The Summertime Staple: The Urbana Sweetcorn Festival!
This weekend is the 40th Annual Urbana Sweetcorn Festival. In honor of that occasion the Archives wants to share a few pictures of the Midwest delicacy.
Love is in the August Air
August is Romance Awareness month, so show your love of local history by stopping by the Champaign County Historical Archives. We have an array of books, LP’s, vertical files and much more to smitten all history lovers!
#TBT Broom Corn Factory, Arcola, Ill.
Central Illinois' annual Broom Corn Festival will be held in downtown Arcola, Illinois this year September 11-13.
Cooking with Local Flavor: Community Cookbooks in the Archives
The Urbana Free Library has a very popular cookbook collection, but did you know the Champaign County Historical Archives has its own collection of over 100 local cookbooks compiled by local organizations, schools, libraries, churches, and various societies? If you would like access to these fantastic cookbooks with local flavor, just ask our staff at the Archives front desk!
Meet Bing - Chanute Field's Parachuting Dog
Meet Bing the official mascot of the Air Service Mechanic's School at Chanute Field dated November 3, 1921.
Flag of Earth
Flags have been in the news lately, and the nation has been contemplating the power of symbols to unite and divide. One Champaign County resident, James Cadle, understood this dichotomy perfectly and in 1970 created a flag for the Earth, free from all “political, cultural, or geographical commitments,” truly a flag for all humankind.
The Flag of Earth depicts very simply the yellow Sun, the blue Earth, the white Moon, and the blackness of Space.
Smiley Burnett in a Garage Band?
I thought I had discovered the predecessors to the 1960’s “garage bands” when I came across this photo, undated but probably from the late 1920’s or early 1930’s, of the J.F. Lorch Garage Entertainers.
Cancer Positively Cured; No Knife Used; Safety and Permanency Assured
Sometimes, ideas for blog posts are sitting on the desk just waiting to be written about! This tiny, 8-page pamphlet advertising Dr. M. Brandom was found among photos and ephemera in a box being processed by Norma B.
What’s Playing at the Drive-In?
Drive-In movie theaters hold a special place in American history and hold very fond memories for teenagers growing up in the 1950’s. With the novelty of being able to drive up to a movie, struggling to fit all your friends into the back seat of your car and watch the latest hit out of Hollywood, the Drive-In was pure magic.
Champaign and Urbana have been home to several wonderful theaters and by the 1950’s could boast to having two Drive-Ins.
New Exhibit: Champaign County and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918
Stop by the second floor of the Urbana Free Library to see the new Champaign County Historical Archives exhibit called "Champaign County and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918" on display now!
The H1N1 virus (above) was behind the flu pandemic of 1918.
What Does That Say? The Obstacles of Reading and Understanding Early American Writings
It’s easy to forget in this day and age when everything is typed and delivered electronically that handwriting was once considered an art. However, in the Archives we are fortunate enough to possess thousands of records written in longhand.
Pickin' & Grinnin'
Sometimes you stumble upon a photograph that brightens your entire day. This one was mine a few weeks ago.
So infectious are those grins.
Champaign Fire Department Turns 150!
This month the Champaign Fire Department is celebrating its 150th Anniversary (1865-2015) and they will be observing the occasion with a parade and a Fire Muster this coming Sunday, July 19, 2015.
Part of the activities that day will be a mobile history museum of the Champaign Fire Department. Here at the Archives we thought we would get the commemorative ball rolling with some historical pictures from our collection.
Archives Visitors
We have a saying in the Archives that you never know who will walk in the door on any given day, and that’s one of the many reasons we love our jobs. It is especially interesting when we can put our hands on documents relating to our patrons’ pasts.
Fourth of July Celebrations
#TBT Fourth of July celebrations in Champaign-Urbana
The kids in southwest Champaign were not to be outdone on the Fourth. They decorated bikes, wagons, tricycles, and themselves and had their own parade near James and Charles streets. July 4, 1969.
The Circus is Coming to Town!
Scenes from the Circus Parade in downtown Champaign from 1909! #TBT!
Photographs courtesy of the Champaign County Historical Archives Circus photograph envelope.
Lara, Archives Assistant
Love Family History, Love Reading Fiction? Here are Titles that Combine Both!
Just in time for the Urbana Free Library’s Summer Reading Program, the Archives has created a list of twenty fiction titles with themes of family history and genealogy. All of these books are available at the Urbana Free Library and include books for both adults and kids. Of course if you’re interested in non-fiction books, the Champaign County Historical Archives has a wide array of genealogical titles too. Happy Summer Reading!