Newspaper article about the new Chanute commander, Norma E. Brown from an unidentified newpaper.

Chanute Air Force Base hosted many notable people as faculty, staff, and students, including an array of commanding officers from the very inception of the base until its closing (1917-1993). Looking through the Commanding Officers collection, we can see that men mostly held the position of commanding officer, with a few exceptions. One such exception is Norma E. Brown, the first woman to command a United States Air Force Wing and Technical Training Center. Read more about The General is a Lady! Commanding Officer Norma E. Brown

The Archives’ photograph collection contains many types of photographs, one being aerial. These aerial photographs can help track changes in neighborhoods and business districts. The changes might be from agricultural use to new residential or business use. They could also include the demolition of existing residential homes or buildings for a new mall, office building, or apartment complex. Aerial views from different angles or long-range can show additional details of other neighborhoods beyond the area of interest. Read more about Documenting Land Use Changes Through Aerial Photographs

"More housewives should fly," said New Englander Barbara Cloud in a June 24, 1954 Courier profile. She declared that flying was not in the least an expensive hobby. Read more about “More Housewives Should Fly:” Women in Aviation and the Organization That Supports Them

Husband-wife duo, Edger and Blanche Harris founded the Illinois Times, a newspaper created to give voice and build community within the Black citizens of Champaign-Urbana. Established in 1939, the paper was first published in Danville, Illinois, when the Harrises transferred the publication to 202 Ellis Ave, Champaign. Edgar was editor and publisher, and Blanche was circulation manager and city editor. They ran the newspaper out of their house for thirty-six years.

Read more about Illinois Times, a Newspaper for the Black C-U Community

A few months back, we wrote about finding the perfect home for a recent donation of photographs. That donation also came with four bundles of letters from World War II. The letters were all addressed to Clyde O. "Mac" McKinney of Longview, IL. Read more about Letters from Home: The Clyde O. McKinney Collection

On June 15, 2020, the Champaign County Historical Archives of The Urbana Free Library became the new home for the News-Gazette’s archival holdings. Over 1,000 square feet of materials were transferred to the Library in a semi-truck packed to capacity. The collection is currently housed on the lower level of the Lincoln Square Mall, across the street from the Library. Read more about News-Gazette Collection Update

One of the most common questions we get here in the Archives is regarding the history of a patron’s home. When was it built? Who was the architect? Do we have any archival photographs?

My name is Savannah Adams, and I am the Archives Apprentice for the Champaign County Historical Archives of The Urbana Free Library. I am a first-year graduate student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, working towards a MS in Library Science and Information. My focus is on archival materials, special collections, and library preservation. I’m digitizing and cataloging recently acquired building and home surveys conducted by the Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA) in Champaign County for my first semester project.

This week wraps up Hispanic Heritage Month. Here are some Latinx resources in the Archives that you can explore all year round.

Local History Resources:

El informador de Champaign-Urbana (Spanish language newspaper) (2002-2008)
Call number: A ILLINOIS (Champ) Newspaper Read more about Latinx Resources in the Archives

The first telephone in Champaign-Urbana arrived in 1878, just two years after Alexander Graham Bell's Read more about Telephone history in C-U and the women running the boards

Read more about Dorothy "Dottie" Schroeder All-American Shortstop