Illinois Heritage

In this issue we meet another Illinois woman artist, learn about another “Forgotten Voice from Illinois History,” are unsettled by the history of lynching in Illinois, and challenged to explore the stories of Illinoisans (Minnie Vautrin) whose courage under fire humbly inspires us to selfless acts of heroism. We also meet the recipients of this year’s “Best of Illinois History” awards, including Glennette Tilley Turner and Greg Koos, our remarkable Lifetime Achievement award winners, whose passion for truth-telling will be paying dividends to all of us for years to come.

The Heritage is published six times per year and is available as a benefit of membership in the Illinois State Historical Society. Individual editions can also be purchased by contacting our office directly. Visit our Membership section for membership options and information.

Click on the “Read More” button to see this issue’s Editor's Comments, Table of Contents, and sample articles.

This issue of Illinois Heritage offers a snapshot of the “Best of Illinois History” ceremony, where we gave out more than 35 awards, including three Lifetime Achievements awards, the Olive Foster Teacher of the Year award, and the new Russell L. Lewis Jr. Young Museum Professional award. We also take a look at Ulysses S. Grant, the soldier from Galena who led the Union Army to victory in the Civil War and became the nation’s 18th President. In this two-part retrospective, we see Grant through the eyes of the soldiers who served under him along the way.

To our readers:

In this issue of Illinois Heritage we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Illinois State Archives, the venerable institution that houses the state’s most important government records. We also announce the winners of the 2021 “Best of Illinois History” awards.

Contributor Clark “Bucky” Halker, labor historian and former director of Illinois Humanities, explores Illinois’ rich history of songwriting and labor activism for the earliest days of coal mining through the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), focusing on the strong religious roots of the movement. In his “Forgotten Voices of Illinois History” essay, John Hallwas reintroduces us to John Hay, the poet, biographer, diplomat, and statesman who had the ear of presidents from Lincoln to Roosevelt. Candace Summers writes about the relatively unknown Bloomington artist Emily Howard, and Todd Carr of Elizabethtown takes us on a spring waterfall hike in the Shawnee National Forest.

Thanks to all of you for renewing your membership in the Illinois State Historical Society. You sustain the great work that began in 1899, to “foster awareness, understanding, research, preservation, and recognition of history in Illinois.” With your continued support, Illinois history will always have a great future.

The Illinois State Historical Society celebrates its 120th birthday on May 19. The organization has seen a lot of history unfold in those years––two world wars, women’s suffrage, several pandemics, and more technological, social, and cultural changes than our fore-fathers and mothers could ever have imagined. 

In this issue of Illinois Heritage we look at several fascinating people, places, and events in our state’s past that will stir your imagination and, perhaps, inspire you to visit your local library. While you’re there, ask if your library is a member of the ISHS, or if it subscribes to our publications. If they do not subscribe, encourage them to call us at 217-525-2781. We would love to have them share the resources of the Society with their readers. 

Thanks for your support––all of you––for helping us do the work of recording and interpreting our Prairie State history.

Share your Heritage. Know your past.

David Joens serves as guest editor of this issue of Illinois Heritage. His gifts of enthusiasm, professionalism, and passion for the history of our Prairie State––and most  especially his love of the architectural wonders of our Illinois statehouse––make him a splendid guide. To accomplish his task he has enlisted the help of John Lupton, director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historical Society; Mark Sorensen, past ISHS president and ex officio historian of the capitol; and illustrator William Crook Jr., who has shared one of his exquisite watercolor/pen and ink portraits of the statehouse for our cover. David also tells the story of a twelve-year collaboration between the ISHS and the Illinois House of Representatives to restore an amazing 19th-century montage that now hangs in the state capitol. The montage features individual photos of the entire 1879 House of Representatives.

Thank you for reading Illinois Heritage. Your membership and gifts keep this organization vital and relevant. We cannot serve Illinois history without you.