Meeting Tuesday, May 9, 2017

The Underground Railroad in Lake County: Myths and Facts

Presented by Nancy Schumm

This program summarizes a project Nancy Schumm has been working on for over three years to trace the path, mythology, facts and families involved in the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois, and particularly Lake County.

Nancy Schumm is the award-winning author of five books on regional history and has written numerous articles for magazines and news media. As a self-professed history geek, Nancy has been lecturing and presenting professional papers on historic topics nationally and internationally since 1997 including two programs on historic studies for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership in Manassas, Virginia. Schumm has been featured in four national videos on Midwestern history and interviews on Wisconsin Public Radionand WGN news. She is featured in the newly released documentary by Fourth Wall Films entitled, The Barn Builders.

Schumm Consulting LLC conducts property studies for owners of historic properties, writes family histories, produces family legacy videos and recently completed a study on the history of the landscapes for the University of Chicago.

Schumm is the president of the Ela Historical Society and serves as an advisory member of the Wisconsin Barn Preservation Association to protect the rural heritage of Wisconsin. She also works with Landmarks Illinois to network on activities that promote our heritage in Northeastern Illinois.