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To view slides, visit:

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benostermeier.com/globaldh2020/

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Madison County, Illinois

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1873 Illustrated Encyclopedia and Atlas Map of Madison County

Portraits of some of the book’s patrons

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Madison Historical

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Madison Historical Team

Graduate Research

Assistants

Nichol Allen

Brendon Floyd

Jessica Mills

Shannan Mason

Kendyl Schmidt

James Parrill

Lesley Thomson

Kelli West

Undergraduate Research

Assistants

Jake Elmer

Jacob Engel

Madeline Halstead

Austin Johnson

Chase Langendorf

Mike Limmer

Angela Little

Lillian Stevens

Abbie Schaefer

Elizabeth Silva

Editors

Stephen Hansen

Jeff Manuel

Robert Paulett

Jason Stacy

Tech Developer

Ben Ostermeier

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Encyclopedia Articles (58 Total)

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Artifacts (1483 Total)

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Oral Histories

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We have had the most success highlighting previously-overlooked narratives through oral histories conducted by project team members. By working with community organizations and meeting people at public events, we have interviewed nearly 60 individuals of various backgrounds who have spoken to many topics often ignored in traditional local histories. One man described how a local restaurant put glass in his chili after they were forced to serve African Americans. Another told how his mother survived the Armenian genoicide and her immigration to Madison County. One woman talked about how her father maintained his Italian heritage after immigrating to Madison County to work as a coal miner. Not only do oral histories provide insight into often ignored narratives, they are more naturally aligned with how most members of the community experience local history: through personal conversation about the way things were. Community members are usually more interested in talking about their life for an hour than researching and writing an encyclopedia article. By participating in an oral history, interview subjects become the creators of history, not just consumers.

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Best Practices for Oral Histories

Be mindful of power differences between interviewer and interviewee
Communicate clearly about all stages of the oral history process
Obtain continuous consent

For more, see the Oral History Association’s 2018 Principles and Best Practices at https://www.oralhistory.org/principles-and-best-practices-revised-2018/

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Though it is tempting to haphazardly collect oral histories to expose injustice, it is important to recognize the individuals and communities behind the interviews and to guard against possible harm that can come from the interview process. Academic interviewers should be aware of the inherent power differences between themselves and interviewees from a vulnerable community, as interviews can touch upon upsetting topics. Interviewees may be uncomfortable having their interview online and open to public scrutiny. As a result, we make sure to be transparent about the purpose of the interview, where it will be available online, and what the final interview product will look like. We also recognize that consent is a continuous process, especially in digital environments. We therefore give the interviewer an opportunity to review the interview’s audio and transcript before we post them, and they have the right to request their interview be taken offline at any time for any reason.

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In-Person Engagement

Grad students Kendyl Schmidt and Brendon Floyd at a class visit at Civic Memorial High School in Bethalto, Illinois, April 2019

Undergrad Lillian Stevens photographs a student artifact at Liberty Middle School in Edwardsville, Illinois, February 2020

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However, oral histories alone do not create a fully inclusive history. While online oral histories may make certain overlooked topics more present, they do not generate intergroup dialog on their own. The inherent structure of Madison Historical’s digital archive means that each oral history, like each document and photograph, is treated as a discrete entity without relation to each other. Due to this limitation, broader, intersectional narratives about immigration, social class, and racism in the county remain elusive. It has become increasingly clear that our project cannot reveal these narratives solely through online interaction. Our most successful community outreach has been visits to area classrooms, where the project team introduces students to the website. The students then digitize family artifacts or record an oral history to be included in the archive. In the future, we hope to plan public events based on our success with these class visits, particularly focused on communities currently underrepresented on the site. In addition to scanning community artifacts, we will also play some of the oral histories with the interviewee’s permission, and encourage attendees to share their thoughts afterwards. From that dialogue and further articles, artifacts, and oral histories, we hope to reveal a more inclusive history that can be shared in-person and online.

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Sources

DeSpain, Jessica, “Community-Engaged Pedagogy, the Digital Third-Space, and Care Ethics.” Forthcoming article in Feminist Digital Humanities, edited by Lisa M. Rhody and Susan Schreibman.

“Local News.” Edwardsville Intelligencer, October 27, 1875, page 4.

McPherson, Tara, “Why Are the Digital Humanities So White? or Thinking the Histories of Race and Computation.” In Debates in the Digital Humanities, edited by Matthew K. Gold. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012.

Oral History Association. “OHA Principles and Best Practices.” Adopted October, 2018. https://www.oralhistory.org/principles-and-best-practices-revised-2018/.

Spahn, Betty and Raymond Spahn, "Wesley Raymond Brink, History Huckster." Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 58, no. 2 (1965): 118-121.

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