African-American Historical & Cultural Museum

10/24/2026

The African-American Historical and Cultural Museum is set up and ready for Spooktacular at the Grout Museum District!

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

Unfortunately, someone made the decision to vandalize our museum, and as a volunteer-led organization with limited financial resources, this could be a major setback to our mission of preserving local history. We would like to sincerely thank the Waterloo Police Department for their quick response and assistance. If anyone recognizes the individuals in the video or has information that could help identify those responsible, please reach out to us or contact the Waterloo Police Department. We appreciate our community’s continued support as we work to protect and preserve our local heritage. ❤️

10/06/2026

A huge thank you to Steven FergusonFurgerson and St. John Lutheran Church for spending time with us at the African American Historical & Cultural Museum!

We were especially honored that you chose to include a visit to AAHCM as part of your Sunday School lesson. Creating opportunities for people to learn, ask questions, connect with the past, and have meaningful conversations about our shared history is exactly why our museum exists.

Thank you for supporting AAHCM and recognizing the importance of keeping these stories alive. We truly enjoyed having you and hope to welcome you back again!

When our community comes together to learn its history, we help preserve it for the next generation.

10/05/2026

Monday Mystery: Help Us Bring This History Home

This week’s Monday Mystery features an incredible photograph of the Elks Drum and Bugle Corps from Waterloo.

This photograph gives us a glimpse into an important part of Waterloo’s African American history, but we know there is much more to this story—and we need your help finding it.

Do you recognize anyone in this photograph? Were you or a family member part of the Elks Drum and Bugle Corps? Do you remember seeing them perform? Do you know when or where this photograph was taken?

AAHCM is especially interested in locating original items associated with the group, including instruments, drums, flags, uniforms, photographs, programs, and other memorabilia. Some of these pieces of history may still be tucked away in closets, attics, basements, or family collections.

We would love the opportunity to preserve these artifacts and use them alongside photographs like this one to help tell the story of the Elks Drum and Bugle Corps and the people who were part of it.

If you have an item but are not ready to permanently donate it, please still contact us. We would love to learn about it, document its history, and discuss ways it might be preserved or shared.

History is still in our community. Help us find it before it disappears.

If you recognize someone or have uniforms, instruments, flags, photographs, or other memorabilia connected to the Elks Drum and Bugle Corps, please comment below or contact the African American Historical & Cultural Museum.

09/28/2026

Monday Mystery: Who Was This Woman?

This week's Monday Mystery comes from a beautiful photograph in the museum's collection.

The photograph is signed “Lovingly, Bianca Smith,” but we would love to learn more about the woman behind the photograph and her connection to Waterloo's African American community.

Do you recognize Bianca Smith?

We are hoping our community can help us uncover more of her story. Do you know when this photograph may have been taken? Was Bianca a Waterloo resident? What was her family history? Was she involved with a local church, organization, business, school, or community group? Do you have additional photographs, documents, or memories of her?

Sometimes a single photograph is all we have to begin with, and the smallest detail shared by a family or community member can help us put another piece of our history back together.

If you recognize her or know anything about Bianca Smith, please leave a comment or contact the African American Historical & Cultural Museum directly.

09/21/2026

Mystery Monday: Les Dames, 1965

This week, we're traveling back to 1965 with a photograph of Les Dames.

We know the name and the year, but now we need your help filling in the rest of the story!

Do you recognize any of the women pictured? Were you or someone in your family a member of Les Dames? What can you tell us about the organization and the role it played in Waterloo's community?

We would especially love to learn more about why Les Dames was originally organized. What was its mission? Who were the founding members? How did the organization serve or impact the community?

We also know that cotillions were an important part of Les Dames' history, and we're hoping some of that history may still be tucked away in family collections. Do you have photographs, programs, invitations, newspaper clippings, or other documentation from the Les Dames cotillions? Who participated, and what memories do you have of these events?

We would also love to know where this 1965 photograph was taken and what occasion brought everyone together.

09/19/2026

These structures were built by Illinois Central around 1914 to help house African Americans migrating to Waterloo from the South, many of whom came seeking work and new opportunities through the railroad.

Over the years, most of these structures have disappeared or fallen into disrepair. But these two small cabins remain, offering a rare physical connection to an important chapter in Waterloo’s African American history.