Writing

Resources are listed in alphabetical order. More information can always be found by using our website search bar, or contacting a member of our staff.

Abraham Lincoln in McLean County

2 items

Correspondence

Before telegraph lines connected Central Illinois communities in the early 1850s, most of Linco...

Digital Exhibit

The Lincoln Autobiography

Despite his loss to Douglas in 1858, Lincoln’s supporters did not give up on him. In fact they ...

Digital Exhibit

Articles

A small selection of Pages from our Past articles written by Bill Kemp

2 items

Pantagraph reporter turns sci-fi writer

You might’ve missed it, but Thursday, Nov. 10, marked the 50th anniversary of the first airing ...

Article

Railroaders’ library once west side hub

Many longtime Twin City residents will remember long-gone Withers Library, located at the corne...

Article

Biographies

16 items

Annette, Madame

Sophia Huggins (1831-1903) or “Aunt Sophia” as she was known by her clientele, was a claimed cl...

Biography

Austin, Grace Jewett

Grace Merrill Jewett Austin was born on January 12, 1872 in Laconia, New Hampshire. She was th...

Biography

Burnham, John Howard

John Howard Burnham was born on October 31, 1834 in Essex, Massachusetts. His parents, John Bur...

Biography

Colby, Celestia Rice

Celestia Rice Colby was born on December 19, 1827 in Andover, Ohio. She was the fourth child b...

Biography

Colby, Dr. June Rose

June Rose Colby, known to friends and family as Rose, was born at Cherry Valley, Ohio on June 4...

Biography

Ela, Frances Harriet Rowell

Frances Harriet Rowell was born on November 15, 1835 in Waterford, Vermont. She was one of fou...

Biography

Fox, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Irons Folsom

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Irons was born in September 1861 in Peoria to Charles and Ettie Maria Englis...

Biography

Hamilton, Kate Waterman

Kate Waterman Hamilton was born on November 12, 1841 in Schenectady, New York the only daughter...

Biography

Hobbs, Dr. William C.

Dr. William Hobbs was born in Maryland on December 24, 1800. Very little is known about his lif...

Biography

Horine, William H.

William (Bill) Horine was born to Adam and Sallie (Mason) Horine on March 3, 1840 in Jessamine ...

Biography

Jackman, John

John Adams Jackman was born March 22, 1816 in Boscawen, New Hampshire, where his great-grandfat...

Biography

Marmon, Mary Ann

Mary Ann (Cheney) Marmon (1837-1908) grew up in a log cabin on the Illinois prairie and was a m...

Biography

McCormick, Henry

Henry McCormick was born on February 5, 1837 in Belmullet, County Mayo, Ireland. He spent his ...

Biography

Prince, Ezra Morton

Ezra Morton Prince was born on May 27, 1831 in Turner, Maine. His parents were Job Prince and ...

Biography

Scott, John Milton

John Milton Scott was born on August 1, 1823 in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois. His par...

Biography

Withers, Sarah

Sarah Rice Withers was born to John M. Rice and Patsy (Polly) Johnson Rice in Jessamine County,...

Biography

Blog

7 items

McHistory: Blazing the trail for women who write

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

McHistory: Bloomington Dramaturge Explored Gender Roles

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

McHistory: Civil War Letter Home After Battle

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

McHistory: Life, literature and children

Blog Post

McHistory: Newly donated World War II diary shares POW experience of Normal resident

Blog Post

McHistory: Noted Author Harold Sinclair of Bloomington

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

McHistory: Workin' In A Coal Mine

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

Finding Aids

19 items

Annette, Mme

Perhaps the best local newspaper reporter at the turn of the century wrote for the Bulletin and...

Finding Aid

As You Like It Club

Organized in 1914 with twelve members, this women’s literary group has programs in members’ hom...

Finding Aid

Baas, Bea Diaries

Berneice Emma “Bea” Baas began a career at State Farm Insurance in 1952 as a stock clerk in the...

Finding Aid

Barth, Pat

Pat Barth donated this collection which contains materials from her early school days and other...

Finding Aid

Bennett, James W.

