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Elkhart Illinois Historical
Society Presents “Relive the True Mother Road: The Edwards Trace.”
[July 18, 2026]
The Elkhart Illinois Historical
Society invites the public to Relive the True Mother Road: The
Edwards Trace, a dinner lecture presented by Anna Sielaff, exploring
one of Illinois’ oldest and most historically significant trails.
This presentation takes audience members on a journey back in time,
to an era when Illinois was not yet a state but a vast landscape of
prairie grass and fertile soil.
The Edwards Trace is an ancient trail that dates back at least 3,000
years and went through Illinois, marking the migratory path of
various animal herds from Kaskaskia, Illinois, to Peoria, Illinois.
Native Americans used this trail to track the seasonal migrations of
herds, leveraging it for hunting, trade, and warfare. Early European
settlers, such as the French, British, and Americans, depended on
this trail for their travels, similar to Route 66. Anna will discuss
the historical significance of the Edwards Trace and its role in
national events and the early settlement of Illinois.
This event will take place on August 28th , which includes dinner
followed by the lecture.
Dinner will be served at the Wild Hare, 104 Governor Oglesby St.,
Elkhart. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., with dinner served at 5:30 p.m.
Entrée options are chicken marsala or beef bourguignon, both served
with mashed potatoes, green beans, and baby carrots. Dessert options
are apple crisp with whipped cream or ice cream with chocolate
sauce.
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Reservations must
be made by calling 217-947-2238 by August 21st. More details are
available at
elkharthistoricalsociety.org. You can download the
reservation form by clicking here or click the form below.
About the Speaker
Anna Sielaff serves as the Local History Librarian for the Lincoln
Library’s Sangamon Valley Collection in Springfield, Illinois. She
holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Concordia University
Chicago and a Master of Science in Library and Information Sciences
from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.
Anna is passionate about her work and is living the best of both
worlds being a librarian and a historian. She believes in the
importance of connecting with communities, fostering meaningful
discussions, and learning from one another through shared stories
and experiences.
[Elkhart
Historical Society]
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