Museum of the Grand Prairie (formerly Early American Museum), Mahomet, Illinois, a unit of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, in Mahomet, Illinois Doris K. Wylie Hoskins Archive for Cultural Diversity Finding Aid (includes Scope and Content Note) for visitor use Compiled by interns Rebecca Vaughn and Katherine Hicks Call to schedule an appointment to visit the Doris Hoskins Archive (217-586-2612) Museum website: http://www.museumofthegrandprairie.org/index.html Scope and Content Note Biographical Note Mrs. Doris Baker (Wylie) Hoskins, was born October 18, 1911 in Champaign, Illinois, and passed away in September, 2004, in Champaign, Illinois. She served for many years with the Committee on African American History in Champaign County of the former Early American Museum (now Museum of the Grand Prairie), serving as the group's archivist. She was also active in the Champaign County Section of the National Council of Negro Women. Her collection of historical material was transferred to Cheryl Kennedy upon her passing. The Hoskins Archive is now made publicly accessible by the staff of the Museum of the Grand Prairie, Champaign County Forest Preserve District, and inquiries should be made to Cheryl Kennedy, Museum Director, [email protected] (cited in eBlackCU.net Doris K. Wylie Hoskins Archive description). Hoskins Archive Summary The Doris K. Wylie Hoskins Archive for Cultural Diversity contains a wide body of materials featuring African American history in Champaign County and East Central Illinois. The date range for the archives contents extends from 1861 to 2010. The ―bulk dates‖ or dates that the majority of the file contents fall under, range from 1930 to 2000. The collection consists of several different types of materials including scrapbooks and loose photographs (originals, reprints, and photocopies) of prominent African American individuals, families, and organizations. Additional materials include newspaper clippings, pamphlets, handwritten notes, published and unpublished works, and oral history tapes and transcripts with information pertaining to area churches, health centers, musicians and bands, African American-owned businesses, and historic events. The archives consists of fifteen drawers and one oversized file (titled Top of Drawer 1 Oversize Files) that have been arranged alphabetically according to the following subjects: Biographies (Men and Women), Black History, Education and Sports, Entertainment, Healthcare and Housing, Military, Oral History Materials and Multimedia, Organizations and Community Centers, Religious Institutions, Scrapbooks, Oversize Files, and Top of Drawer 1 Oversize Files. The drawer summaries (listed below) note files containing material on key subjects, people, places, organizations, and events. The controlled vocabulary list (see below) provides definitions for the different types of materials featured in the archives. Physical Size of the Hoskins Archive The Doris Hoskins Archive is housed in fifteen drawers and one oversized above-drawer file. Measured in square footage, the archives comprises of approximately six feet (length) by five feet (width/depth) by five feet (height). Container List of Drawer Subjects (series) Drawer 1: Biographies (Men) Drawer 2: Biographies (Women) Drawer 3: Black History Revised 8/6/2011 RV Page 1 of 106 Museum of the Grand Prairie (formerly Early American Museum), Mahomet, Illinois, a unit of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, in Mahomet, Illinois Doris K. Wylie Hoskins Archive for Cultural Diversity Finding Aid (includes Scope and Content Note) for visitor use Compiled by interns Rebecca Vaughn and Katherine Hicks Call to schedule an appointment to visit the Doris Hoskins Archive (217-586-2612) Museum website: http://www.museumofthegrandprairie.org/index.html Drawer 4: Education and Sports Drawer 5: Entertainment and Events Drawer 6: Healthcare and Housing Drawer 7: Military Drawer 8: Oral History Materials and Multimedia Drawer 9: Organizations and Community Centers Drawer 10: Religious Institutions Drawer 11: Scrapbooks Drawer 12: Oversize Files Drawer 13: Tapes Drawer 14: Tapes Drawer 15: Miscellaneous Top of Drawer 1 Oversize Files Drawer Summaries Drawer 1 summary: Biographies (Men) Drawer 1 consists of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, administrative records, typed written notes, unpublished works (biographies), oral history materials, and correspondences. The files contain biographical information about African American men in Champaign County collected by Doris Hoskins in preparation for the This Legacy is Yours Too exhibit at the Early American Museum in Mahomet, Illinois. Files of special note include the Jonas Taylor and Jess Ward file containing Ward family history as former slaves and Jesse Ward‘s experience in the Cairo