Age Group:
AdultProgram Description
Long before Rivian became one of the hottest electric automakers on the planet, the Twin Cities were center stage for another battery-powered vehicle -- the Henney Kilowatt -- a project of the National Union Electric Co., a conglomerate whose holdings included Bloomington-based Eureka-Williams Co.
The electric propulsion system was designed by Eureka-Williams engineers, and the cars were assembled in Bloomington. Although less than 50 of these automobiles were sold during the two-year (1959-1960) manufacturing run, the Henney Kilowatt story is in many ways more essential today than it was 70 years ago.
The McLean County Museum of History archives holds a treasure trove of original Henney Kilowatt papers, and this program will showcase a plethora of fascinating photos, promotional materials, correspondence, and engineering documents–many of which have never seen the light of day! Our presenter promises an electrifying, edifying time for all!
This program will be offered both in person in Community Room 1 of the library and via livestream at the BPL YouTube page. It will be presented by Bill Kemp who has served as the librarian for the nonprofit McLean County Museum of History for 21 years. He has graduate degrees from the University of Illinois Springfield and Illinois State University. He lives in Normal.
Questions about this program can be emailed to Sara at reference@bloomingtonlibrary.org.
Disclaimer(s)
Hearing Device Assistance
To accommodate hard-of-hearing patrons, the library offers the use of assistive listening devices in each Community Room and in each Children’s Program Room. For these devices to work, the presenter must use the room’s sound system. For the clearest sound, make sure the device is unobstructed by clothing or jewelry and sit in the first few rows.
If you experience connectivity issues, please let a staff member know. A guide on using the assistive listening devices is available.