April 2018
‘Kaskaskia-Illinois’ First State Capitol’ by Darrell Duensing
April 8, 2018, Kaskaskia – “Illinois’ First State Capitol” by Darrell Duensing, 1:30 pm, Monroe County History Museum, 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL. Our presenter assumes the identity of “A Resident living in Kaskaskia around 1817” in period dress to share with us historical information, events and experiences as Kaskaskia is slated to become the first capitol of Illinois.
Find out more »‘The Mounds-America’s First Cities’ by Ed Weilbacher
April 21, 2018, “The Mounds - America’s First Cities” by Ed Weilbacher, 1:30 pm, Monroe County History Museum, 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL. The first civilization to establish a city, as we know it today were the Mississippians – North America’s greatest ancient culture was established at Cahokia Mounds. Several other smaller cities or villages were part of this great civilization. Information will show the occupation of Pulcher Mound Group, the second most significant site, next to Cahokia Mounds. This…
Find out more »May 2018
Swamper Tales | Monroe County History Museum
"Swamper Tales” by Roger Peach will be presented at 1:30 May 28, at the Monroe County History Museum, 724 Elaine Dr., Waterloo. Life on the southern Illinois county fair circuit was hot and dirty, but seldom dull as you will see when Peach shares recollections from his new book. Gigantic bulls, larger than life characters and dramas, both big and small, will reach back more than 50 years to the volatile 1960s, when cattle and their caretakers traversed southern Illinois…
Find out more »June 2018
Pictorial Postcard Views of Monroe County c. 1910 | Monroe County History Museum
June 16, 2018, “Pictorial Postcard Views of Monroe County circa 1910” by Randy Huetsch, 1:30 pm, Monroe County History Museum, 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL. The presentation will feature many never seen before early 1900's photo images from Monroe County. In the early 1900's postcards were used daily as a way to communicate among friends by writing a simple note on the backside of the card. This was in the days before the telephone was widely available in most homes.…
Find out more »July 2018
Quilts – A Bed Turning | Monroe County History Museum
The Monroe County History Museum will present “Quilts – A Bed Turning” by Patti Rottler at 1:30 p.m. July 15. Quilters and non-quilters alike will enjoy Rottler’s unique way of telling the story and history behind her quilt collection — stacked and displayed on an antique bed each quilt is revealed as the story is told.
Find out more »Making a Cotton Covered Sassafras Christmas Tree
“Christmas in July — Making a Cotton Covered Sassafras Christmas Tree” will by hosted by June Valentine and Norma Reheis at 1:30 p.m. July 21, at the Monroe County History Museum, 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo. Come by for directions, tips and a little “cotton” practice. Valentine and Reheis will have everything you need.
Find out more »August 2018
“A Pair of Great-Horned Owls Become Parents” | History Museum
Paul Feldker will present the program “A Pair of Great-Horned Owls Become Parents” at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 26, at the Monroe County History Museum. He will share the story in pictures of a pair of Great-Horned owls that nested and raised a clutch of owlets to fledging in a tree snag near his home last winter and spring.
