Evi and Executive Director Michelle Donahoe at the DeKalb County History Center’s new exhibit.
Food is well known as something that brings families and friends together. Food gives us clues about who we are and where we live. Sharing meals helps shape the cultures of people all over the world.
The DeKalb County History Center in Sycamore, Illinois, is showcasing a new exhibit spotlighting this phenomenon, called “Food: Gathering Around the Table.”
DeKalb County has a population of just over 100,000. Many well-known food companies, including Del Monte and Nestle, have offices in the county.
The History Center highlights important events and people from the county’s past through exhibits, programs and research. The new “Food” exhibit is the result of a program called Museum on Main Street, or MoMS for short. Launched in 1994, MoMS provides a way for cities and towns across the United States to access the resources of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education and research facility.
The History Center was one of only five organizations in the U.S. selected to participate in the “Food” exhibit. “The Smithsonian provided the script for the exhibit, which is a national-level text,” explains Michelle Donahoe, the center’s executive director. “We identified local examples and objects to help tell that story.”
“Food brings people together,” Donahue told Evie.
Introduction of microwave oven
Exhibits feature aprons, menus, tableware and more, and also explore ethnic history, food insecurity and etiquette.
The wooden table on display is from the DeKalb County Jail. It was used to prepare meals for inmates until 1986.
Menus dating back to the 1920s show how prices and food selections have changed over time. A recipe for “Tres Leches Cake” created by a Guatemalan student highlights a popular Latin American dessert: the sponge cake is made with three types of milk.
Recipes like Microwave Deep Fried Pork Chops and Microwave Pineapple Upside-Down Cake show how changing technology has affected food preparation, for better or worse. Microwaves, which can heat food relatively quickly, first became popular in the United States in the 1970s.
“Food brings people together, and that’s what I love about this exhibit,” Donohue said. “I really hope it helps people realize that we have more in common than we think.”
“Food: Gathering Around the Table” will run through early 2026 and will include more than 10 auxiliary venues at historical societies and museums throughout DeKalb County.
