April - 2026

TELLING OUR STORY

The museum's primary educational mission is to tell the stories of Champaign County. We strive to tell those stories in various ways, including monthly articles curated by our volunteers and staff, our monthly recorded "History Talks," and our oral history collection that allows residents to tell their own stories. These resources are available to the public below.

More than Temperance: The CU Woman's Christian Temperance Union

By Sara Linne The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was not only a temperance organization. Members were actively involved in politics, suffrage movements, and, as the name suggests, Christianity and temperance. The national WCTU was established in 1874 and by the late 19th century had the largest membership numbers of any women’s organization (1). Its most famous and influential leader, Frances Willard, became president in 1879 and supported the idea of “Do Everythi

Sara Linne

2 days ago10 min read

More than Temperance: The CU Woman's Christian Temperance Union

2 days ago10 min read

Prairie Prisons

Mar 111 min read

Flatville: Where they've come from and where they're going

Jan 18 min read

Giving Tuesday: Support CCHM & CCNDI

Dec 2, 20252 min read

An Introduction to the EI League

Nov 23, 20256 min read

A New Digital Exhibition!

Sep 22, 20251 min read

Voices from the Past - Cliff Delong

Aug 1, 20254 min read

A Tale of Two Cities-of-the-Dead

Jun 1, 202512 min read

A Garden for the Dead in the Big Grove

May 1, 20258 min read

Oral Histories

Our local history is best told by those who lived through it. To that end, the museum has in its collections a series of recorded oral histories told by residents. These recordings were made by museum staff and volunteers and have been digitized from audio cassette recordings. The opinions expressed by the interviewee are those of the subject and are intended for personal or educational purposes. All oral histories include full transcriptions that can be accessed by clicking the music note on the right of each recording.

These recordings are presented in an unedited format and are the copyright of the Champaign County History Museum. Duplication and use without the museum's expressed written permission are prohibited.

History Talks

Each month, we welcome a topical expert to speak on various topics of Champaign County History. These talks are recorded and viewable here.

History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts