Blue Island Historical Society

06/02/2026

We hope everyone enjoyed our Sanders School Tour as much as we did! Thanks to everyone who attended; to our partners on this event, the City of Blue Island and The George W. Maher Society; and to Ken Jellema for such an interesting and informative lecture before we toured the building.

05/29/2026

Our tour of Sanders School on Blue Island’s East Side is only a few days away! Join us on Sunday, when the program begins with a short lecture at Sid’s Pizza Calabrese at 2 p.m. Learn more and purchase tickets here: https://square.link/u/9opqEABp

05/27/2026

Our tour of Sanders School is coming up on Sunday! Tickets are available at the door or online: https://square.link/u/9opqEABp

The event begins at Sid’s Pizza Calabrese with a short lecture on the history of the building and its architect, George W. Maher - guests are encouraged to grab a slice while we're there!

From Sid's, we'll head over to Sanders where the tour will be led by Ken Jellema and Kevin Brown of the Blue Island Historical Society and The George W. Maher Society.

05/12/2026

Don't miss this rare opportunity to see inside a hidden architectural gem on Blue Island's East Side! A limited number of tickets are available online: https://square.link/u/9opqEABp

The event begins at Sid’s Pizza Calabrese with a short lecture on the history of the Sanders School and its architect, George W. Maher. Following the lecture, we'll trek over to Division Street to tour the inside.

*The building has been in disuse for roughly 20 years now, and is not accessible for those with mobility issues. The interior was prepared for a massive renovation several years ago that was never finished, but while it's a little rough around the edges, there are still some great original and early details remaining.

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05/11/2026

Another great photo of Blue Island from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago!

Historical Photo of the Day: A building on Old Western Avenue in Blue Island, just north of the Cal-Sag Channel, on January 6, 1916. The 16-mile-long channel was built by the MWRD between 1911 and 1922. Learn more at MWRD.org.

05/06/2026

Here’s a look at the setup for one of our recent baby shower rentals! Interested in renting the historic Albee House for your special occasion? Visit https://bihistoricalsociety.org/event-rentals/

05/01/2026

TOMORROW: The Blue Island Brewmasters kick off their 2026 campaign in Dwight, IL! We had a great time playing at historic Renfrew Park as a part of last year's Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival, and highly recommend making the trip to support your hometown team.

WHEN: Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Renfrew Park, 109 E North St, Dwight, IL 60420

04/30/2026

We’re thrilled to partner with the University of Chicago’s Chicago Studies program again this year! As a part of the program’s Calumet Quarter, we’re using objects from our collection to educate students on local history, tying people and stories from Blue Island’s past to the larger story of the Calumet region.

04/22/2026

It's almost time for the vintage base ball season to begin for the Blue Island Brewmasters! Sponsored by the Blue Island Historical Society, the Brewmasters play their home games at historic Memorial Park - just bring a chair or blanket and enjoy baseball as it was played in 1858!

Learn more and view this year's schedule on our website:

https://bihistoricalsociety.org/featured_item/brewmasters-vintage-base-ball-2026/