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The Department of Conservation was created in 1925 as the successor to the Division of Fish and Game of the Department of Agriculture. Within the department was a Board of Fish and Game Conservation Advisors composed of five persons appointed by the Governor (L. 1925, p. 585). The department administered the state's fish and game codes (L. 1923, p. 368). Further it was charged with preventing stream and water pollution and promoting forestry (L. 1925, p. 600). In 1951 it assumed the powers of the Illinois Park Commission and also was charged with erecting, supervising, and maintaining all state monuments and memorials (L. 1951, p. 600).
A temporary Illinois Park Commission had been established in 1909 to investigate establishing Starved Rock as a state park and to study the state park system in general (L. 1909, p. 58). It was succeeded in 1911 by a permanent Illinois Park Commission with three members appointed by the Governor. The commission was charged with administering the park system and planning for expansion (L. 1911, p. 57). It was abolished in 1917 and its duties passed to the Department of Public Works and Buildings (L. 1917, p. 25). Control of state parks remained with Public Works and Buildings until the Department of Conservation assumed the responsibility in 1951.
In 1961 the Department of Conservation was authorized to regulate the reclamation of lands disturbed by open cut mining (L. 1961, p. 3113). The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council was created and placed under the Department of Conservation in 1976. It was composed of fifteen members appointed by the Governor and duties included recommending nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominating places to the Illinois Register of Historic Places, recommending removal of places from the National Register and the Illinois Register, establishing guidelines for determining eligibility, and advising the department on historic preservation (P.A. 79-1383, pp. 1226-1232).
244.001
PARKS AND MEMORIALS DIVISION ADMINISTRATIVE FILES. 1921-1980. 33.5 cu. ft. No index.
Files concern the administration and development of state parks. Included are rules and regulations, acquisition and improvement plans, State Park Commission minutes, park property inventories, visitor reports, copies of federal and state legislation affecting the division, budget proposals, appropriation authorizations, and visitor and employee accident reports.
Federal depression era program files contain feasibility reports, plans, and cost estimates on park projects conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers; status reports of projects conducted by the Civilian Conservation Corps; status reports on National Youth Corps programs; project plans; and proposals, work schedules, lists of building materials, cost estimates, labor requirements, contracts, building permits, and monthly status reports of the Work Projects Administration.
Frequently included are personnel records, camping facility information, construction reports on public buildings, concession reports, supply requisitions, purchase orders, payroll reports, naturalist reports, master lists of service contractors, state park publications, and soil conservation reports.
244.002
PARK LAND ACQUISITION AND IMPROVEMENT FILES. 1890-1980. 92 cu. ft. No index.
Files concern the creation and development of state parks, historic sites, and memorials. Land acquisition records include abstracts of titles, plats, photographs, land histories, cost estimates, deeds, wills, lease contracts, appropriation requests and authorizations, citizen advisory council minutes, and related correspondence. Restoration and improvement records include master plans and blueprints, cost estimates, bids and contracts, and correspondence with historians, archaeologists, and architects concerning historical authenticity. Also included are reports of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Work Projects Administration.
244.003
STATE PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES. August 12, 1911-April 7, 1917. 2 vols. No index.
Minutes of quarterly meetings of the commission concern the purchase of park property and construction of park improvements; granting of contracts for park improvements and concessions; state appropriations for improvements and payroll; the examination of deeds, abstracts, and leases of state park property; and an audit of the commission. Also included are Attorney General opinions on land titles, reports of appraisers, contract bids and specifications for goods and services, inventories of park property, and related correspondence. Record primarily concerns Starved Rock State Park and Fort Chartres State Park.
244.004
MAPS, TRACINGS, AND BLUEPRINTS OF NATIONALLY REGISTERED HISTORIC SITES. 1919-1981. 20 cu. ft. No index.
Record includes originals and copies of maps, tracings, and blueprints of historic sites registered by the National Register of Historic Places and owned and maintained by the Department of Conservation. Documents generally concern the reconstruction, restoration, and rehabilitation of historic sites. Occasionally documents concern park maintenance, reconstruction of furnishings and implements, installation or repair of utility systems, and grounds surrounding sites.
244.005
DIRECTOR'S ADMINISTRATIVE FILES. 1972-1984. 12 cu. ft. No index.
Files include correspondence with private conservation organizations, citizens, and other state agencies; statistical studies and research reports; departmental annual reports; newspaper articles, newsletters and press releases; feasibility studies; photographs; proposed and enacted state and federal legislation; position papers; project status reports; committee agendas and minutes; management plans; and quarterly reports to the Governor. Subjects include such topics as acid rain, attendance at conventions, land acquisition and development, barge fleets, hunting blinds, interstate water boundary lines, boating regulation, hiking and equestrian trails, the state wildlife income tax check-off program, fish hatcheries, commercial fishing, hunting and fishing regulation, environmental protection, pollution, forestry, prairie preservation, historic sites, park law enforcement, state fair exhibits, lead shot, surface mining, snowmobile regulation, and departmental reorganization.
