University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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The items in the Digital Collections of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library contain materials which represent or depict sensitive topics or were written from perspectives using outdated or biased language. The Library condemns discrimination and hatred on any grounds. As a research library that supports the mission and values of this land grant institution, it is incumbent upon the University Library to preserve, describe, and provide access to materials to accurately document our past, support learning about it, and effect change in the present. In accordance with the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement, we do not censor our materials or prevent patrons from accessing them.

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Showing 1–40 of 58 collections
  • Adler and Sullivan Oakland Passenger Station Drawings (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Adler and Sullivan Oakland Passenger Station Drawings consists of 12 drawings of architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan's plans for the Oakland Passenger Station, an Illinois Central Railroad Company passenger station located on 39th Street, in Chicago. The plans were prepared in May 1893 to accommodate "local passenger transportation" to the World's Columbian Exposition. Architects Dankmar Adler (1844-1900) and Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) gained prominence through their joint firm, Adler & Sullivan, during the 1880s and early 1890s. Adler emigrated with his family from Germany in 1854, and Sullivan was born in Boston, the son of two immigrant parents. Sullivan is known as the "father of modernism" and mentored Frank Lloyd Wright. After beginning their careers separately, in 1880 Sullivan became a partner in Adler's firm, beginning a productive period for each architect. The digitized content contains twelve drawings signed by Adler and Sullivan, Architects, and by E. T. Jeffrey, General Manager. Only item 12 lacks any signatures, and 7 and 9 lack Jeffrey’s name. The drawings feature floor plans and construction for the Oakland, or 39th St., Passenger Station and surrounding area. The Illinois Central Railroad Company passenger station was intended to provide train transport for local passengers attending the World’s Columbian Exposition, and the plans were prepared in May 1893. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Adler and Sullivan Oakland Passenger Station Drawings (MS 001). The collection was completely digitized in 2019. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Allen Avner Oral History Interviews
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The born digital content of the Allen Avner Oral History Interviews consists of nineteen interviews with Richard Allen Avner conducted by Alexander Scheeline between December 2022 and January 2023. In these interviews, Avner discussed his family, military service, work at the University of Illinois’ Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory, and involvement with Jewish organizations in Champaign-Urbana. Born in 1937 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Richard Allen Avner earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology from Georgia Tech in 1961 and master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Illinois in 1964. From 1964-1966, Avner served in the United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory at Fort Novosel (previously Fort Rucker), Alabama. From 1967-1993, he was a principal research scientist at the University of Illinois Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory. Active in Champaign-Urbana’s Jewish community, Avner is a longtime member of Sinai Temple and has served on the board of directors of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation. Alexander Scheeline is a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Illinois, having joined the faculty in 1981. He is also a member of Sinai Temple and has served on the board of directors of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation. The born digital content includes MP3 audio files of interviews and PDF files of interview transcriptions. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the items of Allen Avner Oral History Interviews (MS 1178). The born digital content was migrated from a USB flash drive in 2023. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Alvin French Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Alvin French Papers consists of typed transcripts of the correspondence of Alvin French, a Union soldier from Springfield, Illinois. The correspondence is dated from 1861 to 1864. Alvin S. French, born circa 1840, was the son of Alonzo W. French of Pittsfield, Illinois. He lived in Springfield with his uncle, Dr. Amos Willard French, a dentist and early resident of the city. Alvin French enlisted as a corporal in the 114th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1862, and served as a hospital steward and then as First Assistant Surgeon for the regiment. He was killed in action in June 1864 at Guntown, Mississippi, reportedly while tending to wounded soldiers on the field. The digitized content contains transcripts of Alvin French's correspondence dating from 1861 to 1864. The incoming letters are from French's friends and family, and discuss the war, troop activities, or news from home. Outgoing correspondence, typically from French to family members, details the activities of the 114th on the front, his work in the regiment hospital, or other personal matters. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Alvin French Papers (MS 641). The collection was partially digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Annette Feldman Autobiographical Volume (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of this collection consists of an autobiography authored by Annette Feldman, a Jewish resident of Hoopeston, Illinois. Annette Feldman (née Yonkelowitz) was born in Hoopeston, Illinois, in 1916 to a family of Lithuanian immigrants. The family practiced Orthodox Judaism until she reached high school, when they began attending Temple Beth El, a Reform congregation in Danville, Illinois. Annette Feldman enrolled at Northwestern University in 1934 and then transferred to the University of Chicago, where she studied Home Economics and met her husband, Jerry Feldman (1911-1986). The two married in 1941. During the war, Jerry Feldman volunteered with the U.S. Army Medical Corps, while Annette Feldman worked as a food and nutrition specialist as part of the Home Economics Extension Service at the University of Illinois. In 1946, the Feldmans moved to Hayward, California, where they raised two children, Jill (born 1949) and Robert (born 1952). Annette Feldman died in 1995. "Remember Me" contains Annette Feldman's recollections of life (work, marriage, and family) in Hoopeston, Illinois; Richmond, Virginia; and Hayward, California; among other locations. This collection also includes diary entries that reflect daily life and travels to Europe and South America, a short biography for Jerry Feldman, as well as family trees. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Annette Feldman Autobiography, "Remember Me" (MS 1115). The collection was completely digitized in 2023. