3 p.m. Monday, March 28 – Only Murders in McHenry (County) will be presented by amateur criminologist and retired police officer Ed Urban. On occasion even the nice peaceful places, such as McHenry County, show their dark underbelly. Urban touches on some of the most notorious crimes in the last century – including the county’s first murder in 1848. Thirty years later another farm field was the scene of yet another heinous act: when a killer attempted to burn his victim’s body in a haystack. Get ready for a little sleuthing. The game is afoot!

 Future Series info:

• 7 p.m. Monday, April 11 – The Eastland Disaster: An Unparalleled Tragedy will be presented by members of the Eastland Disaster Historical Society. Learn about the tragic 1915 capsizing of the Eastland passenger liner – stuffed to the gills with Western Electric employees and their families headed to picnic. A total of 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was to become the largest loss of life from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes. 

• 3 p.m. Monday, April 25 – Vibrant, Resilient, Still Here: Contemporary Native Americans in Illinois will be presented by Pamala Silas, a member of Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin and a descendant of the Oneida Tribe, works for Northwestern University as the associate director for the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research. Silas will touch on history of Native Americans in northern Illinois, as well as their role today. Explore how the public learns about and views Native Americans today, as well as discuss demographic data, topical community issues and values, and engage through recommended readings and resources. Made possible by a grant from Illinois Humanities.