Newsroom

November’s ISHS History Happy Hour program is entitled Native Americans of the Illinois Country and is presented by Mark Walczynski. Mark is the Park Historian for the Starved Rock Foundation located at Starved Rock State Park, Utica, Illinois. Mark’s studies focus on the Franco-Amerindian history of the Western Great Lakes and the Illinois Country during the last 40 years of the 1600s. He is also an affiliate with the Illinois Archaeological Survey.

We are looking for photos taken at the Edgewater Beach Hotel that include people in various locations. There are plenty of photos of the building both inside and outside. We are hoping to find more of people enjoying the hotel.

Just in time for Halloween, the Illinois State Historical Society is proud to present its very first program of the ISHS History Happy Hour. This first presentation, "Stories in Stone: Decoding the Sentiment Behind Cemetery Symbolism," is presented by our very own board member Debra Dudek.

The Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS) welcomes the ongoing public discussion about monuments and commemoration in the Prairie State. Communities across Illinois face decisions about the presence of commemorative statues, monuments, and memorials and the naming of public spaces and buildings.

The Illinois State Historical Society seeks a few good people to serve on its  Board of Directors and Advisory Board.

Do you know someone who has:

• enthusiasm for promoting Illinois history through the Illinois State Historical Society’s educational, commemorative, research and publishing activities?
• experience as a lay-person or professional in the field of local, state, regional and/or national history?
• concern for connecting the Society with local organizations and communities and expanding the Society’s membership, and ideas for ways of accomplishing these goals?
• an understanding that Board service involves some personal expense as well as a commitment of time, as the Society holds its Board meetings (usually four per year) and its committee meetings in locations around the State.