Wethersfield Historical Society Museum Educator Gillie Johnson conducts an online interview with author Dean Karau about his book “The History of Wethersfield 2.0”. Karau’s book details the founding of Wethersfield, Illinois and its connections to Connecticut’s “most auncient towne”.

Author Dean Karau was born in Kewanee, Illinois, in 1949. In 1960, his family moved to the Chicago suburbs, and he seldom returned to his hometown. After a move to northern Minnesota and a career whose highlights included stints as a furniture and cabinet maker, high school mathematics teacher, and an intellectual property attorney, Karau retired in 2016 and became immersed in genealogy.

As a by-product of his genealogy work, Dean began learning about Kewanee’s history. He now travels back to Kewanee regularly to research and write about his family, Kewanee, and Wethersfield. For over the last year, Dean has written a weekly history column for the Kewanee Star Courier, has created videos on aspects of the history of his hometown, and currently hosts Dusty Roads,^TM a Facebook page devoted to Kewanee and Wethersfield history. He is a member of the Kewanee Historical Society and shares his work with it.

The History of Wethersfield 2.0 is available on Amazon here.