University of Illinois architecture, Pullman neighborhood database, and Newberry Library's huge new on-line atlas are featured in latest issue of Historic Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - The work of two architects on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, the expansion of a research database for Chicago's historic Pullman neighborhood, and the huge new on-line atlas from Chicago's Newberry Library that was 20 years in the making are featured in the latest issue of Historic Illinois, a publication of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA).

The cover article features the architectural work of Nathan Clifford Ricker, who left an indelible mark on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. He was the first architecture student to enroll and graduate from the fledgling architecture program at the university. Ricker was asked to stay on as a professor, and he went on to design five campus buildings, including the chemistry building (Harker Hall), 1878; Drill Hall (Kenney Gym Annex), 1890; Natural History Building, 1892; Mechanical Engineering Metal Shop, 1895 (since demolished); and his crown jewel on campus, Altgeld Hall, 1897. The article was written by IHPA Publications Editor Cynthia Fuener.

When the University of Illinois decided to expand their Urbana-Champaign campus to the south of the existing campus in the 1920s, they hired a well-known, but unlicensed, east coast building and landscape architect. Charles Platt was hired to design a more thematic approach to the new college buildings, rather than the hodge-podge of architectural styles found in the center of campus. The result is the Georgian Revival style portion of campus, completed in 1931, that includes such buildings as Mumford Hall, David Kinley Hall, Architecture Building, Huff Gym, Freer Gym, Evans Hall, McKinley Hospital, the main library, and the university president's house. Ms. Fuener is the author of the article on Mr. Platt.

Another article written by Fuener describes the expansion of a database of historical information pertaining to Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. The Illinois Secretary of State awarded a $50,250 grant to enter hand-written census data from 1900 through 1930 into the database. This will help researchers match names and addresses to existing images of historic streetscapes and houses, linking photos to the occupants of Pullman community homes. The Pullman House History Project, contained at the Pullman State Historic Site, already includes thousands of historic images and records, and the expansion will make it an even more valuable tool for researchers and genealogists.

Genealogy and other historic detective work across the nation will soon be easier thanks to the Newberry Library, Chicago's on-line Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. It has taken 20 years to create this unique, massive resource, and when complete on December 31, 2008 it will be easier to access numerous types of historical information. The key feature of the Atlas is that information has been divided up based on the boundary lines of the more than 3,000 counties and parishes in the United States. The Atlas will help those researching family histories; trying to obtain copies of marriage, birth and death certificates; buying or selling land or obtaining property deeds; digging into county legal cases; teaching demographics; or pinning down the state's history and development. Once completed, the Atlas may be accessed at www.newberry.org/ahcbp. The article was written by freelance writer William F. Keefe.

Historic Illinois is a bimonthly IHPA publication that features historically significant sites in Illinois. Subscriptions are $10 per year, which includes six issues of Historic Illinois and one full-color Historic Illinois Calendar. For more information, call (217) 524-6045, visit www.Illinois-History.gov, or write: Historic Illinois, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701-1507.