Stephenson County Historical Society

05/30/2026

After nearly five years of research and writing, Ghost Towns of Stephenson County: The History of Forgotten Rural Communities During Their First 100 Years is now available through the Stephenson County Historical Society.

This 300-page book chronicles the history of more than 75 communities that once existed throughout Stephenson County. Filled with over 550 historic photographs, maps, and illustrations, the book brings to life the people, businesses, schools, churches, and stories that helped shape our county’s earliest years.

The book debuted at the Stephenson County Historical Society Annual Dinner in April 2026 and has been met with tremendous community interest. We are currently finishing the final shipment of pre-orders and appreciate everyone’s patience and support throughout this process.

Once all pre-orders have been fulfilled, the book will be available for purchase in the Stephenson County Historical Society Gift Shop.

Available Formats
• Paperback Edition – $40
• Hardcover Edition – $60

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project. We are excited to share this important piece of Stephenson County history with the community and future generations.

05/17/2026

WOW… what an incredible weekend for the Stephenson County Historical Society Plant Sale! 🌿

Thanks to our amazing community, volunteers, shoppers, donors, and supporters, this year’s sale was one of our biggest and most successful yet. We are so grateful for everyone who stopped out, shared the event, donated plants, or simply supported our mission of preserving local history.

Events like this help us continue caring for the museum grounds, historic buildings, exhibits, and educational programming for the community.

Thank you for helping make this a record-breaking year. We truly could not do it without you! 💚

05/17/2026

📅 Save the Date!

Our friends at the Pearl City Historical Organization are hosting a family fun day at the Blackhawk Monument near Kent, IL.

It will be a day filled with history, demonstrations, vendors, and special presentations, including a talk by Jake Andrews about the heroes buried on the grounds and the battles of the Black Hawk War.

Stay tuned for more details, but this is one you won’t want to miss!

05/16/2026

05/13/2026

🌱 Tomorrow is the day! 🌱

Reminder that we will be closed for tours this weekend as we focus on the Plant Sale.

Join us May 14, 15, and 16 to shop, explore, and take home something new for your garden 🌿

05/12/2026

🌿 You can’t plant flowers if you haven’t… been to our Plant Sale 😉

Just a few days to go!