Tiskilwa Historical Society names Leah Metcalf as new director

Leah Metcalf, a Bureau County and Ohio, Illinois native, was named recently executive director of the Tiskilwa Historical Society.

“I am honored and excited to join the Tiskilwa Historical Society in this role,” Metcalf said upon receiving the news of her appointment. “I’m looking forward to contributing to the work that celebrates the rich history of this community.”

Metcalf received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a minor in Women’s Studies from Western Illinois University in Macomb, graduating Magna Cum Laude and receiving recognition as the Anthropology Department Scholar. She is pursuing a master’s degree in history through Indiana University.

Throughout its 18-year history, the Tiskilwa Historical Society has been an all-volunteer organization. However, to sustain its work into the foreseeable future, the society launched a one-year, one-time campaign in May 2022 called “The 20-year Fund.” Its intention was to invest enough funds to a hire a director on a part-time basis, as well as cover the expenses of maintenance issues being completed by volunteers. Through hundreds of donors, the society now will have a firm financial foundation for years to come.

“I’m stepping back, not stepping away,” said current director, Cecille Gerber. “I think being part of this group was embedded in my DNA from the start.”

Gerber helped found the organization in 2006 and since that time, the volunteers on the board and beyond have made it a vibrant part of the community. The society now has two venues at Museum on Main and Gallery on Galena, has grown to 370 members, and offers free monthly programs of historical interest.

The next program at Museum on Main will be 7 p.m. Monday, May 13. Owen Muelder, author of “The Underground Railroad in Western Illinois,” will speak about courageous local citizens who formed a secret network to assist enslaved people in their escape to the North.