STOCKTON — Stockton Heritage Museum is welcoming back Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Dr. Norm Moline, PhD, for an educational and thought-provoking program. His presentation, “The National Park Service in Illinois: Places to Experience Our Cultural History,” will be held on Sunday, August 9, at 2 p.m. at the Stockton Heritage Museum, 107 West Front Street, Stockton.
Many people know about the National Park Service (NPS) role in protecting spectacular natural landscapes. Did you also know that the NPS strives to preserve sites that celebrate the cultural history, helping to make “history come alive?” These sites include National Monuments, National Heritage Areas, National Historic Landmarks, and nearly 2,000 locations on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois, with examples in every county. Dr. Moline will highlight key sites across the state, including notable locations in the northwestern Illinois region around Stockton. His goal is to help audiences recognize cultural history in the landscape and encourage them to visit these meaningful places. He offers this program as a tribute to the NPS and to the citizens who worked diligently to gain NPS recognition for these sites.
This event is co-presented by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. Road Scholar speakers travel throughout Illinois sharing free, dynamic presentations about literature, philosophy, theater, local history, film, music, politics, and more, at no cost to host organizations. The program enables local nonprofit organizations to present free admission cultural programs to their communities.
Dr. Norm Moline, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Geography at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where he taught for 45 years. His academic work centered on cultural geography, the historical geography of the United States, historic preservation, urban planning, land-resource management, and East Asia. Field-based learning was a hallmark of his teaching. During his tenure, Moline chaired the Geography Department and founded the college’s environmental studies program. In 1974, he was one of four faculty members who established Augustana’s Fall Term in East Asia. From 1977 to 2013, he directed or co-directed every triennial program, each bringing 75—80 students to Japan, Taiwan, and China.
Beyond campus, Moline has long been active in public service. He has served on the Rock Island Planning Commission for 44 years and completed three non-consecutive terms on the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council, which reviews nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. He also serves on the board of River Action, a leading Quad Cities organization dedicated to celebrating and improving the Mississippi River and its riverfronts.
The event is free (donations are always welcome) and open to all audiences. For more information, visit www.stocktonheritagemuseum.org, or on Facebook: Stockton-Heritage-Museum-309324911534, email us at info@stocktonheritagemuseum.org, or leave a message at 815-947-2220.
