Explore the RHS Facebook Archives, a rich repository of local history written by Carol Flynn. For two decades, Carol brought a deeply dedicated voice to public education at RHS. Her role as Facebook administrator through mid-2025 naturally extended her prolific research into meticulously detailed articles, most notably her multi-part historical series posts. Today, Carol continues her local history writing for The Beverly Review and other outlets.
November 2025
Indigenous Power on the Middle Ground: the Native Peoples of Northern Illinois
November 14, 2025, 7pm
Presenter: Eliot Fackler
Join us for a special presentation in National Native American Heritage Month.
Eliot’s talk will explore indigenous history in this region emphasizing the 18th & 19th centuries by looking at communities, controlled portages, networks of trade and diplomacy.
About the Presenter: Eliot Fackler, PhD is Assistant Professor of History, Governors State University. Eliot researches and writes about settler colonialism and environmental change in United States history. He is a Project Co-Director of the Southland History Collective.
The Southland History Collective was founded in 2022 with a small grant from Governors State University. They are committed to community-engaged work that helps to cultivate an inclusive Southland regional identity through historical and educational work.
Members: $10 | Non-members: $20 | Students under 18: $5
Ridge Historical Society
10621 S. Seeley Ave., Chicago, IL 60643
Limited Capacity. Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/RHS-native
RSVP: ridgehistory@hotmail.com 773.881.1675
Ingersoll-Blackwelder House Coloring Contest – Entries due November 15th!
There is a coloring contest underway for all ages to help provide ideas to the painting team for the historic Ingersoll-Blackwelder House located at 10910 S. Prospect Ave. RHS’s current exhibit is about the artist and preservationist Jack Simmerling, who purchased and restored the house in 1970 to make it the Simmerling family’s long-time home.
We’ve created a helpful unofficial page so anyone can easily create their own color combinations using a Victorian-era color palette. Try it out here: https://ingersoll-blackwelder-house-color-contest-449832780115.us-west1.run.app/
Once you create your favorite color scheme, take a screenshot and email in your contest entry by following the instructions here: http://www.ingersoll-blackwelderhouse.com/uploads/5/1/8/2/51820075/coloringcontest_v2.pdf
This contest is not sponsored by RHS.