Episode 26: Jessi Haish LaRue, Joseph Glidden Homestead and Historical Center

All Things Local

This month’s episode is an interview with Jessi Haish LaRue, the new executive director of the Glidden Homestead in DeKalb. If her maiden name sounds familiar, it is. Her 4th great-uncle was Jacob Haish. If you’re from the DeKalb area, you’ve probably seen his name around town and he is often referred to as one of DeKalb’s founding fathers along with Joseph Glidden, Isaac Ellwood, and Clinton Rosette.

In addition to their mutual barbed wire business interests, this group was responsible for bringing a teacher’s college to DeKalb, what became Northern Illinois University.

Glidden, Haish, and Ellwood also came up with barbed-wire patents, which made DeKalb the barbed-wire capital of the world. Barbed wire references are everywhere from the local high school Barbs, Barbed Wire Harley-Davidson, Barb City Manor, Barb City Roasters, and Barb City Bagels.

In this interview with Jessi, we learn more about her own discovery and connection to her family’s history and her new role as executive director of the Joseph Glidden Homestead and Historical Center on West Lincoln Highway. She gets to share her love of local history with residents and visitors bringing the many stories of the Haishes and Gliddens together.

You can catch up with Jessi by visiting the Glidden Homestead and checking out her blog “A Twist in History”.

Enjoy the conversation!