"Sangamon Songs" is a folk-Americana musical, based on the 1893 diary written by a farm boy, who lived on Pleasant Plains, Illinois farm. Singer-songwriter Tom Irwin found the diary in the farmhouse owned by his family since 1894. The six-month diary described routine aspects of farm life and vital personal events. It covered adventures, such as the family's visit to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, as well as a family crisis that forever changed the boy's life. Irwin was inspired to write a series of songs based on the diary. In 2012, the songs were collected in an acclaimed concept album, also called "Sangamon Songs." In 2018, Irwin collaborated with playwright John W. Arden to turn the song cycle into a full-fledged play. The musical play debuted in Petersburg in 2019 and has since been produced in Springfield, IL; Skokie, IL; St. Louis; and Cabondale, IL.