2026
Brother Mathias BarrettAn Authorized BiographyCommissioned Work
An authorized biography of the founder of the Brothers of the Good Shepherd, tracing a life devoted to compassionate service.
View bookKMC Publishing Company Inc.
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Deeply researched histories of schools, churches, organizations, and lives.
Told in story form.
Publishing local and institutional histories since 2006
Featured Project
Bishop McNamara Catholic School A One Hundred Year History
The first comprehensive story of Catholic Education in Kankakee and Iroquois Counties is the result of interviews with over 500 people and extensive research drawn from the archives of parishes, schools, religious Orders, and the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois where the school resides.
As late as 1960, forty Catholic schools existed in the two rural counties. Today, only Bishop McNamara Catholic School remains. The story is one of change within the American Catholic Church following Vatican II, the huge decrease in religious vocations, and a dramatic economic blow that changed the area’s landscape in the early 1980s.
Bishop McNamara survived and saved Catholic Education in the region as a result of a highly resilient school community and a dedicated lay staff who operate the school on behalf of the diocese, today.
Alumni will find the book to be a rich treasure-trove of memories from every era. Other Catholic communities will find the McNamara story to be similar to their own. And the two-volume work has received strong reviews for not only its narrative on Catholic schools but for its important contribution to the history of the local Kankakee area in Illinois.
Shop the bookNo Story too Large
1,095Pages
2,000+Photographs
A two-volume hardcover book
“I haven't been able to put it down since I started reading it. So much history in this book.”A McNamara Alumnus
AMAZING REVIEWS
“A significant contribution to the history of the county,”Phil Angelo, retired Managing Editor of the Kankakee Daily Journal.
“Research with the patience a real story deserves.”Shaw Local Review
Effortless Reading
Find a place you know in the pages of history.
Readers find lost memories within your book. Our writers connect seemingly unrelated events, resourced facts, and the interviews of many to create an impactful story all will cherish.
Shop our current catalogueProfusely Illustrated
We bring old photos back to life.
We perform sensitive, realistic upgrades to even the most aged and damage images, newspaper clippings and documents to bring them to live and create visual unity in each book.
Talk to us about your projectFrom the Catalogue
We write your history within a compelling story that keeps readers immersed.
2024
Bishop McNamara Catholic SchoolA One Hundred Year HistoryCommissioned Work
A two-volume history of faith, learning and community in Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.
$60View book
2021
Good Shepherd ManorA Mission ofCompassionate CareCommissioned Work
The official 50-year history of Good Shepherd Manor in Momence, Illinois.
$30 softcoverView book
2020
Barns of Will County
A photographic record of the family farms that helped shape Will County.
$30View book
2019
Barns of Kankakee County
An expanded visual history of barns and structures built by the county’s original farmers.
View book
2016
A Kid from MomenceGrowing Up After the War
A personal account of small-town America, music, business and life after World War II.
$22View book
2014
Finding Pat O’Brien
Research, photographs and documents behind the story of a nearly forgotten World War I hero.
$25View book
2013
Lt. Pat O’Brien
The story of an American World War I flying ace, escapee and national speaker.
Available from AmazonView book
2007
Around Momence
A photographic history of a river town shaped by the Kankakee River and the Dixie Highway.
Available from Arcadia PublishingView bookFrequently Asked Questions
A few practical answers.
KMC publishes local and institutional histories, including books for schools, churches, organizations and communities.
Yes. KMC’s institutional histories draw on interviews, archival records, photographs, yearbooks and other materials that help tell a complete story.
KMC publishes other independent authors at very little cost. Send us a proposal and we will help you publish your book. To be eligible, your book must be at least 75 pages. We also do image enhancement to make your old photos appear with better quality.