Statewide

Reporting from in and around Illinois.Listen to Statewide on WNIJ Saturdays 6-7 a.m. and Sundays 6-7 p.m.

Statewide: The Rise And Fall Of Bergner's; Holiday Memories At Marshall Field's

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published December 17, 2020 at 5:49 PM CST

On this episode of Statewide, the Bergner's chain liquidated in 2018, the final chapter in a retail history that dated back to the 1800s. For some communities, Bergner's was a an anchor store in a shopping mall. In Peoria, where it all began, the name meant a lot more. We'll talk with a Peoria journalist about Bergner's -- from its start through its heyday -- and how it all ended.

We'll also recall the holiday shopping traditions at the former Marshall Field's in Chicago.

And we'll look back on the year in Springfield with various community leaders and their hopes for 2021 in the capital city.

This week:

* Peter Medlin of WNIJ checks back with some school social workers about the impact the fall semester had on students, both academically and emotionally.

Credit WCBU

* Sean Crawford visits with longtime Peoria reporter Steve Tarter about the Bergner's retail chain, which closed in 2018. Bergner's began in Peoria.

* Mary Hansen of NPR Illinois and Rachel Otwell of the Illinois Times talk with Springfield community leaders about what happened in 2020 and their vision for the upcomibng year.

* Moncia Eng with WBEZ takes us back to the holiday tradition for many - shopping at the former Marshall Field's on Chicago's State Street.

Statewide for the week of December 18, 2020

Listen to Statewide across Illinois in:Bloomington/Normal – WGLT 89.1 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Carbondale – WSIU 91.9 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
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Urbana/Champaign – WILL 580 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 7-8 p.m.)