Theme: A Night at the Speakeasy

Come dolled up and dapper in your vintage 1920s finery or evening cocktail party attire for a seriously fun time!

The event will include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, live entertainment, wine pull, and the Annual Awards presentation recognizing indivuals, groups, and oranizations that have furthered the collection, preservation, and interpretation of Illinois history.

We close 2019 with three outstanding scholarly contributions to Illinois history. In “Getting to ‘Lake Michigan’: a 350-year Onomastic Odyssey,” Michael McCafferty, a linguist at Indiana University Bloomington, explores the origins of the placename, “Michigan.” While popular translations have long affixed the meaning “big water” to the placename “Michigan,” McCafferty finds that this myth is not supported in the linguistic evidence.

In “A Writer of More Than Usual Charm: The Dynamic Influence of Dr. Milo Milton Quaife and Harriet Martineau on Juliette Magill Kinzie’s Contributions to American Frontier Literature,” literary historian Franklin E. Court traces Quaife’s influence in both elevating Kinzie to, and preserving her place in, the canon of early nineteenth century American frontier literature.

In “Sorrow Comes to All: Bloomington, Illinois’s Demonstration of Community Participation in Civil War Grief,” Megan VanGorder explores the rituals and practices surrounding death and grief in the Civil War.

The Boone County Historical Society (BCHS) and Boone County Museum of History (BCMH) announce K-B Farms, Inc.’s donation of the 113 year old “Funderburg House” mansion, along with a $1 million gift for long-term maintenance of the property. Over the coming months, The Funderburg House will undergo renovations and updates to eventually become a multipurpose historic house museum, rental facility, and community gathering space. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our museum, as well as our community,” says BCMH Executive Director Anna Pivoras. “We are so thankful for this generous gift from K-B Farms and the Funderburg family, and are looking forward to a bright future for the historic residence.”