James W. Bennett was born in 1942 and lived in Canton, Monticello, and Bloomington, Illinois as...

Finding Aid

Bent, Horatio C.

Horatio C. Bent was born June 24, 1881 to Horatio G. and Adah Crist Bent. Bent Elementary schoo...

Finding Aid

Blair Family WWII Letters

This collection primarily consists of letters written by Blair family members and friends of th...

Finding Aid

Clarke, Marguerite E.

Marguerite E. (Dobson) Clarke (1916-2007) was a lifelong resident of Bloomington. She received ...

Finding Aid

Diaries Collection

Diaries from 1848-1960, information on diarists, and supporting documents....

Finding Aid

F.M. Hall

Francis Micajah (F.M.) Hall, later known as “Cage” Hall, was born in Todd Couty, KY, on March 2...

Finding Aid

Finley, Ada Collection

Ada was born in Hudson, Illinois, to George and Josie Lentz on July 19, 1898. She married Steph...

Finding Aid

Harpers Weekly

Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization was an American political magazine based in New...

Finding Aid

Hubbard Family

The Hubbard family, consisting of Silas (father), Juliana (mother), Charles (son), and Hannah ...

Finding Aid

Kingsley—McElroy Collection

Lorraine McElroy was born in September 1869 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of James and Emily Mc...

Finding Aid

Normal Literary Center Collection

An adult study group, the Normal Literary Center was founded in 1896 and celebrated its 100th a...

Finding Aid

Philomathean Reading Circle

The Philomathean Reading Circle served as an all-in-one history, literary, art, travel, and cur...

Finding Aid

School Books Collection

The collection includes published textbooks. ...

Finding Aid

School Notebooks Collection

Books prepared by students....

Finding Aid

The Voice of the Black Community (Newspaper)

Finding Aid

Publications

21 items

Biographical History of the Members of the McLean County Medical Society: 1854-1954

Publication

Bloomington's C&A Shops: Our Lives Remembered

From the Civil War era into the early 20th century, the largest local employer was the Chicago ...

Publication

Bloomington's Deutsche in Wort und Bild.I Baud

German-language publication....

Publication

Civil War Diaries of James W. Jessee 1861-1865

James joined the 8th Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry in July of 1861. He began keep...

Publication

Early History of Pleasant Hill, Mclean County, Illinois

Publication

History Of African Americans In McLean County

This book was originally written for students. Primarily, it was intended to provide informatio...

Publication

History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois

Publication

History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois

Publication

History of Holy Trinity Parish, Bloomington, Illinois

Publication

History of McLean County, Illinois: Volume 2

This illustrated history of McLean County is the second of two volumes....

Publication

It Is Begun: The Pantagraph Reports the Civil War

Here is a week-by-week sampling of America's most turbulent years, written as it happened,...

Publication

McLean County Blacks in the Civil War

Examines the extent of involvement of Black people from McLean County, Illinois in the Civil Wa...

Publication

McLean County, Illinois, in the World War, 1917-1918

Publication

Pages from the Past, Vol. 1 by Bill Kemp

Pages from the Past includes 75 of the nearly 360 installments of "A Page from Our Past&qu...

Publication

Pictorial Souvenir Central Illinois 1912

From the foreword: "The purpose of this book is to bring before the people, in a brief way...

Publication

Portrait and Biographical Album of McLean County, Ill.

Contains full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens...

Publication

Sarah Withers Diary

Publication

The Biographical Record of McLean County, Illinois

Publication

The Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois

Contains 261 sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk War, and ...

Publication

The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men

Publication

The William Carey Barton Family: A Study in Historical Archaeology

Between June 14 and June 30, 1994 archaeological investigations were carried out at the old Wil...

Publication

Research

1 item

Post Amerikan

Held by the MCMH and digitized by Eastern Illinois University. The Post Amerikan began publicat...

Article

Speakers Bureau

1 item

To Be a Writer, One Has To Be a Reader: the Life and Work of Clara Louise Kessler

Speakers Bureau

Working for a Living

Digital Exhibit

1 item

Entertaining the Crowds

A few of McLean County residents used their creative energies to provide entertainment to a bro...

Digital Exhibit