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Arthur E. Bestor Research Collection on Communitarianism (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Arthur E. Bestor Research Collection on Communitarianism consists of photographs taken in the 1930s and 1940s of community sites and buildings in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest by Professor Arthur E. Bestor, as part of his study of American Utopian movements. Arthur E. Bestor (1908-1994), a historian and professor whose career spanned multiple universities across the United States, joined the faculty of the University of Illinois in 1947 and left in 1962. While at Illinois, Bestor published Backwoods Utopias (1950), his major work on American Utopian movements that were antecedents to the Fourierist movement of the 1840s. He particularly focused his research on Robert Owen and his utopian goals in New Harmony, Indiana. The digitized content contains photographs taken by Bestor in his research of utopian communities from 1937 to 1946. The images depict structures, scenery, and sites in more than twenty communities in the eastern and midwestern United States and in Quebec, Canada. The photographs were digitized from the original nitrate negatives. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Arthur E. Bestor Research Collection on Communitarianism (MS 468). The collection was partially digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Carrie E. Ober Letter (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Carrie E. Ober Letter consists of one letter from Carrie Ober to her cousin, Isa. Carrie E. Ober and her husband, Albert Ober, moved from Beverly, Massachusetts, to Three Oaks, Michigan, around 1870. The recipient of her letter, Carrie’s cousin Ida, lived in Massachusetts. Three Oaks is a village in Southwest Michigan that had a stop on a high-traffic route of the Michigan Central Railroad. The digitized content contains one letter dated October 14, 1871, from Carrie Ober to her cousin, Isa. The letter describes the outbreak of fires in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois, including the Great Chicago Fire, and recounts details such as causalities and acres of land burned. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Carrie E. Ober Letter (MS 1059). The collection was completely digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Central Illinois Jewish Communities Oral History Project Collection
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The born digital content of the Central Illinois Jewish Communities Oral History Collection consists of interviews with Jewish individuals who resided in Illinois during the mid-to-late 20th century, with a focus on members of small to midsized Jewish communities in central Illinois. The collection reflects the lived experiences of Jewish Illinoisans and documents the history of Jewish communities in the state. Interviews typically discuss religious practices, education, community and faith-based organizations, immigration, and Jewish identity. The born digital content includes MP3 audio files of interviews and PDF files of interview transcriptions. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the items of the Illinois Jewish Communities Oral History Collection. Interviews were primarily collected by the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections starting in 2023; however, interviews conducted by community interviewers in 2022 are also included. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Charles Chiniquy Collection (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Charles Chiniquy Collection (1878-1909) consists of correspondence from Charles Chiniquy, John Carroll Power, and others to Edwin A. Sherman; one from Sherman; and a small collection of leaflets and broadsides. Subjects include the Roman Catholic Church, Abraham Lincoln, and the activities of the Lincoln Grand Guard of Honor, an organization founded to protect the tomb of Abraham Lincoln. Charles Chiniquy (1809-1899) was a Canadian Catholic priest who left the Catholic Church in 1858 and became strongly anti-Catholic. In 1885 he wrote a book entitled Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, in which he charged that the Vatican was behind the Confederate cause and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Edwin A. Sherman was an American soldier, miner, and resident of the Western states, notable for serving as the Commander in Chief of the Lincoln Grand Guard of Honor and for being vigorously anti-Catholic. His book, The Engineers of Hell: or, Rome’s Sappers and Miners (1883), purported to uncover and tell the story of the secret code of the Jesuits and their plans for world domination. The digitized content contains letters, primarily from Charles Chiniquy, but also from others, addressed to Edwin A. Sherman. It also contains a few letters from Sherman to members of the Lincoln Grand Guard of Honor. Also included are a few broadsides, leaflets, and circulars related to the books published by Sherman and Chiniquy. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Charles Chiniquy Collection (MS 134). The collection was completely digitized in 2023. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Clarendon Van Norman Jr. Collection of Ephemera (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Clarendon Van Norman Jr. Collection of Ephemera consists of printed ephemera dating from 1828 to 1939, related to Illinois. The digitized content contains Illinois broadsides and printed ephemera primarily from the nineteenth century. The materials include a variety of works from the pre-Civil War era such as prospectuses, periodicals, advertisements, newspaper clippings, government documents, and financial records. The items cover topics in Illinois history such as politics and government, construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and business transactions. Also contained within the digitized content are college commencement programs, religious sermons, materials from fraternal organizations, correspondence, sheet music, carrier addresses, and other printed works. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Clarendon Van Norman, Jr. Collection of Lincoln and Illinois Ephemera (MS 852). The collection was partially digitized in 2016, 2017, and 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Daniel Torrey Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Daniel Torrey Papers consists of personal and business papers dating from 1832-1869 of Daniel Torrey, a shop owner and craftsman who lived in Illinois and Missouri in the mid-1800s. Daniel Torrey (1808-1896) was a scythe maker and owned a wagon and blacksmithing shop in Payson, Adams County, Illinois. He married his first wife, Florinda Thompson in Maine in 1830, and together they had three children. In the 1830s the Torreys moved from Maine to Quincy, Illinois, and later, to Payson, where he established his shop. After his first wife's death in 1842, he married Priscilla Blood, and together they had seven children. In 1856 they moved to Missouri and, after 1870, to Fairbury, Nebraska. The digitized content consists of materials from Torrey's time in Maine, Illinois, and Missouri, and includes a small notebook, filled with diary entries; personal and business documents and financial records, including a letter from his second wife's relative, Amos Blood, regarding an order of steel ploughs and other farm equipment; and home remedies for common illnesses. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Daniel Torrey Papers (MS 844). The collection was partially digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Eames Family Letters (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Eames family letters consists of ten letters primarily written by Stephen Eames of Knox County, Illinois to family and friends in Vermont and New Hampshire. Stephen Eames purchased land in Walnut Creek, Knox County, Illinois in 1839. Here he began a farm and built a log cabin. He kept in frequent touch with his family on the East Coast and updated them about his farm and health. The digitized content contains letters primarily written by Stephen Eames to family and friends regarding starting a farm, prices of crops, population growth in the area, and personal health. Eames writes about the advantages and disadvantages to farming in the area such as soil quality, fresh air, wild animals, and sickness along surrounding rivers. He describes Mormon settlements and his thoughts on them, as well as the founding of the Bishop Hill Swedish colony nearby. Other letters are written by Eames’ nephew, Darius Plumb, and his niece, Eveline Eames, to family members in New England. Darius Plumb writes from St. Louis just before his departure to the California gold fields. