The Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS) is a

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

organization, organized as a nonprofit, that edits and disseminates public knowledge of history throughout the U.S. state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. It was founded in 1899.

History and functions

The ISHS was created as an entity with the original purpose of gathering and publishing materials on

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...

relating to Illinois' early history.

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

veterans and the grandchildren of the state's early settlers were eager to learn how Illinois had organized itself in the years prior to the 1860 presidential election of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. As time passed, the focus of the Society shifted from

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physi ...

s to

periodical A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also example ...

s and symposia. Affiliated and independent scholars were given a venue to publish their findings. As paved highway mileage increased in Illinois in the early 1900s, the ISHS began to build and maintain state highway

historic marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

s. The Society's work continued to focus on pioneer years and the 19th century. Although historically affiliated with the state government of Illinois and the agencies that developed into the

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency The Illinois Historic Preservation Division, formerly Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois, and is a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It is tasked with the duty of m ...

, the ISHS was emancipated in 1997 and fully launched into the private sector. As of 2014, the ISHS publishes the quarterly ''Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society'', a scholarly publication, and the bimonthly ''Illinois Heritage'', a newsletter with short historical features. The Society holds meetings and symposia, and offers small prizes and scholarships for continued work and studies in Illinois history, with growing emphasis on the social history of the 20th century in Illinois.

References

{{Authority control History of Illinois Organizations established in 1899 State historical societies of the United States