From the Decatur Celebration and the Farm Progress Show to the storied ferris wheels of Jacksonville; from Lincoln's footsteps in Springfield and New Salem to the historic barns of the Macomb area; from the river heritage of Quincy and Hannibal to the bounty of the richest farmland on earth, Mark McDonald takes us through a central Illinois we thought we knew. Join us for this Emmy award winning series.
Weekdays @ 6:30pm; Thursdays @ 7:00 & 7:30pm; Sundays @ 4:00 & 4:30pm

This Week On Illinois Stories...

Dunlap House (#524). The town of Middletown recently restored its old stage coach stop. This is one of the few left and is in fine condition. In addition, we visit the history museum on the town square.
Airs Thursday, July 3 @ 6:30pm; Sunday, July 6 @ 4:30pm; Tuesday, July 8 @ 6:30pm

Preston Jackson Studio. Sculptor Preston Jackson has been commissioned by the cities of Springfield and Decatur to create sculptures this year. In Springfield, his piece commemorating the race riot of 1908 will be placed in Union Square park. His Decatur piece commemorates the role of the African American soldier in the Civil War. We visit his studio and see the two pieces in different stages of creation.
Airs Thursday, July 3 @ 7pm; Sunday, July 6 @ 4pm; Monday, July 7 @ 6:30pm

Mt. Sterling Train Depot. History buffs in Mt. Sterling moved the old train depot to the fairgrounds and made a museum out of it. Along the way, they collected so much additional material they added on. This is a tour of the Whistle Stop Depot.
Airs Thursday, July 3 @ 7:30pm; Friday, July 4 @ 6:30pm; Wednesday, July 9 @ 6:30pm

Producer/Host Mark McDonald

Mark McDonald has worked in television and media relations for 25 years as a news reporter and anchor, public affairs specialist, and now, as an Emmy award-winning chronicler of life in central and west central Illinois. He has the distinction of having interviewed our past three presidents at some time in their careers. While he enjoyed his positions in television news and media affairs, his present job as producer/host of Illinois Stories is his favorite.