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Bond County - A Brief History

Before Illinois became a territory in 1809, the first settlers arrived in Bond County in 1806. This family was the Reeves family and they were followed shortly by the Greene family. The first "community" was Jones' Fort built before 1808. It was later renamed Greene's Fort. Hill's Fort was established around 1811 by Samuel Hill. It was established as the county seat for four months until a sight near Hurricane Creek, know as Perrysville, was chosen for the permanent seat. This was also the sight of the first election in Bond County.

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The cornerstone for the present Bond County Court House was laid June 4, 1884. It was designed by W. R. Parsons of Quincy, Illinois and it cost $20,000. The dormer windows, cupola and chimney caps were removed for maintenance reasons prior to World War II. The building was also covered with stucco and painted gray. Fortunately, the stucco was of such poor quality it soon had to be removed. The county board has been more careful since that time, and although many remodeling projects have taken place since the 1940's, much care has been taken to preserve original trims, woodwork, and Victorian details of the structure.

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Until 1817, Bond County was part of Madison County. On January 4, of that year, the Illinois Territorial Legislature voted to establish a new county and name it after its territorial governor, Shadrach Bond. Bond County was 24 miles wide and six hundred miles long - bordered on the north by Lake Superior and stretching to six miles south of its present border. Vandalia, then the state capital, was part of the county. But as the state became more populated, it had to rescind its territory to other counties. Today, Bond County is one of the smallest counties in the state.

After the county was reduced to its present size, in 1821 it was decided to establish a new county seat. George Davidson donated twenty acres to the county for the new seat of justice and thus, Greenville was born.

Click Here To Read Stories On Bond County History By Allan Keith

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The Bond County Historical Society

The Bond County Historical Society was formed in 1955, and began collecting many artifacts important to the history of the community. Some of the 2,000 holdings of the Historical Society include: The first piano in Bond County, firearms from the Civil War, Greenville Postcards and photos, and much more.

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Built in the late 1830's, this structure served as a stage stop, hotel, and restaurant for travelers on the Old National Road. It was operated by Tom and Lottie Smith on the northwest corner of the town square. Abraham Lincoln stayed here on September 13, 1858, after delivering a political speech on Colcord's Grove earlier in the day. He was on his way to the 3rd joint debate with Stephen Douglas in Jonesboro, Illinois. Later known as the Hotel Eureka, it was torn down about 1890 to make way for Weise and Bradford's Mercantile.

Former Colorado Governor Job Cooper was born in Greenville, Illinois!

Jesse James Visited Greenville in 1869

Historical Society Mission Statement To preserve for future generations the deeds of their forefathers, whereby a wilderness of prairies was transformed into a land of farms of amazing productivity, churches and schools of which we may well be proud; a study of common people whose sons and daughters have gone to other states and lands to take leadership in the fields of education, science, invention, law, military services, religion, and literature.

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A wonderful old fashioned fashion show was sponsored by the Historical Society at the Hoiles-Davis Museum.

 

For More Information

For More Information on the Bond County Historical Society, call president Kevin Kaegy at 618-664-1606 or you can write to the organization at P.O. Box 327, Greenville, IL 62246, or contact the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

Join The Bond County Historical Society.   Family Membership is Only $10 Per Year.  Send Check to P.O. Box 376, Greenville, IL 62246.  Or you can contact Judy Schneck.