Of the more than 25,000 buried in Silverbrook Cemetery, several have left "monuments" to their community.
Among the Niles' treasures secured for us by our ancestors, now resting in Silverbrook, are Island Park, the boulder which marks the place of Fort Saint Joseph, the Cross of Father Allouez and the former "Castle Rest" mansion, once located on the spot now occupied by Lakeland "Pawating" Hospital.
The Woman's Progressive League of Niles played a large role in the community since its founding in 1912. The first president and one of its organizing members was Mrs. W. W. (Adeline) Dresden.
"Since the removal of the family from Chicago to Niles, in 1903, Mrs. Dresden has taken an active part in the city, church, and club affairs, aiding every movement for the uplift, pleasure, improvement, and betterment of the community. Her home, 'Castle Rest,' was constantly the scene of gracious hospitality, its doors being open alike to private and public entertainment. The city's interests were close to her heart and it was largely through her zeal and interest, that the Woman's Progressive League, to which most of the women of the city and vicinity belong, was organized," an article from the Jan. 22, 1915, issue of the Niles Daily Star said.
Click here for the full article on the Niles Daily Star website
Published June 29th, 2007