‘People from 150 years ago weren’t really different from us’

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Matthew Galik stands at a desk at the Mokena Community Public Library, where he works part time, with a copy of his book and poster advertising one of his book signings. | Supplied Photo

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:23AM

Mokena historian Matt Galik could say it all began in a place where it all ends for most people — in a cemetery.

That was about half a lifetime ago for the 25-year-old author of “Mokena: Images of America.”

“I was helping with a restoration project at the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery on Wolf Road when I was around 12,” Galik said. “The Mokena Women’s Club started sprucing the place up.”

Galik said even then he had an interest in local history and was glad to be part of the project, resetting broken grave markers and probing the ground for markers that had become overgrown and sunken.

“The sound of the iron probe hitting the gravestone, and then gently digging away until, slowly, a name, a death date, and maybe a sentimental description was revealed ... It was surreal. To me, it felt like going back into time,” Galik said. “It took history that was something from a book and put it right in my face and made it real.”

Making it real is what Galik hopes he accomplished with his first book published by Arcadia Publishing as part of the Images of America series.

“I didn’t have to travel far to find history. It’s right here, literally everywhere, especially in my town in Mokena,” Galik said. “I found people from 150 years ago weren’t really different from us. It’s just a separation of time.”

Time and timing have been important to Galik’s success. The research on local history that Galik began as a boy has become, in large part, the rich detail of the captions for nearly 75 photos in the book.

His timing was the result of a resolve he had late in 2010 to see what interest there might be in publishing a book of local history.

On Nov. 7, 2011, the book was a reality.

Galik said none of it would have been possible without the help of several Mokena residents.

Years ago, Mokena Community Public Library librarian Carol Tracy, who’s been very supportive of Galik’s interest in local history, sent him to see local historian Richard Quinn for answers to research questions for a junior high school writing project.

Quinn, a Mokena Junior High history teacher from the 1960s through the 1990s, had worked on a centennial booklet for Mokena in 1979 while acting as a village trustee. His visits with long-time village residents and collection of photos for the booklet earned Quinn a reputation as a local historian.

“I’ve had a lot of really positive reinforcement from Mr. Quinn,” Galik said. “He receives my research on Mokena with a very interested spirit. Whenever I thought no one cares about this stuff, he’s always disproven that.”

Quinn, in turn, introduced Galik to Robert Horras, a former Mokena resident now residing in Princeton who has collected hundreds of photos of Mokena.

Galik said about 90 percent of the photos in his book, which range from the earliest known photo of Mokena in 1870 through 1969, are from the Robert Horras Collection.

Galik said Mokena residents Carol Norton and David Kropp also shared invaluable information and photos for the book.

Galik said both Norton and Kropp have long-standing family ties to Mokena. According to Galik, Norton’s great-great-great grandfather John McGovney was the first white settler of Frankfort Township.

To Galik, who said he had an “Oh, wow!” moment every day while working on the book, input from current residents was an important element in his research, preferring to focus on people rather than buildings, places, and events.

“I’m of the firm belief that the history of regular people is just as interesting as the history we learn about in books in school,” Galik said. “I’ve tried my hardest to put a very human face on it.”

“Mokena: Images of America” can be purchased at www.amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Mokena Chamber of Commerce and Mokena Village Hall.