McConnell Area Historical Society

McConnell Area Historical Society "Preserving the History of McConnell, Illinois for Future Generations"

Our monthly meeting is this week.We always welcome guests.
09/01/2026

Our monthly meeting is this week.

We always welcome guests.

08/25/2026

Join us at the Freeport Public Library at 6PM this Thursday, August 27th, for a presentation entitled "Who is Buried at Kellogg's Grove: a Black Hawk War Mystery."

The speaker is University of Illinois Chicago archaeologist James Meierhoff, Ph.D.

The presentation is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Douglas Society. It is free and open to the public.

We thank everyone who attended our program today featuring Kayla Lobdell and her son Wes Morovic as they spoke on Daniel...
08/16/2026

We thank everyone who attended our program today featuring Kayla Lobdell and her son Wes Morovic as they spoke on Daniel Lobdell and his life as a soldier during the Civil War.
It was an incredibly interesting presentation!

08/16/2026

Daniel Lobdell Program
8-16-2026

Tomorrow at Lena Area Historical Society Museum at 2 pm.
08/14/2026

Tomorrow at Lena Area Historical Society Museum at 2 pm.

Please Share!Our program this Sunday about local Civil War soldier, Daniel Lobdell, will be really interestingKayla will...
08/12/2026

Please Share!
Our program this Sunday about local Civil War soldier, Daniel Lobdell, will be really interesting

Kayla will also be selling copies of her book after the presentation and she is graciously donating a portion of the proceeds to the historical society.

We hope to see many of you there at 2:00 pm.

Gift's Grocery Store"Your Community Store Serves You Best"William "Bill" Gift was born on March 1, 1874 in Snyder County...
08/11/2026

Gift's Grocery Store
"Your Community Store Serves You Best"

William "Bill" Gift was born on March 1, 1874 in Snyder County, PA.
As a young man he taught school in Pennsylvania, and then moved to Illinois in 1890, settling in Stephenson County where he took the teacher position in several schools in the county.
On October 19, 1899 he married Zora Jane Reedy in Red Oak.

Bill eventually stopped teaching and went to work for Meyers Bros. Lumber and Coal Company in Buena Vista.

They moved to McConnell into a large house on Grove Street.

In 1926 William and Zora decided to go into the merchant trade and opened a store in the former Lestikow & Scheider General Merchandise in McConnell.

Across the street from Gifts was the hardware store operated by Jacob W. Stamm. Jake decided he was ready to retire at age 78 and closed his store and sold it's contents in October 1933.

William and Zora then moved the store across the street into the vacated hardware storeroom and expanded his line of grocery items in his new space that took on the look of any modern neighborhood grocery store of the time. His old store was then converted into a tavern.

On December 1, 1934 Clifford and Mabel Schwitz rented the first floor of the Woodman Building where the McConnell State Bank was located, and opened their own grocery store kitty-corner to Gifts.
This created the third grocery store within the community. Johnathan Stamm Grocery, William Gift Grocery, and McConnell Grocery.

By April 1935 the Schwitz store was sold to Thomas Cross who renamed the store Cross' Grocery.

William and Zora operated their successful grocery for several years, often with the help of their son Oliver, who lived in a small shed-type building behind the store.

On July 15, 1943 the Gift's other two sons, Harold and Ralph purchased the Cross Grocery in the Woodman Building after Thomas Cross passed away. They operated the store as Gift Bros. Grocery, with William and Zora acting as managers. This resulted in two Gift Grocery stores to operate across the street from each other.

Harold Gift decided to go into the grocery business by himself, and opened his own Gift Grocery in Waddams Grove in 1947.

Zora Gift passed away in 1952. Bill continued to operate his store himself until Ralph asked his father to move across the street with him in 1954 after Cookies Tavern next door burned down and also caused damage to the Gift Building.
Leo Kleckler then purchased the Gift building, repaired the fire damage, and converted the store into a tavern.

William operated Gift Grocery Store in Woodman Hall for two more years until he decided it was time to retire. Gift Grocery Store closed in 1956 and was then reopened by Keith and Wayne Cross as Cross Bros' Grocery.

William passed away on March 6, 1964, aged 90 years.

We are open today!Stop in and take a look around at all of our collections.Bring in any donations if you have been wanti...
08/08/2026

We are open today!
Stop in and take a look around at all of our collections.
Bring in any donations if you have been wanting to.
Pay membership dues if you haven't yet.

Head to Winslow this weekend to enjoy Antique Days, sponsored by the Winslow Historical Society!
08/07/2026

Head to Winslow this weekend to enjoy Antique Days, sponsored by the Winslow Historical Society!

Address

202 E Main Street
McConnell, IL
61050

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