244.006
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES. 1960-1980. 2.5 cu. ft. No index.
Minutes of monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly meetings concern such topics as land acquisition, restoration and rehabilitation of historic sites and recreational areas, concessionaire leases, departmental publications, road and highway construction in state parks, proposed and enacted conservation related legislation, game farms, wildlife censuses and quotas, hunting and fishing regulation, boat regulation, forestry, strip mining, religious services in state parks, preservation of prairie lands, flood prevention, commercial fishing, hunting safety instruction, federal funding, fencing, environmental protection, user fees, the energy crisis, departmental reorganization, off-road vehicle policy, equestrian trails, lead shot, fish hatcheries, the duck stamp program, swimming pool policy, and tourism. Also included are policy manuals, membership lists, resolutions, meeting notices, agenda, annual reports, newspaper articles, and related correspondence.
244.007
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES FILES. 1934-1985. 9.5 cu. ft. No index.
Files concern nominations of Illinois historic sites to the National Register of Historic Places. Files include National Register of Historic Places nomination forms, photographs, location maps, blueprints and drawings, plans and specifications, property photograph forms, background historical narratives, newspaper and magazine articles, interim progress reports, annual reports, federal assistance applications, archaeological surveys, site pamphlets and other publications, summaries of Illinois Historic Places Advisory Council actions, and related correspondence. Nomination forms show site name and location, type (e.g., building, district), accessibility, current use, owner's name and address, legal description location, detailed physical description, areas of significance, construction dates, name of builder or architect, statement of significance, bibliographical references, and indication if certified by the state historic preservation officer.
244.008
NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT PROJECT FILES. 1976-1981. 4 cu. ft. Index.
Files concern the administration of the National Historic Preservation Grants-In-Aid Program which provides funds to organizations and individuals to acquire and restore historic sites. Files include applications for grants-in-aid, project data summary sheets, telephone reports, letters of agreement, certificates of publication for bids on restoration work, bid proposals, project cost and work analyses, supervision and compliance assurances, plans and specifications, site inspection reports, progress reports, completion reports, and related correspondence. Applications show the applicant's name and address, project title and description, applicant type (e.g., state, city, private agency or individual), assistance type (e.g., loan, grant), the area the project impacts, estimated number of persons benefiting from the project, proposed funding, timetable, and federal action taken.
244.009
HISTORIC PLACE REHABILITATION REVIEW FILES. 1977-1984. 1.5 cu. ft. No index.
Files concern private rehabilitations of historic sites and the eligibility of those projects for tax relief. Included are historic preservation rehabilitation certification applications, rehabilitation site inspection reports, and determinations of certification. Applications include the property name and address, an evaluation of historic significance, detailed physical description of the property with attached location maps and photographs, date of construction, site integrity (e.g., moved, altered), name and address of owner, detailed description of proposed rehabilitation, project starting and ending dates, estimated costs, and a statement of the project's impact on existing features.
244.010
HISTORIC PLACE REHABILITATION BLUEPRINTS. 1970-1980. 58 sets. No index.
Blueprints of private rehabilitations of historic sites include the site's name and location, the architect's name and address, and the date the blueprint was drafted.
244.011
ILLINOIS HISTORIC PLACES ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING RECORDINGS. May 5, 1969-March 20, 1982. 128 cassette and 10 reel magnetic tapes. No index.
Recordings concern nominations for listings on and recommendations for removals from the National Register of Historic Places and the Illinois Register of Historic Places.
244.012
DEMOLISHED HISTORIC PLACES FILES. 1971-1982. 1 cu. ft. No index.
Files are on historic sites which have been razed, reconstructed, or substantially altered and consequently removed from the National Register of Historic Places and/or the Illinois Register of Historic Places. Included are newspaper and magazine articles on reconstructions and destructions, related correspondence, prior photographic site surveys, and National and/or Illinois Historic Site Survey Inventories. Inventories give the site name, location, type (e.g., building, district), integrity (e.g., altered, moved), ownership, public access, present use, description, condition, historical theme (e.g., archaeological), statement of significance, and bibliographic sources. Occasionally included are demolition summaries, blueprints, plans, and drawings.
244.013
HISTORIC SITE AND MONUMENT FILES. 1934-1982. 3.5 cu. ft. No index.
Research files on statewide historic sites and monuments were variously prepared by state university departments, historical societies, foundations, and Department of Conservation staff. Files include historical background reports on site locations, buildings, furnishings, and artifacts; biographical reports; transcripts of oral interviews; cultural research and structural investigation reports prepared for restoration purposes; interpretive reports; special analytical reports on historical issues (e.g., women's lives, tourism, estray record keeping); demographic reports; indices to county records; and related correspondence.
244.014
HISTORIC SITES SURVEY FILES. 1966-1975. 1 cu. ft. No index.
