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To our friends and colleagues,

In cooperation with state mandates concerning the COVID-19 pandemic requiring cancellation of public gathers of more than 100 persons, the Illinois State Historical Society has decided to postpone its scheduled "Best of Illinois History Awards Gala," originally slated for Friday, April 24, 2020. We are following protocols established by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health to ensure the safety of the public and request that all persons experiencing flu-like symptoms stay indoors. Likewise those individuals who have been in personal contact with symptomatic people should error on the side of caution to avoid the spread of the novel corona virus.

The Illinois State Historical Society will maintain regular office hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but those who need to conduct business with the staff are advised to call ahead.

The Society plans to reschedule the "Best of Illinois History Awards Gala" when restrictions of public gatherings have been lifted, and our best wishes go out to the ISHS family. The Society's Annual Meeting will also be reschedule when it is deemed safe and practical for its members to gather and vote for new directors and advisors.

Wishing you the best of health and a happy spring!

William Furry
Executive Director

To our readers:

The nominations are in and buzz is building. If you have not already done so, mark your calendars for Friday, April 24 and the “Best of Illinois History Awards Gala,” the night the Illinois State Historical Society celebrates the people, organizations, authors, museums, and historical societies that made history in the Prairie State in 2019. If you haven’t already received your invitation in the mail, call us. We’ll have one in the mail before you can name the state fossil.

This issue of Illinois Heritage contains articles on several fascinating people, places, and events in our state’s past that will stir your imagination, bring you closer to the essence of Illinois and, perhaps, stoke your own creative fires.

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

An historical marker noting the location of the Robert Prager lynching in 1918 will be dedicated at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4 at the entrance to St. John Cemetery, St. Louis Road at National Terrace, Collinsville.

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.”