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Eames Family Letters (MS 605). The collection was completely digitized in 2019. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Edward Caldwell Cherry Mine Disaster Research Collection (Born Digital and Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The born digital and digitized content of the Edward Caldwell Cherry Mine Disaster Research Collection consists of research and source materials collected by Edward Caldwell related to the 1909 mining disaster in Cherry, Illinois, its victims, and the aftermath of the incident. Materials date from 1903 to 2007 and include publications, letters and diaries, compilations of newspaper articles, reports, photographs, and indexes of victims' names. Edward E. Caldwell (1930-2015) was an engineer with an interest in local history. He began collecting and organizing materials related to the Cherry Mine disaster in 1975 and continued gathering research for the next three decades. The Cherry Mine disaster, which resulted from a fire that started on November 13, 1909, in the Cherry, Illinois, coal mine, was the third most deadly coal mining tragedy in U.S. History, and 259 men and boys lost their lives. The born digital and digitized content contains digital copies of a variety of sources on the Cherry Mine disaster compiled by Caldwell. The sources include transcribed newspaper articles primarily from 1909-1910, publications dating from 1909 to 2007, official reports on the disaster and the response, the coroner's inquest, legal documents for the mine, transcribed diaries and letters, photographs of the mine and miners, and indices of victims' names to various sources. Online access to some documents and the photographs is restricted due to copyright. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Edward Caldwell Cherry Mine Disaster Research Collection (MS 515). Both born digital and digitized items were migrated from DVDs in 2017. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Elisabeth Hanson Papers (Born Digital Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The born digital content of the Elisabeth Hanson Papers consists of the digital records relating to Elisabeth Hanson, an amateur local researcher, and her research on the ecology, geography, and history of East Central Illinois and her 2012 book East Central Illinois: Exploring the Beginnings. Elisabeth Hanson was born November 2, 1917 in Columbia, Missouri. In 1945 Elisabeth moved to Champaign, Illinois, and became interested in researching the history of East Central Illinois. In 1967, Hanson began a study of the pre-settlement landscape of Piatt County, the first government land surveys of the area, and the first purchases of public lands. This study expanded to include ecological and cultural developments in East Central Illinois, and in 2012, Hanson published her book East Central Illinois: Exploring the Beginnings. Elisabeth died at age 98 in 2016. The born digital content contains a 2002 video interview of Elisabeth Hanson; a PDF of her book from 2014; and correspondence, research materials and other writings by Elisabeth Hanson from 1991-1998 including writings on Chief Illiniwek, local history, and Native Americans in Illinois. The content is organized into three folders: Interview with Elisabeth Hanson; Correspondence, Research Materials, and Other Writings; and PDF of East-Central Illinois: Exploring the Beginnings. The physical items of the Elisabeth Hanson Papers are managed by the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections at the University of Illinois Library. The born digital content comprises a portion of the Elisabeth Hanson Papers and was migrated from CDs and DVDs in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Florence Kelley Letter (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Florence Kelley Letter consists of one letter on Hull House letterhead, dated February 11, 1897, from Florence Kelly to Dr. Braun. Florence Kelley (1859-1932) was a social reformer who campaigned for labor rights. The recipient, Dr. Braun, was most likely Dr. Heinrich Braun (1854-1927), editor of several socialist publications for which Florence Kelley wrote several articles. Hull House, founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, served as a social and educational hub for immigrants in Chicago. The digitized content contains one letter written on Hull House letterhead. In the letter, Kelley describes her struggle to write objectively on subjects she feels strongly about. She writes, “…it is not easy to write as an interpreter. The temptation is too strong towards writing as advocate of certain measures of reform.” Kelley writes to Braun that she will make an effort to write her articles “strictly scientific.” The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Florence Kelley Letter (MS 1065). The collection was completely digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Frederick Hill Meserve Selected Photographs (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Frederick Hill Meserve Selected Photographs consists of photographs of Abraham Lincoln, dating from 1846 to 1865, that were collected by Frederick Hill Meserve. The photographs were collected in an album that was prepared by Meserve and Carl Sandburg for the creation of "The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln," published in 1944. Frederick Hill Meserve was born in 1865 and was the son of William Neal Meserve, a Civil War veteran. Frederick Meserve began collecting Civil War era photographs in the 1890s to illustrate his father's war diary. He became a prominent collector and historian of photographs from the era, especially photographs of Abraham Lincoln. He worked alongside historian Carl Sandburg to publish "The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln" in 1944. Meserve died in 1962, and his extensive collection of original photographs, amassed with the help of his daughter, Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt, was purchased by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University in 2015. The digitized content consists of over 100 photographs of Abraham Lincoln, dating from 1846 to shortly before Lincoln's death in 1865. The photographs are 20th century reproductions made from original daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and negatives, which were collected in an album to prepare for the creation of "The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln." The bulk of the photographs depict Lincoln during the years of his presidential campaign and the subsequent five years he spent in the White House. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Frederick Hill Meserve Selected Photographs (MS 1027). The collection was partially digitized in 2013. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu. The Library wishes to acknowledge the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation, which gave us permission to digitize the photographs and to reproduce the text of the image captions supplied by Frederick Hill Meserve in "The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln."
