The Oak Brook Historical Society (OBHS) will present a compelling public lecture on Sunday, April 19, 2026, as part of the Audrey Muschler Memorial Speaker Series, examining one of the most consequential periods in regional history: the transformation of Indigenous land into American real estate in the Western Great Lakes between 1673 and 1833.
Titled “The Cultural Contest for the Western Great Lakes: The Transformation of Native Land into Real Estate (1673–1838),” the program explores how Indigenous nations, European empires, and the emerging United States shaped—and reshaped—the land and communities of Northern Illinois. The lecture will be presented by distinguished historians Dr. Ann Durkin Keating and Sue Devick.