Jeff RankinThe Great Eclipse of 1869, through the eyes of a Monmouth College professorAs anticipation grows over the upcoming solar eclipse, I thought it would be interesting to look back on a similar astronomical event…11 min read·Apr 6, 2024----
Jeff RankinNorthwestern University founder called Monmouth homeMONMOUTH, Ill. — Monmouth’s historic Quinby House was the home of a founder of Monmouth College. What is perhaps less well known is that…5 min read·Jul 14, 2023----
Jeff RankinMonmouth physician dynasty began in 1837MONMOUTH, Ill. — “This is a pleasant location and bids fair to be a thriving town.”5 min read·Jul 13, 2023----
Jeff RankinMight Edgar Allan Poe have made Oquawka a literary hub?In the middle of the Bronx in New York City is a bustling neighborhood known as Fordham. In 1848, it was a sleepy rural village without…5 min read·Jan 12, 2023----
Jeff RankinTombstones tell interesting talesMONMOUTH, Ill. — Walk up the 10 concrete steps to Monmouth’s Pioneer Cemetery at East Archer and 6th Street, and suddenly you find…5 min read·Dec 6, 2022----
Jeff RankinMonmouth’s industrial building boom of 1953MONMOUTH, Ill. — Our future economic prosperity may lie in the tech and service industries, but 70 years ago manufacturing was still king…4 min read·Dec 1, 2022----
Jeff RankinMonmouth pastor provided humanitarian relief during Civil WarMONMOUTH, Ill. — In recent months, we have become all too familiar with the collateral damage that war inflicts on innocent civilians. The…6 min read·Nov 30, 2022----
Jeff RankinRemnants of a bygone eraSeveral of Monmouth’s quirky voting houses still stand3 min read·Sep 16, 2022--1--1
Jeff RankinBeloved veterinarian played Santa for decadesMONMOUTH, Ill. — Dr. Vird Odell Cudd had as many vocations as Forrest Gump, working as a circus performer, professor, veterinarian…5 min read·Aug 3, 2022----
Jeff RankinFrederick Douglass spoke in Monmouth in 1866MONMOUTH, Ill. — In his 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight says of the renowned abolitionist who…4 min read·Jun 3, 2022----