As 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Ellwood House Museum and DeKalb County History Center are proud to announce the monthly Brown Bag Lunch series will focus on commemorating this historic anniversary. The series will kick off on February 5th with Bill Nicklas who will lay a foundation for the rest of the year’s discussions.

Bill Nicklas, the City Manager for the City of DeKalb, also is a historian. In preparation of the City of DeKalb’s 250th plans, he wrote an essay asking, “What are we celebrating?” During the Brown Bag lunch program he will explore “What inspired our founders, how their principles sustained later generations here and abroad, and what meaning we can still draw from a rich history of a people with boundless creative energy, fundamental decency, and an inspired confidence in meeting challenges that threaten to rob us of our dignity and purpose.”

The February 5th Brown Bag Lunch will start at noon at the Ellwood House Museum, 420 Linden Place, DeKalb. For more information, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762. The program is free and open to the public, donations are always appreciated. To learn more about how Illinois is commemorating the 250^th visit il250.org