From the research library at Naper Settlement, researchers and genealogists can access the Naperville Heritage Society’s collection of approximately 80,000 two- and three-dimensional objects as well as research files including family surnames and major events and places in Naperville history. These resources are available by appointment with the Curator of Research Andrea Field. 

The Naperville Heritage Society actively acquires new materials for display and study at Naper Settlement. We have an oral history program designed to document everyday life of Naperville residents. With detailed recollections about individual’s lives in Naperville, we hope these will allow future genealogists to hear directly from their ancestors.   

 

We have a lot happening at Naper Settlement. The Herman and Anna Hageman Memorial Thresher Hall opened August 12, 2022. The structure houses a 1912 Wood Bros. thresher used by the Hageman and Erb families. The Benck Family Agricultural Interpretative Center will have 4,000 square feet of new exhibit space and house a STEM lab. Innovation Gateway, Naper Settlement’s new front door, had its groundbreaking on July 17, 2022. Aside from being new places to visit, these buildings offer opportunities for extended research and collecting into Naperville’s agricultural past as well as its 20th and 21st century expansion.