Local History Program Coordinator at the Pekin Public Library. I oversee the library’s local history room collection, write a weekly local history column/weblog for the library, and present local history programs at the library and in the community.

Author's Articles

This is a revised version of one of our “From the Local...

Jared L. Olar

May 4, 2018

This is a slightly revised version of one of our “From the...

Jared L. Olar

April 27, 2018

For the first 19 years of its existence, from 1830 to 1849,...

Jared L. Olar

April 20, 2018

The founding of Pekin was due to the influx of settlers of...

Jared L. Olar

April 13, 2018

A total of 84 Illinois counties were organized from 1790 (when Illinois...

Jared L. Olar

April 6, 2018

On Friday, April 6, at 11 a.m., the Pekin Public Library will...

Jared L. Olar

March 30, 2018

This week we’ll continue with our review of the names of the...

Jared L. Olar

March 23, 2018

In the last few weeks we have recalled how Tazewell County was...

Jared L. Olar

March 16, 2018

This is a slightly revised version of one of our “From the...

Jared L. Olar

March 9, 2018

After Illinois achieved statehood, new settlers poured into central Illinois throughout the...

Jared L. Olar

March 2, 2018

On Friday, March 2, at 11 a.m., the Pekin Public Library will...

Jared L. Olar

February 23, 2018

It was less than a decade from the creation of the Illinois...

Jared L. Olar

February 16, 2018

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