The J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center recently was awarded a grant from the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary to create a museum children’s activity area.

The $1,694 was presented to the homestead Sept. 9, according to a news release.

The children’s activity area will be a permanent, hands-on homestead exhibit. The activity area also will feature furniture, toys and books related to the barbed wire story, homestead and farming.

“Our club contributes to both local and global efforts, but we decided several years ago that children, youth and families would be our priority. This project in particular hit all the right buttons for us,” Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club member Davis Dosier said in the release. “The Glidden Homestead is an important part of our local history, and the activity center will not only contribute to children’s education but will also make the site a little more family-friendly, allowing more families to take in this local treasure.”

The children’s activity center will feature farm toy donations from the Cheladyn family, including toy tractors and horses. The toys were used as extras or replaced in a diorama created by Richard and Joann Lichthardt which was displayed at the Sycamore Steam Show. The toys were donated to continue the legacy of sharing the area’s farming history by Joey Cheladyn, the Lichthardt’s grandson.

“We are thrilled to bring tangible history that will encourage our youngest of visitors to fall in love with local history,” J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center Executive Director Jessi Haish LaRue said in the release. “We believe in the importance of understanding and appreciating history from a young age; it provides the building blocks for critical thinking, [offers] a sense of belonging, and fosters hometown pride.”

The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center is a nonprofit organization working to preserve the home and barn while providing educational opportunities to the public.

The house and welcome center are open from noon to 4 p.m. each Sunday. The Phineas Vaughan Blacksmith Shop, also located on the Glidden campus, is open each Sunday while volunteer blacksmiths provide living history demonstrations of the craft. Admission to the museum and tour is $5 for adults; children younger than 14 and homestead members are admitted for free.

For information, email jessi@gliddenhomestead.org, call 815-756-7904 or visit GliddenHomestead.org.