6Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum
Shabbona, Illinois
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Shabbona.
1874 to 1960Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
85,928Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Shabbona, Illinois.
Discover another side of Shabbona, Illinois through newspapers preserved in the Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum's digital archive. Its six titles include material from 1874 to 1960.
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Selected titles
A selection from Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum: “Compton Record” and “Shabbona Express”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
Newspaper pages connect individual accounts with a wider story, preserving how events were reported and presented to the readers of the day.
The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse six titles and 85,928 digitized pages, with material from 1874 to 1960. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A family story or a question about a familiar place can lead somewhere unexpected. Browse the titles below and see which detail draws you in.
Compton Record
272 pages from 1887 to 1895
Dekalb County Express
21,888 pages from 1901 to 1960
Evening Times
4 pages in 1887
Lee County Times
56,954 pages from 1882 to 1959
Paw Paw News
784 pages from 1874 to 1876
Shabbona Express
6,026 pages from 1917 to 1925
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About the Museum
About The Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum
The Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum serves as a vital educational resource and a cultural asset for the communities of Shabbona, Lee, Rollo, and surrounding areas. Established by a group of dedicated individuals passionate about preserving local history, the museum aims to engage and educate the public about the region's rich heritage. In addition to historical artifacts and displays, the museum offers access to research collections, including obituaries, marriages, family histories, and various local records. Admission to the museum is free , allowing community members and visitors to explore the history of the area without any cost. The museum is committed to enhancing accessibility to historical content and fostering a sense of shared responsibility in preserving the collective history of the region.
Institution History
The History Of The Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum
The Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum traces its roots back to a grassroots initiative focused on local history preservation. In the early 1990s, a group of history enthusiasts began meeting to discuss ways to collect and safeguard the historical narratives of the towns encompassed by the old school district #425, which spans parts of DeKalb, Lee, and LaSalle Counties. This commitment culminated in the museum's opening in September 1992 in an old bank building at 119 W. Comanche Street in Shabbona, Illinois. In 2014, a 1,200 sq. ft. addition was constructed to enhance the museum's research capabilities and provide more space for exhibitions. The museum continues to expand its collections, utilizing both physical and online resources to facilitate research and engage with the community. Today, the Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum stands as a testament to the collective efforts of those who recognize the importance of preserving and sharing their local history.
About the Community
About The Shabbona, Illinois Area
Shabbona, located in DeKalb County, Illinois, is a small but historically significant community that plays an integral role in the region's agricultural and cultural history. With roots that date back to the 19th century, Shabbona was named after the Potawatomi Chief Shabbona, who was known for his friendship with early settlers. The town features a blend of historical architecture and natural beauty, making it a charming location for residents and visitors alike. The area's rich history is reflected in its various community initiatives and local organizations, such as the Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum, which strives to preserve and share the stories of the towns within the former school district #425. This commitment to history fosters a deeper connection to the land and the people who have shaped the community over the years.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum is housed in a former bank building, allowing it to serve as both a historical repository and a community gathering space? The museum offers a range of programs and exhibits that promote local history, ensuring that visitors can engage with their heritage while enjoying free admission. Additionally, the museum collects and preserves a variety of documents and records, contributing to the shared responsibility of keeping history alive for future generations.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Compare accounts as you trace a story
The history of Shabbona includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story. Use a report's date to look for earlier or later coverage where those issues are available. Compare what each account says and what it leaves out, treating a related mention as a lead rather than a complete history.
Compare each newspaper account with a nearby dated issue where available, noting what changes or stays consistent. Keep alternate versions and unresolved details visible rather than blending distinct sources into one story. Use those differences to frame a next question, not to settle the account before the sources support it.
Keep source details beside each quotation or observation. If accounts differ, preserve both references and note what remains unresolved. Let the evidence, rather than a smooth retelling, show where the sources agree and where the story is still open.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.
Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.
Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.
Learn about partnerships
Stories, research tips, and archive news
Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.
May 7, 2025
Why Microfilm is still important in 2023
Preserving documents on microfilm has been a popular method of storage for many years, and it still holds many benefits today. Here…
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May 7, 2025
Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”
In the quest to trace our roots and understand our heritage, obituaries often serve as a crucial starting point. Obituaries are undoubtedly…
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April 9, 2025
Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
Even the most esteemed police forces in the county encounter perplexing cold case files. These unsolved mysteries often leave investigators and genealogists…
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April 1, 2025
This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
Discover History in The Community History Archives. This week in history, there is absolutely nothing to talk about… April Fools! April…
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March 24, 2025
This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
Discover History in The Community History Archives. It has officially been a year since I started writing This Week in History,…
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March 18, 2025
It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?
We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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