The Prairie Landscape

The Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award - 2006


Richard "Dick" Young

Nominated By The Honorable Craig Weber


Oswego


Richard "Dick" Young

Born and raised in Oswego, Dick Young has preserved his community's natural and historical resources in both his personal and professional life. Mr. Young is a World War II veteran and was one of the first to raise the flag at Iwo Jima. Over the years, he has shared his experiences in the war with numerous civic groups and schoolchildren so that they might appreciate the sacrifices that Americans have made in preserving our freedoms. Mr. Young spent most of his career of 35 years serving as Kendall County's building and zoning director and then as Kane County's environmental officer, and he has used these experiences to champion many causes. He assisted in the preservation of the historic Farnsworth House in Plano and helped establish the local Historical Society and the Oswegoland Park District. He was instrumental in saving the old Route 34 limestone bridge, which crosses Fox River in downtown Oswego, and he has donated numerous artifacts to the Little White Schoolhouse Museum. Mr. Young personally built several homes and buildings in the Oswego area, adding to its rich historical past; after returning from World War II, he used the region's native limestone to build his own home, which features a stone map of the Midwest on one side. In addition to these historical contributions, Mr. Young is well known for his knowledge of and devotion to the environment and has been honored with the naming of the Dick Young Forest Preserve.

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