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“Voices of the Past” return to Kankakee

Andy Stephens, of Bourbonnais, portrays Joseph Tolson, a former area dry cleaner and 2nd Ward Alderman at Mound Grove cemetery on Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Andy Stephens, of Bourbonnais, portrays Joseph Tolson, a former area dry cleaner and 2nd Ward Alderman at Mound Grove cemetery on Sunday, August 24, 2025. (Nicholas Holstein for Shaw Local)

By Stephanie Markham

Mound Grove Cemetery in Kankakee came alive with the sounds and stories of Kankakee County’s history during the biennial Cemetery Walk: Voices of the Past on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025.

Hosted by the Kankakee County Historical Society and Kankakee Valley Theater Association, the interactive, theatrical walking tour is meant to bring local history to life.

Participants strolled the historic paths of Mound Grove and encountered live performances by costumed actors and actresses portraying some of Kankakee County’s most compelling historical figures.

This year’s reenactment brought to life the late Joseph Tolson, Richard Hanna, H.K. Wheeler, George Erzinger, Grace Small and David and Martha Perry.

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Stephanie Markham

Stephanie Markham joined the Daily Journal in February 2020 as the education reporter. She focuses on school boards as well as happenings and trends in local schools. She earned her B.A. in journalism from Eastern Illinois University.