Todd Stephens discusses his father's legacy, accomplishments, and challenges during his tenure as the MacMurray College President from 1980-1986.

President Stephens and his family came to MacMurray from Wofford College where he had been dean of the college and vice-president for academic affairs. Football was added to the school's athletics program during his tenure at Mac, and the college also began a partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections to offer post-secondary education programs for inmates at the Jacksonville and Lincoln Correctional Centers. He and his wife concentrated much energy on building relationships with the Jacksonville community — educationally, economically, and culturally. The Stephens era also saw the creation of a program for gifted children that achieved national recognition. Stephens left in 1986 to return to his native South Carolina.

This episode talks with Bob Freesen, who built a successful construction business, Freesen Inc, in West Central Illinois. He discusses growing up on a farm, his time spent in Europe during World War II, and his notable philanthropy efforts.

In celebration of bringing a stable water supply to Jacksonville, the city held a Miss Pipeline Contest/Pageant. Sonnie Heyer discusses her memories of participating in that event, and growing up during that time in Jacksonville in the 1950s.

Judge David Bone discusses his time as a high school and college basketball star, and how that transitioned to the challenges of serving in Vietnam. Program note: The basketball section of the podcast runs from 0:00 - 24:00 minutes, and the stories of Vietnam start at 24:00. 

Helen Baldwin has been a fixture in the Jacksonville community for nearly her entire life. She discusses her history in education, starting as a Jacksonville grade school student during WW II, up to her career as a principal in the same local school system. After her retirement, she became a huge force in city politics, organizations and boards that helped shaped our community for decades.

Dan Kindred is a staple in Jacksonville, owning and operating the popular 'Don's Place' tavern in Jacksonville for 40 years; 1982-2022. In this podcast, Dan discusses how he originally purchased Don's Place, the challenges and opportunities of running the tavern, and the popular promotions, including the well-known Crab Races. 

Illinois Stories was the premier program about the people and places of Central Illinois. The host, Mark McDonald, created 1200+ episodes for the central Illinois PBS stations (WSEC, WMEC, WQEC). These programs are sure to become a time capsule of this era to future historians. Mr McDonald talked with the Jacksonville Area Museum about his early career, the process for creating Illinois Stories, and the abrupt end to his beloved PBS program.

A second installment of stories from those who worked at J Capps and Sons, Ltd in Jacksonville, Illinois. Interviews include Terry Maggart, Peggy Clemens, Judy Cannon, Tom Holmes, Mildred Holmes, and George Murphy. 

George Murphy describes his experience working at J Capps and Sons clothing factory in Jacksonville, Illinois in the 1950s. He also talks of his participation in a worker's strike at the factory.  This episode was recorded in spring 2022. 

David Bone talks about his father, local physician Dr E.C. Bone. Dr Bone was a well-known physician in the Jacksonville area, serving with many organizations and boards in the Jacksonville area.