  • Frederick Wainwright Perkins Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Frederick Wainwright Perkins Papers consists of architectural drawings prepared for one of Perkins's many commissions, the Charles H. Schweppe residence in Lake Forest, Illinois, in 1914 and 1915. Frederick Wainwright Perkins (1866-1928) was a prominent Chicago architect engaged in active practice from 1886 to 1924. Perkins designed many residences and buildings, mostly in the Chicago area but also in Duluth, Minnesota (where he had an office) and in downstate Illinois. The digitized content contains three sets of architectural drawings for the Charles H. Schweppe residence in Lake Forest, Illinois, one of Perkins's many commissions in the Chicago area. The sets include floor plans as well as exterior views. Note that the drawings digitized represent only a small portion of the documentation physically preserved for this commission, and the Charles H. Schweppe residence is only one of many commissions documented in the Frederick Wainwright Perkins Papers. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Frederick Wainwright Perkins Papers (MS 885). The collection was partially digitized in 2019. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Hess Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Friedrich Wilhelm Hess Papers consists of several letters exchanged between Friedrich Wilhelm Hess, friends and relatives, as well as poems, concert tickets, a birth certificate, and a newspaper clipping. Friedrich Wilhelm Hess (d. 1877) was born in Hamm, Westphalia in the 1830’s. Before immigrating to America, he studied law in Germany. While in America, he studied medicine and served in the medical service during the Civil War. Afterwards, he practiced medicine in Baltimore and Cincinnati. He wrote several essays, novels, and poems, and worked on the staff of various newspapers in Cincinnati, including the “Freie Presse,” “Abend-Post,” “Westliche Blätter,” and “Volksblatt.” He died on August 2, 1877. The digitized content contains forty-three items including letters, poems, concert tickets, a birth certificate, and a newspaper clipping. The letters are dated from the 1870’s and are primarily exchanged between Hess and his sister Emilie Hassel and his mother (signed as “M”). Also included are a birth certificate of Johann Hermann Gerhard Berling, a manuscript poem by Hess titled “Der Brand von Chicago,” an untitled poem by Paula in Emilie’s hand, two concert tickets dated 1875, and a newspaper clipping about the election of President Hayes. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Friedrich Wilhelm Hess Papers as part of the Heinrich A. Rattermann Papers (MS 210). This component of the collection was completely digitized 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • George Durfee Correspondence (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the George Durfee Papers consists of the correspondence of George S. Durfee, a soldier and captain during the United States Civil War and a member of the Illinois Vicksburg Commission. George S. Durfee (1840-1907) was born in Marshall, Michigan. The Durfee family moved to Decatur, Illinois, when George Durfee was seventeen. In 1861, he joined Company A, 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served with the unit until 1866, rising to the rank of captain. He married Sarah A. Powers in 1857, and the couple had four daughters. The digitized content contains the correspondence of George Durfee from 1861-1901, most of which was created during the United States Civil War. The correspondence in this collection describes camp life, various political and military figures, and army policies. Durfee reports on several campaigns and battles, including Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and the occupation of Texas. The collection also contains papers regarding family matters and Durfee's 1901 appointment by Governor Richard Yates as a member of the commission to determine and mark the positions of Illinois troops in the siege of Vicksburg, the Illinois Vicksburg Commission. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the George Durfee Correspondence and Papers, 1861-1901 (MS 603). The collection was completely digitized in 2021. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • George L. Childress Diaries (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the George L. Childress Diaries consists of duplicate 163-page typescripts of George L. Childress' diaries from January 1, 1862 through July 10, 1865. Childress, who served in Company I, 66th Volunteer Infantry, recorded his daily life in the army in his diaries. George L. Childress was from Bridgeport, Illinois. From the age of 22, Childress served in Company I, 66th Volunteer Infantry, which was mustered in November 1861, at Benton Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, and reenlisted as a veteran in 1863. Company I was mustered out in July 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky. The digitized content contains a 163-page typescript of George L. Childress' diaries in which he recorded his daily life in the army from January 1, 1862 to July 10, 1865. He described battles and skirmishes as well as camp life and marching. His unit fought at Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, and in the Atlanta campaign. Childress also recorded a list of items that he purchased while on duty. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the George L. Childress Diaries (MS 536). The collection was completely digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • George W. Lienesch Collection (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the George W. Lienesch Collection of Ephemera consists of political ephemera, including trade cards and ballots, as well as various other printed ephemera from the 1880s and 1890s collected by George W. Lienesch, a farmer in St. Clair County, Illinois. George Washington Lienesch (1866-1922) of St. Clair County, Illinois, participated in music and theatre groups as a young adult and was a member of the Shiloh Valley Grange. He lived on a farm near Shiloh and O'Fallon in St. Clair County. The digitized content includes political ephemera Lienesch collected, including election ballots for various parties and newspaper clippings from the 1884 and 1888 elections as well as cards of the candidates. The collection also contains an 1886 almanac advertising the "Seven Barks" patent medicine, several humorous broadsides, and two postcards from the 1893 World's Fair. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the George Washington Lienesch Collection of Political Ephemera and Other Materials (MS 073). The collection was completely digitized in 2017. