The Madison County Historical Society’s final Speaker Series event for 2024 will take place August 11 at 2 p.m. at the Main Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main Street in Edwardsville, Illinois. The lecture is by local historian Cindy Reinhardt whose program is “Famous, But Forgotten.” MCHS Speaker Series events are free and open to the public.

Local historian Cindy Reinhardt has been researching and writing about Madison County for over thirty years. During that time, she has uncovered dozens of stories about Madison County residents who were nationally known during their lifetimes but are no longer remembered. The list of those forgotten includes inventors, politicians, authors, entertainers, and more. Reinhardt’s publications include two books, “150 Years of Hometown News,” a book that celebrates the sesquicentennial of the Edwardsville Intelligencer, and “Leclaire,” a pictorial history of the Leclaire National Historic District from Arcadia Publishing. She has written hundreds of articles highlighting Madison County history for local, regional and state publications. In addition, she is the author and editor of the award-winning MCHS News, published by the Madison County Historical Society.

The Madison County Historical Society owns and operates the MCHS History Museum and Archival Library at 801 N. Main Street in Edwardsville, Illinois. The museum is currently closed for renovation, but library Hours are Wed.-Fri. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sun. 1-4 p.m. The library is also open Mon.-Tues. by appointment only. MCHS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that receives no public funding. For more information on this program or to learn more about Madison County history, visit the Society’s website at https://madcohistory.org/, or call 618-656-6579.