By Adam Studzinski
NORMAL – The Town of Normal’s sesquicentennial celebration had its kick-off Friday afternoon at Illinois State University’s Milner Library.
The town put on display the initial boards for its History Presentation Board program.
“They showcase significant properties and organizations, clubs; Fell Park is one,” said Mayor Chris Koos. “We’ll have businesses that will be developing boards.”
Five boards have been completed so far. Those represent Fell Park, Broadview Mansion, the Flying Valentinos, ISU’s Gamma Phi Circus, and the Normal History Club. Some of the boards, but not all of them, will be on display throughout the community over the next several months.
Koos said this is just the first of many events to come.
“There will be a lecture series, there will be films, there will be (a) circus in town. There will just be a tremendous amount of activities,” he said.
Why have the unveiling on ISU’s campus? Koos said it just felt right.
“It seemed right, in the special collections room here in the library, to do that,” said Koos. “This is a place of history and record keeping and we thought this would be a good location for these boards.”
ISU President Larry Dietz said it’s a representation of the close relationship between the university and Normal.
“We do things together. We work together,” said Dietz. “We’re really very close in terms of their plans for the future and our plans for the future.”
Eventually, all the boards will be digitized and archived at the McLean County Museum of History.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].
