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Greg Koos
Independent scholar, Illinois State Historical Society (Treasurer)
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Greg Koos
Independent scholar, Illinois State Historical Society (Treasurer)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
BIO
Greg Koos is the Executive Director Emeritus of the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, Illinois. He led this AAM accredited museum form 1988 to 2016. He is the author of “’Along the Great Throughfares’: Irish Rural Settlement in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1830–1860” in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, 117 No. 4 Winter 2024 and “The Greening of the Prairie: Irish Settlement and Farming in the Illinois Corn Belt” in New Hibernia Review 27:3 Fall 2023. He was recognized for his work in Illinois History by the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Illinois State Historical Society in 2023.
EXTENDED PROFILE
Greg Koos is the Executive Director Emeritus of the McLean County Museum of History. He served that museum from 1977 to 2016. Koos led the 1989-1992 project to convert the magnificent Old McLean County Courthouse into a museum. This project won the American Association of State and Local History’s highest award in 1992. Koos worked with the board and a staff of 14 to develop and sustain this nationally accredited museum which serves over 40,000 people a year. From 2013-2016 he led a $5,200,000 capital campaign for renewal of museum operations, which included a significant enhancement of digital capacities, five new core exhibits and a larger endowment.
His published works include studies Irish immigration into the Midwest, which have appeared in New Hibernia and the Journal of the Illinois Sate Historical Society; studies on the material culture of American building; articles on museum and community relations; and numerous works on McLean County. His most recent published book is Freedom, Land and Community: A History of McLean County Illinois 1730-1900. His book Greening of the Prairie: Irish Farm Settlement in the Corn Belt is being published by the University of Illinois Press.
RESEARCH
- “The Greening of the Prairie: Irish settlement and Farming in the Illinois Corn Belt” New Hibernia Review 27:3 Fall 2023
- “A Cargo of Irish Girls”: Assisted Immigration of Domestic Servants into the Midwest, 1850–1860, New Hibernia Review 26:4 | Winter 2022
- “’Whiskey vs. Lager Beer—Bejabers’: The Irish, the Bête Noire of Lincoln’s Republican Party” New Hibernia Review: Spring 2022
- “Writing a 19th century local history in the 21st century” Illinois Heritage Vol 25 No. 1, January-February 2022
- Freedom, Land & Community: A History of McLean County Illinois 1730-1900 McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington, Illinois 2021
- “The Irish hedge schoolmaster in the American backcountry” in Irish classrooms and British Empire: Imperial contexts in the origins of modern education Four Courts Press, Dublin, Ireland, 2012
- “Labor and Museum Partnerships: Joining Together to Reclaim the Past” History News, August 2003 , with Mike Matejka
- “Museum and Labor Partnerships in McLean County, Illinois” Labor’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2001, with Mike Matejka
- ”Irish Hedge School Masters in the American Backcountry 1790 to 1850″ New Hibernia Review, Summer 2001
- Why Museums Do What They Do” www.turkotek,com, March 2001
- Editor, Irish Immigrant in McLean County, Illinois, McLean County Historical Society, Bloomington, 2000
- ”Views of Towanda: The Material Culture of a Central Illinois Tank Town” Material Culture Vol 31., No. 3, Fall 1999
- The Old McLean County Courthouse McLean County Historical Society, Bloomington, 1997
- “Representing Diversity In Museum Collections” Illinois Association of Museums Technical Publication, October 1995, with Marsha Young
- “Bloomington’s White’s Place” Historic Illinois, Vol. 16, No. 5 Fall 1994
- “Peter C. Duff: Craft as Biography,” Material Culture, Vol. 25, No. 3, Fall 1993, with Marsha Young
- History You Can See McLean County Historical Society, Bloomington, 1990.
- “Lumber and Millwork: Builders Supplies in pre-1880 Bloomington, Illinois,” Pioneer America Society Transactions, Vol. XI, 1988, pp. 44-53.
- Bloomington’s C & A Shops: Our Lives Remembered McLean County Historical Society, Bloomington, Illinois,1987 (with Michael Matejka). Distributed by University of Illinois Press.
