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"
On this episode, we’re thrilled to share an update about New Philadelphia with Marynel Corton, the executive director of the New Philadelphia Museum. Last year we interviewed Marynel about New Philadelphia, one of the most important historical communities in the U.S. and located right here in rural Forgottonia (Pike County to be exact; Marynel lives …
Continue reading "New Philadelphia Earns National Park Status: An Update with Marynel Corton"
"They needed a spokesperson. Neal was ideal because he was a great speaker, he was highly intelligent...and he was kind of a ham actually. He loved to talk in front of people." -John Marshall (friend of Neal Gam, Forgottonia's Governor) ON THIS EPISODE As part of our Oral History in Forgottonia series, Cuba High School …
"Don't always look into famous people, look into people that helped a person become so well known." Amber Cannon ON THIS EPISODE As part of our Oral History in Forgottonia series, Cuba High School freshman Amber Cannon hosts this episode about Dr. Francis Regnier; the forgotten hero of New Salem. Most folks know a lot …
In this episode, we’re thrilled to share our conversation with Marynel Corton, the executive director of the New Philadelphia Museum. New Philadelphia is one of the most important historical communities in the U.S. and it’s located right here in rural Forgottonia! Although rural, western IL is sometimes known for being…well FORGOTTEN… there are a …
Continue reading "S4, E2 – The New Philadelphia Story, with Marynel Corton"
Many Americans recognize beloved actor John Mahoney from his days as Frasier's dad, Martin Crane on the hit NBC sitcom. However, most natives of Forgottonia may not realize that Mahoney actually lived in McDonough County for a time as a young man. Although he was actually born in England and associated most with living in Chicago, he came to Macomb, IL to live with his sister where he studied at Quincy University and joined the army to help him become a citizen faster.
The Forgottonia Project 