Steve Bigolin, 76, has never been the type to act as a gatekeeper to DeKalb local history.

The DeKalb resident said he’s long been more into sharing and preserving.

“It’s such a rich history,” Bigolin said. “It really deserves to be preserved.”

Bigolin said he feels honored to have been among four people recognized by Boy Scout Troop 33 with the DeKalb County Tribute to Heroes award.

Other honorees included TD Ryan, John Castle and Dorothy Stoddard.

Boy Scout Troop 33, which is chartered at First Lutheran Church in DeKalb, recently took time to recognize the recipients of the DeKalb County Tribute to Heroes award.

Bigolin said the recognition meant a great deal to him because he’s devoted about 50 years to local historical groups and historic preservation activities.

Unable to stand in acceptance of the award, Bigolin asked his friend, J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center executive director Jessi Haish LaRue, to attend the recent program on his behalf.

Since then, Bigolin has been privately gifted with his award along with a flag that has traveled to all four corners of DeKalb County.

During the awards program, LaRue said she spoke about Bigolin’s impact on the local history community and her first experience with him nearly 12 years ago.

At the time, LaRue had only started research on Jacob Haish, one of her relatives, who is widely recognized as one of the leading inventors of barbed wire.

LaRue heaped praise on Bigolin for what he’s achieved.

“I think the award was very well deserved,” LaRue said. “Steve has been in this community for years and has a deep love for DeKalb County history, a lot of times using his own time and resources to do research and share the stories with the public. To have him recognized for his huge body of work, which [includes] public presentations, writing and things like that, it was due. So, I’m really happy for him.”

Sean Nadeau, senior district executive for Scouting America’s Three Fires Council, said bestowing Bigolin with an award made sense on many levels.

“It’s a real resource for us to know where we’ve come from, where we’ve been to, and where we’re planning on going,” Nadeau said. “He’s such a valid resource and such a great example of keeping those records and making that impact.”

Scouting for America’s Three Fires Council is primarily dedicated to serving troops in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties.

Nadeau said the council’s wish is to highlight locals who make a difference.

“We honor local heroes, whether they’ve been scouts or not, and want to show our support and also for the community to support us for us to continue developing young men and women into great citizens for the future,” Nadeau said.

Bigolin has volunteered his time over the years at the DeKalb County History Center, leading historic home tours and contributing to articles for publication in Corn Silk, the history center’s quarterly magazine. He also served from 1998 to 2000 on the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council, the group that enabled the historic Cook mansion to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bigolin’s volunteerism extends back to 1972, when he started as a docent at Ellwood House.

His love for history only grew from there.

In 1978, Bigolin took charge of co-founding the DeKalb Landmark Commission, a city panel that no longer exists.

More recently, Bigolin has been delivering historical talks each month to residents at Barb City Manor.

Health challenges have slowed Bigolin down in recent years. But he said he appreciates the displays of support he’s gotten.

In 2023, DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes issued a proclamation in tribute to Bigolin and his birthday. Little did Bigolin know, he said he’d become part of the record, thereby cementing his own place in DeKalb local history.

Bigolin said he’s been surprised seeing how some young people continue to demonstrate an interest in DeKalb local history.

“I’ve been amazed more recently by the number of people who are younger than me [who] continue to become involved with Ellwood House,” he said. “I love the fact that the place is still attracting young people. It’s awesome. Unless you get the young people in, can you have much for a future?”

LaRue said she’s learned a lot about history from knowing Bigolin.

“Steve is someone who has been involved in the local history community for a long time, but he still stays very curious and very enthusiastic, and that’s something that I strive for as well,” LaRue said. “We always have to be excited about these stories. We need to make them fresh for a new generation. His enthusiasm about local history is very contagious, and that’s something I really admire.”

As a graduate of Northern Illinois University with degrees in ancient history and secondary education, Bigolin has used his skillset to teach others.

“My interest has always been in buildings, homes and home building,” Bigolin said. “That’s my particular area of expertise. That’s why I’ve led so many walking tours, both in Sycamore and DeKalb, because there’s so much architecture and history in these two towns to share. And it does me no good just to keep it stuck up here.”

Bigolin said his favorite part of history is studying it.

“We’re still making history today,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of history around us that we need to do our best to try to promote and preserve.”