A weekly investigation of the history of Pekin and Tazewell County, including an archive of all blogs going back to 2015.
In 2019, Ashley and Russell Spencer opened a bar and grill in...
Jared L. Olar
April 12, 2024
Of Pekin’s remaining historic downtown storefronts, perhaps Hamm’s Furniture’s high-peaked façade at...
Jared L. Olar
March 30, 2024
Since the early 2000s, the building at 337 Court St. has been...
Jared L. Olar
March 20, 2024
The buildings in Pekin’s historic downtown range in age from about a...
Jared L. Olar
March 6, 2024
Among the historic buildings in Pekin’s old downtown is a structure at...
Jared L. Olar
February 27, 2024
As Pekin’s Bicentennial Year continues, this week we’ll take a look back...
Jared L. Olar
February 1, 2024
While it is natural that people might express interest in the history...
Jared L. Olar
December 21, 2023
One of Pekin’s more recent downtown businesses is a café and gift...
Jared L. Olar
October 26, 2023
The 1974 Pekin Sesquicentennial volume devotes four paragraphs to the story of...
Jared L. Olar
October 19, 2023
In days gone by, well before the Surgeon General’s warnings about the...
Jared L. Olar
October 5, 2023
The building at 437 Court St. – known to longtime Pekin residents...
Jared L. Olar
September 28, 2023
Though Pekin has already lost much of the buildings lining its Courthouse...
Jared L. Olar
August 31, 2023
From the Archives
Read stories about the people, places, events, landmarks, businesses, and everyday moments that helped shape Pekin’s history. Each article offers a closer look at the community’s past while preserving the local stories and experiences that connect generations.
From the Archives
Discover your Family's History
Read stories about the people, places, events, landmarks, businesses, and everyday moments that helped shape Pekin’s history.
