Highlights from the 103rd annual
meeting of the Illinois
State Historical Society
April 26 and 27, 2002
Quincy, Illinois

The Historic Eels House was a site on the Underground Railroad

April's vigorous showers did not dampen the spirit and excitement of the 103rd annual meeting of the ISHS, held recently in Quincy, the "Gem City" of Illinois. More than 75 friends of Illinois history gathered for the festivities, which included tours of several historic neighborhoods, homes, and museums. The annual meeting banquet, held at Stoney Creek Inn, was highlighted by a delightful presentation from Ms. Harriet Tubman (Kathryn Harris), the spirited conductor on the Underground Railroad, whose train "never left the track and never lost a passenger."

This year's meeting included visits to Villa Kathrine, a Moorish "castle" overlooking the Mississippi River; the Park Place Historic District; the Governor John Wood mansion; the Osage Orangerie gift shop; the Gardner Museum of Architecture; The Soldier and Sailors Home and Military Museum; and the Eels House, a landmark Quincy home and a significant site on the Underground Railroad.

At the annual ISHS Awards Banquet, held on Saturday, April 27, the Society honored 23 individuals and organizations whose work significantly contributed to the study and understanding of Illinois' varied history. Award winners included:

The Governor John Wood Mansion

Books/Publications

Mark Plummer, Book of the Year for Lincoln's Rail-Splitter: Governor Richard. Oglesby (2001, U of I Press)

Samuel Blackwell Jr. , In the First Line of Battle: The 12th Illinois Cavalry in the Civil War (2001, NIU Press)(CE)

Kenneth A. Manaster, Illinois Justice: The Scandal of 1969 and the Rise of John Paul Stevens (2001, UC Press) (CE)

George Hendrick, Don Sackrider, and Helen Howe for James Jones and the Handy Writers Colony (2001, SIU Press) (SA)

Youngsou Bae, Labor in Retreat: Class and Community Among Men's Clothing Workers of Chicago, 1871-1929 (2001, Suny Press) (CE).

McLean County Historical Society, It Is Begun: The Pantograph Reports the Civil War (2001) (SA)

Periodicals/On-going Columns

Aurora Historical Society for "Aurora History: The Quarterly Newsletter of the Aurora Historical Society" (SA)

Ed Russo and Curtis Mann for "Times Capsules," published weekly in Springfield's Illinois Times. (SA)

Educational Programs

Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Historical Society, "Pieces of the Past" (SA)

Naper Settlement, "Brushstrokes of the Past" (SA)

National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Illinois Passages: Connecting the Continent" (SA)

Mark Plummer receives the "Book of the Year" award from ISHS President Rand Burnette

Exhibits

Aurora Historical Society, "Phone Home: A History of the Telephone and Communications in Aurora" (CE)

Aurora Historical Society, "Pedals Through Time: Bicycles in History" (CE)

Special Projects

Naperville Heritage Society, Naperville Walking Tours (SA)

McLean County Historical Society, 2001 Annual Report (SA)

H. James Gilmore, Chronicle of an American Suburb: An Oral History of Park Forest, Illinois (SA)

SA=Superior Achievement CE=Certification of Excellence

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