Family stories passed down from one generation to the next is an important part of our family history. Recording these are important to genealogists.

The Peoria County Genealogical Society invites you to participate in the PCGS Oral History Collection. The purpose of this ongoing project is to collect, preserve, and make available to the public, personal, accurate stories or recollections from Society members.

PCGS Oral History Collection will be made available to the public in three places: the Peoria Public Library, Lower Level 1, Local History/Genealogy, the PCGS Prairie Roots magazine, and the PCGS website (index only).

Please consider contributing a family story to the Oral History Collection.  Photographs are welcome if they relate to the story.

PCGS Oral History Coordinators have a list of phrases to trigger a memory: push lawn mower, chalk board, kerosene lamps, tea pot, lard, pocket watch, Scouts, making butter, piggy bank, drive in theatre, circus, hair styles, outhouse, liquor, cast iron skillet, washboard, cloth diapers, funeral customs, mail delivery, and they have many more!

To participate, please write a true story, from one paragraph to one page in length. Submission must include your name, address, phone number, and email address. Your name will be included with your story when published, but your contact information will never be shared without your permission.

Photographs may be included if they relate to the story. Please do not include pictures of living children. Your photograph submission should include as much information about the photo as possible: names, location, event, approximate date, photographer.

Submission can be made to Oral History Project coordinators at: (pcgsoralhistory@gmail.com)
or mail your oral history to: