The mural on the side of Leland’s maintenance building is meant to represent the meaning behind the new village motto. Last year, the village board voted on a new logo and motto for the village. Even though several towns use the motto “A place togrow,” it seems very fitting for Leland, also Our town isRead More

Leland physician Dr. U. N. Thornton was considered the “best diagnostician in the state of Illinois” by Dr. John B. Murphy of Chicago, one of the leading surgeons in the United States. According to Thornton’s obituary, he was a specialist in the treatment of diphtheria and one of the leading physicians and surgeons of NorthernRead More

These are the three values that Wreaths Across America instills in people from all across the globe. Remember our fallen Veterans. Honor those who serve. Teach our children the value of freedom. What started in 1992 as one man’s annual gift to our veterans, inspired a legion of volunteers and gave rise to the WreathsRead More

AKA: Holverson Cemetery, Klove Family Cemetery What is today known as Little Indian Creek Cemetery is located south of Leland in Section 22 of Adams Township at 2100-2158 N 45th Road, Leland. According to a brief history written by Virginia Hann and Berdeane Wagner in 1984, the first burials were immigrants who died of smallpoxRead More

“The Way We Found Munson” By Oliver Oakland Submitted by Phyllis Hecathorn In the winter of 1887 and 1888 we took a trip to visit friends around Munson-now Baker-and it struck me that a little store would do well, but the neighbors thought a person would starve trying to run a store in a frogRead More

“The Story of Bob Shumway A Small Town Leland Farm Boy” was hot off the press for the Memorial Day celebration and book signing on May 30. Although Bob was recuperating from a mishap earlier in the week and unable to attend, he pre-signed all 50 books that were for sale. At the book signingRead More

After five years in the harness making business in his handsome building at what is now North Main and North Streets (Leland Historical Society and Resource Bank), Marcus Yocklich left the business to begin farming. The first business to occupy his building was the W.H. Miller Music Store in June of 1902. For many years,Read More

Surely, all locals know the Wesson name. Some may even recognize the name of Civil War veteran Silas “Deck” Wesson, great-great-grandfather of Kent Wesson, who is buried in Victor Township Cemetery. But what about the story of Old Charley, a Civil War veteran and Silas’s lucky horse? Old Charley came home with Silas Wesson afterRead More

History came to life on a beautiful Fall opening weekend at the new Leland Area History Center! Over 100 people from states as far away as California and Maryland attended the first cemetery walk event and history center open house on October 9-10. Six local citizens who are laid to rest at Leland Cemetery wereRead More

Olga Hovda Hill was interviewed in April 1977 by Phyllis Hallgren Miller of Leland for the Kishwaukee Community College oral history project. Olga stated that “the Norwegians came first to Leland and then the Irish.” Olga’s father, John Hovda, immigrated from Rogaland, Norway1 when he was a boy.2 After first settling in Lee, Illinois, JohnRead More