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Champaign County History Museum at the Historic Cattle Bank

Champaign County History Museum
Location	Champaign, Illinois
Collections	Furniture, Textiles, Artifacts, Archival Records
Collection size	Over 20,000 Items

The Champaign County History Museum is a museum in Champaign, Illinois, located at the Historic Cattle Bank. It is a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to collect and preserve artifacts relating to the history of Champaign County and interpret this local history through formal and informal educational activities. The museum is run by the Champaign County History Museum Board of Trustees.

History

Members of the Champaign County History Society wanted a building appropriate enough to house a historic museum for the Champaign County area. While the Urbana Free Library and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign stored many of the items collected, the society felt that a larger building was needed as larger donations could not be stored. The society committee searched for a building "which [was] itself an historic landmark" and had the necessary space for artifact preservation.

The museum was founded in May of 1972 and opened for exhibition on December 1, 1974, at the Wilber Mansion located at 907 West University Avenue. Pat Miller became the first director of the Champaign County Historical Museum on June 1, 1974, along with Willis Baker as the president of the Museum Board of Trustees. The Wilber Mansion served as a house museum that focused on home life during the Victorian Era. The building also hosted some notable events for the museum such as The Taste of Champaign-Urbana, The Prairie Festival, The Heritage Program, and Murder at the Mansion.

The Wilber Mansion

In 1995, some of the organization's savings funds were used to support daily operating costs, so the museum staff acknowledged financial troubles. The museum's "precarious" financial position caused The Board of Trustees to consider alternative avenues to keep the organization running, such as approaching the Champaign Park District and asking for support. Eventually, the choice was made to sell the Wilber Mansion in 1997, and the proceeds would be used to purchase a new location.

The Wilber Mansion was sold again to a private individual for use as a residence in 1999, and the money made from the sale was used to purchase the Historic Cattle Bank and neighboring Oakly Building at the corner of First and University Avenue (102 East University Avenue). The Cattle Bank, having been constructed in 1858, is Champaign County's oldest documented commercial structure. The building was a coveted home for the museum due to its location and historical significance. With the assistance of the Preservation And Conservation Association of Champaign County (PACA) and private developers Leon Jeske and Edward Haas, the building was restored to its original appearance with a renovated interior in 1983.

In February 2002, the Champaign County Historical Museum officially opened at the Cattle Bank. Amenities of this new location included a downstairs area modeled as a turn-of-the-century grocery store as well as a research library open to the public. Additionally, a few rooms were designated to hold relatively permanent exhibits. The museum also hosted public history talks and held community walking tours to visit Champaign’s oldest standing buildings. The museum also published in-depth local history stories in their "Champaign County History Quarterly."

In 2015, the museum once again closed its doors to the public so that the newly elected board of trustees may restructure the organization. In addition to the removal of all exhibits, a community room was allocated on the second floor. The first floor was now able to hold three exhibits and the upstairs hallway was space for an additional exhibit as needed. The museum's name was also changed to the Champaign County History Museum. In April 2017, the museum opened to the public once again. There is also a monthly speaker series called History Talks where experts on various historical topics are given a chance to lecture on their historical subject of expertise. Volunteers and interns from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign enable the museum to produce various projects on Champaign County history and process artifacts.

Popcorn Wagon

The Popcorn Wagon is one of the most notable artifacts of the Champaign County History Museum. It was originally constructed as a special type "D Auto" by C. Cretors & Co. in Chicago in July 1920. The wagon was attached to a Model T chassis, but the previous owner, Henry Sansone, replaced the vehicle with a 1940 Chevy Super Deluxe convertible purchased from Sullivan's Chevrolet. The new vehicle gave the wagon sleek fenders and a chrome finish.

Popcorn Wagon Today (CCHM)

In 1883, the Sansone family arrived in the United States from Sicily and arrived in Champaign in 1896. Shortly after arriving in Champaign County, Fransisco "Broomie" Sansone began selling popcorn and peanuts as a street vendor. In 1900, Fransisco's son Henry was born. Henry took over the family business in 1924 when he began selling popcorn, ice cream, and sodas from a pushcart at various locations in Champaign. Henry purchased the current museum wagon in Galesburg from John Panousis around 1935. One of his most notable spots was the corner of Church Street and Neil Street. Although Henry's business was popular with the public, he also faced legal troubles with the City government. In 1954, Henry was arrested due to the Champaign City Council passing an ordinance banning the sale of merchandise from vehicles parked along city streets. The public rallied to his cause and the case was eventually won in 1954 due to a hung jury. Henry and his wife Lucille sold popcorn for more than 40 years until the wagon was sold to Joan McCumber in 1974. Joan continued operating the truck on the campus streets of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 1976, Henry Sansone died.

In 1977, the Champaign County History Museum's Preservation Committee sought out the popcorn wagon as a fundraising tool. With the help of a 5000 dollar grant from the City of Champaign and the contributions of local donors, the museum purchased the title of the vehicle for 8350 dollars in November of 1977. In 1982, the steam popper was replaced with an electric kettle made by the Cretor Company. From 1987 to 1989, the Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District took on the Popcorn Wagon's restoration process. The wagon was given a new 1967 Chevrolet engine, transmission, and rear axle. It was also given new power steering and brakes. In 1998, Rhoden's Auto Body was hired to repaint the wagon. The museum continues to bring the wagon to special events around Champaign-Urbana. It is a living tribute to the Sansone family and one of the museum's most cherished pieces.

Exhibit Information

The museum has three galleries that rotate every six to twelve months. The interactive exhibits describe the local histories in a complete and immersive format. Exhibits are also virtually available on the museum's website.

External Links

Champaign County History Museum Website