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

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

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?

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

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.

Erma Bridgewater 1913-2013

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Mrs. Erma Bridgewater.  

Services to celebrate her life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 6, at the Bethel A.M.E. Church with the Rev. Larry Lewis officiating. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the church.

Research Nights at the Archives – Now enhanced with special topics!

Beginning in April, our monthly Research Nights will frequently feature discussions and demonstrations on special topics.

Research Nights are open to the public. There is no charge or registration required. We look forward to seeing you!

 

April 10, 2013 - SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSI (Periodical Source Index)

Book Launch Event - A Place in Time: Two Paths to a Television Program

Please join us Wednesday, February 27, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. as we welcome University of Illinois Assistant Professor Kevin Hamilton for a discussion of his new comic book A Place in Time: Two Paths to a Television Broadcast. The book explores the paths taken to a broadcast of "Public Broadcasting Lab" that took place at the Illini Union in 1968.