Artifacts from Stevenson home included in exhibit

2/6/2010 8:18:00 AM
By: Eric Stock    

The McLean County Museum of History has marked the 110th anniversary of Adlai Stevenson II's birthday by opening a new exhibit in his name. Stevenson House Treasures features family heirlooms, clothing and travel mementos from the family home at 1316 East Washington Street. Curator Susan Hartzold says many of the artifacts - including Victorian, Gothic and American Empire styled furniture, show how the upper-class lived in the early 1900s.


Hartzold says Stevenson's mother seemed to have a sense of history as she took special care of many family momentos.


Museum registrar Terri Clemens did much of the research for the exhibit.


Hartzold says the Stevenson home blended two political families - as the former governor was a descendant of both Vice President Adlai Stevenson the first and ISU and Town of Normal founder Jesse Fell.

Museum director Greg Koos will discuss the Stevenson family history today at 1:30 p.m. You can get a video preview of the exhibit at www.wjbc.com.

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