About once a month, we will show you an artifact from our America 250th exhibition, which is on display at the Steeple Building Museum until the end of October 2026.
This month’s artifact is the Centennial Record. The Centennial Record was a “rare and short lived” publication produced during the 1876 Centennial year, spanning 12 monthly issues. Specifically, the newspaper commemorated the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These original periodicals featured period advertisements, historical articles, and illustrations related to the 100th anniversary of U.S. independence. Bishop Hill Colonist Peter Hedlund had The Centennial Record mailed to him. His daughter Alice Hedlund Stonberg later saved all twelve issues. Descendants of the Stonberg family eventually donated every issue to the Bishop Hill Heritage Association.
You can see this artifact and other early American history artifacts at the Steeple Building Museum, located at 103 North Bishop Hill Street, Bishop Hill, IL
News & Events
