On July 3, 1927, Franklin H. Boggs, George M. Bennett, Joseph C. Blair, and Lorado Z. Taft met on the steps of the recently completed Urbana-Lincoln Hotel to give a dedication ceremony honoring the newest addition to the hotel, a bronze statue of the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, titled “Lincoln the Lawyer”. The statue was designed and sculpted by Taft, a nationally known sculptor and University of Illinois graduate. It was beautifully executed with a standing Lincoln resting his arms across a slab of stone, looking as though he is about to give a speech or offer an argument in court.  Read more about Lincoln the Lawyer, a statue by Lorado Taft

Not long ago, the Urbana Free Library celebrated its 100th year in th Read more about Remembering 1994, The Urbana Free Library’s Summer Fire

Today, both Champaign and Urbana are recognized as Bicycle Friendly Communities by the League of American Bicyclists. According to the organization’s website, ‘A Bicycle Friendly Community’ welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Making bicycling safe and convenient are keys to improving public health, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and improving quality of life.’

Read more about A Bicycle Friendly Community

The city of Urbana has grown and changed a lot over the years. There always seems to be something new and different. One thing that hasn’t changed is that Urbana has a lot of parks with fun activities for families and individuals to enjoy. Read more about Parks in Urbana, Illinois

This Saturday, July 7, 2018, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Library’s landmark building, which opened to the public in July 1918. It was designed by Joseph W. Royer, with a $35,000 gift from Mary E. Busey, as a memorial to her husband, Samuel T. Busey. We will have exhibits, music, special remarks, cake and specialty drinks from the Café, games and activities from the early 1900s, and more. Read more about Party with the Library

Bernice Harrison was a dedicated school teacher who lived most of her life in Champaign County.  Read more about "Tempest and Sunshine" - The Story of Bernice Harrison

Read more about The Urbana Union

It might be hard to believe – but for the first 67 years of it's history, Urbana did not have a fire department.

That changed in 1900, when William H. Roughton organized a volunteer fire department, the town’s first.

  Read more about Urbana's First Fire Chief - William H. Roughton

The cities of Champaign and Urbana have had countless big-box store closings over the years. One such loss was Kmart. The location of the original Kmart store in Champaign-Urbana was at 800 Bloomington Road where the current Home Depot is located. Read more about Kmart in Champaign-Urbana

Beginning today, Saturday, May 5th, you can go to Crystal Lake Park and rent a boat on the weekends. Perhaps you might be interested in what this same activity looked like over a hundred years ago. I’ve compiled some photos of people boating on Crystal Lake over the past century. Read more about Boating at Crystal Lake Park