Brown Bag Lunch, “Eras of Corn: History of Cornsilk Magazine”

Discover the evolution of Cornsilk, DeKalb County’s only local history magazine, at the next Brown Bag Lunch program featuring editor Jessi Haish LaRue.

LaRue will share the history of this unique quarterly magazine, which shares rich stories of DeKalb County’s history. All stories are written by local historians and museum representatives. LaRue has served as the Cornsilk editor since 2022 and is also the executive director of the JF Glidden Homestead & Historical Center in DeKalb. She will discuss interesting headlines, unique covers, and stories of the magazine’s previous editors from its 50-year history.

Cornsilk originally debuted as a newsletter for The Genealogical Society of DeKalb County, Illinois, before the group merged with the local historical society in 1990 and became the DeKalb County Historical-Genealogical Society.

The magazine evolved over the years from a black-and-white newsletter, then to a yellow paper cover. In the 2000s, it became a quarterly glossy magazine and is still published in that format today. In 2022, the DeKalb County Historical-Genealogical Society organization dissolved, and the DeKalb County History Center took ownership of the magazine, now offering a digital edition in addition to the print. Not only do local residents see this as an important way to discover local history, Cornsilk received an Award of Excellence from the Illinois Association of Museums in 2024.

The November 6 Brown Bag lunch will be at the DeKalb County History Center, 1730 N. Main Street. This monthly program is hosted in partnership with the Ellwood House and sponsored by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture fund. For more information about the event and the Cornsilk magazine visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762. To learn more and to subscribe to the magazine, visit DeKalbCountyHistory.org