Hot Air Balloons in Downtown Champaign-Urbana
Since 1973, hot air balloons have been a frequent summertime sighting over Champaign County. Why 1973? That’s when Tom Gabel moved to Urbana. Earlier that year, he was crowned the 1973 U.S. Hot Air Balloon Pilot Champion in Indianola, Iowa. Gabel held a sales franchise for Piccard Balloons (based in California) for a six-state area in the Midwest. By 1975, Gabel reckoned he had sold 40 balloons to people around the Midwest.Archives at Juneteenth
Archives staff members Sara and Shalini attended The Urbana Free Library and Urbana Park District’s Juneteenth celebration last month. They brought materials from the Archives related to local Black history for community members to explore.
The Digital Preservation Practicum Experience
During my final semester as a graduate student in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, I pursued a practicum at the Champaign County Historical Archives (CCHA).
A Local History of Juneteenth
Today, on June 19th, we celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth has been celebrated for many years, but only just became a federally recognized holiday in 2021. Earlier residents of Champaign County celebrated Emancipation Day.
Digitizing the Cotillion Ball Images
Since October, Archives staff have been working on a grant-funded project to rehouse the Stephen Storch Photography Collection, and to digitize a selection of the over 45,000 photograph negatives it contains. The negatives of the Cotillion Debutante Ball were chosen to be digitized and displayed online. The Cotillion celebrates local African American young women who excel academically and are involved in their communities.
The Runaway Husband
In archival work, we talk a lot about the circuitous route of historical research, the serendipity of discovery, and the rabbit holes our research can lead us down. I recently experienced this when trying to identify an old photograph.
Exploring the Evolution of County Lines in Illinois
It is once again time to take a look at map resources in the Archives. You can catch up by taking a look at my previous post, covering plat maps. This time, I’m looking at the state as a whole, specifically, the counties.The Origins of Earth Day in Champaign County
In 1969, 3 million gallons of crude oil flooded into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Santa Barbara, California—the result of inadequate safety precautions by Union Oil. The subsequent news coverage, including photographs of the thousands of dead sea mammals, birds, and fish owing to the spill, was the final blow that mobilized millions of Americans to demand better protections for the environment.[i]April Showers Bring May Flowers… and Preservation Risks
Spring has sprung. We made it through winter, but beware! Spring rain comes with a whole set of preservation dangers. Fortunately, there are a few easy changes you can make to keep your collections at home safe from water damage. The most important have to do with selecting a storage location in your home. Choosing the right spot for your personal collections or memorabilia can prevent a disaster.Using City Directories to Discover a Local Store's History
Recently, I was watching the news and found out that Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field and Stream will be temporarily closing their Champaign location, at 2000 N. Neil St. Ste. 2000A. The company wants to start renovations to change the stores into one of an exclusive number of new concept stores called the House of Sport.
Introducing (Again!) “Window to the Past: The Everett C. Block Collection”
In 2016, the Champaign County Historical Archives debuted a new exhibit: “Window to the Past: The Everett C. Block Collection,” which showcased photos and information from the Block Collection of glass negative photographs. Now, you can relive this exhibit at any time on the CCHA’s Omeka website.The Archives' Collection of Newsletters
The Archives has a collection of newsletters from various local groups. These include area chapters of national organizations, like the League of Women Voters, as well as newsletters from major employers and companies like Carle, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, school districts and more! Old newsletters contain a trove of knowledge about the times they were published in, and the organizations themselves.Extra! Extra! A New Exhibit at the Archives!
There has been a new exhibit installed in the case outside of the Archives featuring the News-Gazette Collection. Donated in 2020, the collection includes newspaper clippings, Stevick family archival materials, business correspondence, among many other interesting materials! The exhibit covers the history of the paper, the family who owned the paper, and the items in the collection.
Food Ads of the 1950s
It’s time for another post featuring old ads that could be found in newspapers. This round of ads is from the September 7, 1950 issue of the News-Gazette. Specifically, this post focuses on food products.
Urbana's First First Methodist Church: A Brief History
Downtown Urbana is home to many eye-catching buildings, rich with history. Notably, the Urbana Lincoln Hotel, the Champaign County Court House, as well as our own –The Urbana Free Library. A noted addition to this list is the First United Methodist Church, located at 304 S. Race street. Although it is the oldest continuously operating church in Champaign county, the structure that houses the congregation is not the first, First Methodist Church of Urbana, IL.Remembering David Monk
We’re remembering all of the incredible work David Monk has done for our community and to preserve our local natural prairie. Known to listeners of his radio show as the Prairie Monk, David has tirelessly worked to educate and spread awareness on the important of our natural landscape as well as historic preservation for decades. A long-time friend to the Archives, he will be very missed.