Find out more »April 2019
Antique Bottle Archeology | Monroe County History Museum
April 27, 2019,1:30 P.M. - "Antique Bottle Archeology" by Norm Kirleis. Our presenter will be sharing how bottles are made, tips on collecting and how to date and determine the value of a bottle find. He will also be sharing histories of soda and beer companies from our area. Norm Kirleis has been collecting bottles for several years and has an exhibit at the History Museum. He will be available to answer questions on his collection after the program. Join…
Find out more »May 2019
The American Fight for Women’s Suffrage | Monroe County History Museum
May 4,2019,1:30 P.M. - "A Desperate and Doubtful Battle": The American Fight for Women's Suffrage" by Lindsay Fickas. The women of the American Suffrage Movement were smart, persistent, and tactical! This presentation will focus on the Suffrage leaders, their beliefs, their publications, and their various methods of protest including marches and jail stays. It will also look at the arguments many used against Suffrage. Using cartoons, journals, and photographs, the presentation will demonstrate the savvy used to win women the…
Find out more »Songs4Soldiers | Monroe County History Museum
May 18, 2019. 1:30 P.M. - "Songs for Soldiers" by Dustin Row. Join us to hear from Dustin how and why Songs4Soidiers was born and how this yearly event assists combat veterans in need! Dustin graduated from Columbia High School, served in the U. S. Army and was stationed in Iraq from 2004-2005, with the 724th Transportation Unit of Bartonville, Illinois. While serving in Iraq, his unit's mission was to escort fuel convoys between Baghdad and the Anbar province in…
Find out more »June 2019
Historic Maeystown — 1989-2019 | Monroe County History Museum
June 29, 2019, 1:30 P.M. -"Changes Come to Historic Maeystown ... 1989-2019"by David Braswell in the Monroe County History Museum's Allscheid-Metzger Gallery. Driving around Maeystown it may seem that not much has changed over the years ... and the locals like it that way. But restoration of many of the 1800's historic buildings in the last thirty years has brought new life to the village in the form of tourism. Come see what has changed and what has not as…
Find out more »July 2019
1858 St. Louis Steamboat Disaster | Monroe County History Museum
July 20, 2019, 1:30 P.M. - "1858 Steamboat Disaster in St. Louis" by Jan Wenk". She will present a program on the race and subsequent disaster that involved the Ocean Spray Steamboat and the steamboat engineer, her ancestor. Jan Wenk, a genealogist with 30 years of experience, is the Monroe County Illinois Genealogical Society President. The program will be presented in the Monroe County History Museum's Allscheid-Metzger Gallery located at 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL 62298.
Find out more »August 2019
Night at the Museums | History Museum of Monroe County
August 9, 2019 - "Night at the Museums - The Thunder and Lighting Cloggers of Southern IL" will make a return appearance to perform in the History Museum's Allscheid-Metzger Gallery. More information TBA
Find out more »September 2019
The Grand Army of the Republic and the American Legion’s 100th Anniversary | History Museum of Monroe County
September 8,2019,1:30 P.M. - "Remembering the Grand Army of the Republic and Celebrating the American Legion's 100th Anniversary" by Ron & Mary Ann Hagenow. The Grand Army of the Republic was organized by Union officers and the Jacob E Gauen Post 563 was chartered in Waterloo in 1886. Find out how Jacob Gauen came to Waterloo and his relationship to another famous Waterloo figure. Waterloo's involvement in WWI, the founding of the American Legion in 1919 and the history of…
Find out more »Friends in Stitches Two-Day Quilt Show | History Museum of Monroe County
September 28, 2019,1:00 - 4:00 P.M. - "The Friends in Stitches Quilt Club's Two-Day Quilt Show". Members will display many unique and creative quilts for guests to enjoy! The display will be in the Monroe County History Museum's Allscheid-Metzger Gallery located at 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL 62298. Members of the group will be present to answer questions.
Find out more »November 2019
One German’s Epic Success in America | History Museum of Monroe County
November 17, 1:30 P.M. - "Darmstadt to Gold Fields": One German's Epic Success in America" by Gerald Perschbacher". In 1833 Johannes, age 10, of Hessen-Darmstadt, was filled with high hopes when he arrived with his parents in America. Months later, they settled in Illinois, near St. Louis, as pioneers in the Midwest. By age 24, Johannes was a hard-working California miner with legendary luck! He realized America truly was the land of opportunity. Trace his surprising rise in this lively…
Find out more »January 2020
Butch’s Polka Kings | History Museum of Monroe County
December 14, 2019 1:30 - 3:30 "Butch's Polka Kings" will be entertaining our visitors. Dancing will be encouraged!! Festivities will be held in the Monroe County History Museum's Allscheid-Metzger Gallery located at 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL 62298.
