Glen Carbon Heritage Museum

09/16/2026

Join us at our Annual Cabin Day event on October 3!

09/12/2026

Did you know you can catch up on several of our monthly history articles by visiting our website? Check out "Glen Carbon Stories" here: https://www.glencarbonil.gov/blog.aspx

09/11/2026

Community Cookbook!

Recipes carry more than just the flavors preferred by the people who made them, they also carry a little piece of their history.

Pearl Sprague Cunningham was born and raised in Kentucky in 1896 before she and her husband, Joe, moved to Glen Carbon around 1925. Joe worked as a coal miner, while Pearl was a dedicated housewife and mother.

Pearl’s family roots stretched beyond Kentucky. Her grandfather was born in Canada, with family roots in England, but Pearl’s own childhood in Kentucky likely introduced her to Tomato Kraut, a traditional Appalachian and Kentucky favorite, particularly when made with green tomatoes. Recipes like this were often passed down through families and communities, making their way from one kitchen to another.

Pearl shared her recipe in 1950 in "Glen Carbon’s Favorite Recipes," a cookbook compiled by the Ladies Aid of the Methodist Church in Glen Carbon. Though Pearl passed away in 1970, her recipe gives us a small glimpse into her life and the traditions she carried with her to Glen Carbon.

09/09/2026

With the beginning of the school year, we thought August would be a great time to share what a typical school day was like at the old Glen Carbon School. Read it here: https://conta.cc/4daaSXr

Email from Glen Carbon Heritage Museum Aug 2026 Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Glen Carbon Heritage Museum | Location: 124 School Street Mailing: 151 N. Main Street | Glen Carbon,

09/08/2026

Get your Ghosts of Glen tickets now!

Join us on a spooky adventure through Old Town Glen Carbon!

09/04/2026

Community Cookbook: Frozen Salad

If you’ve ever come across an old community cookbook and wondered why so many “salad” recipes contain ingredients like Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, marshmallows, or gelatin, you’re not alone!

For much of the 20th century, “salad” could mean something very different than a bowl of lettuce. Sweet and savory ingredients were often combined into molded, chilled, or frozen dishes—and salad dressing like Miracle Whip was a surprisingly common ingredient in these recipes. The creamy, tangy flavor was used to balance the sweetness of fruit, gelatin, and other ingredients.

Today’s recipe, Frozen Salad, comes from Mrs. Robert J. Schroeder, Mildred Altefogt Schroeder. Mildred was born in 1914 and passed away in 2003. She was married to Robert J. Schroeder, the second-generation owner of Schroeder Brothers Meat Market, formerly located on Main Street in Glen Carbon.

Not every recipe in our Community Cookbook is going to sound delicious to everyone—and that’s part of the fun! Recipes like this one remind us that food trends change, and what once seemed perfectly normal on a dinner table can seem pretty unusual today.

So, we have to ask: Would you try a frozen salad made with Miracle Whip? 👀