The Illinois State Historical Society Officers

President: Rand Burnette, Jacksonville
President Pro Tem: David Scott, Springfield
Treasurer: John Howard, Mount Vernon

Directors

Terms Expire in 2002
Marvin W. Ehlers, Deerfleld
Arthur Mead Martin, Chicago
Craig L. Pfannkuche, Wonder Lake
Shirley J. Portwood, Godfrey

Terms Expire in 2003

Michael C. Batinski, Carbondale
Janet D. Cornelius, Penfield
Mary "Happy" Dean, Peoria
Francis Even, River Forest
Warren D. Winston, Pittsfield

Terms Expire in 2004
Norman C. Berger, Chicago
Timothy Draper, Sugar Grove
Mark Sorensen, Decatur
Patricia J. Walton, Hanover
Park John Week, Sycamore

Staff
Tom Teague, Executive Director
William Furry, Assistant Director
Sallie Brittin, Membership Secretary

Irving Dilliard, Collinsville
Alexander Summers, San Diego, CA
Doris P. Leonard, Princeton
Robert M. Sutton, Urbana
Gunnar Benson, Sterling
Donald F. Tingley, Savoy
Victor Hicken, Macomb
Katie Fiene Birchler, Chester
Samuel Lilly, Downers Grove
David J. Maurer, Charleston
Wilma Lund, Springfield
Patricia Wallace-Christian, Durham, CT
Mark A. Plummer, Normal
John T Trutter, Northfield
E. Duane Libert, Lerna
Raymond E. Hauser, St. Charles
Patricia Grimmer, Carbondale
John Power, Jacksonville
Robert J. Klaus, Chicago Michael J. McNerney, Carbondale Robert McColley, Urbana Barbara M. Posadas, DeKalb

A Publication of The Illinois State Historical Society
May-June, 2002__________________________Volume 5 Number 3

3       To our readers 4       Letters 4       News 18     History On-line 20       Prairie folklore: "The Death of Charlie Birger" 19       In Memoriam 22       The ghosts of Joliet

6       The Regulators and the: Prairie Bandits: Vigilante Justice in the Rock River Valley 10       Generations: Winners of the High School Writing Competition 12       Centennial Awards: 100 Years and Growing 15       Brothers Notorious 16       That Mariah Vance Book has no place in My Library, and Shouldn't Be in Yours