MONMOUTH, Ill. — Dr. Vird Odell Cudd had as many vocations as Forrest Gump, working as a circus performer, professor, veterinarian, would-be sheriff, philanthropist and elephant caretaker, but his favorite role by far was Santa Claus. When the colorful longtime Monmouth resident died in 1964 at the age of 88…

MONMOUTH, Ill. — In his 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight says of the renowned abolitionist who lived 20 years in slavery: “…in sheer miles and countless number of speeches, he had few rivals as a lecturer in the golden age of oratory. …

MONMOUTH, Ill. — June 1, 2022, will mark the 50th anniversary of the end of one of the saddest architectural declines in Monmouth history. …

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Monmouth is famous for the manufacture of several successful inventions, but it is infamous for one legendary invention that failed to be manufactured here. That invention, which bears Patent No. 1,867,377, would revolutionize an entire industry, but a devastating Monmouth factory fire in 1917 would delay the…

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Many farmers from this area are familiar with the monthly agricultural publication Wallaces Farmer, which began in 1895 as Wallaces’ Farm and Dairy, but few are aware of its founder’s Monmouth roots. The original editor, who founded the Iowa-based weekly paper with his sons Henry C. and…

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Folk artist Grandma Moses became world famous late in life for her primitive paintings portraying the simplicity of rural life. …

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Many famous celebrities hail from small towns, but few retain their hometown ties once they go on to fame and fortune. One exception would be Will Nicol, who made Monmouth his permanent residence when not touring the world as the Great Nicola. …

MONMOUTH, Ill. — “You’ll send me to the poorhouse!” is a complaint that parents have voiced to their children for ages, but it wasn’t so long ago that a future in the poorhouse was literally a possibility for unfortunate Warren County residents. Caring for the indigent has been a concern…

MONMOUTH, Ill. — On September 10, 1902, Monmouth stonecutter Henry T. Wells received a message that no parent would want to hear — that his son Willie had been arrested by Chicago police. The widowed father of six had enough problems on his hands, especially dealing with Willie, who went…