“This is the best rest area I stop in, and I stop in a lot of them,” the Arizona truck driver said as he ate a snack at a picnic table at the Salt Kettle Rest Area on Interstate 74 west of Danville. He was a long-haul driver and he appreciated the park-like setting. He had just returned to t…

Utah’s governor recently signed a law that prevents law enforcement officials from obtaining user data from such DNA testing companies as Ancestry.com and 23AndMe without a search warrant. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y6souswh.

My Grandfather Dawless died in 1959. I was only 4, but I remember him. A few photos show that he was mighty proud of his seven little grandchildren.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! We are asking individuals in Danville and surrounding communities to help us determine what our focus should be in the coming years.

Ghost stories and haunted houses are hardly related to genealogical research — or are they? On a personal note, an ancestor of mine, Rebecca Cornell, appeared as a ghost to her brother, John Briggs, to reveal her murderer. This was all documented in Rhode Island court records and detailed in…

Good Sunday morning, everyone! October is upon us this week and there is a lot about October and the beginning of fall that we can all love. Although the topic for today isn’t as pretty and popular, it is truly needed.

Danville’s new high school opened 95 years ago this month. When Francis Watkins walked in the new school on opening day in 1924. she recalled her first impression was, “This is grand!”

Good Sunday morning, everyone! A woman, a priest, two ministers and a rabbi walked into a restaurant …

The most recent issue of the Iliana Genealogical & Historical Society’s (IGHS) quarterly publication, Illiana Genealogist (Vol. 55, No. 3, Fall 2019), has been sent to the society’s members and is available to view or purchase at the Iliana Genealogy Library, 215 W. North St., Danville, …

A college student needs a special place to read … some quiet, comfy little nest, far from blaring stereos, overheard conversations and other annoyances.

Mike Rodriguez purchased a photo album at a flea market in Texas for $8 and then realized its pages were filled with family information and photographs — all pertaining to people in Madison County, Illinois.

“I’m not a programmer, but I play one on TV.”

Good Sunday morning everyone! In the last couple of weeks, myself and my two volunteers, they are the ones with the physical strength and truck and trailer, made life a little easier for several families in the Vermilion County area. I think I need a name for this duo besides Dave1 an Dave2.…

He was an unusual archeologist, but he was well-equipped for a dig. Those sharp front claws made him the leading backhoe of the small mammals that frequented the farm from time to time.

The Illinois State Genealogical Society’s (ISGS) website (www.ilgensoc.org) provides a link to “How Lincoln Saved Her Husband,” an article in the ISGS Quarterly (Summer 2019) that tells of a long-forgotten document that is finally in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The Vermilion County Administration Building, 201 N. Vermilion St., is an architectural gem and a tribute to Danville’s most-renowned permanent resident: U.S. House Speaker Joseph G. Cannon.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! We live every day in the pursuit of happiness, each of us with our own idea as to what that is and how we are going to get there.

It was unusual to see a service station with an attractive flower garden in front. Those flowers were an

Genealogist Joe Beine has posted his Genealogy Roots Blog, at https://tinyurl.com/no4wptt, notifying researchers he has updated his Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records Website (USA). Included in this update is Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947 at FamilySearch. (Conduct a s…

Not that long ago, our family fleet consisted of three vehicles, all with manual transmissions: Laurie’s 5-speed Toyota Camry, my 3-speed Ford pickup and my weekend toy, a 4-speed Chevy, built in 1930.

More than 500,000 temporary or part-time jobs, side jobs — so-called gigs — will be available as the U.S. Census Bureau makes plans to conduct the 2020 census next year.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! I came across the topic of waiting, not patiently waiting, unfortunately. It was very eye opening of how we have become this hurry, instant gratification kind of society.

Progress in the city of Danville, and America’ s love affair with the automobile, ended the tenure of one of the city’s landmarks in 1932.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Last weekend was one of those horrific weekends. Mass shootings, taking innocent lives and affecting the lives of countless others for years to come.

