LEAF RIVER – Morning light filters through the tall windows of a former church in Leaf River, illuminating photographs, trophies and memories carefully gathered across generations.

Inside a building where hymns once sung the praisers of a higher power now sits a quiet museum that sings the praises the past, a guardian of the town’s history.

Though the town is smaller these days than it used to be, the mission of preserving its past is no less important to the docents who’ve dedicated their time to sharing the story of their hometown’s history, at the Leaf River Historical Society and Museum.

For its president, Dea Groen, the museum is more than just a home for history, it’s a place where the townspeople’s collective memories live on.

“We try to house things in here that are related to our town, and to the history of Leaf River, and the people who lived here,” Groen said. “We’ve acquired all of the stuff that is in here. The purpose is to house and keep all of the memories of the community, and to have some place to reflect and share with the community.”

The society’s mission involves collecting, researching, preserving and displaying historical documents, photographs, antiques and artifacts tied to the town and its residents. The goal is to safeguard those items and make them available for study so future generations can better understand where they came from. Exhibits trace everyday life in the community. Schools, businesses, residents — their stories are there, a testament to the town’s perseverance. Photos open a window into the past, allowing visitors to peer through the years and see the way Leaf River used to be, from its early buildings to scenes of people skating on the river.

Some artifacts come from surrounding villages such as Lightsville, Egan and Myrtle. One of the most unusual is a late 1800s dog-powered treadmill from Egan once used by farmer Owen Grieff to run a dairy cream separator. A note beside the exhibit recalls that when the family moved up the road, the dog refused to follow until the treadmill was moved as well.

Displays are set up throughout the building, including the basements, and highlight history with a wide range of artifacts and mementos, including exhibits on the Boy Scouts, Future Homemakers of America, and FFA. A growing military wall honors local service members and the city’s role in defending the nation, dating back to World War I. A banner from the former Leaf River Grange and a collection of 1940s television sets offer additional glimpses into the area’s past.

Groen herself has a personal connection to the museum’s school memorabilia. Leaf River High School closed in 1989, but Leaf River Demon pride hasn’t become a thing of the past, especially with alumni who still live in the area and remember attending sports events, concerts and community functions. Class photos, yearbooks and memorabilia — much of it in the school colors of blue and white — are like living history lessons. Groen attended Leaf River High School for three years before finishing her senior year in Forreston in 1990. Visitors often gravitate toward the school photos, searching for familiar faces, she said.

“Since the school doesn’t exist, we have all of it here,” Groen said. “People like to see that, and go back and flip through and see the pictures of their parents and grandparents. We have a lot of school pride, so that’s really important to the town, with the school and all of its functions. The community enjoyed themselves coming to all of the games of all of the sports, it was a really big deal, and something for all of the families to do as well.”

Another exhibit pays tribute to one of the school’s most celebrated traditions: its band.

Society member Nick Heidenreich remembers the pride the community felt in the Leaf River High School band program, particularly during its competitive success in the 1970s. The Demon band captured Illinois High School Association Class D state championships in 1975 and 1976, after finishing third in 1974. Today, those achievements are preserved through plaques, trophies, uniforms and band memorabilia at the museum.

For Heidenreich, preserving those accomplishments represents something larger than nostalgia.

“I think we should just never forget these little towns,” he said. “We don’t have a school anymore. We have to showcase what we used to be and keep the memories alive. We don’t want anyone to forget what Leaf River used to be.”

Leaf River was established in 1881 on the south bank of the river it’s named for not long after the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (the “Milwaukee Road”) laid its tracks to connect the Chicago area to Savanna. Prior to its founding, the village of Lightsville was established in 1840 one mile north of the current town, but the railroad brought much of Lightsville’s business and residents to the new town. Lightsville remains a small village and was the longtime home of the local grange for more than 100 years until it closed in 2024.

Society member Paul Detmer helps document the town’s past and present through brochures and souvenir guides. In his eyes, the museum fills an important gap in a community where many familiar places have vanished over time.

“We’re here to preserve the history of Leaf River,” Detmer said. “We’re special because we lack so many things that used to be here. Many people come here to check the history of the properties that were in the family. We have an old stack of phone books here from Leaf River. They’re looking for names.”

The museum’s collection continues to grow as residents donate items that might otherwise disappear. Some pieces arrive with deep family histories attached to them. Others simply reflect everyday life in the town decades ago. Society member Florene Wagner has seen that connection firsthand while exploring the museum’s photo collections.

“My husband’s family has been here for umpteen years,” Wagner said. “It’s kind of interesting to see the Wagner family through pictures and everything.”

For board treasurer Sandy Simms, the museum’s appeal lies partly in the sense of place it preserves. Originally from St. Louis, Simms moved to the rural area because she preferred the quieter lifestyle of the countryside. Her appreciation for history eventually drew her into the work of the society.

“I’m a history buff, and that’s what got me interested in it,” Simms said. “I just like country living, that’s why I moved out here. Coming out here to the country, I lived several years with my grandparents, who were farmers. I liked it. I tell my friends down home that I go to bed with the crickets and the frogs, which is what you don’t hear in the big city.”

Simms says visitors often experience a similar appreciation when they step inside the museum. “Whether they grew up in the town or are just passing through, many leave with a deeper understanding of the community, and “a new knowledge of the town,” Simms said.

“Some of them don’t know it,” she added. “Some have forgotten it. When the school alumni come through, they’ll say, ‘I remember that,’ or, ‘I forgot about that.’ To hear them say that makes you feel good that we have this here for them to look at.”

The museum itself exists largely because community leaders once made a deliberate decision to protect the historic church from redevelopment. Built in 1894 as the Leaf River United Brethren Church, the building served the congregation until it closed in 1993. Residents formed the historical society two years later and transformed the former church into a museum. The property is now owned by the village but maintained by volunteers.

Connie Kretsinger, a society member whose husband Dick served as mayor of Leaf River from 1977 to 2001, remembers that moment clearly. When the United Brethren congregation decided to sell the building, village leaders worried it could be converted into something that wouldn’t last.

“The village bought it when my husband was mayor,” Kretsinger said. “They decided that when UB would sell to someone, they didn’t want it to be apartments. That’s when they decided to make it into a museum.”

Today, about 25 people belong to the society, though roughly 10 remain actively involved in its day-to-day work. Members gather for monthly meetings to plan exhibits, organize events and keep the museum running.

Fundraising is a constant focus. Over the years, the society has held hot dog sales, rummage sales and open houses to help generate support, along with bake sales during the community’s annual Leaf River Days celebration every June. Simms says the bake sale alone can bring in several hundred dollars. Last year, she said, the total reached closer to $700.

Beyond raising money, those events also help remind residents that the museum not only still exists, but it still matters. Groen says that visibility is crucial as the society looks to recruit new members and keep the organization moving forward.

“We’re trying to let people know that we’re still here,” Groen said. “We’re letting the community know on social media to come and support us. We don’t want to fade in the background, we want to still be noticed and not dwindle away to nothing.”

The Leaf River Historical Society and Museum, 203 East Third St. in Leaf River, is open from 1 to 3 p.m. on the first and third Sundays from April to October, or by appointment. Find it on Facebook or email lrhistoricalsocietyandmuseum@gmail.com for more information.

Donations to support its cause can be mailed to P.O. Box 32, Leaf River, Illinois, 61047.