State Representative Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, and State Senator Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, visited the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center on Monday to present an official copy of House Resolution 424, legislation Keicher introduced and passed to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the Homestead, founded in 1861.
“The Glidden Homestead is one of our community’s most cherished landmarks, one that continues to educate and inspire succeeding generations of DeKalb County families on the contributions of the Glidden family and their incredible impact on our nation’s history,” Representative Keicher said. “Senator Syverson and I congratulate the Glidden Homestead on their milestone anniversary and thank their members and volunteers for keeping this legacy of innovation and achievement alive.”
The Glidden Homestead and Historical Center sits on the site where Joseph F. Glidden invented barbed wire with his second wife, Lucinda. Members of the Glidden family lived on the Homestead from the time it was built in 1861 until 1998, when it became a museum. The Illinois State Historical Society has erected a historical marker commemorating barbed wire manufacturing at the Glidden Homestead.
House Resolution 424 commemorating the 160th anniversary of the Glidden Homestead was adopted by the Illinois House of Representatives on September 9. The legislation had been introduced by Representative Keicher on August 19.
The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center is dedicated to telling an American story of migration, innovation and philanthropy at the site where Joseph F. Glidden invented “The Winner” barbed wire. The mission is to restore and preserve the site; to collect and preserve relevant materials relating to the Glidden family, the invention of barbed wire and its broader impact on the nation’s development; and to educate the public by establishing a museum and innovation center at the site. To learn more, please visit www.gliddenhomestead.org.