Dear America,

Genealogist Megan Smolenyak has created a brief video assembled “from bits and pieces” that Megan and her husband, Brian, and friend, Michael Mills, had recorded on their iPhones when they attended the opening of the new Statue of Liberty Museum.

Do you ever scan the obituaries, see a familiar name, then slowly realize that yes … that was someone who was important to you, years ago?

The major Christian denomination churches in the U.S. kept records that are often overlooked by genealogical researchers. Perhaps because these records are not always easily obtainable, or because a specific church may not be known, genealogists often neglect to pursue their availability.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! I’m going to talk about a topic that makes us somewhat uncomfortable … integrity. I often think of integrity as doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

The statement from the C&EI Railroad for the work crew was $500. That was a crushing amount for a high school student working a summer job in 1956 to pay.

Growing up in Danville, I had parents who set the example for the importance of volunteering within our community.

Anyone old enough to remember the day 50 years ago on June 20, 1969, when America’s astronauts walked on the moon, has the unique opportunity to share personal memories of that day.

It was eight years after the March 1, 1920, fire that destroyed the elaborate Mudlavia that a new hotel began being erected by Windsor J. Weaver of Indianapolis.

Genealogist Joe Beine’s many websites offer a wealth of information for genealogical researchers — both beginners and advanced — as well as other topics of interest.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! I was in a meeting last week with Vicki Haugen, the president and CEO of Vermilion Advantage, and something she said stuck with me.

Chicago always has been magical to me. The tall, tall buildings … the crowded sidewalks … the glistening lake, dappled by sailboats … the deep-dish pizza at Pizzeria Due … the sauerbraten and creamed spinach in the paneled womb of The Berghoff.

The tiny village of Danville still stood at the edge of a vast prairie when Eleanor Berry married Gurdon Hubbard on a May day in 1831. Eleanor’s sister Orleatha (also spelled Orlethy) had introduced her to the fur trader the previous winter and her matchmaking proved successful.

“Freedom lies in being bold.” — Robert Frost

Genealogical research is a popular video topic offered by YouTube. A website that provides links to the top 25 genealogy YouTube channels is a handy place to start. The channels listed at http://tinyurl.com/yytsbvky include Ancestry, FamilySearch (includes videos of many RootsTech seminars),…

Good Sunday morning, everyone! When I took the position as president here at the United Way office, I thought I would just be raising funds to be able to offer great programs to Danville and the surrounding communities, and help more of our residents live a better life.

If you were an old lady who had met Lincoln as a girl, you could be expected to embroider your memories a little. You might vividly recall his kindly eyes, or repeat something he said, or show off the silver dime that he gave you.

Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter recently posted an article, “Decades of History Could Be Erased from Australia’s Memory as Tape Machines Disappear.” Although this problem pertains to the National Archives of Australia, others probably will have the same problem.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Have you ever failed at anything? I’m guessing you said, “Well yes, who hasn’t?”

A whipping post once stood on what is now Danville’s Main Street. It was located in front of where the First National Bank building was built in 1918. It was the city’s lone sky scraper and still stands, empty now, a monument to better days.

As this nation continues to commemorate the 75th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day, the National Archives has posted links to its records pertaining to that event at https://tinyurl.com/y5wh53qh. These include climate conditions, General Eisenhower’s messages, invasion planning, naval oper…

Good Sunday morning, everyone! There has been a lot of talk in our community about the crime. People are scared to go out at night. People want to move from our area.

In the spring of 1838, Jeremiah Van Reed and Ezra V.R. High traveled to Warren County to visit Charles V.R. High. The following are excerpts from Jeremiah’s journal.

The Illiana Genealogical & Historical Society’s (IGHS) most recent issue of its quarterly publication, Illiana Genealogist (Vol. 55, No. 2, Summer 2019), has been sent to society members and includes an interesting variety of articles.

Good Sunday morning, everyone! Another mass shooting with many lives lost in Virginia a few weeks ago, it’s unimaginable. Going to work as they always did; it should have been a safe place. The shooter, also employed with the city of Virginia Beach, was described as a quiet, polite guy, a “n…