In 1973, Jean moved to Chesterton with her family. She loved being in the heart of the Indiana Dunes on the southern tip of Lake Michigan.
Soon her childern were grown and married and jean had plenty of time on her hands. She decided to open a shop to sell craft doll house furniture because she loved the world of fantasy which dolls and doll houses create.
Picking the shop's name was a challenge. One night, still not sure of a name, Jean dreamt of the Wicked Witch of the West. The next morning she named her shop, "The Yellow Brick Road." A perfect name Jean thought-what better avenue could there be to fntasy that a yellow brick road? It was also appropriate since Jean and her famliy had looked forward to the annual TV broadcast of "The Wizard of OZ." She remembers the happiness shared by the entire Family while watching it each year since 1956.
When The Yellow Brick Road opened in 1978, the shop had NO Wizard of Oz items; it only carried dolls, doll furniture and miniatures. The name was simply descriptive of the fantasy aspect of her business. Then the unexpected happened. Customers asked if she had Oz items for sale. This happened so often that she purchased a cupboard and ordered afew Oz items to sells. Interest in the Oz merchandise grew and soon the store carried more Oz items than doll furniture!
With the changing direction of her shop nd her own increased interest in Oz merchandising as well as collecting, she became more amd more occupied with Oz aspect. She was thrilled at the joy it brought people. Jean loved gleeful reaction of adults as well as children when they spied Oz goods, wares and collectibles. She spent more and more time on stocking and searching for Oz merchandise.
There was still a demand, however, for other fantasy stock. Jean struck on th co-op plan. The Yellow Brick Road will be a co-op shop- a fantasy co-op gift shop! She sought out people who are as dedicated to their areas of fantasy as ashe is to Oz fantasy. There is now a Barbie Boutique, American Girl Gift Shop, Winkie Whimsies Miniatures, Carol's Doll Shop and The Bunny Hutch Bunnies, bears & Beaine Babies amoung others. In Margaret Hamiltom surprised one and all with a visit to The Yellow Brick Road. She came to see what Chesterton and the fantasy gift shop were all about. She also brought afew gifts for Jean's collection, Hamilton very seriously suggested that Jean open an Oz museum.
And,so,the Oz Fantasy Museum was born at the Yellow Brick Road in 1981. The staff has lost count of howmany thousands of people have toured the small museum. All vistiors are amused as Jean tells them, "It's .25 to see the Oz Fantasy Museum and, if your don't like what you see, we'll give you the quarter back!"
When the Duneland are suffered the effects of the steel mill layoffs and closings in the earlt 1980s, it was logical for Jean to try to cheer everybody up. On a Saturday afternoon in 1982 shee arranged foe a few Oz oriented activities and, with the help of several downtown store owners, held the first Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival. That three hour event attended by several hundred people has grown to the current three-day affair attracting more than 90,000 people to Chesterton each year.
As word of Jean's shop and her search for Oz memorabilia for the Oz Fantasy Museum spread, she was delighteds to have-new found friends from all walks of life send her Oz related items. Her collection grew as the festival. The Chesterton wizard of Oz Festival grew and grew! It soon grew to large for Jean to handle, even with a strong committee of volunteers from all over the Duneland area and Northen Indiana. More and more help came from businesses and civic organizations in Chesterton, Porter,Burns Harbor and Portage.
It became apparent that a supervising organization needed to be in place. Nothing seemed more logical than the Duneland Chamber od Commerce. In 1994, the chamber became the official sponsor of the Chesterton wizard of Oz Festival.
