NIU STEAM Café
Innovation and Local History: The Glidden Homestead
Aug. 19, 2026
6:30 p.m.

Glidden Homestead Museum (921 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, IL, 60115).

Food and drinks will be available for purchase from the Burritoville food truck. Weather permitting, the event will be held outdoors, so attendees are welcome to bring chairs or picnic blankets.

Speaker: Jessi Haish LaRue, executive director of the J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center.

Barbed wire profoundly changed the United States, and one of the most important innovations in this revolutionary technology happened right here in DeKalb. Joseph F. Glidden was granted a patent Nov. 24, 1874, for "The Winner," which became one of the most widely used types of barbed wire in the nation.

At this STEAM Café, hear the story of the Glidden homestead. Learn why Joseph Glidden needed barbed wire, how he created this new version and why it was so transformative. Then, tour the historic barn and see the latest updates in its restoration progress. Don’t miss this chance to dig into DeKalb’s historical roots in agricultural innovation.

About the speaker

Jessi Haish LaRue is the executive director of the J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center in DeKalb, home to two National Register of Historic Places buildings. Leading the organization since 2022, she brings a creative, forward-looking approach to the birthplace of “The Winner” barbed wire. An eighth-generation DeKalb County resident and descendant of barbed wire baron Jacob Haish, LaRue's connection to local history is both deeply personal and future-focused.

Register for this free event.