Author Archives: Rick D. Williams

In most communities some of the most well preserved historic structures are churches, and Champaign-Urbana is no exception. When the Bicentennial Project to designate official historic sites in Champaign County was completed, the published guide to the locations included eleven … Continue reading →

With campus relatively quiet these day, it is a great time to go looking for local history at the University of Illinois. Of course, campus itself is one of the historic gems of our community.  The online UHistories project features … Continue reading →

West Main Street from downtown to Lincoln Avenue is of the most enchanting and historic few blocks’ drive in Urbana. Nearly canopied by the surrounding trees in full leaf, the old brick-paved street is an experience to savor on a … Continue reading →

The next time you have a chance to stop in at the Courier Cafe, take a moment in the parking lot to glance down at the creek and imagine yourself standing near the spot where Champaign County began. In this … Continue reading →

During “home sheltering” days of that first Covid pandemic summer, it was so important to find ways to get out of the house and take advantage of the increasingly warmer weather. People were flocking to one (or more!) of our … Continue reading →

This story first appeared in the online magazine Smile Politely on September 9, 2020. The past couple of weeks have seen the most unusual, unique, and creative “back to school” season in the history of local education. As school administrators, … Continue reading →

This story first appeared in the online magazine Smile Politely on August 11, 2020 With the start of a new academic year just weeks away, local school districts are scrambling to develop plans for COVID-era instruction. These are indeed unprecedented … Continue reading →