From our membership committee: It is that time again!  Our letters to renew your membership are in the mail!  We had a very exciting 2025!  We had many successful programs that we are very proud of!  Our program on Harold Washington, first black Mayor of Chicago, was very well-received in Pinkstaff.  Our program on the Pinkstaff tornado brought in many residents and relatives of residents that had experienced the tornado.  The program was a big hit!  So much so, that we decid

Sumner’s origins trace back to Benjamin Sumner, one of the first permanent settlers in Christy Township. He arrived in 1817, building a round‑log cabin and establishing the family presence that would later give the town its name. The O & M railroad was built through Lawrence County in 1854-55 running through what would eventually become the town of Sumner. The first lots sold were on February 3, 1854. The town itself was incorporated in 1858- 59 but the state of Illinois did

The annual Lawrence County Historical Society Meeting previously scheduled for Monday Night January 26, 2026 is CANCELLED. In addition, the Research Library will NOT be open on Monday January 26, 2026.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF LAWRENCE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The annual meeting of the Lawrence County Historical Society will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026, 7:00 p.m. at the History Center in Lawrenceville.  The agenda will include the election of officers, a treasurer's report and a report from the board of directors on current activities and projects.  All members are invited to attend. Because of predicted inclement weather, this meeting may be cancelled. Watch f

Feeling Rough? Let’s Fix That Hangover! So, you woke up with a head that feels like LTHS marching band is parading through your brain, a mouth as dry as the Lukin soybean fields last fall, and a stomach doing the cha-cha against your will. Congratulations! You, my friend, are experiencing the time-honored tradition of a hangover. Step 1: The Ritual of Regret First things first: look in the mirror and give yourself a dramatic sigh. Bonus points for clutching your forehead and

Lawrence County prehistory is archeologically complex, spanning a wide range of time extending from the earliest known prehistoric time prior to the Paleoindian (ca 12,000-10,500 BC) up to the time of Euro-American settlement in the early nineteenth century. Our area, the central Wabash Valley, was one of the last major unknown archaeological areas of Illinois until the Illinois State Museum made archaeological excavations in the 1960’s. The period that existed until, and aft

Ed Brumley, one of our volunteers, has been busy scanning George Field News and Snafu newspapers. During WWIi these weekly newspapers were filled with the activities (and gossip) about the men and women who were stationed at George Field Army Air Field. We hope once they are scanned to have them digitized and made available to the public on-line. While we have several copies, we don't have a complete set. So we are asking the community and on-line readers to contact us if

There are still a few seats left for the “Fashions Through the Decades” program on Thursday, December 4 from 10:00-11:00 at the History Center.  This is the second in a three- part series about the Ladies of Lawrence and the clothes they wore. Call 908-208-2372 to reserve a seat, cost is $10.  Come join us for a fun morning.

The History Center will NOT be open this Sunday November 16. Dolls are little figures of a person and each one tells a story. The Historical Society has over 400 dolls in our collection. This 4” delicately carved wood peg doll has wood jointed arms and legs, painted features and handmade clothing. She is dressed in a cream silk ribbon dress trimmed with black cotton lace.  Circa Mid 19 th  century These peg wood dolls, also known as 'Dutch Dolls', originated as simple lathe