2026 Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series

The Brown Bag Lecture Series is back for 2026!

The series will kick off on Thursday, February 5 at noon at the Ellwood House Museum. Our guest lecturer, Bill Nicklas, City Manager for the City of DeKalb and historian, will speak on his essay centering the question "what are we celebrating?"

This program will be held at the DeKalb County History Center, 1730 North Main Street, Sycamore, IL

The second Brown Bag Lunch program for 2026 will offer a free presentation on Dr. Letitia Westgate, the first woman doctor, surgeon, chemist, and architect to design, build, and manage a hospital in the United States.

Denise Moran, author of Dr. Letitia Westgate: Medical Pioneer, will present information and vintage photographs of the physician who opened Sycamore Hospital at the corner of Somonauk and Elm Streets on May 1, 1900. The building, which now houses the DNA Holistic Center, is a contributing structure within the Sycamore Historic District that was established when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during the lecture. She was the first woman doctor in Sycamore and later became the first woman chemist for the city’s health department in Aurora, Illinois.

This lecture will be held at the Ellwood House Museum Visitor Center.

As part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series, Al Roloff of the DeKalb County Forest Preservation District will share the story of the William (Bill) Miller family, detailing the construction of their cabin and the experiences it has undergone over nearly two centuries. Attendees will have the chance to view tools and artifacts from the cabin, highlighting the skills involved in its creation.

This program will be held at the DeKalb County History Center, 1730 North Main Street, Sycamore, IL

Commemorating the nation’s semi-quincentennial, “We the People of DeKalb County” explores how the local community has engaged with the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. The exhibit reflects on the Declaration’s proclamation of equality and unalienable rights, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” and the Constitution’s enduring call to civic participation and the pursuit of “a more perfect Union.”

Visitors will encounter stories of changemakers from across DeKalb County, past and present, young and old, whose contributions have helped shape the community. The exhibit emphasizes that success is measured not only by personal achievement, but also by creating opportunities for others to thrive.

The lecture will feature information about a small sample of individuals included in the exhibit along with some images of the objects that will be on display, as well as a discussion about the related hands-on activities for children and public programming throughout the year.

The full exhibit will officially open on May 30 at the History Center, with companion displays featured at locations throughout DeKalb County.

This lecture will take place at the Ellwood House Museum Visitor Center.

Within this presentation, Nancy Leone will discuss her work as the Carpenter Fellow in Asian Collections at the Ellwood House Museum. Within this lecture, she will discuss the processes of inventorying, cataloging, and preserving Asian art objects, as well as the research involved in understanding their historical context and provenance. Nancy will also highlight her role in developing an upcoming exhibition, showing how collections work translates into public interpretation and display.

Nancy Leone is currently the Carpenter Fellow of Asian Art at the Ellwood House Museum. She received her Bachelor's degree in Asian Studies from Lake Forest College and then went on to obtain a Master's degree in Chinese Studies and second Master's degree in History of Art and Archeology of East Asia, with a concentration in Ceramics, both from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Her expertise is mainly in Asian Art, collection management, and exhibition development.

This lecture will be held at the DeKalb County History Center in their new corn crib stage

“Abraham Lincoln in Song” is a one man show created by award-winning folksinger and folklorist, Chris Vallillo to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and connects to the 250th Anniversary of the United States. Extensively researched and historically accurate, the program uses period music to look at our 16th President from a whole new angle.

The show covers Lincoln’s life from his birth on the Big South Fork of Nolan’s Creek in Kentucky in 1809 through his death in 1865 at the hand of John Wilkes Booth.

Vallillo himself is a performer with an affinity for American roots music and a gift for translating historic topics into modern day understanding. A former archaeologist turned folksinger/
songwriter, he is a skilled multi-instrumentalist whose love of the past evolved into a love for historic music. He is the Illinois State Scholar for the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit on Roots Music New Harmonies.

Abraham Lincoln in Song has been performed at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Abraham Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Gettysburg Battlefield National Museum, President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington DC and theaters and historic sites around the country to celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.

This event will be held the DeKalb County History Center in their new corn crib stage, bring a chair or blanket to enjoy!

This event is made possible in part by the Illinois Arts Council and Farny Wurlitzer Foundation.

Description to be updated closer to lecture date.

Description to be updated closer to lecture date.

Description to be updated closer to lecture date.

Description to be updated closer to lecture date.