March 2020
Join us for a discussion of  The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote  by Elaine Weiss. This intense and suspenseful book describes the suffrage fight - which included issues of race and religion, political influence and corporate corruption, and the bravery of remarkable activist women. University of Illinois historian  Teresa Barnes  will join us to offer comments and context for our discussion.

You’ll also have a chance to browse displays of local history by both the  Museum of the Grand Prairie  and the  Champaign County Historical Archives  and enjoy light refreshments. Feel free to attend even if you haven’t had a chance to read the book.

Teresa Barnes  has a joint appointment in History and Gender/Women’s Studies and is the Director of the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois.

Cosponsored by the  League of Women Voters of Champaign County ,  The Museum of the Grand Prairie , and  The Urbana Free Library .
Thursday, March 5, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Answer:  Teams compete to answer challenging and trivial history questions at The Urbana Free Library for fame, glory, fun, and prizes!

Question:  What is a Jeopardy-style trivia night at TUFL?

Join us as we celebrate 145 years of Library Service by asking you a mix of local, state, national, and international trivia questions spanning 145 years! The event will be MC’d by longtime columnist for  The News-Gazette  and author of “Tom’s Mailbag”  Tom Kacich . The event is open to all, and you don’t have to be a history buff to win! 

Up to eight persons per team and those without teams will be matched, if they desire, at the event.
We're Hiring for a full-time Archives Librarian!
The Urbana Free Library seeks a forward-thinking, self-motivated individual to join the Library’s Champaign County Historical Archives team. Duties include selecting materials for the Archives collection; processing and cataloging holdings (including archival materials, books, and serials); providing reference service and computer assistance to patrons; participating in outreach and programming; supervising graduate students and volunteers; and providing excellent customer service.
Did you know?
This bust of Lincoln, located on the first floor of the Library, was a gift from Mary E. Busey . Except for brief periods during remodeling, Lincoln has resided beside the Race Street door since 1918. The artist is unknown.
The history of Champaign County’s African-American community began in the pioneer days of Champaign, Urbana, and the surrounding towns and villages. We have compiled some resources to help discover that history.
From the Funny Pages
Try your hand at this crossword puzzle from the February 1, 1950 edition of the Urbana Courier. The answers will be published in the April newsletter.
To print out the crossword right click on the image to save and print.

Maharishi Yogi’s Attempt to Buy Chanute Air Force Base

In 1967, the British pop sensation known as The Beatles were on top of the world. They were one of the most popular and successful bands in the history of music and released critically and publicly acclaimed albums that reflected their changing style and attitudes. One of the biggest influences on the group was their trip to India in 1968 to meet with the leader of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The group met Maharishi Yogi in 1967 during a TM seminar in Wales. This meeting was cut short due to the untimely death of The Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Throughout the remainder of 1967, group members George Harrison and John Lennon promoted TM and the teachings of Maharishi Yogi. Hoping to find spiritual guidance, The Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India in early 1968, with Harrison and Lennon arriving first with their families, followed by other members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The visit ended in controversy, with The Beatles denouncing Maharishi Yogi and his teachings. Some ultimately blamed this visit on the eventual breakup of the band, but it was also one of the most productive songwriting periods in their career, with the band writing nearly every track for the infamous White Album. 
Despite the group’s denouncement of the spiritual guru, Maharishi Yogi continued to promote the teachings of TM across the world for decades following his famous involvement with The Beatles. By the 1990s, he expanded the TM movement to include well-over 100,000 followers from around the globe. His then $2 billion corporate empire included international land holdings, hotels, publishing houses, medical clinics, construction firms, a political party (Natural Law Party), plans for spiritual theme parks, and more. Hoping to increase his influence and teachings further, Maharishi Yogi opened teaching centers in Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States, with traveling seminars in the Soviet Union and other nations. In the U.S., he founded TM Universities in California, Iowa, and Washington D.C. It was in this time of massive growth and expansion of the TM movement that the Maharishi set his sights on Chanute Air Force Base.
Think You Know Champaign-Urbana?
Try our trivia quiz
Q. On what holiday did the 1915 fire occur at the W. Lewis & Co Store in downtown Champaign?
Events at the Archives & Beyond




  • Research Night with Champaign County Genealogical Society, Wednesday, March 11, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm | The Jean Evans Archives Room (Second Floor), The Urbana Free Library

We Want To Hear From You!
Put our Archivists to the test. Ask us your questions about local history and genealogy.
Want to learn about more events at The Urbana Free Library?
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