By Julia Evelsizer Of the (Bloomington) Pantagraph Grand manors make up the skylines of many Illinois communities, but the history encapsulated at the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington holds it […]

By Steve Tarter Of the Journal Star of Peoria Peoria wasn’t always a company town. It was a distillery town, a farm implement town and a river town before the […]

By Owen W. Muelder For the Register-Mail of Galesburg The Lincoln-Douglas Debates are among the most important events in the United State’s history. The seven debates were conducted throughout Illinois […]

By Marni Pyke Of the Daily Herald Trains brought Abraham Lincoln’s body home to Illinois, transported southern blacks escaping Jim Crow laws to Chicago, and now carry a labor force […]

By Justin Conn Of the Decatur Herald & Review A.E. “Gene” Staley’s successful corn manufacturing company in Decatur was already producing starch, glucose, sugar and syrup in 1919 when it […]

By George Eaton In summer 1814, skirmishes between the United States and British-backed warriors under the leadership of Black Hawk flared up and down river from Rock Island. Since 1803 […]

By Phil Luciano Of the Journal Star She lost her own family, so she adopted a new one, a huge one, lifting up the cause of labor while rising to […]

By Chuck Sweeny Of the Rockford Register Star First, let’s get his name straight. It was Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak. In English, he was Black Hawk, war chief of the Sac and Fox […]

By Sam Wheeler Today, Aug. 26, the Illinois Bicentennial Commission is sponsoring special events throughout the state to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Illinois’s first constitution. Motorcycle enthusiasts, for instance, […]

By Chuck Sweeny Rockford Register Star Many Illinoisans don’t realize it, but our state is a center of aerospace and aviation technology. Illinois’ aerospace cluster is centered around the northern […]