Seventy years ago February 25 marks the anniversary of the Pinkstaff Tornado. This week we will share some first- hand accounts from residents who lived through that awful night. Early on Saturday, February 25, 1956, a tornado developed when a cold front met an unusually warm air current coming from the Gulf of Mexico. In Lawrenceville, the barometer read 29 inches at midnight Friday, following a gradual decline throughout the day. At that time, the temperature was 62°F. The

Two great things happening today 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. AND 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 fro

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

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 capture of Fort Sackville (Vincennes) without loss of life during the conflict between England and the colonies was George Rogers Clark' s most significant military achievement. The decision to assault the Fort presented him with a daunting, almost impossible task. He would have to trek through the wilderness some 200 miles in the dead of winter, through flooded, icy river bottoms, while hoping the British remained unaware of his approach. He and his band of tired, cold,