History

This is a story of families torn apart during war and never reunited. It’s a story of cultural identity and how that first disruption echoes into the present day. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is a well-known story. Little known is the deportation of people of Japanese descent from Central and South American countries to U.S. camps.

The North Danvers Mennonite Church is celebrating its 175th birthday, making it only 20 years younger than the county it stands in. The church still operates as usual, hosting Sunday services, celebrating holidays and sending members out for disaster relief.

Bloomington-Normal tourism officials said the Route 66 centennial celebrations have increased out-of-town visits to McLean County by 3% compared to year-to-date figures from last year.

As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a Lincoln scholar from Bloomington-Normal is saying Abraham Lincoln relied on the Declaration all his life.

There are many myths about the American west. They're wrong yet are remarkably sticky in American cultural consciousness according to historian Megan Kate Nelson. Nelson will speak at Illinois State University on March 19.

On October 28, 1934, the airport that would become Central Illinois Regional Airport was dedicated. A crowd estimated at 60,000 came to see the airshow and speech from the governor.

During the Great Depression the federal government tried to stimulate the economy by funding a variety of buildings and programs. Inside the 1936 WPA post office in Normal is a 1938 oil on canvas mural, a salute to the community, to human achievement, and to the importance of beauty in public spaces.

A Bloomington-Normal historian says bicycles were once a top export from the state of Illinois. Manufacturing centers in the state, including Peoria and Chicago, made two-thirds of all bicycles sold in the country in 1898.

If you want a sudsy taste of history, here's your chance: The McLean County Museum of History is partnering with Bloomington microbrewer Casper to honor the community's longest continuously operating (and now defunct) brewery.

It has been many decades since Downtown Bloomington was the premier destination for shoppers in the community. There was a time, though, when there were four large department stores downtown.