Bond County Historical Society

Preserving the history of Bond County, Illinois and its communities

Townships:  Shoal Creek - LaGrange - Mulberry Grove - Old Ripley - Central - Pleasant Mound - Burgess - Mills - Tamalco.          Communities:  Ayers - Beaver Creek - Donnellson - Dudleyville - Durley - Elm Point - Greenville - Hamburg - Hookdale - Keyesport - Millersburg - Mulberry Grove - Newport - Old Ripley - Panama - Pierron - Pocahontas - Reno - Smithboro - Sorento - Stubblefield - Tamalco - Wisetown - Woburn.

video thumbnails of large house, farmland, early automobile, and older men and women standing with memorial markers

“Bond County History Remembered: Video Legacies”
is Bond County Historical Society’s new oral history series

Check out the newest video releases in our YouTube Channel and on our Video Legacies webpage.


2026 Upcoming Events

Bond County Historical Society is planning a full year of Activities, Speakers, Tours, and Events! View the current schedule and check back often for more dates & more details.

Coming Up!

Sat, Apr 25 Mystery Field Trip!, 8AM-4PM (RSVP info on Facebook),
Tue, Apr 28 Business Meeting, 7PM at Bond County Museum,
Tue, May 19 Business Meeting, 7PM at Bond County Museum,
Sat, Jun 13 America 250 Garden Party, 1PM at Bond County Museum (watch for Ticket Info and Volunteer Opportunities),
Tue, Jun 23 Business Meeting, 7PM at Bond County Museum,
Fri, Jul 24 Cookout Fundraiser, 10AM-2PM at The Milk House (Volunteers Needed 9-3),
Tue, Jul 28 Cemetery Walk, 6PM at Smith Grove Cemetery,
Tue, Aug 25 Rural Church Potluck and History Program, 6PM at TBD,
Tue, Sep 18 Business Meeting, 7PM at Bond County Museum,
Fri, Oct 23 Night At The Museum Living History Event, 7PM at Bond County Museum,
Tue, Oct 27 Annual Dinner Meeting, 6PM at TBD (Watch for Guest Speaker info),
Tue, Nov 17 2027 Planning Meeting, 7PM at Bond County Museum,
Sat, Nov 28 Come Home For Christmas Celebration Activities TBD

[Last Updated April 22, 2026]


Greenville and Bond County Papers on Newspapers.com!

Newspapers.com by Ancestry, which is a subscription site, regularly adds newspapers from across the globe to its stockpile, making it easier than ever to travel back through time from the comfort of your own home.

grid of newspaper front pages

Newspapers.com just added the following Illinois papers to their online collection in March and April 2026:

Bond County Farmer and Farm Bureau
The Greenville Advocate
The Greenville Item
The Greenville Journal
Illinois Chronicle (Greenville)
The Mulberry Grove News
The News Patriot (Pocahontas)
The Pocahontas Press
Protestant Monitor
The Sorento News
The Twice-A-Week Sun (aka Bond County Democrat)

11 papers. 165,704 pages. Digitized from microfilm of issues published between 1845 and 2014, and e-editions from 2025-2026. Some issues are missing, e.g. The Greenville Advocate 1863 - Jan 1866 & July 2014 - Sept 2025.

Search for obituaries, marriage announcements, birth announcements, social pages, local sports action, advertisements, news articles, and more in the largest online newspaper archive. Clippings are an easy way to keep track of interesting things you find on Newspapers.com. You can clip an article, a page, a newspaper, a search, or another member’s profile. Once it’s clipped, you can easily find it again, share it with friends, and receive notifications when it is updated.

If you have an interest in history, ancestry, or just like looking at what happened on the day you were born, the full online archive is a vital tool in your arsenal.


We’re Open in 2026

Welcome to Bond County Historical Society’s home, the Bond County Museum, for the 2025-2026 Season. Free admission. Donations accepted.

Come visit us for a self-guided tour Saturdays 10am-noon (& Sundays 1-3pm June, July, August only).

The museum will open for special tours, please call or email to arrange. Check dates the museum facility is Currently Reserved.

Watch our Facebook Page and local media for more information on special events!

victorian mansion in background, museum sign in foreground, text overly with address and hours of museum

Bond County, Illinois, USA

Bond County current shape
Civil War Era Room inside Bond County Museum

Bond County Museum Hours!

  • Saturdays: 10am-noon (January—December)
  • Sundays: 1pm-3pm (June—August)

Plus special occasions to be announced. Groups welcome.

The museum will also open for special tours, please call or email to arrange.

e-Newsletter

Now you can enjoy reading the semi-annual Bond County Genealogical Society e-Newsletter, published jointly with Bond County Historical Society since 2014!

two facing pages of e-newsletter, green frames, text, photos, orange table of contents

Officers

Cary Holman
President

Blake Knox
Vice-President

Jane Hopkins
Secretary

John S. Coleman
Treasurer

Kevin Kaegy
Historian


Apply for or Renew Membership here using our downloadable form:

The PDF is “interactive” so you can fill, print, save, & email this PDF.

Download Adobe PDF Reader

Business Meetings are generally the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at Bond County Museum. Special Programs, Events or Tours of other locations may move meeting date/time. Please check our Facebook Page, WGEL 101.7FM Radio, The Greenville Advocate newspaper, or official emails from the society.


Museum Phone Number is 618-690-0469

Leave us a voicemail message to schedule a guided group tour, a tour outside regular museum hours, or to get in touch with our society board for any reason. If you are unable to connect with us via phone, please send an email or a message to our Facebook page.


Past Posters Collage - Each October, BCHS hosts our Annual Dinner Meeting Plus Program & Elections

Past Annual Meetings Poster Collage