Tour Evanston's Past In Local Historian's Book

Evanston residents who want to take a trip back through time in honor of the city's 150th anniversary can do so through the pages of a book recently republished by the Evanston History Center.

"Evanston: A Tour Through the City's History," by Margery Blair Perkins, was originally published in 1984 under the title "Evanstoniana." The newly updated edition includes nearly 200 historical and contemporary photographs and images and chronicles Evanston's history through the stories of its residents and architecture, according to a release from the history center.

Perkins, who died in 1981, spent much of her time researching Evanston history and giving walking tours of local neighborhoods, the release said. She was married to architect Lawrence B. Perkins, whose father was legendary Prairie School architect Dwight H. Perkins.

“Perkins’ interest in Evanston went beyond just telling the city’s story,” said history center director of education Jenny Thompson. “She was interested in the layers of history the city revealed, and she was expressly fascinated by the city’s built environment. She was, in a sense, attempting to preserve the story of a city that was rapidly changing in the decades following World War II.”

The book is available for purchase for $35 on Lulu.com.