Area Historians Receive Accolades for County's Bicentennial Research, Stories, Events
For her work in the community – which stretches from the Mount Calvary Church of God in Christ to the McDonough County Board as the first Black female board member to the Democratic Central Committee Chair to serving as the longest-running director of Western Illinois University's Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, Belinda Carr has been recognized as the 2026 McDonough County Quality of Life Clyde Cronkhite Award recipient. Carr was recognized at the annual awards ceremony Tuesday. The event was emceed by Quality of Life Co-Chair Kelly Ingersoll.
According to Ingersoll, the prestigious award is named in honor of Clyde L. Cronkhite, the founder of the committee, who believed deeply in civic development, community pride and a steadfast commitment to service. The award honors an individual who embodies Cronkhite's belief that a community's true quality of life is built on leadership, vision and selfless dedication. To receive the Cronkhite Award, an individual must meet four extraordinary standards: demonstrate a long-term commitment to the quality of life in McDonough County; focus on youth, families in need, the underserved and historically underrepresented voices; offer their time and talents freely; and be dedicated to the recognition and growth of others.
'Tonight's recipient exemplifies every single one of these principles,' he shared. 'She has spent a lifetime turning vision into action, diversity into unity and service into a quiet calling. Her dedication has fundamentally shaped the character and quality of life in McDonough County. It is my distinct honor to present the Clyde Cronkhite Award to Ms. Belinda Carr.'
Carr, who laughed and explained she thought they were there to honor their minister's wife (Andrea Henderson, who was in on the ruse).
'I am indeed honored to receive this award,' Carr told the crowd after receiving a standing ovation. 'It has been a privilege to serve McDonough County and its residents, advocating for the quality of life for all human beings.'
Carr, who has called Macomb home since 1976, has been long known for her commitment to social justice and equity, along with her involvement in the community. Recently, she was recognized for her life's work by the Chicagoland nonprofit, Raydient Splendor, for being a 'changemaker.'
Carr served as the director of Western Illinois University's Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center and adviser to the Black Student Association at WIU from 1985 until her 2014 retirement. During her tenure, she also taught courses in African American Studies, and her leadership made her a trusted role model for countless women and students of color on campus. The Danville, Illinois native first made her way to Macomb 40 years ago as a nontraditional undergraduate student, following her younger brother, Melvin, to WIU. Before becoming the GBCC director, Carr was working on campus as a building service worker, while attending classes and raising three young children on her own. She held that job from 1980, shortly after graduating with her college degree, until being named director of the center in 1985.
She was a founding member of Focus on Harmony, a group at WIU that shed light on hunger and poverty, and along with former Vice President Earl Bracey, hosted the annual Soul Food Festival for several years at Western as part of Black History Month events. She served as a member of the WIU Alumni Council, and was also the adviser for Renaissance Writers, a student group that produced a newsletter that promoted the African-American experience. One of the largest student groups she led was the longstanding Black Student Association. Over the years, Carr served as adviser for as many as 11 student groups each semester.
In her community, Carr has served as a commissioner for the Housing Authority of McDonough County since 2008 and a member of Macomb's Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing Commission since 2000. She was also the first African American elected to the McDonough County Board, serving from 2002-2004. Carr served as the chair of the McDonough County Democratic Central Committee for several years, as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) since 2014 and a volunteer with The Good Food Pantry in Macomb since 2023. She also remains an active member of the congregation, including serving as a trustee, at Mount Calvary Church of God in Christ in Macomb.
In addition, she was a board member of the former P.R.I.M.E. (Pride and Responsibility in My Environment) organization, and in that role for 20 years, P.R.I.M.E. partnered with WIU departments to provide workshops for youth during eight-week summer programs. As director of the cultural center, Carr helped organize annual Juneteenth events to celebrate the end of slavery and deepen the region's enjoyment of African American culture. In the early years of the annual event, Macomb was only one of seven cities in Illinois recognizing Juneteenth.
In addition to the Cronkhite Award, noted historian, archivist and WIU English Professor Emeritus John Hallwas; Western Illinois Museum volunteer Patti Bloom; the McDonough County Genealogical Society, and the Bushnell Historical Society were honored for their work promoting the county's 200th birthday.
John Hallwas
'It is my absolute privilege to recognize John Hallwas for the McDonough County Quality of Life Award,' his nominator shared. 'John’s lifelong dedication to education and preservation aligns perfectly with the spirit of this Bicentennial year.'
As Distinguished Professor Emeritus at WIU, Hallwas is the most widely published author in WIU’s history, with over two dozen books, hundreds of articles, and national accolades, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination for 'The Bootlegger' and top regional honors for works like 'Cultures in Conflict' and 'Dime Novel Desperadoes.'