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Gibbs Family Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Gibbs Family Papers consists of the papers of the Rowley family, a family related to the Gibbs family. Materials include correspondence, and legal and financial papers from 1838-1863. Justus A. Gibbs was born in Florence, New York, and moved to Illinois in 1836. He became a teacher in Harkness Grove, and then purchased a farm in Elmwood, Illinois. He soon after married Betty Smith in 1838. Ichabod Rowley was one of twelve children of Justus and Betty Gibbs. The digitized content contains the correspondence, and legal and financial papers of the Rowley family from 1838-1863. Most correspondence is between Dexter M., Eliza H., Helen Rowley, and their Pulsipher family cousins. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Gibbs Family Papers (MS 053). The collection was partially digitized in 2019. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Gustave Koerner Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Gustave Koerner Papers consists of printed and hand-written speeches given by Koerner during his time as a democrat in the Illinois Legislature from 1842-1844. Also included is a signed cabinet card photograph of Koerner. A native of Gemany, Gustave [also spelled “Gustav”] Koerner (1809-1896) moved to St. Clair County, Illinois in 1833. He became an influential state and national political figure, especially amongst the German American settlers of St. Clair. Koerner became a member of the Illinois General Assembly in 1842, and later served as the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (1853-1857). This collection contains items relating to Koerner’s years in the Illinois legislature (1842-1844), including two printed copies of his July 5, 1842 speech voicing support of the Illinois Michigan Canal Bill; a handwritten speech on the nature of the current government, the National Bank, the depreciation of money, and anti-Van Buren views; and a cabinet card photograph of Koerner with his signature. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Gustave Koerner Papers (MS 044). The collection was partially digitized in 2019. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Henry Van Sellar and Sallie Pattison Correspondence (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Henry Van Sellar and Sallie Pattison Correspondence consists of letters written in 1863 and 1865 between Sallie Pattison and Henry Van Sellar. Henry Van Sellar lived in Edgar County, Illinois, as a teacher before enlisting in the 12th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1861. There he served as Captain for about a year. He was then assigned to the staff of the Fourth Division of the 15th Army Corps, later commissioned to Lt. Colonel in 1864. He was discharged on July 10th, 1865. After the war, Henry moved to Paris, Illinois, and became a lawyer. Sallie Pattison was living in Paris, Illinois while writing to Henry. Their relationship began through correspondence. The two married in February 1864 and continued to write to each other until Henry came back from war in August 1865. The digitized content contains 44 letters between Henry Van Sellar and Sallie Pattison from 1863 and 1865. During this time, Sallie was living at home in Paris, Illinois and Henry was in the 12th Illinois Infantry. These letters detail the effects of war not only on the front lines, but also on the home front. Earlier letters (1863) establish the love between Henry and Sallie, while later letters (1865) detail the anxieties and cruelties of conflict, reactions to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and hopes for life after war. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Henry Van Sellar and Sallie Pattison Correspondence (MS 360). The collection was partially digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Henry W. Funk Letters (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Henry W. Funk Letters consists of the personal correspondence of Henry W. Funk, and his family and friends, from 1862-1900. Henry W. Funk was a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) from Danville, Illinois, who enlisted as a private in Company E of the 149th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Funk was mustered out of Danville on February 6, 1865. He spent the remainder of the Civil War stationed in Chattanooga and Tyners Station, Tennessee. He was then stationed at Dalton and LaFayette, Georgia, from June 1865 until the beginning of 1866. There, he often preached to the enlisted men. The digitized content contains the correspondence of Henry W. Funk, mostly with his wife, Nannie. Other correspondents include Funk's sisters, Kate Brenner, Barbara Funk, and Fanny Funk, his brothers-in-law, Rufus Humphrey and John H. Gibson, and other family and friends. Topics of correspondence include Henry's experiences preaching to enlisted men and his attempt to establish a Sunday school at Camp Butler (Springfield, Illinois), Nannie's struggles with her faith, Nannie's reports on the fall of Richmond and Lee's surrender, John H. Gibson's report on the poor conditions at Camp Butler, reflections on Lincoln's assassination and its aftermath (letter to Funk from Rufus Humphrey, April 20, 1865), and family news. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Henry W. Funk Letters, 1862-1900 (MS 987). The collection was completely digitized in 2022. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Hilgard Family Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Hilgard Family Papers consists of correspondence from the 1830s and 1840s between German immigrant Theodor Hilgard, in Belleville, Illinois, and his mother, Madame Maria Dorothea Engelmann Hilgard, in Bavaria. Theodor Hilgard (1790-1873), born in Bavaria, immigrated to the United States in 1836. He settled in the German colony at Belleville, Illinois, with his wife, five daughters, and four sons. Hilgard, himself educated in law at both German and French universities, engaged in farming and real estate promotion, while encouraging his sons in their educational pursuits. The digitized content contains handwritten copies of letters Theodor Hilgard likely made himself before sending the original letters to his mother, Madame Maria Dorothea Engelmann Hilgard, in Bavaria. The letters are densely written in nineteenth-century German script. Also included as supplementary material are handwritten twentieth-century transcriptions of these letters. The letters date from 1836 to 1841. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Hilgard Family Papers (MS 708). The collection was partially digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Historic Illinois County Atlases
