The iconic Route 66 will hit the century mark next year. Before it became the "Mother Road," it was Illinois Route 4. And on it was a rest spot for those early motorists on the south side of Bloomington.

Imagine, if you will, how big a deal it would be if Taylor Swift gave a concert in Bloomington-Normal. That's the equivalent to the appearance of lyric tenor John McCormack on Nov. 24, 1924.

Illinois has a deep connection to the Underground Railroad. That's why lawmakers are pushing an initiative to preserve sites connected to this key part of history.

It seems like a new biography of President Abraham Lincoln comes out every few years, trying to discern new perspectives of his time and character. Lincoln himself didn't write much about his life, so what he did put down on paper has an outsized importance.

McHistory is a co-production of WGLT and the McLean County Museum of History.

McHistory is a co-production of WGLT and the McLean County Museum of History.

McHistory is a co-production of WGLT and the McLean County Museum of History.

This week's episode of McHistory recounts Eleanor Roosevelt's visit to Bloomington-Normal in 1937.

In this episode of McHistory, a look at the McLean County Poor Farm, where living conditions were often inhumane.

The National Liver and Kidney Cure was said to be made from vegetables and herbs—and may have had some alcohol in it for an extra kick. It was made right here in Normal.