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September shines light on the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, created in 1998 to show the history of resistance to enslavement. The Network to Freedom features a verified, ongoing list of Underground Railroad sites, facilities and programs in the United States.

With the Summer Solstice fast fading in the rearview mirror, we’re setting sights on Autumnal adventures, starting with the ISHS’s Sesquicentennial House of Worship luncheon, which takes place September 23 in Springfield. Next on the ISHS calendar is the Annual Conference on Illinois History, which takes place October 5–6 at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

The July-August issue of Illinois Heritage includes Clifton Jackson’s article on the 1902 racially motivated attacks in Eldorado that shut down a Tuskegee-modeled school before it got off the ground, and Jim Ridings’ curious story about the Aurora mayor who appointed a parrot to run that city’s police force.

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.

The Spring 2023 issue of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society is now available. The Journal, the scholarly publication of the ISHS, is published quarterly and is a benefit of membership in the Illinois State Historical Society. Each issue includes articles, essays, book reviews, and documents about history, literature, art technology, law, and other subjects related to Illinois and the Midwest. Visit our Membership page for membership options and information. Click on the “Read More” button to read this issue's Editor's Notes and see a list of articles included in this issue.

The McLean County Museum of History dedicated a new historical marker on Thursday that shares the story of Normal’s early African American residents.

Five nonprofit organizations received grants from the Sangamon County Historical Society to fund special projects that help preserve and promote local history. The grant awards were announced Tuesday, June 13, at the Society’s annual meeting at Island Bay Yacht Club.