Find out more »April 2020
Camp Waterloo – The Civilian Conservation Corps in Monroe County
"Camp Waterloo - The Civilian Conservation Corps in Monore Couty" presented by Ron Stellhorn. Among the hardest hit by unemployment during the Great Depression were young men ages 18-24. At the same time, America's soil and forest resources were dwindling. To deal with these crises, President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal administration created the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. Ron Stellhorn is a retired history teacher from the Waterloo District 5. The program will be held in the Monroe County History…
Find out more »May 2020
“Spinning and Felting Wool by Lesley Patterson & Bobbi Bayne
"Spinning and Felting Wool" by Lesley Patterson & Bobbi Bayne. Our presenters will explain the difference in types of wool and the different breeds of sheep. They will demonstrate spinning and explain how and why wool is perfect for making yarn and woven items. They will also demonstrate felting of wool and bring samples of felted, knitted and woven items. There will be many samples of fleece, roving and different wools to ch out!sharing . Please join us at the…
Find out more »June 2020
“Grow Up St. Louis” by Jim Merkel
"Grow Up St. Louis" by Jim Merkel. This is the definitive look at what it was like to be a kid in St. Louis from 1990 to the present. Jim Merkel, who previously wrote four books about St. Louis, started by interviewing more than 100 people who grew up in the area - rich and poor, black and white, know and unknown. To this, he added many dozens of pictures, first-person stories by others about the early 1900s, commentaries about…
Find out more »“Clothing of the 18th Century” by Karyn Albers and Kim Barber
"Clothing of the 18th Century " will be presented by Karyn Albers and Kim Barber. Women of the 18 Century, much like us, needed clothing for warmth and comfort. And much like us, ideas of warmth and comfort were quickly abandoned when fashion came into play. Clothing played differing roles in the 18th Century be it for work, gatherings or formal occasions. This presentation will provide an overview of the history of women's clothing from the Revolutionary War era. The…
Find out more »July 2020
“Beer, Brats and Baseball” by Jim Merkel
"Beer. Brats and Baseball" by Jim Merkel who tells the story of how Germans came to have a preeminent influence in the Gateway City. It is told by Jim Merkel, a descent of Germans who came to St. Louis in the 1850s, and the author of four other books about St. Louis. He tells why so many Germans came to the St. Louis area, how they kept Missouri in the Union, and how anti-Germans sentiment during World War I damaged…
Find out more »“Basket Weaving Demonstration and Display” by Patricia Handel
"Basket Weaving Demonstration and Display" by Patricia Handel. Basket weaving through the years, the materials used and who made them will be shared. Every basket had a purpose. Different techniques to make baskets will be demonstrated. Patricia has been making baskets for 27 years and participates in historical re-enactments. The program will be held in the Monroe County History Museum's Allsheid-Metger Gallery located at 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, Illinois 62298.
Find out more »September 2020
“The Unreported Story of the Saddam Trial”
September 26, 2020 at 1:30pm - "The Unreported Story of the Saddam Trial" Presented by Paul Schimpf. Monroe County resident and State Senator Paul Schimpf, lead attorney advisor to the Iraqi prosecutors, discusses his role in the trial of Saddam Hussein. The presentation begins with an overview of the difference between Iraqi and U.S. criminal procedure, then provides background on the crimes that Saddam Hussein stood trial for. Lastly, Schimpf describes the events of the chaotic trial that culminated with…
Find out more »October 2020
Elizabeth Cody Stanton by Barbara Kay
"Elizabeth Cody Stanton" by Barbara Kay in period dress. Elizabeth Cody Stanton was a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the 19th and 20th centuries. As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of women voting, we should learn about the people who made it possible, Barbara Kay is a retired history teacher from St. Louis. The program will be held in the Monroe Couty History Museum's Allscheid-Metzger Gallery located at 724 Elaine Dr., Waterloo, IL 62298.
Find out more »November 2020
“Calling and Building Turkey Calls” by Mitchell Norris
"Calling and Building Turkey Calls" by Mitchell Norris who has been president of the St. Louis Longbeards NWTF for 25 years. He is also a master at making "Calls" for many local wildlife species including owls often using unusual and free materials. His program will include information on hunting safety, the art of calling turkeys and building turkey calls. Interested guests will have the opportunity to build a turkey call. Although the turkey call would probably be of more use…
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