Honoring the rich history of rural western Illinois, and examining the problems we currently face
"We'd hope people would get a healthier lifestyle if it was right in town within walking distance. If we made it cheaper than all the snack foods, more people would come around to it." In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Grace Yaste and Natalie English, …
"People should not just be getting by on frozen items at a dollar store—they still need to be supplied with the fresh stuff... I want kids to grow up healthy and not have this mindset of 'oh, frozen corn dogs are always best for you." In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, …
"I just wanted to bring recognition to the community and show people a rural county is not as boring as people think it is" In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Ellie Patterson, a student at Cuba High School and winning entry creator in our first-ever …
"As technology becomes more of a norm, people don't really sit down and have conversations like, 'What was your childhood like? What was growing up during this event like?'" In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Amber Cannon, a 2026 graduate at Cuba High School and …
Continue reading "Youth Civic Pitch Showcase: How Amber Cannon is Preserving Local Oral History"
“We feel we need all the counties to really lend credence to what we’re trying to say (which is to make and approve a petition to withdraw & form a 51st state)... I feel that Phase Three is about ready to begin, and I can step down as governor of Forgottonia. I think the time …
Continue reading "Illinois: A State Apart – Episode #5 – The Republic of Forgottonia (1973)"
"For rural children, work was at the top of the triangle, followed by school, and only then came play... Play wasn’t a luxury—it was a survival skill. Children turned goats, chickens, and old carts into their playground." -Pamela Riney-Kehrberg On This Episode Historian Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg joins us to discuss her book Childhood on the …
“Once upon a time, Chicago and downstate belonged to the same economy…Factories downstate made things Chicago needed. That’s gone away. What’s replaced it in Chicago is the global economy. What economic vitality there is in Illinois is in Chicago. The economic fortunes of Chicago and downstate are diverging.” Richard C. Longworth, "Caught in the Middle: …
Continue reading "Illinois: A State Apart – Episode #4 – The State of Chicago (1925)"
"We need to become informed activists. This Forgottonia movement lasted only a short time. That won't work. It will take years to implement change and we must be willing to expend that." Bill Edley ON THIS EPISODE As part of our Oral History in Forgottonia series, Cuba High School students Cadie & Courtney Churchill continue …
"The concept of Forgottonia was that this region was neglected by urban centers, but that wasn't really the problem. The problem was we don't engage at the community level like we should. Bill Edley ON THIS EPISODE As part of our Oral History in Forgottonia series, Cuba High School students Cadie & Courtney Churchill continue …
"Mining played a really big part in our town. At one time our population was 2,500, but now it's down to 1,200. This population is the biggest legacy of mining. Most people we know who live in our community have ancestors who worked in the mine." Dick Mowery, local mining enthusiast and former CHS educator …
The Forgottonia Project 