- Researching Your Illinois House 1820-1920, Illinois Preservation Series #7, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Springfield, Illinois 1986.
- “Eliel Barber House and American Vertical Plank Wall Construction, Pioneer America Society Transactions, Vol. IX, 1986, pp. 71-77, with William Walters.
- Editor, The Commissioner, Newsletter of Illinois Association of Historic Preservation Commissions, 1985-1987.
- Review of American Log Buildings, an Old World Heritage by Terry Jordan, University of North Carolina Press, Bulletin, Vol. XVIII, No. 3, 1986, pp. 71-73, Association of Preservation Technology, Ottawa, Canada.
- “Arson, Accidents, and Architecture”, Historic Illinois, June 1985 with William Walters.
- Editor, This Awkward Mud, An Anthology from the Poets of Illinois, Read Illinois, Springfield IL, 1984.
- Matthew T. Scott, “Prairie Capitalist”, Historic Illinois, Vol. 6, No. 4, December 1983.
- The Illustrated History of McLean County, McLean County Historical Society, Bloomington, Illinois, 1982, 392 pages. Awarded Certificate of Commendation, American Association for State and Local History, 1983. (Book’s net profit $71,000).
PROJECTS AND EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM/HISTORIC SITE DEVELOPMENT
Adlai Stevenson II Boyhood Home (1906) 1997 – 2009: Developed and implemented phased preservation plan for 1906 English Arts and Crafts Style frame house. Plan includes retention of original furnishings and restoration of wall finishes first floor and sensitive conversion of contemporary residential quarters on second floor. Directed craftspeople and consultants. Project cost $75,000. Oversaw state-funded planning project ($105,000) for possible museum conversion. Conversion cost estimated at $850,000. Developed construction plan for utilization of $184,000 legislative earmark grant. Project shut down due to lack of resources.
McLean County Museum of History (1903) 1988- 2016: Developed historic building re-utilization strategy, including preservation plan, developed and directed long-term exhibit project Encounter on the Prairie, retained consultants, functioned as owner’s agent to architect and contractor concerning building rehabilitation issues. Total project cost $1,900,000. Project won Award of Merit from American Association for State and Local History in 1993. Project member of team that oversaw restoration of dome and drum of facility. This project won Landmarks Illinois’ Richard H. Dreihaus Award in 2005.
John Patton Cabin (1824) 1984-85: Primary activity involved structural renovation. Wrote specifications and researched structural history. Provided on-site supervision of contractors. Reviewed furnishings plan. Project cost $17,000.
Matthew T. Scott House (1863) 1982-83: As Project Director and owner’s agent, wrote specifications, inspected all work, prepared historic preservation certification application for project, approved and processed all billings. Consulted on furnishings plan and interpretive plan. Project cost $150,000.
Miller/Davis Building (1844) 1979-1981: As Project Director for the McLean County Historical Society, supervised the day-to-day restoration activity and acted as liaison between the Society and the contractor, City and State officials, conducted the structural research in association with the architect, integrated the archeological evidence with structural analysis and prepared much of the completion report. Developed interpretive exhibits and furnishing plan in collaboration with curator. Miller/Davis restoration won the American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit in 1981. Project cost $320,000.
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NOMINATIONS
- East Grove Street Historic District, Bloomington IL. (with William Walters), 1987
- John Patton Log Cabin, Lexington, IL., 1986
- Bloomington Central Business District, Bloomington, IL. (with William Walters), 1985
- Benjaminville Meeting House and Burial Grounds, Holder IL. (with William Walters), 1983
- Holy Trinity Church Rectory and Convent, Bloomington IL., 1983
EXHIBIT CURATOR
- The Greening of McLean County: Irish Immigration and Settlement McLean County Museum of History March 2012 to August 2013.
- Adlai Stevenson: A Voice of Liberal Democracy, projected traveling exhibit, design completed 2007
- Just Corn: The “Amaizing” Story McLean County Museum of History, November 1997 to August 1999. Budget $75,000. Project won Award of Merit, American Association for State and Local History, 1999
- Encounter on The Prairie, McLean County Museum of History, Lead curator, March 1992, Long term exhibit, budget $620,000
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