TISKILWA STUDENTS: “History All Around Us” ON MARCH 11

Have you decided what to do with that extra hour of daylight this coming Monday evening? Why not come out and show support for three Logan Junior High students as they present "History All Around Us" at the Museum on Main? The program begins at 7:00 p.m. One of the topics will be the nationally-known Camp and Retreat Center at Menno Haven.

This 1959 aerial view of Land Dam number one of the Tiskilwa Watershed Project shows the beginnings of the dam and pond at Menno Haven. Four dams in the hills south and west of Tiskilwa were designed by the Army Corps of Engineers to alleviate the village’s flooding problems.

Backstory on our program: Last fall, Mr. David Gray’s social studies students investigated topics of local interest as topics for their research papers, and these three students will share their findings: Illyana Jones, Trevyn Munson, and Caleb Johnson, all from Tiskilwa. In the past few weeks, the students and Mr. Gray have worked overtime on shaping their research into an entertaining and enlightening program by projecting photos while they share historical facts.

They will reveal little-known facts about origins and contemporary features of two of Tiskilwa’s historical sights, the 1864 Mount Bloom Cemetery and the 60-year-old Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center (Are you ready for a zipline?) as well as the long-running “homecoming” event of Pow Wow Days.

According to Mr. Gray, “This research project is meant to show students that there is history all around them. Hopefully, they gain more appreciation both for local history and for their community.”

Programs at Museum on Main are always free of charge and open to the public. With this program, the Tiskilwa Historical Society welcomes the first of ten events planned for 2024. Presentations are followed by homemade refreshments and social time in the museum galleries.