The Connection Center

05/29/2026

Final week to experience the remarkable Lucy McWorter dress, handcrafted by Mary Helen Yokem. This extraordinary piece will remain on display through Saturday, May 30.

Visitors are also encouraged to view the accompanying documentary, which explores both the meticulous construction of the dress and the history of the McWorter family. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Illinois State Museum for the opportunity to showcase this important work, and to Mary Helen Yokem for her continued support of AAHM.

05/28/2026

A sold individual from our neighboring Missouri.

On January 20, 1953, Harry Truman walked out of the White House and quietly disappeared.
No motorcade.
No security convoy.
No luxury office waiting for him.
No presidential pension.
At that time, former U.S. presidents received almost nothing after leaving office.
Truman boarded a train with his wife Bess and returned home to Independence, Missouri with one guaranteed income: his old World War I Army pension.
It paid $112.56 per month.
At that moment, America had largely decided he was a failure.
His approval rating had collapsed to around 32 percent. Newspapers treated his departure like the end of a bad chapter. People blamed him for war, inflation, and problems they wanted to leave behind.
So Truman did something almost no modern politician would do.
He accepted it.
That summer he bought a Chrysler and drove himself across America. He filled his own gas tank. He answered his own phone. He personally replied to letters. Reporters who followed him on morning walks struggled to keep up.
He never launched a campaign to repair his image.
He never attacked the next president.
He simply went back to being Harry Truman.
Then something strange happened.
Years passed.
People started looking again at what he had actually done.
He ordered the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military in 1948 despite enormous political pressure.
He backed rebuilding Europe after World War II through policies that helped shape decades of stability.
Decisions people once attacked slowly became decisions people later called historic.
America sent him home believing he had failed.
History quietly brought him back.
Harry Truman died in 1972 at age 88. Long after he left office, many historians would rank him among America’s most consequential presidents.
Story based on historical records. This post is for educational purposes.

05/28/2026

Did you know that despite the fact that she grew up in Texas, Bess Watson's parents grew up in Barry?Or that she graduated from High School in Texas when she was 14? Or that she went to Barry High School for a year because she was too young to get a certificate to teach or that she was on the Barry Library Board for 49 years? She was a long time Barry teacher.

05/22/2026

No bears here!!

When you reappear in people’s lives after inexplicably disappearing for several months…

Spring and early summer are periods of increased bear activity in many parks. Bears may be moving through habitat, asking about your car warranty, searching for food or protecting cubs. Visitors can reduce the chance of a dangerous encounter by staying alert, hiking in groups, making noise in low-visibility areas, storing food and trash properly and never approaching bears.

Visitors should check current park alerts before their trip and follow park-specific bear safety guidance. Bear species, terrain, food storage rules and bear spray recommendations can vary across parks.

Learn more ways to stay safe around bears at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm

Image: Screenshot of a bear looking in a window with the text, “When you reappear in people’s lives after inexplicably disappearing for several months.”

05/22/2026

Come in and connect.......

05/21/2026

We should all have this same hope, right??

shortly after being nominated to run for president.

Source: https://ow.ly/thHi50Z2O2o

05/20/2026

Dr. Alfred Baker, brother to Senator Edward Baker was Barry's first doctor, moving from Pittsfield,IL, the Pike County ,IL County seat in 1837.....one year after Barry was founded. He served and led Barry the rest of his long life, not in public offices but as a quiet influencer for young and old. Lincoln named one of his sons after Senator Baker who was a larger than life character. Lincoln recommended that Edward Worthington Baker, son of Dr. Alfred Baker attend West Point ..which he did attend and then returned to run the local library system. Pictured: Dr.Baker

05/20/2026

Just three miles from Barry, Illinois, in Pike County....20 miles east of Hannibal, Mo. 80 miles west of Springfield,IL.....travel I-72 to Barry and follow the signs!!

Summer is just around the corner, and we’re excited to welcome visitors to New Philadelphia National Historic Site! ☀️🌿

As the weather warms up, it’s the perfect time to begin planning your visit and exploring the story of Free Frank McWorter and the community he built.

This summer will also bring more opportunities to interact with park rangers as programming continues to roll out throughout the season. From learning experiences to guided activities and special events, there will be new ways to engage with the history and legacy of New Philadelphia.

We encourage everyone to follow along and watch for announcements as summer programming is released.

What are you most looking forward to experiencing at New Philadelphia this season?

05/20/2026

The Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, a popular annual southern Illinois tradition, will take place June 6-7 at the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in Randolph County.

The Rendezvous is free and open to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Highlights include a flintlock muzzleloader shooting competition; period food, drink and entertainment; artisan and craft demonstrations; 18th-century children’s games; militia and military events; and more.

Special-event parking is available for $10 per car. Donations are welcome. The event is hosted by Les Coureurs des Bois de Fort de Chartres and sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Les Amis du Fort de Chartres.

05/19/2026

The world's largest steam locomotive will go on a coast-to-coast tour this summer to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. See the list of all the stops. (AP Photo)

05/19/2026

This photo has been labeled as the Dr. Alfred Baker house at the SE corner of Pratt and Rodgers. We are trying to verify. The last Baker to live in it would have been his daughter Mary Baker. Anyone remember this house? Apparently we may still be looking for Dr. Baker's home .......?? Anybody remember what the house before the current brick ranch house looked like or have a picture?????