Peoria County Genealogical Society

04/04/2026

Over 30 million new records just dropped on FamilySearch. From Ireland to Italy and the Philippines, your next big family discovery is waiting.

Start finding your family for free today: https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/new-records-march-2026?cid=SO-00059686

04/02/2026

04/01/2026

This unusual picture passed as an April Fool's joke in 1964! How do we know? We discovered such a dubious prank by searching our newly available online access to the Peoria Journal Star. With the help of the Friends of Peoria Public Library, the Peoria PublicLibrary now offers digital access to the Peoria Journal Star back to 1951. Come to the library and use our public computers, or explore from home if you have a Peoria Public Library card!

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

Join us at the Peoria PublicLibrary North Branch (or on Zoom) on Thursday, June 11th at 6pm with Scott Norrick, founder of AncestralPast.com, for this free meeting. He will present “America at 250!”. Scott will be joining us via Zoom. Participants may join via Zoom or in person, as well.

2026 marks the 250-year anniversary of America’s signing of the Declaration of Independence. At the time of America’s independence, the population of the American colonies was about 2.5 million. While 1776 is a pivotal year, the war for independence (the Revolutionary War) was fought from 1775-1783. About 200,000 Americans served in the Patriots’ cause in some capacity.

This presentation will provide a deep dive into discovering and researching your revolutionary ancestors. It will cover the top resources, strategies, websites, libraries, archives, and organizations for learning more about your ancestors at our nation’s founding. Resources and documents available at the National Archives, DAR, SAR, as well as state and local organizations will be included. The presentation will also reveal that many colonists did not support independence and supported the British/Tory cause. It is an exciting time to jump in and learn as much as you can about your revolutionary ancestors!

Scott Norrick’s areas of expertise include research in the American Midwest along with the immigration to the Midwest from Britain, Ireland, and Germanic countries. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a graduate degree from Northwestern University. With over 30 years of family history research experience, he is familiar with all the latest and time-tested genealogical tools. Through his company Ancestral Past, he welcomes the opportunity to assist others on their genealogy journey.

About Section link: https://www.ancestralpast.com/about-4

Free and open to the public. No registration needed if attending in person.

Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/fLaclxMpS4O8EArooTWWyg

More Information and Links:
https://www.ancestralpast.com

Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1459744548983998

Recorded Presentations:
https://www.peoriacountygenealogy.org/passport/recorded-presentations

03/23/2026

03/20/2026

An evening of history, storytelling, and shared discovery. Join Curator Erika Holst for a presentation of Illinois State Museum objects, followed by local collectors showcasing pieces from Peoria’s past. Guests are welcome to bring an item to share. Complimentary soft drinks and cake; cash bar available.
Illinois Humanities Illinois State Museum

03/14/2026

📜 On This Day in Peoria History 📜

On March 14, 1931, George Manias – owner of George's Shoeshine & Hatters - World Headquarters – was born in Peoria. We would like to wish a very happy 95th birthday to this Peoria legend! 🎂

George began shining shoes in 1946 at age 15 and has operated his business since 1951. Located at 101 SW Adams Street, George’s Shoeshine and Hatters is where George hosts customers from near and far and provides the best shoeshine you can find.

George has been the subject of a documentary, the recipient of many awards, and is one of our city’s most famous and beloved residents!

03/14/2026

03/12/2026

On Thursday, May 14th 2026, the Peoria County Genealogical Society will hold its monthly member meeting at the Peoria PublicLibrary North Branch, entitled “Girls in White Dresses: Stories spun from the fabric of our lives” to hear from Jan Powers, author, lecturer, illustrator, designer and gardener. Jan will cover the stories of real women from her past, local women, her ancestors, and the ancestors of the family that built and lived in her house a hundred years ago. The “Girls in White Dresses” that are the stories gathered and tales spun from the fabric of our lives. Jan will be joining us in person. Participants may join via Zoom or in person, as well.

Some people collect information and photographs and turn them into a family tree, or maybe a detailed document. Combining her love of writing and painting, she created “Girls in White Dresses,” a visual anthology. At the heart of all the stories are the lives of her ancestors and the families who inhabited her home a century ago, these stories explore a shared local heritage. She will expand on these personal histories through essays that bridge the gap between historical fact and the symbolic power of the white dresses these women wore.

