Towanda Area History

A McLean County Community News article dated January 24-30,1990 described the reasons for the slow development of roads in rural McLean County in the early 1900s. The nature of the soil when soaked wi .....

This photograph of a horse drawn buggy was taken around 1900. Harlan Sachs, Ward Sachs, and Horace Henderson can be seen in the buggy. Notice that the horse appears to have only three legs. Evidentl .....

Written history, by Mary Etta 'Lillian' Peterson Michael, is about her parents, George W. and Mary E. Peterson, who contracted Erysipelas, a type of life-threatening bacterial skin infection caused by .....

Photograph on May 2, 1910 of the Spinsters' Convention at Merna, Ill. Top L-R: Estella Kinsella, Margaret Arnold, Margaret Cunningham, Ella McAvoy, Katie Kinsella, Mary Foran Pendergast, Maggie Egan, B .....

A Bloomington, Illinois, Pantagraph newspaper article on December 13, 1936 featured Towanda residents in business who related some of their "pet peeves". Residents Albert Michael, William Marsh, Dr. S .....

An article in the Lexington Unit-Journal on October 21, 1937 was penned by Mrs. Howard Fincham and was titled: "Memoirs of the Pioneers and Early Settlers of Towanda Township." This article gives a t .....

This written history by Mary Ziegenhagen describes a one-room country school near Merna, Illinois during the WW II years. This history discusses her memories in first grade under teacher Mary Katherin .....

A January 19, 1943, newspaper article written by Mrs. S. S. Boulton, the Towanda correspondent for the Bloomington, Illinois Pantagraph, reported on the effect that World War II had on Towanda business .....

This 1948 newspaper article reported about the colorful group of gypsies who swept into the surrounding timber, where they were camping, doing their laundry, and spreading their clothes on bushes and .....

Michael K. White tells of his experiences growing up in the Towanda area in the 1950s and 1960s. Mentioned in the story are his parents Keith and Dorothy White, his younger brother Gregory and his unc .....

Towanda Area Historical Society email: tahs@towandahistory.org
Webmaster email: webmaster@towandahistory.org
Last update: August 10, 2010

Title	Date	Topic	Description

Newspaper article about early 1900 road development in rural McLean County	1900 - 1920	Transportation	A McLean County Community News article dated January 24-30,1990 described the reasons for the slow development of roads in rural McLean County in the early 1900s. The nature of the soil when soaked wi .....

Photograph of a horse drawn buggy, ca 1900	1900?	Transportation	This photograph of a horse drawn buggy was taken around 1900. Harlan Sachs, Ward Sachs, and Horace Henderson can be seen in the buggy. Notice that the horse appears to have only three legs. Evidentl .....

Written history of Erysipelas bacterial infection in 1906 in Towanda	1906	Health	Written history, by Mary Etta 'Lillian' Peterson Michael, is about her parents, George W. and Mary E. Peterson, who contracted Erysipelas, a type of life-threatening bacterial skin infection caused by .....

Photograph of Merna Spinsters Convention, with oral description	1910-05-02	Organizations	Photograph on May 2, 1910 of the Spinsters' Convention at Merna, Ill. Top L-R: Estella Kinsella, Margaret Arnold, Margaret Cunningham, Ella McAvoy, Katie Kinsella, Mary Foran Pendergast, Maggie Egan, B .....

Newspaper article on pet peeves of Towanda residents	1936-12-13	Personal stories	A Bloomington, Illinois, Pantagraph newspaper article on December 13, 1936 featured Towanda residents in business who related some of their "pet peeves". Residents Albert Michael, William Marsh, Dr. S .....

Newspaper article on history of Towanda Township	1937-10-21	General History	An article in the Lexington Unit-Journal on October 21, 1937 was penned by Mrs. Howard Fincham and was titled: "Memoirs of the Pioneers and Early Settlers of Towanda Township." This article gives a t .....

Written history of a one-room country school near Merna, Illinois during WWII years	1940 - 1945	Schools	This written history by Mary Ziegenhagen describes a one-room country school near Merna, Illinois during the WW II years. This history discusses her memories in first grade under teacher Mary Katherin .....

Newspaper Article on Effect of War on Businesses in Towanda in 1943	1943-01-19	Businesses	A January 19, 1943, newspaper article written by Mrs. S. S. Boulton, the Towanda correspondent for the Bloomington, Illinois Pantagraph, reported on the effect that World War II had on Towanda business .....

Newspaper article about Gypsies near Towanda	1948-05-04	Route 66	This 1948 newspaper article reported about the colorful group of gypsies who swept into the surrounding timber, where they were camping, doing their laundry, and spreading their clothes on bushes and .....

Written story of growing up in the Towanda area in the 1950s and 1960s by Michael K. White	1950 - 1977	Personal stories	Michael K. White tells of his experiences growing up in the Towanda area in the 1950s and 1960s. Mentioned in the story are his parents Keith and Dorothy White, his younger brother Gregory and his unc .....

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