By Cinda Ackerman Klickna This week the Indian community will be celebrating their new Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield, the Shree MahaLakshmi Temple, located in Chatham. Starting Oct. 13 and lasting through Oct. 17, events will include religious and cultural … Continued
By Cinda Ackerman Klickna The truth is rarely pretty or polite. When Colonial Williamsburg historians decided several years ago to add a portrayal of the real story of slaves at Williamsburg, visitors found the reenactments disturbing. Others claimed it was … Continued
On May 22, New Salem will celebrate the 100th anniversary of an event that occurred on the same date in 1919, many long years after Lincoln had lived in the village, from 1831 to 1837.
It was on May 22 in 1919 that the site was conveyed to the people of Illinois by the owner, William Randolph Hearst. Hearst, a congressman from New York and a wealthy newspaper owner, had purchased the 62-acre site in 1906. The story of how Illinois now has New Salem, that in 2018 was voted the most popular historic site in Illinois, shows that fate can work in interesting ways.
By Cinda Ackerman Klickna Architect Michael Jackson, who supervised the 1987-1990 restoration, provides a guided tour. The glorious Dana-Thomas House – built in 1904 by Frank Lloyd Wright for Susan Lawrence Dana, owned by the Thomas Publishing company for over … Continued
Susan Lawrence Dana was more careful with money than you think By Cinda Ackerman Klickna Photo by Doug Carr Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site at 301 E. Lawrence Ave. has experienced a steep drop in its number of annual visitors. … Continued
The origins of Springfield school names By Cinda Ackerman Klickna It’s easy to figure out how some schools got their names: Fairview had a view of the fair; Pleasant Hill stood on a pleasing hillside; Southern View, Laketown, and Southeast … Continued