Paddle through history at Illinois river program

In a sense, Brian "Fox" Ellis has always been a teacher. But lately, he's found a different way to teach.

Ellis, 53, of downstate Bishop Hill, now relies on storytelling to get his message across. And that message frequently gravitates toward rivers. He has been performing on the Spirit of Peoria riverboat for 24 years. Native Americans, French Explorers, English settlers and American colonists have stood alongside countless riverbanks for centuries. And to this day, these rivers remain an important source of raw materials, drinking water, food and transportation.

At 3 p.m. Monday, March 21, Ellis presents "The River As Time Machine" at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum, 6422 Main St. in Union. Travel through geological history to witness the origins of Illinois' great rivers.

"It's really about the big arc of river history," Ellis said. "From ancient geology up to modern history. The more you know about the river the more you feel connected to it. I'm hoping more compassion leads to action."

Ellis is working to develop a "blue trail" on the Illinois River for canoeist. Each year, he invites 3,000 to 4,000 students from around the Midwest to Peoria to learn about river ecology and teach them to become "river activists."

Ellis founded Historic Illinois, a website development and management company for historical societies. He also is an author, publishing 16 books. Ellis attended Oberlin and Wilmington colleges in Ohio, becoming certified as a biology teacher and teaching on and off at various high schools.

"I've also taught a lot of scientists and science teachers on how to be better storytellers," he said. "I grew up in a family that loved to shoot the bull."

Ellis said he studied pantomime, wrote musical theater and formed a theater company, Fox Tales International. While he grew tired of "living out of a suitcase," he still relishes being out on the road. He's been doing these types of personable presentations since 1980, at venues that include the Field Museum of Chicago and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

"I knew that when I was in college, that storytelling was my application and my vocation," he said.

In his program, you can paddle along with Père Marquette and the French explorers as they contact Native Americans, and meet keelboat captain Mike Fink and steamboat captain Henry Detweiller.

This musical ramble through history explores how we humans have shaped the rivers, how the rivers have changed through time, and the importance of rivers in the layers of human history.

Upcoming Sampler lectures include:

• Author/filmmaker Ron Faiola will present "Wisconsin Supper Clubs - An Old Fashioned Experience" at 7 p.m. Monday, April 4. Discover why supper clubs are such a big part of Wisconsin's food culture and what the full experience of supper club dining entails: a brandy old fashioned sweet at the bar, relish trays at the table, huge portions of steaks seafood and game, and the friendly, loyal customers who have been dining at their favorite places for so many years. Wisconsin's original supper clubs may have begun in the 1920s as gangster hangouts, but following the repeal of Prohibition these same roadhouse restaurants - located outside city limits - were the first to receive liquor licenses. In his new book, "Wisconsin Supper Clubs - Another Round," slated for release in June, Ron highlights 50 more of the finest establishments, including Fitzgerald's in Genoa City and the Colony House Restaurant in Trevor.

• Antonio Delgado presents "The History of Mexican Railroad Boxcar Communities in the Chicago Area & the Midwest" at 3 p.m. Monday, April 18. Between 1910 and the 1950s in the United States, particularly the Midwest, railroads employed a large number of Mexican immigrants to lay track. These immigrant railroad workers and their families literally lived on railroad property, in railroad boxcars and "section houses," year-round. The program not only underscores the important contributions these laborers made to the area - with the use of photos, maps, political cartoon and other period images. It also will compare anti-immigrant practices employed then with the current climate.

All programs are at the historical society museum, 6422 Main St. in Union. Tickets are available in the office, online or at the door. A $10 donation is requested for individual programs. The river and boxcar programs are made possible through a grant from Illinois Humanities. To buy tickets, call (815) 923-2267 or visit www.gothistory.org.