Lena Area Historical Society

08/31/2026

Thank you!!

08/31/2026

Bill Engel and the Opera House were featured on American Pickers several years ago. Season one, episode four. There is one stop on the show before they come to Lena. I know it’s on Amazon prime if you would like to watch it. You can get a good view of what the Opera House looked like before the tornado hit it.

08/30/2026

The ice cream social was a success yesterday and we appreciate everyone who came to visit. 💙

08/30/2026

Thank you Bill and Jean Engel for allowing us to rescue so many treasures from your historic Opera House. They are now on display at our museum.

08/28/2026

Lena Auto Company was organized in 1923 by Dave Merkle. His son Carl took over in 1948, then sold to C.E. Confer in 1957 who renamed it Confer Chevrolet Sales.

08/26/2026

1909 & 2026
Center Street

08/25/2026

The Lena Area Historical Society (LAHS) is partnering with the Stephenson Co. Historical Society (SCHS) to host an ICE CREAM SOCIAL at the Lena Historical Museum this Saturday. The event is completely free, including ice cream, and open to the public.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH, 1PM-3PM
427 Grove St, Lena

The museum will be open to tour, and will premier its new exhibit- The Lena Opera House 1877-2026

The Lena Museum suffered major damage to a few of its buildings, and we are hoping to help raise awareness of the damage incurred. Donations will be accepted from anyone wishing to help.

We hope to see you there!

08/25/2026

08/24/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who follows our page and supports the Lena Area Historical Society!

🍦 This Saturday from 1:00–3:00 PM, we’re hosting an Ice Cream Social at the museum to raise money to help repair our historic buildings that were damaged in the April tornado. Bob Leverton and his crew have already replaced the roof on the main museum…thank you! They will also be restoring the other buildings this fall.

We know many of our followers live too far away to join us in person. If you would still like to help us preserve Lena’s history and keep our museum going for future generations, we would be very grateful for your support. Every donation, no matter the amount, makes a difference.

Donations may be mailed to:

Lena Area Historical Society
427 West Grove Street
Lena, IL 61048

We are incredibly thankful for all the support we have received since the tornado. Whether you’ve donated, volunteered, attended an event, shared our posts, or simply encouraged us along the way, thank you for helping us preserve Lena’s history for generations to come.

08/24/2026

1960 One of Le-Win’s great teachers.