The Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield is preserving Scott County’s history through a partnership with the Winchester Public Library and the Old School Museum to digitize rare historical records and artifacts, ensuring they remain accessible for future generations.

The effort is part of The Sangamon Experience’s Rural Initiative, which highlights a different rural Illinois county each year. This year’s focus is Scott County, established in 1839 and named for General Winfield Scott. Agriculture has long shaped the county’s economy, with Winchester serving as a center for commerce, government and community life.

UIS graduate student Syd Young is leading the digitization work, having already preserved 45 historical items from the Winchester Public Library. An additional 29 items from the Old School Museum are scheduled to be digitized in the coming months.

“Every community has stories that deserve to be preserved and shared,” said Anne Moseley, director of The Sangamon Experience. “By digitizing these collections, we’re protecting Scott County’s history while making it more accessible for researchers, students and anyone interested in learning about the people and events that shaped rural Illinois.”

“We’ve been wanting to digitize the library’s collection for years, and we're excited that the public will have the opportunity to see it now,” said Jeanette Wallace, director of the Winchester Public Library. “There are a lot of important historical documents that will be especially useful for teaching history through a local lens.”

The collections being digitized document many aspects of Scott County's history, including the Winchester Public Library’s bylaws and records, documents from civic organizations such as the Winchester Brotherhood and the American Legion, manuscripts by local historian Fritz Haskell, Civil War-era writings, records related to the Scott County Tuberculosis Sanitarium and materials documenting New Deal programs.

Among the most notable items is the Civil War diary of Col. William Camm, which offers a firsthand account of military service during one of the nation’s defining conflicts.

“Old School Museum is excited to participate with Sangamon Experience in the digitalization of a portion of our collection,” said Patricia Wallace, director of the Old School Museum. “One of the museum's goals is to preserve the history of Scott County and this process helps to ensure that goal.  This digitalization will also make our important artifacts available to more members of the community through the internet.”

The digitization project will culminate in the creation of an interactive Scott County StoryMap, combining historical narratives with digitized documents, photographs and artifacts. The online resource will allow visitors to explore Scott County’s history while highlighting its contributions to the broader story of rural Illinois.

About the Sangamon Experience

The Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield is dedicated to preserving and sharing the histories of central Illinois through digital storytelling, public history projects and community partnerships.