flood of 1882 as well as the John M. Smith file containing an oral history transcript on the horse showman, John Smith, and the Announcements files with newspaper clippings featuring announcements for weddings, retirements, anniversaries, and funeral services (including obituaries). Other files of note include the Lee Family file consisting of articles on Albert R. Lee‘s service at the University of Illinois president‘s office, the Nelson family file, and Biographies of Brushy Fork African American Community file with materials on the first black settlers of Champaign and Douglass Counties. Additional key individuals highlighted in drawer 1 include jazz musician Raymond Scott, Taylor Thomas (U of I faculty), and James Wilson as the first African American Track coach. *Note: biographies of men featured in the This Legacy is Yours Too exhibit are listed on the Museum of the Grand Prairie webpage. Drawer 2 Summary: Biographies (Women) Drawer 2 consists of newspaper clippings, photographs, unpublished works (biographies), correspondences, oral history materials, and family papers documenting the histories of African American women who have lived in Champaign County. Doris Hoskins collected the biographies and other materials in preparation for the 1999 This Legacy is Yours exhibit at the Early American Museum (now Museum of the Grand Prairie) in Mahomet, Illinois. Some of the highlights include biographies of early African American settlers in Champaign as well as Revised 8/6/2011 RV Page 2 of 106 Museum of the Grand Prairie (formerly Early American Museum), Mahomet, Illinois, a unit of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, in Mahomet, Illinois Doris K. Wylie Hoskins Archive for Cultural Diversity Finding Aid (includes Scope and Content Note) for visitor use Compiled by interns Rebecca Vaughn and Katherine Hicks Call to schedule an appointment to visit the Doris Hoskins Archive (217-586-2612) Museum website: http://www.museumofthegrandprairie.org/index.html urban renewal and public housing history, and the involvement of area women in Civil Rights events (such as protests against segregated housing and anti job discrimination rallies). Other subjects include African American students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the establishment of community and church organizations such as the Douglass Center as well as Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and Salem Baptist Church organizations. A few selected files of note include the Mary Alexander file discussing her involvement in the Champaign-Urbana Civil Rights Coordinating Committee opposition to public housing and Urban League of Women voters, J.C. Penny Co. Store boycott, the Hattie Marion file discussing Hattie Marion‘s memories of her mother‘s quilts, and the Mildred (Smith) Jones file containing an autobiography that discusses race relations in 1929 in Mound City (Southern Illinois). *Note: biographies of women featured in the This Legacy is Yours exhibit are listed on the Museum of the Grand Prairie webpage. Drawer 3 summary: Black History Drawer 3 consists of newspaper clippings, unpublished works (theses), photographs, oral history materials, pamphlets, publications, and handwritten notes. The drawer contains histories of early black settlers, black- owned businesses, Civil Rights issues, community events, and academic writings on local African American issues. Files of note include the Black Settlers of Champaign County file with newspaper clippings and typewritten notes discussing the quality of life for early settlers and the Through the Years file with Through the Years: Black History in Champaign County newsletters for spring and winter, 1995-2001. Additional highlights include a 1976 copy of the publication Ground Level (a locally produced magazine), and a number of theses (copies) written by University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign students including Prenatal Care Among Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Negro Mothers; The African- American Quilt Experience as Cultural Regionalism; and History and Organization of the Negro Community in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Drawer 4 summary: Education and Sports Drawer 4 contains newspaper clippings, correspondences, handwritten notes, and, pamphlets with historical information on area schools as well as sports teams associated with high schools and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Topics of special note include the Negro League (baseball team), the Champaign Eagles; and Illinois‘ First African-American Male Athletes to play with the Fighting Illini. Drawer 5 summary: Entertainment Drawer 5 contains scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, pamphlets, and typewritten notes addressing African American artists, musicians,