Rest in Peace Steve Burgess

Nov 27, 2013

Friend of the Archives Steve Burgess passed away suddenly on Friday, November 22, 2013. Deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

Steve was on a journey to honor his father, James R. Burgess, Jr., who was the first Champaign County African American State's Attorney and also a lieutenant in the 761st Tank Batallion under George Patton in WW II. Steve's mission was to have a federal building named for his father.

May his mission be accomplished.

Pinning Down Your Family History: How Pinterest can help you display, organize, and share your family and community history

Nov 25, 2013

Want to learn creative ways to make your family history more accessible? Interested in participating in a local community online “pinboard?” This program will give you the skills you need to confidently use Pinterest to compliment your family history and local history research. Participants will learn the basics of Pinterest, as well as how to effectively share and organize family photos, memories, and documents.

Try-It Illinois

Oct 7, 2013

It's that time of year again!

For the next two months, October 1-November 30, 2013, Try-It! Illinois offers library staff and users of the more than 5,000 ILLINET member libraries the opportunity to survey and evaluate a wide variety of electronic resources. Thanks to the partnerships between the Illinois State Library and the participating electronic resource vendors, there is no charge for accessing these databases during Try-It! Illinois.

Ellis Island, Castle Garden, Customs, and the Old Barge

Sep 18, 2013

We all learned as school children how our immigrant ancestors came to America through Ellis Island. The real story about where and when immigrants entered the United States is much more complicated than the story we grew up with. Ellis Island was a New York gateway for the arrival of U.S. immigrants from roughly 1892 to 1924. Although it was by far the largest port of entry and millions arrived during that time, it was one of many ways to enter the United States.

"I wish you were here if only for a short time."

Jul 5, 2013

Yesterday marked the 150th anniversary of the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi to the Union armies commanded by Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. It was a seminal moment: the Confederacy was now split in two and commerce could once again flow from the farms of the Midwest down the Mississippi River virtually unimpeded.

Recently Processed Collections

Jun 15, 2013

Two collections have recently been processed and are now fully accessible at the Champaign County Historical Archives of The Urbana Free Library.

The Champaign Urbana Woman’s Club

Alien Visitors ... to Urbana?

Jun 13, 2013

A sharped eyed staff member spied this image from our collections: 

Apparently, sightings of unexplained phenomena and Unidentified Flying Objects are not uncommon here, as this June 6, 1969 article from the front page of the Urbana Courier relates.

Riding the Rails to a New Life: The Orphan Trains

May 10, 2013

By the middle of the nineteenth century, New York City was teaming with new immigrants, with more coming every day. These new families often found themselves in dire circumstances, surrounded by poverty and disease. As a result, many children ended up without parents, orphaned and left wandering the streets. The plight of these children did not go unnoticed, and soon several orphanages and aid societies developed to assist them.