The survey was established to develop and implement a statewide preservation program for historic, archaeological, and architectural sites. Files include county inventories of noteworthy landmarks with maps locating sites and correspondence with field research historians, county historical societies, and local officials. Files are provided for
Coles, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Ford, Hamilton, Randolph, Richland, and Woodford Counties. Also included are a survey manual, newspaper articles concerning survey activities, and a planning document for historic preservation.
244.015
HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM CORRESPONDENCE FILES. 1968-1980. 1 cu. ft. No index.
Files of incoming and outgoing correspondence with Illinois Historic Places Advisory Council members, Illinois Historic Sites Survey research historians and coordinators, other departmental staff, and other agencies involved in historic preservation concern advisory council and survey activities, student internships, and related legislation.
244.016
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REPORTS. 1942-1980. 2.25 cu. ft. No index.
Reports prepared on contract by various archaeological societies, foundations, and university departments include narrative descriptions of sites, procedures used, and recommendations for site development; topographical survey maps; photographs; newspaper clippings; and related correspondence. Also included are predictive models which determine within given sets of geographical and cultural parameters where archaeological sites likely will occur.
244.017
CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, REMODELING, REHABILITATION, AND SITE DEVELOPMENT PLANS. 1929-1986. 300 cu. ft. No index.
Original and duplicate tracings, mylars, sepias, maps, and blueprints are for departmental construction, maintenance, remodeling, rehabilitation, and site development projects at various state parks, fish and wildlife areas, historic sites, conservation areas, and state forests. Plans are for such projects as dam and spillway construction and repair, landscaping and planting, residence construction and rehabilitation, utility installation, culvert repair, lake
destratification, sewer treatment plant construction, erosion control, boat dock construction, and marina dredging.
244.018
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FILES. 1953-1974. 3 cu. ft. No index.
Files concern construction and development projects involving proposed lakes and dams, watersheds and flood control areas, soil conservation, repairs and improvements to existing dams and levees, recreational facility development, and the restoration and rehabilitation of historic sites. Included are field inspection meeting minutes, cost estimates, bid proposals, maps, blueprints, drawings, construction plans, contracts, specifications, performance bonds, progress reports, environmental impact reports, feasibility studies, property appraisal certificates, right-of-way agreements, soil reports, certificates of substantial completion, and related correspondence.
244.019
NATIONAL WETLANDS INVENTORY FILES. 1980-1988. 2,165 items. No index.
Maps were used to produce a national inventory of wetlands, a project of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, which in turn distributed its working files to the respective states. Files include high altitude photographic enlargements, draft maps, and final topographic
mylars. Final mylars show wetland system type (e.g., marine, estuarine, riverine), substem type (e.g.,
subtidal, intertidal, tidal, lower perennial), class type (e.g., rock bottom, unconsolidated bottom, aquatic bed, rocky shore), subclass type (e.g., bedrock, cobble-gravel, mud, organic), water regime (e.g., temporarily flooded, seasonally flooded, permanently flooded, saturated), water chemical composition, and special circumstances (e.g., beaver dams, diked areas, excavated areas). Common topographical surface features such as rivers, lakes, roads, bridges, and railroads also are featured.
244.020
ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL LEASE FILES. 1920-1980. 23 cu. ft. Index.
Files concern the state's leasing of Illinois and Michigan Canal property to private parties. Included are lease agreements with variously attached plats, mutual cancellation agreements, assignments of leases, plans and specifications for construction on leased land, invoice vouchers for rents paid, orders for lease cancellations, insurance policies, photographs, extension agreements, and related court records (e.g., legal briefs, orders) and correspondence. Lease agreements show the date, names of lessees, lease term, description of the property, rental fee, terms of the agreement, and signatures of the lessor and lessees.
244.021
GOVERNOR'S NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCABINET MEETING MINUTES. 1977-1980. 0.75 cu. ft. No index.
Minutes of monthly meetings concern such topics as the reorganization of those state departments involved in natural resources, salary levels of state engineers, public hearings, Illinois coal as an energy resource, gasohol, nuclear energy, the loss of agricultural and conservation lands to development, erosion, rivers, historic sites, flooding, endangered species, handicapped facilities, pollution, the creation of the Department of Nuclear Safety, hazardous waste, surface mining, and the preservation and development of equestrian and hiking trails.
244.022
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS. 1950-1980. 20 cu. ft. No index.
Prints and negatives are of state-owned and state-leased properties managed by the department. Included are photographs of state parks, and conservation, natural, and wildlife areas. They were taken for use in litigation and for various environmental studies.
244.023
PARKS AND MEMORIALS DIVISION SCRAPBOOKS. 1943-1953. 4 vols. No index.
Scrapbooks contain newspaper and magazine articles on issues pertaining to state parks and memorials. Subjects include such topics as land acquisition, publicity, special programs, improvements, maintenance, historical backgrounds, recreational facilities, private organization participation, military training use, flooding, hours of operation, reforestation, Boy Scout and Girl Scout activities, donations, youth camps, fire damage, vandalism, and accidents.
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
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