Jan’s life and business have grown and evolved. Pursuits presently include lectures and programs, free-lance writing, illustrating, and garden design consulting. Jan is a member of the Peoria Herb Guild, the Herb Society of America, the Royal Horticultural Society, The Beatrix Potter Society, and the Garden Writers Association. The gardens surrounding her century-old Victorian home have been featured on many garden tours.

Free and open to the public. No registration needed if attending in person.

Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wA2aoFWXRmacG-cu6-CVmw

More Information and Links:
https://www.peoriacountygenealogy.org/
Email [email protected]
Instagram stonewellgardens
Blog stonewellgardens.blogspot.com
Etsy stonewellgardensart.etsy.com

Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/818609681281593

Recorded Presentations:
https://www.peoriacountygenealogy.org/passport/recorded-presentations/

03/12/2026

History is truly alive, and we are excited to share Prairie Tales, a fascinating documentary series from the Elmwood Center for the Humanities. that Tiffany Thomas put together with much effort and support. She was our former Publicity Director and continues to support us in many ways. These short films dive deep into our local heritage, covering everything from the founding of Elmwood in 1852 to the rise and fall of coal mining towns, train derailments, and the notable figures who shaped our community. Whether it is the story of Frederick Douglass speaking in Elmwood or the mysterious "Fall of a Founder," these episodes bring forgotten narratives back to the surface and make our ancestors' experiences accessible to everyone today.

This project is the result of an incredible collaboration by a dedicated team. Executive Producer Bill Seipel, researcher and writer Tiffany French Thomas, and voiceover artist Aja Blue have worked alongside local contributors to ensure these stories are told with the care and excitement they deserve. The series was made possible through an ArtPartners Grant and features invaluable historical photos provided by the Elmwood Historical Society, Brimfield Area Museum, Princeville Heritage Museum, and the Peoria PublicLibrary.

You can watch the full playlist on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1zScRcYF5I&list=PLX7gUSw-xTer7JjJL5CNiZchjp_LBZ_i8 and learn more about the creators and the mission behind the series at https://echnow.com/prairie-tales

Prairie Tales History is Alive. “Prairie Tales,” a series of documentaries telling historical narratives of Western Peoria County, covers topics from the migration of white settlers to the area; the founding of Elmwood, Illinois in 1852; to the rise and fall of coal mining towns, train derailmen...

03/11/2026

The Unknown Newborn of Kickapoo - Peoria County

The Footlocker

In the quiet farming community of Kickapoo, Illinois, estate sales were a common weekend event. Old farmhouses often held decades of forgotten belongings, tools, photographs, dusty trunks, and heirlooms from families long gone.

One particular sale seemed no different.

Two brothers wandered through the house, browsing through the usual piles of antiques and junk. Toward the back of the property, in a garage cluttered with decades of storage, they noticed an old footlocker. It was scratched, dented, and coated in dust.
The price tag was simple: $1.

They laughed at the bargain and bought it without a second thought. Neither of them imagined that inside that trunk was something that would haunt the town for years.

The Discovery

Later that day, the brothers opened the footlocker. At first, they thought they were looking at old blankets.

Wrapped inside the fabric was the tiny body of a newborn baby, still attached to its placenta.

"At first I thought it was an antique doll. And when I looked closer, I realized it wasn't," Brad Gilles told the Peoria Journal Star.

The child had likely been placed there shortly after birth.

The discovery shocked everyone involved. The brothers immediately contacted authorities, and soon the quiet estate sale became the center of a police investigation.

A Secret Hidden for Years

Investigators believed the baby had been hidden in the trunk for many years, possibly decades. The footlocker had likely sat in the home unnoticed, its terrible secret buried among ordinary possessions.

But the biggest mystery was not how the baby died.

It was who the baby was.
No birth records.
No missing child report.
No clues about the parents.

Just a tiny body left behind and a question that no one could answer.

The Unanswered Questions

Police examined the house and spoke with relatives of the former owner. But memories fade, and the people who might have known the truth were gone.

Investigators wondered:
Was the baby born secretly in the home?
Was the mother scared, desperate, or hiding a pregnancy?

Did anyone else know the child existed?

The trunk had hidden its secret for so long that the trail had grown cold.

The Unknown Child

The newborn had never been named. What would the child’s life have been like, or what circumstances led to that tragic ending.

All that remained was a footlocker, a small blanket, and a mystery that still lingers over the town.

Somewhere, the truth exists. But until it surfaces, the infant discovered in that old trunk remains known only as:

The Unknown Newborn of Kickapoo.

Source where you can read the full articles:

https://heinzgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Unsolved%20Murder