Collections Corner
Our collection includes everything from photographs and paintings to furniture and agricultural equipment. Stop by the museum to see what is on display today!
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This pretty set was donated by Diane Hawk in 2024. It had belonged to Marjorie Evelyn Smith and was used at the hotel in Smithshire, which was operated by Marjorie’s grandparents, Celia Bell (Carter) and Isaac Newton Staley. |
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The 1871 portraits of Elvira (Hubbard) and Harry Harding were donated in 2023 by Monica Harding Robinson Pizura, their great-great-granddaughter. Harry was a farmer, alderman, and two-term mayor of Monmouth. In 1874, he and his brother Chancy established the Second National Bank of Monmouth. As his wealth accumulated, he would sell or rent his land at reasonable rates so the community would prosper. In Elvira's obituary, she is described as one "whose life fully exemplified the great principles of true and genuine charity" and "earnestly desiring the happiness of those less fortunate." The portraits were painted by Henry E. C. Peterson in 1871. He was a Swedish immigrant who arrived in the United States just in time to join the Union Navy during the Civil War. He settled in Chicago in 1864 and was a member of the Academy of Design. |
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This heartwarming acquisition was donated by the Strom Senior Center in Monmouth in 2022. It is a friendship quilt made by Willie Osborn in 1995 and embroidered with signatures from community members. |
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This spectacular dress was worn by Miss Warner in the 1860s at a garden party in honor of Abraham Lincoln in Oak Park, Illinois. The dress was donated by Genie Doty, who was Miss Warner's niece and an admired teacher and children's librarian in Monmouth. |
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This WWII Ration Book Holder belonged to the Scott family from Monmouth. Books like this were produced by the Office of Price Administration when the U.S. officially entered the war in 1942. They were used to hold coupon books with stamps for rationed goods. While stamps were initially used to ration sugar, stamps were later created for other products like wheat, coffee, and even shoes. The Scott’s ration book still contains stamps specifying rations for sugar, wheat, and coffee. The book also contains a book of patriotic stamps depicting different war machines, including tanks, fighter plane, aircraft carrier, and artillery.
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This grand piano was built in 1903 in New York City by the German-American piano company Steinway. It was purchased at the Marshall Field and Co. department store in Chicago by John S. Brown (b. 1873), an influential and affluent Monmouth resident.
Brown served three terms as the mayor of Monmouth between 1907 to 1915, and he also served a term as a state senator in 1924. An avid sports fan, Brown established the professional baseball team, the Monmouth Browns, which he named in his honor. Brown was also a successful businessman, founding the Monmouth Plow Co. and later co-founding the Brown Lynch Scott Co. The piano is in excellent condition and perfectly playable! |
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These models are by Marvin Hawk, who was a WCHM board member. Each of the models represent a different building that is used in agriculture, such as a barn, a corn crib, a chicken house, and a silo. These models are available to see in our Agriculture Room. |
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This print from 1981 was commissioned for the Monmouth Sesquicentennial celebration. Celebrating its 150th year, the city held numerous celebrations to mark this milestone. Books were produced, parades were held, people dressed in their finest mid-19th century regalia, and this print was produced by local artist Kevin Booton.
This print is signed by the artist and marked as number 17 out of 150 that were produced. It was donated by Western Illinois Animal Rescue in 2017. |
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While performing in India on a world tour, Monmouth native "The Great Nicola" (Will Nicol) was given a dwarf elephant, who weighed less than 800 pounds. Nizie would become one of the most popular parts of Nicola's show. Here is an image of Nizie, smiling while on tour. The photograph was donated to the museum in 2019 by Julian Edwards Rosine. This photo was published in The Rock Island Argus on November 16, 1939. You can see it here. Learn more about Nizie in this article by Monmouth historian Jeff Rankin. |
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This section of a barn’s frame comes from a structure built near Kirkwood, Illinois, prior to 1850. It features some of the fine wood working that one could find in barns from the 19th century. The mortise and tenon joint at the top of the “T” provided a great deal of strength to the structure, especially without using any metal pieces!
This section was built by the Gibson family, who were some of the earliest pioneers to settle near Kirkwood. It was dismantled by Cleo Dye and has been on display at the museum since 2009. |
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The museum has an informational sign at Monmouth’s Pioneer Cemetery on North 6th Street, across the street from Monmouth College. This cemetery was established in 1833 and used until 1857. |
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The Warren County History Museum houses thousands of artifacts that highlight our local history. This particular artifact, however, is unique among our collection: the Roseville Time Capsule. To celebrate Roseville’s 150th anniversary, the city collected items from its residents and put them together in this capsule. It has been held by the museum since it was put together in 1998 and will be opened in 2048 for the 200th anniversary celebration! What do you think is inside? We have the list but we’re not telling. |
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The museum has a remarkable collection of farming tools and machines that were developed or used right here in Warren County. Agriculture has been the backbone of our economy in western Illinois since the 19th century and continues to this day. The machines and tools that are on display at the museum highlight how agricultural technology has changed over the years in order to allow farmers to grow more and more each year, ensuring our ability to keep up with an expanding population and economy. |
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We have a sizable archives that include documents and photographs that relate to nearly all aspects of life in Warren County over the years. All items are stored in archival boxes, easily accessible, and properly labeled and documented. The museum's collection storage space is efficient, usable, and searchable, which aids our preservation capabilities. |
