The 83rd Illinois, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and the Unique Historical Connections of the Civil War in Western Illinois
2025-11-09 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Dr. Eugene Watkins will present from 1-2 pm and then from 2-4 pm there will be a public open house. $5 admission per person. Those who attend the presentation do not need to pay for the open house. For this special, one-day event, a number of Civil War artifacts will be on display in our History Room, on loan from the Macon County History Museum!

ABOUT DR. WATKINS
Dr. Watkins holds a PhD in United States history, focusing on the Early Republic, from the University of Toledo, a MA in Civil War and Reconstruction from the University of Richmond and a BA in United States History from Millikin University. He worked for the Ohio Historical Society at its Fort Meigs site for about five years and then became director of Old Fort Madison in Fort Madison, IA, where he worked for about fifteen years. Dr. Watkins has been the Pattee Executive Director of the Warren County History Museum in Monmouth, IL for the past two years.

The 83rd Illinois, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and the Unique Historical Connections of the Civil War in Western Illinois.

Dr. Watkins’ lecture will use the experiences of the 83rd Illinois, an infantry regiment recruited heavily from Warren County, as a window to highlight unique people and events in the Civil War associated with Illinois, that many times go unnoticed in the larger picture of that great conflict’s story.

Cookies and Carols at the Homestead / Christmas Open House
2025-12-14 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Come see the Homestead all dressed up for Christmas, in the evening when the lights glow! Join in singing Christmas carols with the Memory Keepers Chorus, all while you enjoy some cookies, all for Free! (Donations always accepted!)

Christmas Open House
2025-12-21 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | IL
Come see the Homestead all dressed up for Christmas at our Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 21st from 1-3 PM! This a free event with free refreshments! If we get bad weather within a few days of the event, be sure to check our Facebook page for any udpates or possible cancellation. We hope to see you!

February Fine Arts & Open House
2026-02-22 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
*Fine Arts will be from 1-3 pm ($10 Admission) Then a Public Open House will follow from 3-5 pm ($5 Admission for Ages 12+, Under 12 are Free) Also, if you pay the $10 admission for the Fine Arts portion, your open house is FREE.

About our Featured Poet, Debbi Brody
Debbi Brody conducts poetry workshops and readings throughout the USA to writers age five through ninety-five. She publishes frequently in regional and national and international literary journals and anthologies. Her first collection, “Portraits in Poetry,” (Village Books Press, Oklahoma, 2006), as well as her chapbook,”FreeForm” are out of print. Her recent chapbooks, “Awe in the Muddle”, “Walking the Arroyo” and her 2015 collection “In Everything Birds,” which won a Margaret Randall Book Prize for Poetry (Village Books Press, Oklahoma, 2015) are available through artqueen58@aol.com.

About our Featured Musicians, The Millikin Flute Trio

Erica Edwards is from Taylorville, Illinois. She is an Instrumental Music Education and Flute Performance major, and is also pursuing a Conducting Certificate. Erica is involved in the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra, the Millikin Symphonic WindEnsemble, Millikin Eidolan Ensemble, and the Millikin Flute Choir. She also works as the social media chair for the Millikin Symphonic Wind Ensemble and as an instructor for flute and piano through the Millikin Community Arts Academy. After her time at Millikin, Eric is going to graduate school for Flute Performance. She then plans on finding a teaching job in the Chicago area while maintaining a steady flow of auditions.

Ashlee Marin is a sophomore at Millikin University studying Music Education and Special Education. She is Vice President of the Flute Society, a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, a member of Dissonance Acapella, a member of the Millikin Symphonic Winds Ensemble, and a member of Millikin’s Flute Ensemble. Ashlee is a first-generation student of immigrants who came from Mexico, and music has been a big part of her culture and life. She is the oldest of 7 siblings, with the oldest of her younger brothers having autism. She has learned to love everything about music andstudents, especially special education. Ashlee’s dream is to have a small band comprising special education students.

Matilda Newport, from Sheboygan Wisconsin, is currently a freshman instrumental performance major at Millikin University. She has been playing the flute for about eight years, and is currently performing in Millikin’s symphonic wind and flute ensembles. As a performance major, she hopes to have a future focused on performing in symphonies and pit orchestras

March Fine Arts & Open House
2026-03-29 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
*Fine Arts will be from 1-3 pm ($10 Admission) Then a Public Open House will follow from 3-5 pm ($5 Admission for Ages 12+, Under 12 are Free) Also, if you pay the $10 admission for the Fine Arts portion, your open house is FREE.

