Manuscripts

The Illinois State Fairgrounds has been the site of horse racing and horse shows since it was located in 1894 north of Sangamon Avenue and west of Peoria Road.

The Howard C. Knotts collection primarily covers the period of Knotts' life from 1915 to 1921, including his WWI military experiences, his work in aviation law, and his death in 1942.

The collection includes Humphrey family photo albums, journals, letters, photographs, daily planners, notebooks, play scripts by Maude, and a screen play by Maude.

The Hutton Family Collection consists of a series of letters written by Dorothy Hutton as a young girl (1913-1924) from Auburn, Illinois to her mother in Denver, Colorado.

The Iles Manuscript Collection contains the original, handwritten copy of Iles' autobiography and other Iles family genealogy materials.

The collection includes Illinois Association of Minorities in Government newsletters, conference programs, and explanations about the organization from the 2000s.

The collection contains materials from J.R. Fitzpatrick from his time on the Illinois Athletic Commission.

Illinois State University, Springfield’s first school of higher learning, was inappropriately named because it was actually a private school supported by the Lutheran Church and had no connection with the state of Illinois.

The collection includes photos, real estate and financial documents, and travel memorabilia kept by the two sisters.