Stephenson County Historical Society

06/04/2026

The Stephenson County Historical Society would like to extend a huge thank you to Carpets by Kuniej for installing beautiful new flooring in our Museum of Industrial Heritage and to Omara Moving & Storage for providing the manpower to carefully move exhibits and artifacts throughout the project.

This was no small task, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of these local businesses. The new flooring has transformed the space, and we can’t wait for visitors to see it!

Stop by this weekend and check it out for yourself:

📍 Friday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Saturday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Sunday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Thank you for helping us preserve and improve the places where Stephenson County’s stories are shared. We look forward to welcoming you to the museum soon!

06/04/2026

Help support our friends at the Cedarville Area Historical Society!

Stop by the brat stand at Sullivan’s in Lena on June 12 and 13 from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM and enjoy a delicious lunch while supporting local history.

This is the Cedarville Area Historical Society’s first time hosting the brat stand, and all proceeds will help support the museum’s operating fund.

Grab a brat, support a great cause, and help keep the grills busy!

06/02/2026

Looking for something fun to do this June? Our local historical societies have a great lineup of events happening throughout the month!

📍 June 12–13 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Cedarville Area Historical Society Brat Stand
Sullivans Foods, Lena
The Cedarville Area Historical Society will be grilling at the Brat Stand at Sullivans in Lena. Stop by for a delicious lunch and support a great cause—net proceeds will help support the museum’s operating fund. It’s our first time manning the grills, so come hungry and help keep us busy!

📍 June 13 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Pearl City Historical Organization
1st Annual Heritage Arts and Skills Day
Blackhawk War Memorial
14109 W. Blackhawk Rd., Kent, Illinois

Step back in time and experience traditional heritage skills at the Pearl City Historical Organization’s first annual Heritage Arts and Skills Day. Visitors can watch demonstrations, learn from skilled artisans, and even purchase handmade items. Featured activities include quilting, blacksmithing, wood carving, soap making, embroidery, rope making, rug making, beadwork, basket weaving, candle making, and displays of Native American tools and weapons.

Admission: $5 Individual | $20 Family

📍 June 14 & 28 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Rock Run Historical Society
From Their Archives — Our Area’s Ghost Towns
Discover fascinating stories and historical information about the ghost towns that once existed in our area through materials from the society’s archives.

📍 June 20
Lena Historical Society
“And That’s the Way I Remember It”
Presented by Bill Dietz
Join us for an afternoon of stories and memories about growing up in our area.

📍 June 26
Cedarville Area Historical Society
Sunset Friday Night at the Movies
Bring your lawn chair and enjoy an evening under the stars.

📍 June 27 | 11:00 AM
Cedarville Historic House Walk
Take a stroll through Cedarville’s history and learn about some of the community’s historic homes and architecture.

📍 June 28 | 1:30 PM
German Valley Historical Society Museum
A League of Their Own: The Real Story of the Rockford Peaches
Guest speaker Sue Saunders of Midway Village will share the fascinating story of the women who played professional baseball during World War II and helped change sports history forever. The presentation will feature engaging stories and unique artifacts.

Support local history and explore the amazing museums and historical societies that help preserve the stories of Stephenson County!

05/30/2026

After nearly five years of research and writing, Ghost Towns of Stephenson County: The History of Forgotten Rural Communities During Their First 100 Years is now available through the Stephenson County Historical Society.

This 300-page book chronicles the history of more than 75 communities that once existed throughout Stephenson County. Filled with over 550 historic photographs, maps, and illustrations, the book brings to life the people, businesses, schools, churches, and stories that helped shape our county’s earliest years.

The book debuted at the Stephenson County Historical Society Annual Dinner in April 2026 and has been met with tremendous community interest. We are currently finishing the final shipment of pre-orders and appreciate everyone’s patience and support throughout this process.

Once all pre-orders have been fulfilled, the book will be available for purchase in the Stephenson County Historical Society Gift Shop.

Available Formats
• Paperback Edition – $40
• Hardcover Edition – $60

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project. We are excited to share this important piece of Stephenson County history with the community and future generations.

05/17/2026

WOW… what an incredible weekend for the Stephenson County Historical Society Plant Sale! 🌿

Thanks to our amazing community, volunteers, shoppers, donors, and supporters, this year’s sale was one of our biggest and most successful yet. We are so grateful for everyone who stopped out, shared the event, donated plants, or simply supported our mission of preserving local history.

Events like this help us continue caring for the museum grounds, historic buildings, exhibits, and educational programming for the community.

Thank you for helping make this a record-breaking year. We truly could not do it without you! 💚

05/17/2026

📅 Save the Date!

Our friends at the Pearl City Historical Organization are hosting a family fun day at the Blackhawk Monument near Kent, IL.

It will be a day filled with history, demonstrations, vendors, and special presentations, including a talk by Jake Andrews about the heroes buried on the grounds and the battles of the Black Hawk War.

Stay tuned for more details, but this is one you won’t want to miss!

05/16/2026