About our Featured poet, Randy Stewart II
Randy fell in love with poetry at an early age thanks to finding a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends at a garage sale in the early 90s. He has been hooked ever since. His writing takes many forms, some of which are on display in his 2013 self-published compilation, “The View Through: Poetry and Works.”
Currently he is working on his second book of poetry called New Prescription, coming in 2025. When he’s not reading or writing, he can be found indulging in any of his various muses; fishing and dreaming with his wife, watching movies and playing games with his kids, working on podcasts with his brothers, or basking in the adoration of a very handsome cat named Steve.

About the Decatur Camera Club
Hosted by photographer, Bill Hoffman, the Decatur Camera Club will present: “A photographer’s view of Central Illinois Historical Sites,” as viewed and taken by members of the Decatur Camera Club. Discussion of photographs will be explained by the submitting photographer.

JMH Annual Meeting with Special Guest, Dan Monroe
2026-04-23 17:30 - 18:30 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Our Annual Meeting, open to the general public, will begin at 5:30 with a short informational meeting, then our featured speaker, Millikin History Professor, Dan Monroe, will speak about Abraham Lincoln! This is a FREE event!

April Fine Arts & Open House
2026-04-26 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Fine Arts will be from 1-3 pm ($10 Admission) Then a Public Open House will follow from 3-5 pm ($5 Admission for Ages 12+, Under 12 are Free) Also, if you pay the $10 admission for the Fine Arts portion, your open house is FREE.

About our Featured Poet, Roy Roberts
I have been paid for a variety of undertakings during my curious safaris into the brambles. My parents and I farmed. I drove truck and did odd jobs for a lumber yard – including cutting glass and grass. I have been a preacher, a pastor, an English teacher of high school students, an adjunct professor of philosophy and medical ethics. For the past nine years, my wife and I have worked our produce farm on the land where I grew up. The one constant braided through every endeavor has been my ache to write. It pushes, fusses with, and entices me. It fidgets with drumming fingers and tapping feet, fizzing incessantly: “Try to dig up and ship out what you have sifted during your mountain summits, your ragged tumbles down gravel slopes, your struggles to regain footing.”
All of this is the meat and bone of my poems – and essays. I invite you to join my pursuit. My first book, Wrestling Thunderbolts, is available on Amazon (search Wrestling Thunderbolts Roberts). My second book, Tree Line, should be ready for release in early 2025. – Roy Roberts

About our Featured Musician, Isidora Nojkovic
Praised for her “great control” (Chicago Classical Review), cellist Isidora Nojkovic is an active soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. She has a passion for contemporary music and commissioning, having premiered over 50 works, and is one half of the contemporary violin/cello duo Orbit (“the new cross-continental duo to pay attention to.” – Classical Post). A founding member of Varo String Quartet, she also performs regularly with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Vancouver’s Turning Point Ensemble, and the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra. She has completed two tours with Lincoln Center Stage, performing in twenty-two countries as part of a piano quintet.

The Original Big Blue: The Life and Time of James Millikin
2026-04-29 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | Albert Taylor Theatre, 1184 W. Main, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin

Documentary Film Premiere
Albert Taylor Theatre
Tickets — $19.01
In a time when Decatur, Illinois was still in its infancy. Before automobiles, before electricity, even before paved roads. Long before other great titans of industry arrived. One young man came with nothing but determination and a vision.
This is a story of immigration and perseverance, of love, ambition and unwavering resolve. A story of a family who crossed oceans and frontiers, turning challenges into opportunity and generosity into legacy. From the hills of Scotland and Ireland to the rugged trails of western Pennsylvania, from driving sheep and cattle, to building a career in banking and helping shape a university that would change generations.
This is the story of grit and purpose – of a legacy that still defines a community 200 years later.
Discover the journey, meet the historians, and be inspired by the man who helped build Decatur.
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin…
https://youtu.be/nmNMy66CFjw
Ticket proceeds will go toward MU and the Homestead.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office, in-person, Tuesday through Friday, 12pm-4:30pm or online at: https://millikin.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1840
Accessible seating is available by calling the Kirkland Ticket Office at (217) 424-6318