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Historic Illinois County Atlases consists of atlases of Illinois and several counties and townships from the 19th and early 20th centuries. County atlases, which began to be produced after the Civil War, are a uniquely American nineteenth-century publication. County atlas publication initially was centered in Philadelphia in the 1860s, but by the 1880s, Chicago had taken the lead. The atlases provide a snapshot of late 19th-century economics and agriculture. The primary foci of the county atlases are township maps that show property ownership, roads, and railroads. Additional contents might include county, state, and national maps; directories of businesses, county officials, landowners, and rural residents; photographs or drawings of residents, farms, homes, public buildings, churches, businesses, and prize livestock. The digitized content contains several dozen atlases, most of which were produced in the 19th century. These county and state-wide atlases were compiled from county records and surveys. The atlases include county histories, colored maps, indexes, and some drawings. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items included in this Historic Illinois County Atlases collection. A selection of county atlases held in the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections was digitized in the 2010s, with additional atlases digitized in 2022-2024. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Illinois and US History Broadsides and Printed Ephemera Collection (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Illinois and US History Broadsides and Printed Ephemera Collection consists of consists of nineteenth and early twentieth-century ephemeral materials mostly related to the history of Illinois and the Midwest, collected by the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections (IHLC) and its predecessor, the Illinois Historical Survey. The digitized content includes circulars, pamphlets, periodicals, posters, newspaper clippings, advertisements, handbills, leaflets, and various financial documents dating from circa 1800 to 1937. The materials document U.S. and Illinois history related to politics and government, education, religion, financial matters, and various advertising endeavors. The physical items of the Illinois and US History Broadsides and Printed Ephemera Collection are managed by the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections at the University of Illinois Library. The Illinois and US History Broadsides and Printed Ephemera Collection was partially digitized in 2017 and 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Illinois Artillery, 1st Regiment Record Book (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Illinois Artillery, 1st Regiment Record Book consists of the company muster book for Joseph Cross's company in the 1st U. S. Artillery Regiment. The record book contains registers of men, priority rolls, accounts of equipage, and individual accounts, all dating from 1812 to 1814. It also features additional content from the 1830s, when some pages in the book were used for secondary purposes. The company of the 1st U. S. Artillery Regiment led by Captain Joseph Cross served at several forts along the Mississippi River in Louisiana Territory during the War of 1812. The regiment saw duty at Fort Belle Fontaine and Fort Massac, with detached services at Forts Madison and Osage. The digitized content contains the company's record book, which contains priority rolls of enlistment and description; registers of men tried, discharged, or transferred; registers of dead, deserted, and missing; provision returns; accounts of clothing and equipage; and individual accounts. In the mid-to-late 1830s, several pages were used for secondary purposes. Some pages were used to record legal fees, and others appear to have been used as scrap paper by a schoolchild. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Illinois Artillery, 1st Regiment Record Book (MS 800). The collection was completely digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • James R.B. Van Cleave Collection of Lincoln Centenary Letters
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the James R.B. Van Cleave Lincoln Centenary Letters consists of letters written to the Lincoln Centennial Association from 1907-1911, primarily relating to the centenary of Lincoln’s birth, which occurred in 1909. The Lincoln Centennial Association (now the Abraham Lincoln Association) was formed in Springfield, Illinois, in 1908, to facilitate the national ceremony of the centennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln in 1909. James R.B. Van Cleave (1853-1931) was a life member of the Association. He served as Secretary of the Publicity Committee and was a member of the Committee on Souvenirs and Printing. For the centennial, Van Cleave was tasked to gather reminiscences from those who knew Lincoln personally or professionally. The digitized content contains letters written to James R.B. Van Cleave describing the artifacts that they were donating to the Lincoln Centenary, or their personal memories of meeting Abraham Lincoln. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the James R.B. Van Cleave Lincoln Centenary Letters (MS 1104) The collection was completely digitized in 2023. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Jay Montgomery Hurd Memoirs (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Jay Montgomery Hurd Memoirs consists of the autobiographical writings of Jay Montgomery Hurd, titled “A Few Incidents in the Life of a Sexagenarian.” The memoirs describe Hurd’s life story from 1809 to 1874. Jay Montgomery Hurd held many jobs in his lifetime; his first position was helping newly freed slaves settle in Illinois. He later became a constable, farmer, storekeeper and politician. Hurd helped to establish Jersey County, Illinois, and served as a judge in Jerseyville from 1847-1869. During this time he became known by prominent politicians such as Stephen A. Douglas. Hurd moved from Greene County to Christian County in 1858, and then to Johnson City, Nebraska, in 1872. The digitized content contains the handwritten memoirs of Jay Montgomery Hurd, written in 1874. In his memoirs Hurd described politics, travel to the East Coast, and farming operations, as they evolved into mechanized processes during his lifetime. Hurd also mentioned abolition, religion, and frontier life, among other topics. Although Hurd lived through the Civil War, it is rarely mentioned in his writing. