Local historian Tom Wadsworth will reveal the surprising connections between Charles R. Walgreen and Dixon – including how a small-town start in 1891 helped spark a national retail empire.

“Rebel Music! Women of Color Who Changed the Beat” showcases women who challenged norms and then changed culture and musical history through their artistry.

The “Those Were the Days” presenter at the Oregon Depot on Feb. 28 will be Highland Community College’s Lifelong Learning instructor, Mark Peterson.

The Ogle County Historical Society’s monthly meeting is Monday, Feb. 23, in the carriage house annex behind the Nash House Museum in Oregon.

I have a sign in my front yard and I am not running for office. The sign says: “Congratulations, Natalie O’Connor. 2026 Illinois Teacher of the Year. West Carroll Elementary School.”

Completed applications are due by 4 p.m. on March 2 and can be submitted by mail or email o the Kendall County Historic Preservation Commission.

Grayslake souvenirs from private collections will be on display for four hours, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, in the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum, 164 Hawley St., Grayslake.

First in February at the Flagg Township Museum in Rochelle it’s a “Find the Love” Scavenger Hunt, unlocking romantic treasures at the museum for visitors, friends and history lovers.

While we’ll be celebrating Kendall County’s 185th birthday this year and the nation’s 250th birthday, we ought to also keep in mind that by 1776, Illinois had already been settled for a century.

Guest Column: Recently someone said the temperature was to get up in the 40s and someone else said 50s. Right away, I wondered when do we start looking for robins?

Instead of demolishing a historic St. Charles landmark to build a parking lot, the church that owns the building is now planning to sell it to a Geneva developer who will rehabilitate the structure with help from the city.

More than 116 years after the construction what later became John Gartner’s Eastside Bakery, the surviving structure at 115 Cedar Ave. in St. Charles has received historic landmark status.

The production “uses U.S. postage stamps honoring notable African Americans as a creative lens to explore Black history, artistry and achievement,” the release stated.

Anna Sielaff is part of the Illinois Humanities 2026-27 Road Scholars Speakers Bureau and will present this program at the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society’s meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8.

Wadsworth: I’ve never heard anyone talk about this fascinating Nachusa House story from 1904. But it captures a unique moment in Dixon history when state, religion and business collided in a raging controversy.

This presentation by Fermilab archivist Valerie J. Higgins will give participants a brief overview of the lab’s fascinating history from its founding in 1967 to the present day.

Imagine, it’s Saturday, July 4, 2076. The 300th anniversary of America’s independence. Fifty years before, residents, organizations and schools wrote letters and messages to the “future people” of Ogle County.

A week before the Geneva City Council was to consider an appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission’s demolition denial of the circa-1843 blacksmith shop, two alderpersons met with a Shodeen representative about what could memorialize it – after demolition.

Record stories that captured people's attention in years passed.

Whether it was leading a Scout troop, helping with the annual Chocolate Tour or persuading state and federal officials to add an interchange on Interstate 57, Paul Schore did it for the community.

As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from January 30, including the removal of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

The Norway Temperance Hall has officially added to the National Register of Historic Places by the US National Park Service.

Batavia’s Tin Shop stood for 135 years, but it took only a couple of days for the historical building to become a pile of rubble.

The structure from 1890 was demolished the week of Jan. 19 after various efforts to rehab, move or sell the property were unsuccessful. A public plaza and restrooms are planned in place of the Tin Shop.

Playing at professional baseball's highest level was a feat achieved by five people born in Lee County: Lou Bevilacqua of Nelson, George Bristow of Paw Paw, Betty Degner of Amboy, Leroy Herrmann of Steward and Frank Shaughnessy of Amboy.

McDermott: You do not need to like what happened, but you owe it to the future to remember the good and the bad. This story is about the bad. 

Obendorf: Since I have been shut up in the house, I have been working with a bucket of apples that Mike left for me. I started first with sliced apples and cheese. Then I went to cooked apples with cinnamon. Next in line was applesauce made in my blender.

A Fulton apartment building – one of the oldest structures still standing in the city – is now a total loss after fire broke out Sunday morning.

The list of guests who were reported to visit the Nachusa House in Dixon reads like a Who’s Who in American history. In today's history column, Tom Wadsworth elaborates on three notables: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Ronald Reagan.

The College of Lake County’s James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts will present “1619: The Journey of a People: A New Musical” on Jan. 23.

Oswego’s Little White School Museum invites you to share your stories and help preserve the community’s priceless local history and heritage.

Tom Wadsworth loves history. So much so that the Dixon native is the go-to guy for anyone who wants to know more about the city’s beginnings, how it grew since its founding, the people who bolstered its success, the places that stand out, and the backstories of it all.

Obendorf: This is the weather for soup and more hot chocolate as I stay huddled up in my chair. Alexa tells me the next day or two will not be any better as she warns people to stay in.

The Elmhurst History Museum will debut a new, original exhibition, “Anatomy of Healthcare: DuPage County Medical History,” which will open Jan. 23 and run through May 3.

One of Crystal Lake’s oldest buildings, constructed in about 1853, was completely torn down Tuesday after a year-long effort to preserve it was unsuccessful.

Despite efforts to save the structure, built in the 1850s, Crystal Lake's Academy Building became a pile of rubble Tuesday with the completion of demolition.

Back in the 1800s, the selection—not to mention the quality—of the meats consumers could buy was a lot slimmer. But the constant has always been that meat has offered farmers an easier, more compact way to get their grain to market.

Back by popular demand for an encore presentation Saturday, Jan. 31, Tom Wadsworth will speak about stagecoach history in northwestern Illinois (1828-1855).

The Geneva City Council's vote Monday of 6-4 was not enough to overturn the Historic Preservation Commission's denial of the developer's petition to demolish an historic circa-1840 blacksmith shop.

The Ogle County Historical Society recently introduced officers and board members for 2026.

Will County on Monday joined the United States, Joliet's Rialto Square Theatre and Route 66 in marking 2026 as an historic year.

Wild Winter Wednesday’s Jan. 14 program will feature the Rev. John Byker speaking about the early history of Fulton and how Gerardus “George” deBey was instrumental as an early Fulton recruiter.

As Shaw Media continues its 175th-anniversary celebration, today we look at historical newspaper covers, including our coverage of Amelia Earhart’s solo flight across the Pacific

Recently we lost Nancy Parks from our church and Max Snook and Richard Jacks from our community.

The celebration will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb 6. Take a tour of the apartment where the Reagans lived and discover more of Tampico’s history.

Record stories that captured people's attention in years passed.

The Flagg Township Museum held its annual meeting Jan. 3 at the museum.

As Shaw Media continues its 175th-anniversary celebration, we delve into the archives of January 10: In 1929, the cover of the Daily Chronicle's lead story detailed a plot by a prisoner to “dope” his way out of jail using morphine-laced candy

A group of preservationists are making a last-ditch effort to convince the Geneva City Council not to approve demolish request for the circa 1840s blacksmith shop at 4 E. State St.

Guest column: A special doll and a phone call from a friend brighten the holiday season.