Illinois State Museum - Fine art, anthropology, and natural history come together. Illinois Maps - The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection. The Page of Everything Frith - Profiles the life and crimes of Thurman Kingsbury Thriff, who was convicted for two murders in 1978. Protestant Exiles from Madeira in Illinois - A group of religious exiles from Madeira (Portuguese islands off the coast of Morocco) settled in Illinois in the 1850s. This website chronicles this episode and identifies some place names of probable Portuguese origin. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency - collecting, preserving, and interpreting the historical heritage and culture of the state of Illinois Illinois History Pages - Courtesy of Infobahn Outfitters.