Who is Northbrook's 'Detail Man'?

Friends call him "Detail Man" because he has such a good memory for facts and figures. But the moniker also reflects Don Hintz's intricate wood and restoration work.

In addition to building his own house, Hintz, who is 89, has recreated pieces of trim to match the Northbrook History Museum's Victorian-era woodwork, constructed the railings wrapping around the building, designed displays for exhibits and handmade numerous picture frames. He was also a pivotal force in fundraising to move and restore the 116-year-old building when the Northbrook Historical Society first bought it in the 1970s.

In recognition of his efforts of 35-plus years at the historical society, the village has declared Sept. 19 as "Don Hintz Day," a celebration that coincides with the 32nd annual Shermerfest.

"He's given back to the town in many, many ways," said Judy Hughes, president of the organization. "We wanted to have a way to honor him."

They did so in stealth mode. Before the society's annual meeting in May, Hintz noticed that the program read, "Don Hintz will be honored." When he arrived, he was surprised to see his son and daughter. "We got a letter saying it'd be nice if we came," they told their dad. Also in attendance were Hintz's two sisters and his grandson.

The meeting went on as normal, but following the election of the new board, Village President Sandy Frum read a proclamation recognizing Hintz's service to the village and declaring "Don Hintz Day."

"I wondered why all my relatives were there," said Hintz, who later wrote them a note of thanks and offered to buy them lunch if they attended Shermerfest. He was the longest continuously serving board member until his retirement last spring.

Though he spent his infant years in Iowa, Hintz has lived in Northbrook since he was 2 years old. So his knowledge of the village's history is extensive. In fact, Hintz was one of the authors of a book about the history of the village, called Northbrook, Illinois: The Fabric of Our History, which was written for the village's centennial in 2001.

"He's got so much history," Frum said. "He is so much history."

Hintz grew up on a chicken farm at Techny and Happy Hollow roads and attended West Northfield School, a one-room school on Sanders with nine students and one teacher. For eighth grade, he attended Northbrook School, where he met his future wife, Gladys. Their first date—instigated with the help of a matchmaking homeroom teacher—was the junior prom in spring of 1938.

After serving in World War II and a long career with the Culligan Co., Hintz got involved with the historical society in 1973, when he read a notice in the newspaper that one was forming. "Since my great-grandfather came to Northbrook in 1855, I thought I should be interested in the historical society," he said.

So he attended the first meeting. "The big news was Mrs. Bartelme had sold the tavern and she'd sell it to the historical society if they'd move it," he recalled of the deal to acquire the Northfield Inn. Once a popular restaurant and tavern, the Bartelme building had stood at the corner of Shermer and Waukegan roads since the 1890s.

"My first job was, find a place to move it," Hintz said. But fundraising responsibilities soon fell in his lap, too. Hintz went to the Northbrook Civic Foundation and Northfield Township to ask for money, and by 1975, the society had raised enough to put the building on wheels and transport it to the Village Green.  

Over the years, Hintz built  a display case for a scroll signed by Northbrook residents during the bicentennial, a console for the society's television and video cassette player, as well as numerous other gadgets and woodwork in the building. In the basement alone, Hintz could count 65 items he had made.

"He has suggested resigning from the board a couple of times, and we respectfully refused his offer to resign, because he was too valuable, and he's just such a nice, gentle friend," said Barbara Schultz, who has been on the historical society board for more than 20 years. "He has done so much above and beyond anybody that is currently involved."

Interested in reading more about Don Hintz's life? Check out a brief biography here.