Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society
“…increasing and enriching public knowledge of our heritage”
Ehrlicher Research Center
719 N. Eleventh Street
Pekin, Illinois
(309) 477-3044
Mailing Address:
PO Box 312
Pekin, Illinois 61555-0312
| Monday | Thursday |
| 9:00 am-1:00 pm | 9:00 am-1:00 pm |
| Tuesday | Friday |
| 9:00 am-1:00 pm | 9:00 am-1:00 pm |
| 7:00 pm-9:00 pm | |
| Wednesday | Sunday |
| 9:00 am-4:30 pm | 2:00 pm-4:30pm |
Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library! Visitors to our library have free access to many millions of additional digital images on the FamilySearch website than they can access from home.
Upcoming Events
A Historical Tidbit is a
short Tazewell County related article.
It could be a 5 or 6 page story but could be as simple as a
family photo, letter, or document.
If you have a Tazewell County related article, photo, letter, or document you’d like to share, here’s how to make a submission.
Here's the latest ten additions & modifications:
- 1926 – Pekin High Football Letterman
11/27/2022
- 1880’s – Dr. Samuel Kennedy Linn & Jane Lindsey
10/30/2022
- 1907 – Grimm Wedding Cake
10/29/2022
- 1900’s – James A. Williams & Mary E. Linn
10/22/2022
- 1900’s – James F. Rollings
10/21/2022
- 1949 – Roy & Florence Williams 50th Wedding Anniversary
08/15/2022
- 1933 – Pendergast Inn
07/21/2022
- 1904 – Kiblinger & Merchenthaler Grocery
05/09/2022
- 1844 – Old Horshor Mill
05/09/2022
- 1929 – Horse Drawn Illinois River Ferry
05/09/2022
Browse entire
Historical Tidbits
Collection
If you have a
Tazewell County related
article, photo, letter, or document
you’d like to share,
here’s how to make a submission.
Welcome to theTazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society!
The Society was established in 1978 to “stimulate interest; to collect, preserve, and safeguard records; and to provide related educational services for the purpose of increasing and enriching public knowledge of our heritage.”
Our library is staffed with one or more trained volunteer genealogists. Our collection currently contains almost 13,000 volumes.
Unexpected closings can occur but are very rare (usually due to inclement weather and, recently, worldwide pandemics) – if in doubt, call us at 309 477-3044 before leaving home. If you are coming through town and can't stop by during our normal hours, email us in advance and we'll try to make arrangements to meet you at the library.
Our meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm. Our monthly meeting starts with a one hour presentation about a genealogical or historical subject followed by a short business meeting. The public is welcome to attend any of our meetings/presentations. Many of our meetings may be attended virtually via Zoom - again, the public is welcome!
But we do encourage you to consider joining the Society - annual dues are just $25 for an individual or $28 for a family (two individuals living at same address). Here's how to join!
A good way to get a general idea of what's available here on tcghs.org is to review our website map. Thanks for stopping by!
Terri Lynn Nuts Have Arrived!
Our Terri Lynn nuts shipment finally arrived! You can pick up anytime our library is open. We'd appreciate if all orders are picked up by November 30.
Didn't make an order? As of 11/18, we had the following items still in stock: Pecan Halves, Pecan Pieces, Light Walnuts, Mixed Nuts, Cashews, Pistachios, Whole Almonds, Honey Roasted Cashews, Sweet & Salty Trail Mix, Healthy Mix, Almond Cranberry Granola, Harvest Medley, Milk Chocolate Cashews, Milk Chocolate Raisins, Milk Chocolate Almonds, Milk Chocolate Peanuts, Praline Pecans, Dark Chocolate Almonds, Dark Chocolate Cranberries, Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramels. Here's the price list. Make your selection and call the library or send us an email with your list. We'll keep it aside for your pickup for two days before returning the items to stock.
Items availability subject to change! Order quickly! - there arevlimited quantities - when they are gone they are gone!
Thanks for your continued support!
Recording of November Monthly Meeting
Now in Members Only Area!
At our our November 8 meeting, Susan Kaufman, Senior Manager
Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, Houston Texas Public Library presented:
Unusual Source Records for Genealogical Research
– or, this is Some Cool Stuff!
Most of us use the common sources like census, land records, wills, probate, ship passengers lists and vital records when working on our genealogy. However, there are many other source materials for family history research often not thought of, or out of the mainstream of research. An overview of some of these really cool and unusual sources will be discussed. At the very least, you will walk out saying…wow, that WAS some cool stuff.
If you couldn't make the meeting, Susan has graciously allowed us to place a recording of her presentation in our Members Only Area.
December 2022 Mystery Photos Posted!
Unfortunately, we have many photographs in our collection that are undated with unnamed persons taken at an unknown location. We have dubbed these as our Mystery Photo Collection
We publish one or more photographs each month in The Monthly newsletter and on our website. All additional details we have accompany each photo. Click on photo to see it full-size!
Here's the mystery photos from the December 2022 issue of The Monthly:
Front row - Judy Linebaugh, Judy ?????, Gail Albertsen
Back row - Charlene Brown, Nancy Albertsen, Charlotte Frings, ?????, Julie Warren
Questions: Missing names? Whose birthday was it? Where was the photo taken?
Please contact us even if you are not 100% sure of your information—sometimes a tiny tidbit can lead to big results! Thanks for your help!
Also, take a look at all the Mystery Photos we have posted in the past! Perhaps you can identify one of them.
The Pea Patch Cocktail Lounge - 1941
This card postmarked Christmas 1941 is stamped on the back:
"Greetings From The PEA PATCH COCKTAIL LOUNGE
Route 9 on Tremont Rd. Pekin, Illinois"
Can anyone tell us if the three men pictured might be
George & William Bouris with Harm Van Horn?
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