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Jay Montgomery Hurd Memoirs (MS 791). The collection was digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • John McClernand Letter (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the John McClernand letter consists of one printed letter from Camp Cairo, Illinois, to Ulysses S. Grant, dated November 12, 1861. An unknown author added a handwritten note at the bottom of the last page. John A. McClernand (1812-1900) was a Democratic politician from Shawneetown, Illinois. He served with Abraham Lincoln in the Illinois General Assembly in the 1830s and was eventually elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1861, McClernand accepted a commission as brigadier general of Volunteers for service in the Civil War. Many of his contemporaries, including General Ulysses S. Grant, found McClernand incompetent in the field. Grant was McClernand's commanding officer during the Battle of Belmont in southeast Missouri, which was a Union loss. Grant relieved McClernand from his military duties in 1863, after McClernand gave a report to the press without approval. After dismissal, he continued his political career in Illinois and served as district judge of the Sangamon District. The digitized content consists of a printed letter from John A. McClernand to Ulysses S. Grant, dated November 12, 1861, five days after the Battle of Belmont in southeast Missouri. McClernand described the events of the battle in detail, praising the efforts made by soldiers under his command and by Grant himself. He also recounted many deaths following the Battle of Belmont, including Polish American aide-de-camp Captain Alexander Bielaski. Below McClernand's printed signature is a handwritten note from an unknown author, who recounted how many times McClernand mentioned himself in the letter. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the John McClernand Letter on the Battle of Belmont from Cairo, Illinois, 1861 (MS 1100). The collection was completely digitized in 2022. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Jonathan A. Catlin Collection (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Jonathan A. Catlin Collection consists of a diary, a photograph, and two letters, mainly documenting the Civil War service of Jonathan A. Catlin in the 52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry. The items date from 1862-1865 and 1883. Jonathan A. Catlin joined Company G of the 52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1861. The 52nd Regiment was organized at Geneva, Illinois, and engaged in the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, operations against Vicksburg, the Atlanta Campaign, and the March to the Sea. The digitized content contains Catlin's diary, an undated photograph of Catlin taken in Quincy, Illinois, and two letters. Catlin's diary contains a few entries on his life before and after the Civil War, but mainly documents his experience in the war. Among the materials is a letter dated January 14, 1883 from Jane Van Horn of Churchville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to her cousins in Illinois. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Jonathan A. Catlin Collection (MS 513). The collection was completely digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Jonathan Baldwin Turner Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Jonathan Baldwin Turner papers consists of letters, images, certificates, patents, and circulars pertaining to the life and career of Jonathan Baldwin Turner, a teacher, preacher, agriculturalist, and educational and political advocate. Jonathan Baldwin Turner (1805-1899) was born in Massachusetts and moved to Illinois after receiving his degree in classical literature from Yale University in 1833. He settled in Jacksonville, Illinois, where he was a professor at Illinois College. Turner was an integral figure in the establishment of land grant universities, as well as the founding of the Illinois Industrial University, now the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was also an agriculturalist who improved agricultural methods and established the use of Osage orange trees for hedge farming. The digitized content contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, images, patents, circulars, and certificates from Turner's career in agriculture and educational advocacy. Correspondents include Illinois politicians, national politicians, and friends and associates involved in Turner's educational pursuits. Many of the letters concern Turner's decade-long effort in establishing the Illinois Industrial University. Turner's circulars and patents concern innovative agricultural methods, including improvements for seeding machines and Pulverizers, and the promotion of Osage orange trees for hedge farming. Images include portraits of Turner, his family, and their residence in Jacksonville, Illinois. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Jonathan Baldwin Turner Papers (MS 333). The collection was partially digitized in 2020, 2021, and 2022. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Joseph Gurney Cannon Photo Album (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Joseph Gurney Cannon Photo Album contains digital copies of photographs from Cannon’s album, documenting the construction progress of the Danville Soldier’s Home in Illinois. Joseph Gurney ("Uncle Joe") Cannon was a leading figure in U.S. politics during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives for a total of 46 years, between 1873 and 1923, and served as Speaker of the House from 1903 to 1911. Cannon was the leading force in bringing the Veterans Administration Hospital (formerly a branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers) to Danville, Illinois, in 1898. Cannon's photo album includes pictures of the hospital and its occupants, employees, surrounding grounds, and events. The buildings and grounds were later adapted for use by the Danville Area Community College. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Joseph Gurney Cannon Photo Album and Book (MS 505). The collection was partially digitized in 2000 (individual photographs) and fully digitized in 2022 (full album). For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Joseph Hand Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Joseph Hand Papers consists of letters dating from 1843-1903 and a set of two broadsides from 1844-1845 relating to Joseph Hand, a farmer who immigrated to Illinois from England with his family in 1845. The correspondence, the bulk of which dates from the 1840s and 1850s, highlights the lives of the Hands both before and after they left England. Joseph Hand was a farmer living in Yoxall, Staffordshire, England. In 1845, Hand sold his farm and set sail for America with his wife and six of their seven children. Hand's wife, Sarah Shipton Hand, died while the family was at sea. Upon arriving in Illinois, Hand purchased land at Paddock's Grove in Madison County, and soon expanded the farm across the county line into Bunker Hill in Macoupin County. After Joseph's death in 1860, his daughter Sarah A. Hand took over management of the family farm. The digitized content contains correspondence, dating from both while the Hands were living in England and after their arrival in the United States. The collection illustrates the lives of rural English people, English politics and social conditions in the 1840s, and exchanges between family members in England and the United States. The digitized content also contains auctioneers' broadsides for the sale of the family's farm in Yoxall. