

The Pride of the 99th Pursuit Squadron
By Zaria Whitlock Fig 1: Anthony Jones "Pride of the 99th" Champaign County has the distinguished honor of being known as the “Birthplace...
Will Best
Jun 19, 20249 min read


UIUC Mom’s Weekend: A Lasting Legacy Packed with Tradition
By Vanessa Turner Figure 1: 2022 Annual Moms Brunch. Taken from UIUC New Student & Family Experiences. Mom’s Weekend is an event name...
Will Best
Apr 12, 20246 min read


The Boneyard Creek: Unearthing the Complex History of a Champaign Staple
By Alexis Delgato The Boneyard Creek has been an intricate aspect of Champaign history since before the town’s conception. The story of...
Will Best
Apr 10, 20245 min read


CCNDI: The St. Joseph Record and Ogden Courier Live on the IDNC!
The history of rural communities is often inaccessible or lost. The Champaign County Newspaper Digitization Initiative’s (CCNDI) mission...
Will Best
Mar 26, 20242 min read


Myra, IL Part II: Myra Station - Historic Expansion and a Tragic End
By Will Best Henry Newton Pell’s Elevator Before we continue forward with our story it’s important to take a quick look back at the...
Will Best
Mar 6, 202418 min read


Gifford Germans: A Historic Settlement in Champaign County
By Izzy Sauer Winner of the 2024 Adele M. Suslick Award for Excellence in Research Fig 1: Gifford Residents in 1917 Image from the...
Will Best
Feb 28, 20245 min read


Digital Exhibit: The Chapin-McNeil Family Letters
By E. Elizabeth Watkins, Sean Blocher-McTigue, William Givens, and Connor Monson Life on the homestead wasn’t easy for early members of...
Will Best
Jan 12, 20242 min read


The Celebrations and Stories Behind our Italian Creche
Figure 1: Creche on Display at the News-Gazette circa 1990 Nativity scenes or Creches are common in the Midwest, especially at Christmas...
Will Best
Jan 6, 20245 min read


The Mandeville Flag: A Search For the Story Of A Fallen Union Soldier
By Rachel Johnston and Connor Monson “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these...
Connor Monson
Nov 10, 202319 min read


Myra, IL Part I: The Silver Family and Their Tragedies
By Will Best Research by Aaron Khan and Philo Wang Figure 1: Myra Station Facing the Northwest Courtesy of Jim Prather Mira, Illinois,...
Will Best
Nov 4, 202315 min read