Lansing Historical Society

Lansing Historical Society Dedicated to preserving the past of the Village of Lansing, Illinois Each meeting begins with the business portion followed by program and/or speaker.

The Lansing Historical Society meets at the Lansing Public Library in the Community Room on the 4th Monday of the month (except July and August) at 6 p.m. New members are always welcome. Dues are $15 per year for individuals, $25 for a business, professional, organization or institute, $100 for a lifetime member and $5 for a student member. The 2022 Lansing Historical Society board members are:

T

ony DeLaurentis, President
Susan Bovino, Vice President
Phyllis Drewno, Treasurer
Sharon Murphy, Secretary
Marti Benne, Director
Dan Bovino, Director
Rich Dust, Director
Barb Dust, Curator

This is the Sand Ridge Nature Center's Fenwick Cabin ~ It is an accurate reproduction of typical log cabins that would h...
11/05/2025

This is the Sand Ridge Nature Center's Fenwick Cabin ~ It is an accurate reproduction of typical log cabins that would have sheltered our first pioneers (early 1830's).
I liked how the fire created a warm backlit ambiance on a very cold winter evening. Life must have been a real challenge in those days. One of the life skills of an early pioneer would have been the ability to suture your own wounds. The nearest doctor was over 40+ miles away. Farming accidents were very common. A person could bleed to death waiting for medical help. No antibiotics either. The pioneer people's immune system was always at the highest pitch. No anti microbial hand sanitizer back then.
Photo by Dan Bovino

Then Now ~Purington Paver Plant #17 (Clayhole Lake at Knight of Columbus) "Then" photo taken in the year 1914."Now" pho...
11/04/2025

Then Now ~
Purington Paver Plant #17 (Clayhole Lake at Knight of Columbus)
"Then" photo taken in the year 1914.
"Now" photo taken April 20th, 2016 ~ 7:00 pm ~ by Dan Bovino.

Now/ThenLansing State Bank, Lansing Pharmacy, H&R Block3452 Ridge Road (Ridge and William).
11/04/2025

Now/Then
Lansing State Bank, Lansing Pharmacy, H&R Block
3452 Ridge Road (Ridge and William).

Then/NowCoolidge Elementary School ~Original school built in 1928New school built in 2019
11/03/2025

Then/Now
Coolidge Elementary School ~
Original school built in 1928
New school built in 2019

Then/Now ~Lansing First Church PCA (formerly Lansing First Reformed). Photos were taken about 100 years apart. The old c...
11/01/2025

Then/Now ~
Lansing First Church PCA (formerly Lansing First Reformed).
Photos were taken about 100 years apart. The old church was tragically destroyed by fire on January 4th, 1945.
Lansing Historian Paul Schultz was witness as it burned (he was about 10 years old). Paul recalls that the entire bell tower was engulfed in flames. It later collapsed south onto Ridge Road. Paul also shared that when the timbers that held the bell gave way, the bell plummeted 100 feet to the ground. Paul said that he will forever remember resonant the sound that it made when it hit.
Please click on each photo to see more details...

Here's a nice excerpt from the Lansing Journal newspaper dated September 12th, 1935 ~ 90 years ago this year!
10/31/2025

Here's a nice excerpt from the Lansing Journal newspaper dated September 12th, 1935 ~ 90 years ago this year!

It has gone by a few different names, Botma's, IGA, Lan Oak Foods, but most famous and best remembered simply as Komo's....
10/31/2025

It has gone by a few different names, Botma's, IGA, Lan Oak Foods, but most famous and best remembered simply as Komo's.
Best potato salad on the planet earth!
This iconic Lansing business closed in the summer of 2011.
Please share your memories.

1926 exterior and interior photographs of Winterhoff Ford once located on the southwest corner of Ridge and Ada streets....
10/29/2025

1926 exterior and interior photographs of Winterhoff Ford once located on the southwest corner of Ridge and Ada streets. The man in the interior photo is the owner, Big Bill Winterhoff.

This is a group photo of Lansing Historical members at a LARC luncheon organized by the late Jen Saia ten years ago toda...
10/28/2025

This is a group photo of Lansing Historical members at a LARC luncheon organized by the late Jen Saia ten years ago today.
Photo published by Carrie Clark Steinweg ~ October 28th, 2015

Top photo: 1942 Ford Super Deluxe ~ A very rare car... Not many were made, and nothing new until about '47. Oh, and the ...
10/28/2025

Top photo: 1942 Ford Super Deluxe ~ A very rare car... Not many were made, and nothing new until about '47. Oh, and the picnic looks like fun too...
Bottom photo: Cap stone on the original Winterhoff Ford ~ Corner of Ridge & Ada.

Autumn of 2022 ~Autumn beauty looking east on Jackson from William Street.Photo by Dan Bovino.
10/28/2025

Autumn of 2022 ~
Autumn beauty looking east on Jackson from William Street.
Photo by Dan Bovino.

Then/Now ~This is a photograph Barker's Standard Station and Dick's Coffee Shop that once stood on the southeast corner ...
10/26/2025

Then/Now ~
This is a photograph Barker's Standard Station and Dick's Coffee Shop that once stood on the southeast corner of Ridge and Burnham. Perspective is from the north side of the First Church PCA's graveyard c. 1942.
The Texaco sign is from George Slager's Texaco. The now photo was taken on June 14th, 2022. Same perspective.

Address

2750 Indiana Avenue
Lansing, IL
60438

Opening Hours

Thursday 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Saturday 11pm - 1pm

Telephone

+1 312-969-0385

Website

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