September 14, 2024
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Del Monte plant history subject of next lecture in DeKalb County History Center series

By Shaw Local News Network
Michelle Donahoe talks about items on display in the “Food: Gathering Around the Table” exhibit from the Del Monte company that includes pea crates. The Del Monte section is one of the largest sections in the exhibit that visitors to the DeKalb County History Center will have the opportunity to see for the next two years.

Michelle Donahoe talks about items on display in the “Food: Gathering Around the Table” exhibit from the Del Monte company that includes pea crates. The Del Monte section is one of the largest sections in the exhibit that visitors to the DeKalb County History Center will have the opportunity to see for the next two years. (AgriNews photo/Martha Blum)

SYCAMORE – The September hybrid Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore series will feature a program on the Del Monte corn and pea processing plant history.

The free program will be held at noon Thursday, Sept. 5 at the history center, 1730 N. Main St., Sycamore.

During the program, research volunteer Ann Shult will discuss Del Monte’s impact and history from 1925 to 1994. Attendees also can listen to stories from Harlan Hawkins and Sherril Pecor, former Del Monte employees. The program includes a Q&A session.

“This was a lot of fun to research,” Shult said in a news release. “From the purchasing of the property for the plant, the impact of World War II, the donation of corn for the corn boil, to changes in technology both in the plant and on the farms, and of course, the smell during harvest season. This is a great story.”

Del Monte plant number 111 permanently closed in 1994. The plant’s history was rarely documented or collected. The history center researched the plant for its “Food: Gathering Around the Table” exhibit.

The “Wanna Hear Something Corny? A History of Del Monte in DeKalb County” program is part of Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore, a free lecture series offered as part of a collaboration between the DeKalb County History Center and the Ellwood House Museum.

Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore is funded in part by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.

For information, call 815-895-5762 or visit dekalbcountyhistory.org.

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