The Naperville YMCA and Naper Settlement displayed tokens buried in time during an unveiling ceremony of a Kroehler YMCA time capsule from 1910.
“When the Kroehler YMCA, formerly on [Washington St.], was built, they laid a cornerstone. As was tradition at the time, they put a time capsule in that cornerstone,” said Christine McNulty, Chief Curator at Naper Settlement.
Finding the time capsule in the Kroehler YMCA cornerstone
The Kroehler YMCA, originally the Naperville YMCA, was named after former Naperville mayor Peter Kroehler, who helped found it. He was also the owner of Kroehler Manufacturing Company, which is now the 5th Avenue Station.
At the opening ceremony in 1910, Naperville YMCA president E.J.T. Moyer placed the time capsule in the cornerstone, where it remained until it was retrieved a few years ago.
“We knew from former staff members and former board members that there was something in the cornerstone. When the building came down in 2022, they investigated and found the time capsule bank box and were able to open it under the preservation guidance of Naper Settlement,” said Lauren DeSimone, co-chair of the Naperville YMCA Board of Directors.
What was inside the time capsule?
The unveiling took place at Naper Settlement’s Meeting House last Wednesday. The YMCA invited current and former members, staff, and donors to witness what Kroehler YMCA members from the early 20th century had sealed in time.
“There was an acknowledgment of a number of the people who provided funds [and] members of the community. There’s a list of all the different churches, communities of faith, members of the school board, sort of a who’s who of Naperville businessmen and community organizers,” said McNulty.
Along with Kroehler and Moyer, other notable names included Andrew Wehrli, a trustee of Saints Peter & Paul Church, and Francis Granger, former president of the Naperville Public School District 78 Board of Education, after whom Aurora’s Granger Middle School was named.
Other artifacts included a Bible and materials from the Grand Army of the Republic. McNulty said the contents of the time capsule were an acknowledgment of the organizations and individuals that came together to create the Kroehler YMCA.
“When the community first had an interest in building a [YMCA], some of the local [YMCA] officials in the area didn’t really think the community could support it. They didn’t think the community was large enough, they didn’t feel that there was a need. But the names on those lists, they felt very differently. They felt like they could support it, it would be welcomed in the community, and they really wanted to contribute to it,” said McNulty.
Upcoming Kroehler YMCA exhibit at Naper Settlement
The Kroehler YMCA, located at 34 S. Washington St., stood for 112 years before closing in 2020 due to financial hardships. The building was demolished in 2022.
To honor its legacy, the Naperville YMCA and Naper Settlement are collaborating on an exhibit about its history, which will be displayed at Naper Settlement.
“We are working with them on an exhibition for the spring. Whether the time capsule will play a role, it will certainly help inform the research into the history of the institution,” said McNulty.
More details on the exhibit will be shared in the coming months.
“I think the YMCA serves a unique role in any community, especially in Naperville. It’s the hub where everything else happens. I think it’s important we honor where we came from so we know how we can grow into the future,” said DeSimone.
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