The Evanston History Center announces the launch of an archive and digital record dedicated to documenting the COVID-19 pandemic in Evanston and surrounding areas. We are now seeking digital contributions, from images to documents.
Heading out for a walk? Stop by the Evanston History Center to pick up a historic walking tour to go on. Maps are located on the side porch, inside the door. You can also download a PDF to print at home or to use it on your mobile device.
Digital Submissions Terms and Conditions You are being asked to contribute your recollections, photographic images, or other content to the Evanston History Center, which is creating an archive and digital record of the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. You may only submit material created entirely by you and not copied from or based, in whole or in … Read more
We are celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the home of the Evanston History Center: The Charles Gates Dawes House. The building permit for the house was issued on June 29, 1894, to Rev. Robert Dickinson Sheppard. Building permits were relatively new to Evanston, having been instituted in 1892 when the city form of government was … Read more
100 Years Ago – Prohibition Amendment is Ratified by Lori Osborne, EHC Historian January 16, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 18th amendment, making national prohibition of alcohol the law of the land. While prohibition itself did not fully take effect until one year later in January 1920 (when the Volstead … Read more
One hundred fifty years ago, in 1868, platting of undeveloped land in Evanston reached the lake’s edge east of the town center and south of Northwestern University. Settlement had been occurring further west, along Ridge Avenue from Chicago into southern Evanston, near the railroad station at Davis Street, and close by the Northwestern campus. In … Read more
Tokens of the Shore Janet Messmer, Costume Curator, Evanston History Center As summer is drawing towards its close, you may be thinking about the fun in the sand you and your family have experienced using your Evanston Beach Tokens. These tokens began to be used in 1931,only on some of the beaches. There were free … Read more
Oral History Digitization Project at EHC Now Complete Lori Osborne, Director of Archives & Outreach, Evanston History Center The Evanston History Center (EHC) began collecting oral history interviews in the 1970s and all of the interviews were recorded on cassette tapes. Over the years these early interviews were added to and the collection now numbers … Read more
Eliza Wright West (1839-1933) Uncovering a Remarkable Life Jenny Thompson, Director of Education, Evanston History Center In 1925, as Charles Dawes took office as U.S. Vice President, the American press’ longstanding interest in all the details of his life continued, often resulting in stories that unearthed fascinating connections between the Dawes family and the larger … Read more
Eden Juron Pearlman is the Executive Director of the Evanston History Center. In her spare time she volunteers for Evanston Swims!, a partnership between YWCA Evanston/North Shore, McGaw YMCA, and District 65 to provide second-grade children in Evanston with free water safety instruction and swim lessons. The Evanston History Center is entering the 21st century … Read more