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Casting a Historic Vote:

Suffrage in Illinois

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​Date: Saturday, July 27th
Time: 12:30 PM lunch, 2:00 PM program
Where: Douglas County Museum
Cost: $8 for members; $10 for non-members (Reservations required)

Join us for a fundraiser and celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage with presenter, Jeanne Schultz Angel.  Prior to 1920, women were denied the vote in the majority of elections in the United States. The struggle for enfranchisement began with the birth of our nation and was strategized differently in our local, state, and federal elections. Despite what people today believe to be a straightforward goal, the path to women’s suffrage was infused with sexism and racism and triggered a fear of feminism whose roots are still seen today. While wealthy women advocates played a vital role in the suffrage movement, they were not the only ones seeking enfranchisement. From attorney Ellen Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, to Ida B. Wells, a woman who did not let racism stop her voice, women’s suffrage has been a battle hard fought by a diverse group of activists in Illinois.

We will serve a lunch at 12:30 PM and the program will begin at 2:00 PM.  Reservations are required!  You can reserve your spot by purchasing tickets at the museum or online here:

Click here to pay or Purchase Tickets for any event:

Date: Thursday, June 27th
Time: 6:30 PM
Where: Douglas County Museum
Cost: Free

About the presentation:
Farming has been the backbone of rural America and that heritage has been preserved in an extensive body of traditional and contemporary folk songs that tell the stories of the hardworking people who have struggled to live this way of life for generations. From traditional songs like “The Farmer is the Man,” to the dust bowl ballads of Woody Guthrie, to the works of contemporary songwriters, the subject of farm life has

Building Rentals

Interested in renting out the Museum for an event or even just a short meeting? We rent out our main exhibit space for all kinds of events from short business meetings to large fundraising events.  Our exhibit cases are all on wheels and can move off the floor.  We also have a full kitchen, dinner service sets, flatware, dishes, banquet tables, and chairs that are available for you to use. If you are interested in renting the building for your event, please call us at 217-235-2535 or email us at douglascountymuseum@hotmail.com.  Download the rental form and send it along with your request.

Rental Form​

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Chris Vaillillo: The Farmer is the Man, Songs of the Farm

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​long been fertile ground for folk musicians. Award winning folklorist and songwriter Chris Vallillo performs a handpicked selection of the most poignant of these songs as way to look at the past and the future of the family farm. This program is free to attend.

Partnerships:
The program is made possible through a partnership with Illinois Humanities. The Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau invites Illinois authors, artists, and educators to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs of high quality to their communities for a modest fee.

This event is also being co-sponsored by the museum and the Douglas County Farm Bureau. The Douglas County Farm Bureau is 100 years old this year! Come celebrate with us and enjoy the museum exhibit, "Rooted: Farms and Family Heritage" along with the music of folklorist and songwriter Chris Vallillo.

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Events

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Reptiles & Amphibians for Kids!

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Date: Saturday, July 13th
Time: 12:00 PM
Where: Douglas County Museum
Cost: Free

​The Anita Purves Nature Center will be visiting the museum so you can learn all about reptiles & amphibians! The program allows kids to explore reptile characteristics with a live snake and two box turtles and amphibians with a frog. Free to attend! All ages welcome.
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