Newsroom

The Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists (CAVA) and the North Shore Art League (NSAL) are excited to announce their second joint summer-themed show, Forgotten Illinois. We are seeking works of art--paintings, prints, photographs, drawings, fiber art, mixed media, sculpture and ceramics--that tell a story, interpret an event, or reveal new insights about Illinois history from a 21st century perspective.

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.

This week the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Historical Society announced the 2019 recipients of the King V. Hostick Scholarships, awarded to graduate history students who have completed all but their dissertations and are visiting Illinois libraries to complete their research.
 

The Illinois State Historical Society is now accepting applications for the 2019 ISHS Centennial Business Awards. 

Was your Illinois-based business founded in 1919 or earlier? Has it been accepted into the ISHS Centennial Business database and been recognized by the Society at the annual Centennial Awards luncheon? If not, go to the Society's web page at www.historyillinois.org and download an application. If you're having trouble finding the appropriate documentation for determining your business's eligibility, we can help. 

This year's applications are due in July. Don't wait to apply. The Society is honoring this year's inductees on September 14!

The year was 1869. In New York City, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association. Ulysses S. Grant was sworn in as the nation’s 18th president. The transcontinental railroad was completed with a golden spike in Promontory, Utah. Overseas, Egypt’s new Suez Canal linked the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. And here in Illinois, Cyrus Thomas was charged by the first Board of Trustees of the fledgling Southern Illinois Normal University (SINU)—(now Southern Illinois University Carbondale) to organize a university museum.