'Yet, for all his academic acclaim, John’s true devotion has always been grounded right here in our local towns. Throughout 2025 and 2026, as McDonough County marked its 200th milestone, John has been at the forefront of community efforts—giving his time as a volunteer speaker, writer and local history advocate to ensure our county's story is actively shared, understood, and celebrated across every generation,' his nominator added. 'Through his television programs, his long-running column 'On Community' for the Community News Brief and previously with the Macomb Journal/McDonough County Voice, and his countless public talks, John has spent this landmark year doing what he does best: reminding us of what it means to belong to a place. Simply put, if you want to know anything about the history of Macomb and McDonough County over the last two centuries, John is the person to ask. He hasn't just recorded our history, he has safeguarded it and given it back to us as a lasting gift.'
Patti Bloom
Since 2021, Bloom has contributed over 500 hours of volunteer service to the Western Illinois Museum. She is the ultimate hands-on volunteer, whether that means caring for plants, replacing flower boxes or meticulously cataloging more than 300 historical glass insulators. If something needs care, Bloom simply steps up and gets to work.
'To preserve that history, it takes people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the quiet, vital work of keeping our story alive. During this past 2025–2026 year, Patti took on an extraordinary Bicentennial-era project: organizing over 1,000 photographs donated by the City of Macomb, capturing local community life from 1985 to 1991,' her nominator said. 'But Patti didn't just file them away in a dark room. She realized that our history belongs to everyone.'
According to her nominators, it was Bloom who came up with the idea to invite the community to help identify the faces in those photos. She set up photo-identification tables at museum events and carried these archives right out into the community at the Farmers Market.
'In doing so, Patti turned historical preservation into a living, breathing community event,' they shared. 'She reminds us that our county’s quality of life is built on connection, care and shared memory. She has brought our recent history to life and brought our community closer together in the process.
McDonough County Genealogical Society 'As we commemorate McDonough County's 200th anniversary, we naturally look back across two centuries of growth, hardships and triumphs. But a county's 200-year history isn't just an abstract concept, it is the combined story of the individual families, pioneers and working folks who called this place home,' the society's nominators wrote. 'Preserving those personal threads so that future generations can find their roots requires immense patience, foresight and dedication. Tonight, it is my privilege to present the McDonough County Quality of Life Award to an organization that has served as the guardians of our county’s family histories for nearly five decades: the McDonough County Genealogical Society.'
Founded in 1979 by a small group of passionate local historians, the society has grown to over 200 members strong. Together, they maintain a research library holding more than 1,000 volumes, alongside countless records, maps and documents from McDonough County and the surrounding region. Their mission goes far beyond filing papers— they safeguard public records, publish historical materials and guide residents and visitors alike on personal journeys to discover their heritage.
'Over this past 2025–2026 Bicentennial year, the Society has undertaken a monumental volunteer task to ensure our local history survives for the next 200 years,' nominators added. 'They have been actively digitizing their vast collection of historic microfilm. At a cost of $200 per roll—funded through dedicated community efforts and volunteer support—they are converting fragile, aging film into accessible digital formats. By preserving these census records, historical newspapers, and family documents, the Genealogical Society is making sure that anyone, anywhere, can connect with their McDonough County roots.'
The Bushnell Historical Society In this landmark Bicentennial year, celebrating the county's 200th, the historical society's nominator noted that recognizing that the county's rich history is woven together by unique, vibrant towns, each with its own proud heritage, industries, and families. Preserving that distinct local identity requires passionate volunteers who step forward to guard those local treasures and pass them down to the next generation.
'Established in 1976 during our nation’s Centennial, the Bushnell Historical Society has spent half a century collecting, showcasing, and safeguarding artifacts that tell the story of Bushnell and the surrounding area. Operated entirely by dedicated volunteers, this organization is driven by individuals who pour their hearts into keeping our history active and accessible,' they said. 'We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the leadership team guiding these efforts, President Jerry Eisele, Vice President Linda Spangler, Treasurer Elaine McGinnis, Secretary Carol Fitch and board member Judy Brooks.'
Throughout this 2025– 2026 Bicentennial year, the Society has gone above and beyond to ensure history doesn't just sit on a shelf, the nominators shared. Their vital partnership with Bushnell High School teacher Dave Arnold brings local history directly to life for high school students. By connecting young people with the physical artifacts and stories of the people who built their hometown, the Society is fostering pride, curiosity and a sense of belonging in our youth.
'By preserving our past and inspiring our future leaders, the Bushnell Historical Society ensures that as McDonough County enters its third century, the legacy of Bushnell remains strong, vibrant, and remembered,' they concluded.
