Colleen Johnson, executive director of the Peoria Historical Society, poses with Abraham Lincoln impersonator Fritz Klein at a Peoria Riverfront Museum event. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Johnson)

Bringing history to life by telling the stories of Peoria’s past has been Colleen Johnson’s passion since she was named executive director of the Peoria Historical Society last year.

“We’re keeping our heritage alive. It’s an amazing thing to do,” said Johnson, a transplanted southerner who grew up in Wilmington, N.C.

While she’s always had an interest in history, Johnson’s bachelor’s degree is in education and psychology, and she worked for many years in various management roles in the health care field.

“I grew up around history, but I started to get more interested in it when I moved to Charleston, S.C., at 23 and started volunteering with the historic house tours there,” Johnson said. “Then when I moved to Peoria almost six years ago, I lived in a historic house and got really interested in the history of Peoria.”

Johnson’s husband, George, a pediatric infectious diseases physician, brought the family here to work for OSF Children’s Hospital. He retired recently, but the couple plan to stay in Peoria.

Shortly after moving here, Johnson began volunteering with the Historical Society, among other groups, and even allowed their house on Moss Avenue to be part of the society’s annual holiday home tour.

“When I found out the Historical Society was looking for (an executive director), I jumped on it so fast just like it was made for me,” Johnson said, laughing at the memory. She was appointed to the position in May 2017.

“I’ve reinvented myself several times, but I’ve always worked with fundraising and have always done a lot of volunteer work and community work,” she added.

Johnson’s interest in history started at a young age when her parents, native New Englanders, found themselves raising southern children in North Carolina.

Located at 942 NE Glen Oak Ave., the Flanagan House is open for tours from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month and by appointment. (Photo courtesy of the Peoria Historical Society)

“They kept us fair and balanced. We got the north and south history and always visited museums and historic places on family vacations,” Johnson said. Her mother taught nursing at the college level and her father was an executive with General Electric.

Johnson oversees a staff of three part-time employees and hundreds of volunteers at the Historical Society.

“I think one of the opportunities you have by volunteering in the community is you get to see all the good things that are happening,” she said. “There are some great stories in Peoria. So when we worry about the changes in the economy, we stay pretty steady here and we have a lot to celebrate.”

While many communities across the country may not appreciate their history, Johnson said she thinks most Peorians value the River City’s past and seem to have a love for Peoria.

“Our history tours, which go from June through October two days a week, have been selling out this year almost every single tour,” she said. The society also offers monthly tours at two historic houses it owns—the Flanagan House on Glen Oak Avenue and the Pettengill-Morron House on Moss Avenue.

Among the highlights of her first year as executive director, Johnson lists the annual Henri de Tonti awards celebration and fundraising dinner, which was held Sept. 6 this year. Henri de Tonti was an explorer who helped settle Peoria as a French fur trading outpost in 1691.

“To be a part of that for the last two years and to honor an outstanding community leader at the celebration has been really inspirational for me,” Johnson said. “This year we honored Art and Judy Oakford, and the funny part about that is I live in the Oakfords’ house. We bought the house she grew up in and then they raised their family in it. They are two of the biggest volunteers in this community. They give philanthropically in outrageous ways.”

Art Oakford rappelled 20 stories down the side of a bank building last year just short of his 86th birthday in a fundraiser for the nonprofit Friendship House, which provides advocacy, coaching, education and support to those in need.

Johnson said she enjoys planning the de Tonti event, though she acknowledged that fundraising is also one of the challenges of her job. The Historical Society is funded through donations, membership fees and grants.

Collaborating with other organizations in the community that share the society’s passion for history is another highlight, Johnson said. The society has collaborated with Springdale Cemetery, the Peoria Riverfront Museum, Caterpillar Inc., the Peoria Public Library and Bradley University, among others.

With more than 60,000 artifacts in its collection, space is an ongoing challenge. The primary collection of images, books, manuscripts and maps is housed at Bradley University’s Cullom-Davis Library. “We’d love to figure out ways to find space for the community to be able to see more of what we have,” she said.

One of her favorite artifacts—a satin banner that depicts Abraham Lincoln during his run for office—will soon find a permanent home in Bradley University’s history department. Caterpillar, which displayed the banner at its Visitors Center earlier this year, paid to have it cleaned and to have a case built.

“The banner was hand-painted by the women of Peoria and carried by the Wide Awakes, who were a youth abolitionist group,” Johnson said.

Among Johnson’s goals is to continue to increase membership so the society can do more programs for the community. The society currently has about 600 members. Membership levels range from $35 for individuals to $250 or more for corporations.

“We offer free programs at assisted living and nursing homes, and we’re looking to go into the public school system to share stories,” Johnson said. “Those are just a few of the services we offer as a way to educate the community and provide entertainment and share our mission.”

For more information about the society or how to become a member, visit www.peoriahistoricalsociety.com.