The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin
2026-05-03 14:00 - 17:00 UTC | Albert Taylor Theatre, 1184 W. Main, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin
Documentary Film Premiere

Albert Taylor Theatre
Tickets — $19.01
In a time when Decatur, Illinois was still in its infancy. Before automobiles, before electricity, even before paved roads. Long before other great titans of industry arrived. One young man came with nothing but determination and a vision.
This is a story of immigration and perseverance, of love, ambition and unwavering resolve. A story of a family who crossed oceans and frontiers, turning challenges into opportunity and generosity into legacy. From the hills of Scotland and Ireland to the rugged trails of western Pennsylvania, from driving sheep and cattle, to building a career in banking and helping shape a university that would change generations.
This is the story of grit and purpose – of a legacy that still defines a community 200 years later.
Discover the journey, meet the historians, and be inspired by the man who helped build Decatur.
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin.
https://youtu.be/nmNMy66CFjw
Ticket proceeds will go toward MU and the Homestead.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office, in-person, Tuesday through Friday, 12pm-4:30pm. Or online at: https://millikin.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1841
Accessible seating is available by calling the Kirkland Ticket Office at (217) 424-6318

Open House During Historic Preservation Week
2026-05-16 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
The Homestead will be open for Historic Preservation Week! This will be a FREE OPEN HOUSE!
Our documentary, “The Original Big Blue” will be showing at the Lincoln Square Theatre at 2:00 PM on the same day! Tickets will be available soon – keep an eye on the film page for details.

June Open House
2026-06-28 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Explore the Homestead! Open House admission is $5 for adults (Ages 12 & over), Children under 12 are FREE but must be accompanied by an adult.

July Open House + Documentary Blu Ray/DVD Release
2026-07-26 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Join us for a special Open House on Sunday, July 26, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. as we celebrate the release of our new documentary, The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin, now available on Blu-ray and DVD!
Open House admission is $5 per person, and that same $5 will be credited toward the purchase of your own copy of the documentary.
Blu-rays and DVDs are regularly $20 each, but during the Open House only, your $5 admission discount brings the price down to just $15.
Come tour the Homestead, celebrate this exciting milestone, and take home a copy of the film!

Taste of History
2026-09-12 17:00 - 20:00 UTC | IL
Taste of History IS BACK! Save the date! More information to come soon, regarding tickets. The following venues will be participating: The James Millikin Homestead, The Culver House, The Staley Museum, The Oglesby Mansion. Support this Historic sites with a progressive evening of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

James Millikin Homestead Jubilee 150-Year Celebration
2026-09-20 14:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
SAVE THE DATE! Come help us celebrate 150 Years with music, activities, food, and fun! More information to come!

Open House / Lucien Kapp Art Competition Display
2026-09-26 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Come tour the Homestead from 2-4 PM. Normal open house rates apply – $5 Admission. You will also be able to see all of the wonderful art on display for the Lucien Kapp Art Competition! Every visitor to the open house will be allowed to vote for their favorite piece for the “Peoples’ Choice” award.

Open House / Lucien Kapp Art Competition Display
2026-09-27 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
2nd Chance! Come tour the Homestead from 2-4 PM. Normal open house rates apply – $5 Admission. You will also be able to see all of the wonderful art on display for the Lucien Kapp Art Competition! Every visitor to the open house will be allowed to vote for their favorite piece for the “Peoples’ Choice” award.

FREE Open House / Lucien Kapp Art Competition Awards
2026-10-18 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Tour the Homestead for FREE and get to see the winners of the 2nd Annual Lucien Kapp Art Competition! 2-4 PM. The awards ceremony will take place at 3:30 PM. Although this is a completely FREE event, donations are appreciated!

Symposium
2026-10-19 - 2026-10-20 | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
This event will focus on the architect W.W. Boyington and the building of the James Millikin Homestead. More details to come!

Cookies & Carols at the Homestead
2026-12-13 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Come see the Homestead all decked out for Christmas, have some FREE cookies and hear some lovely music! This is a completely FREE event, but donations are appreciated!
