Don't Forget: — Dr. Jacob Skousen of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey will present “Exploring Mississippian Culture from Cahokia to Otter Pond” on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Christian Church at Pinkstaff near Lawrenceville. Allison Prairie, Lawrence County, Illinois The discovery of an early African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) church in Lawrence County was made by John M. King. For many years, it was believed that the A.M.E. church at

NO Program Tonight In the fall of 1875, the quiet town of Sumner, found itself repeatedly in the pages of regional newspapers. What began as a brief crime report soon became a months‑long public story marked by contradiction, uncertainty, and unresolved questions—revealed not through modern investigation, but through the shifting voices of 19th‑century journalism. The Night of the Shooting On a Monday evening in early November 1875, a local “colored” barber named John Branna

Plan to attend the program “The Little Town with a Big Heart” on February 21, 2026, at 1:30pm at at Sumner’s new City Hall, 224 S. Christy Ave. Free admittance and refreshment courtesy of the city of Sumner. Presentation by George Zwilling. CORRECTION The Lawrence County Illinois Historical Society proudly announces the TV premiere of its documentary, "An Eagle on his Button." This film highlights the remarkable stories of African Americans from Lawrence County who serve

Plan to attend the program “The Little Town with a Big Heart” on February 21, 2026, at 1:30pm at at Sumner’s new City Hall, 224 S. Christy Ave. Free admittance and refreshment courtesy of the city of Sumner. Presentation by George Zwilling. The Lawrence County Illinois Historical Society proudly announces the TV premiere of its documentary, "An Eagle on his Button." This film highlights the remarkable stories of African Americans from Lawrence County who served in the Ci

Plan to attend the program “The Little Town with a Big Heart” on February 21, 2026, at 1:30pm at at Sumner’s new City Hall, 224 S. Christy Ave. Free admittance and refreshment courtesy of the city of Sumner. Presentation by George Zwilling. Black churches in Lawrence County, Illinois formed the spiritual and social backbone of the county’s early African American communities. Congregations such as the AME churches provided far more than Sunday worship—they were places wher

Plan to attend the program “The Little Town with a Big Heart” on February 21, 2026, at 1:30pm at at Sumner’s new City Hall, 224 S. Christy Ave. Free admittance and refreshment courtesy of the city of Sumner. Presentation by George Zwilling. Local Black history in Lawrence County is a source of deep pride: it is the story of resilience, creativity, faith, entrepreneurship, and the leaders, families, churches, schools, and businesses that built and sustained this place agai

Plan to attend the program “The Little Town with a Big Heart” on February 21, 2026, at 1:30pm at at Sumner’s new City Hall, 224 S. Christy Ave. Free admittance and refreshment courtesy of the city of Sumner. Presentation by George Zwilling. Lawrence County’s Black history begins early: free Black settlers arrived before the Civil War, owned land, built churches and schools, and left traces in places like Fort Allison and Portee Cemetery — local records and the Lawrence Co

Our local researchers like to say that if you look hard enough you will find Lawrence County people playing a role in every part of American history. Here is just one example. Railroads played a pivotal role in shaping settlement across North Dakota, and their land‑selling campaigns were as influential as the tracks themselves. After receiving vast land grants from the federal government, railroad companies marketed these acres aggressively to homesteaders, immigrants, and an

Snap Dabbs William Henry ‘Snap’ Dabbs was born August 22, 1854, in Springfield Missouri before the Civil War according to his death...

For those of you who missed the program last Monday at Pinkstaff, co-sponsored with Illinois Humanities, because of the rain, here is a...