Come out and celebrate the arrival of the Smithsonian in Freeport, IL!

Folk singer Coventry Jones will perform songs from the era of railroading and the Great Depression.

In addition, there will be refreshments as the exhibit Journey Stories is debuted to the general public.

This event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted at the door.

More About the Exhibit

Journey Stories are tales of how we and our ancestors came to America–a central element of our personal heritage. From Native Americans to new American citizens and regardless of our ethnic or racial background, everyone has a story to tell.

Our history is filled with stories of people leaving behind everything–families and possessions–to reach a are myriad.new life in another state, across the continent, or even across an ocean. The reasons behind those decisions are myriad. Many chose to move, searching for something better in a new land. Others had no choice, like enslaved Africans captured and relocated to a strange land and bravely asserting their own cultures, or like Native Americans already here, who were often pushed aside by newcomers.

Our transportation history is more than trains, boats, buses, cars, wagons, and trucks. The development of transportation technology was largely inspired by the human drive for freedom.

Journey Stories will be on display at this location January 5 – February 16, 2012 before it travels to Ponitac, IL.

This exhibition is free and open to the public.

Exhibit Hours:

 

For more information, contact the Stephenson County Historical Society at 815.232.8419.