Boone County Historical Museum kicks off 2016 lecture series

By Matt Helm
Reporter
BELVIDERE ─ The Boone County Historical Museum kicks off its 2016 Lecture Series on Tuesday, April 5 at 6 p.m. with a presentation titled “The Underground Railroad in Northern Illinois” by Dan Wykes in the museum’s Grand Gallery.
“This lecture is the first of three upcoming events throughout the year,” Executive Director of the Boone County Historical Museum Anna Pivoras said. “We’ve been doing the lecture series for a long time with a small but devoted group of people in attendance. We hope to draw in some bigger crowds this year.”
Each lecture costs $5 for admission for the general public and $4 for museum members. Dan Wykes is a historian, educator, and historical reenactor associated with Byron Historical Museum and Midway Village Museum.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about the Underground Railroad and where it traveled in the Midwest, especially in relation to Belvidere,” Pivoras said. “This is an opportunity to learn something you maybe didn’t know about before. There will be a question and answer session with Wykes after his lecture.”
The second event is a musical performance by the Civil War reenactors the Battlefield Balladeers. It takes place at the Community Building in Belvidere on July 12 at 6 p.m.
“The Battlefield Balladeers are a big deal,” Pivoras said. “They travel all over and are coming down from the suburbs to tour in Belvidere. We’ve been hoping to get them here for a long time and finally we have them. They should draw in a big crowd.”
The Battlefield Balladeers perform songs and music from the American Civil War.
“It is important to recognize musical performance and song as a part our history,” Pivoras said. “The Battlefield Balladeers will sing songs by Stephen Foster as well as other patriotic pieces.”
The final lecture is Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. in the Boone County Historical Museum Grand Gallery. It is titled “Borden’s and the Early Dairy Industry in Boone County” and will be delivered by the Production Manager at Dean Foods Ice Cream John Ellingson.
“John Ellingson is a Boone County Historical Society member and last year he gave an informal talk to our members and they really loved it and thought it was interesting,” Pivoras said. “Since then, he’s done more research and is ready to do a public presentation. He’s a local history buff and knows a lot about the history of the plant.”
Ellingson’s lecture will cover the history of the dairy industry in Boone County since the 1800s.
“All three events have the same low price and offer the opportunity to discover something new,” Pivoras said. “The lecture series is a great way for the community to get together and learn about their history.”
For more information about upcoming events contact the Belvidere Historical Museum at (815) 544-2580.