Metro East Sun

The Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB), led by Secretary of State and State Archivist Alexi Giannoulias, has distributed grants to 11 historical records repositories across Illinois. The funding aims to help these organizations digitize, preserve, and increase public access to archival materials that reflect the state's cultural history. Among the recipients are two projects in Millstadt and Mascoutah, both located in the 114th District.

These grants will support efforts to make important historical documents—including photographs, correspondence, community bulletins, board proceedings, and film collections—available online for broader public use.

Funding for this initiative comes from a State Board Programming Grant provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). Since 2010, ISHRAB has awarded 144 grants through NHPRC to archives and cultural groups in 34 counties throughout Illinois.

In the current grant cycle for 2025-2026, Mascoutah Public Library received $1,755 for its Local History & Genealogy Digitization project. This funding will allow the library to digitize community history records and make them accessible online. The Millstadt Historical Society was awarded $1,162 for its project "Preserving Millstadt’s Liederkranz Legacy," which focuses on digitizing deteriorating records related to Liederkranz, a 19th-century community organization.

Kevin Schmidt currently represents the 114th House District after being elected in 2023 as a Republican. He succeeded LaToya Greenwood in this role.

"Two grants will be going to Millstadt & Mascoutah in the 114th District."