The History of Illinois Agriculture

Debra A. Reid

Debra A. Reid grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois similar to those presented at Midwestern open air museums today. She holds a PhD in History from Texas A&M University and holds two MA degrees from the Cooperstown Graduate Program and Baylor University. Currently, she teaches in the Historical Administration Program at Eastern Illinois University. Since 1982, Debra has worked with an extensive list of historic sites and open air museums in Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Texas, and Illinois.

The History of Illinois Agriculture

In this informative and place-specific presentation, Debra Reid explores the fascinating and relatively untold story of Illinois' agricultural history. Catered for each region, this presentation focuses on the history of farming and how that history relates to larger national and international trends in agriculture. The program varies in time and geographic focus depending on the audience. Possible topics include ethnic portraits of farmers settling the state, the ways in which corn became Illinois' dominant cash crop, or the changes that affected agriculture across the state in the twentieth century.

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