DIXON — Heinz-Dietrich Suppan will present a program titled “Pana: The Crossroads of Crisis” at 7 p.m. March 25 at the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society.
Suppan, a former instructor of history at Sauk Valley Community College and Marquette Academy in Ottawa and retired from Illinois Valley Community College, will speak about a small Illinois Central Railroad community that had served briefly as an underground railroad community before the Civil War. The program will tell of the collision of mine owner/operators and the coal mine workers union that led to violence and the National Guard being sent to restore order.
This led to the passing of the Tanner Law, which had a profound effect on the country. Citizens felt so threatened that many carried knives and firearms as they walked the streets of Pana.
The society, located at 113 S. Hennepin Ave. in Dixon, is accessible and there is ample parking nearby.
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