Looking for Lincoln Recieves Award from the AASLH
September 15, 2025
The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition is proud to be the recipient of the Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) for our traveling exhibit, ‘Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad.’
‘Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad,’ tells the courageous stories of freedom seekers, and the multi-racial conductors who assisted them through Illinois’ underground railroad to escape slavery by traveling north. It teaches about the network of people, who often at great risk to themselves, collaborated to assist those searching for freedom and dignity.
The exhibit is accompanied by educational materials for classrooms, first-person interpretive videos, information about some of the highlighted individuals, and special programming for those hosting the exhibition.
The Award of Excellence is presented to recognize excellence for projects including civic engagement, special projects, educational programs, exhibits, and/or publications. This is the main award in the Leadership in History Awards program.
For eighty years, AASLH has presented Leadership in History Awards to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all people.
Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition CEO Sarah Watson states: “We are proud and pleased that our exhibit has been recognized at this national level. Looking for Lincoln has worked tirelessly to tell the unique stories about the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. This story is something we feel can bring to life the unique history of Lincoln in our state and nation, especially during our country’s 200th Anniversary in 2026.”
Learn more about the AASLH at:
https://aaslh.org/aaslh-2025-leadership-in-history-award-winners/