Name: January Coffee Talk-Archaeology of Illinois: The Deep Roots of the Prairie State
Start: 2026-01-21T13:30:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-21T15:00:00-06:00
Location: Des Plaines History Center

January Coffee Talk-Archaeology of Illinois: The Deep Roots of the Prairie State

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆!
Our January Coffee Talk features Clare Tolmie, an expert from the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, who shares where and how people have lived in Illinois for the last 12,500 years. Starting with the arrival of Illinois’ first residents, who came as the Ice Age’s glaciers retreated northward, discover how climate change, conflict and new technology encouraged population growth across the state. Learn about the profound impact the arrival of the French and other Europeans to Illinois had on Native American lifeways and the forced removal of the Native Nations that had called Illinois home for millennia.
January’s Coffee Talk is the companion lecture to the traveling exhibit 𝙄𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚, on display January 14-February 19 at the Des Plaines History Center.
The exhibit was produced by the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, part of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, which brings together scientific experts to better understand and protect Illinois’ people, history, and environment.
Always entertaining and educational, Des Plaines History Center monthly Coffee Talks are open to the public and sponsored by Village Bank & Trust. Free for Des Plaines History Center members, $10 for nonmembers. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁@𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.𝗼𝗿𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟴𝟰𝟳-𝟯𝟵𝟭-𝟱𝟯𝟵𝟵.