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Joseph Hand Papers (MS 688). The collection was partially digitized in 2013. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Knight Family Correspondence (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Knight Family Correspondence consists of letters written between the Mack family of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois and the Knight family of Selma and Towanda, Illinois, dating from the 1850s to the 1880s. Most of the letters were written by Martha Mack to her sister, Isabella Knight. Martha and Isabella Gill were sisters and Irish immigrants. Isabella married Harvey J. Knight and they had two children, Martha (Mattie) and Anna Knight The Knight family lived in Selma, Illinois before moving to Towanda, Illinois, outside of Normal, so that Isabella and Martha could be closer to each other. Martha Gill married John T. Mack and the two lived in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The digitized content contains letters written between Martha and Isabella about farm life and family updates. Harvey and John also wrote to each other about their farm work. Later letters are written by Mattie and Anna Knight to their mother and father; these letters are about their education in Normal, Illinois, where they were learning to be teachers. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Knight Family Correspondence (MS 041). The collection was completely digitized in 2020 and 2021. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • League of Women Voters of Champaign County, Ill. Records (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the League of Women Voters of Champaign County, Illinois, Records consists of the Official Secretary Records Volume 1. These records span from October 9, 1922, until May 2, 1933, and include notes on meetings, resumes of presentations by guest speakers, reports of officers and committees, newspaper clippings, and material on the Junior League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters of Champaign County was formed in 1922. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan grassroots organization that promotes civic involvement and encourages active participation in the government through voter education. The digitized content contains Volume 1 of the League of Women Voters of Champaign County’s Official Secretary Records. This volume contains 152 bound pages with 44 loose pages of additional materials. These pages include meeting notes, summaries of presentations by speakers, officer and committee reports, newspaper clippings, and material on the Junior League of Women Voters. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the League of Women Voters of Champaign County, Ill. Records (MS 063). This collection was partially digitized in 2024. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Margaret A. King Correspondence (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Margaret A. King Correspondence consists of original correspondence written between February and October 1864, primarily from Margaret A. King, who lived in Warren, Illinois, to her husband Philander B. King, who had moved to Nevada Territory. Philander and Margaret King were farmers who lived in Warren, Illinois, though Philander moved west to Washoe City, Nevada Territory in 1864 to try to find work in the gold mines. While he was away, Margaret cared for their farm and their children. The Kings moved to the state of Washington in 1902, where Margaret died in 1906 and Philander died in 1907. The digitized content contains sixteen letters, most of which are from Margaret King to Philander King. In her letters to her husband, Margaret described the difficulties of her life alone on the farm, as well as details such as the weather and the prices of goods. She also wrote about local news from Warren, Illinois, especially news regarding the Civil War. The digitized content also contains letters from Philander to Margaret, which give insight into his life in Washoe City, and letters sent to Philander from his relative J. M. Barber; J. E. Scace; and D. C. Allen. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Margaret A. King Correspondence (MS 037). The collection was completely digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • Mary Jane Foster Letter (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the Mary Jane Foster Letter consists of one letter written in 1869 by Mary Jane Foster to her father, Octavio. Mary Jane Foster lived in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois, during the 19th century, with her husband, George, who owned a business in Chicago. Her father, Octavio, lived in the eastern United States. The digitized content contains one letter written by Mary Jane Foster to her father, Octavio, in 1869. The letter discusses Mary Jane’s move from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois, due to high rent prices, local transportation, and her intention to build a house on the plot of land she recently purchased. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Mary Jane Foster Letter (MS 1047). The collection was completely digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.
  • McNitt Family Papers (Digitized Content)
    Illinois History and Lincoln Collections  ·   Digital Special Collections
    Description
    The digitized content of the McNitt Family Papers consists of correspondence and related materials, dating from 1861 to 1886, of three sisters, Sophronia, Hellen, and Jennie McNitt. The bulk of the correspondence is between soldiers serving in the Illinois infantry during the Civil War and Sophronia McNitt. The McNitts were a farming family who lived in rural Montgomery County, Illinois, near the townships of Hillsboro and Irving. The family, including the three daughters, Sophronia, Hellen, and Priscilla ("Jennie"), had connections throughout the county. During the Civil War, many men that they knew left the county to make lives in the West or fight in Illinois volunteer infantry regiments. These men, along with other friends, maintained connections to the McNitts through correspondence. The digitized content contains letters written to the McNitt sisters, particularly Sophronia, by friends, suitors, or other connections from their local community in Montgomery County. These letters give a glimpse into the activities and lives of Civil War soldiers from rural Illinois, politics and anti-war movements of the 1860s, and courtship of the era. The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the McNitt Family Papers (MS 117). The collection was partially digitized in 2018. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.