Meetings & Events

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual dinner program, Thursday, October 19, 2023 6pm on the third floor of Greenville University’s SMART Center (102 N Second St, Greenville, Illinois). The meal will be catered by Joe’s Pizza & Pasta and includes dessert. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Dinner tickets are $17 and will be available at the door. This year’s dinner benefits Bond County Historical Society’s rebuilding of chimneys on the DeMoulin Mansion, home of Bond County Museum. Historical society officers will also be installed for the 2023-2024 term prior to the dinner. The special program following is FREE.

At 7pm, following the dinner, the societies will be hearing from the future 16th President, Abraham Lincoln (presented by Randy Duncan who bears an uncanny likeness!). When he visits Greenville this particular evening, it is September 13, 1858 and Mr. Lincoln is campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat against incumbent Stephen A. Douglas. The rail-splitter lawyer and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives will greet and answer questions from his constituents, pose for photos, and share a moving speech nearly as memorable as his “House Divided” speech earlier in the year. Hot issues to be addressed include the expansion of slavery into new territories, racial equality, protecting constitutional rights, the disruption of the Union, and whether or not Lincoln was the dangerous radical Douglas branded him.

A Carlinville resident, Duncan has been portraying Lincoln for over 20 years and is a member of The Association of Lincoln Presenters. He has appeared at countless Lincoln heritage sites across Illinois, Kansas, and Wisconsin. He’s spoken at the Alton Riverfront, Vandalia Statehouse, David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and even appeared in National Geographic Magazine.

The Annual Rural Church meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society will be Tuesday August 22nd at the Hurricane Creek Church of the Brethren, southeast of Greenville (1848 Pleasant Mound Ave, Smithboro, IL 62284).

It will be a potluck dinner (6 pm) and church members will provide the meat entrée and the drinks. The program will follow at 7pm highlighting the history of the church and community. The public is invited! Bring your memories of Pleasant Mound!

Meet at Mulberry Grove Cemetery for the upcoming gathering of the Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society. Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 7pm, hosts will share the history of the cemetery, its operation, and tales of some of Bond County’s prominent former citizens eternally resting in this memorial park. Early pioneers began to be buried nearby the first schoolhouse/church in the Mulberry Grove neighborhood. The oldest marked burial has a death date of 1832; four are from 1835. The deed of the cemetery was first made to the village in 1884. Two additions were added in 1887 and 1915 and include a Potter’s Field. There are presently more than 2,000 burials with much room left in the design for more. More than 150 veterans are buried at Mulberry Grove Cemetery; it is no wonder volunteers maintain an “Avenue of Flags” on patriotic occasions.

Society members and the public are invited to attend the evening’s history walk activities. There is no admission fee for the walk, but donations to Mulberry Grove Cemetery c/o Village Hall (P.O. Box 8, Mulberry Grove, IL 62262) are welcome.

Mulberry Grove Cemetery is located at the intersection of US-40 with 7th Street, Mulberry Grove, Illinois.

Meet at Smithboro Village Hall at 7pm on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 with Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society. Hear from locals and former residents including John S. Coleman; enjoy visual nostalgia of people, businesses, and events; and participate in a Q&A. Village Hall is located in the old bank, a white brick building at 202 Main Street. Parking on the street.

The public is invited! Bring your memories and photographs of Smithboro!

This will be the April meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society.

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual dinner program! Monday, October 24, 2022 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois.

We will be hearing from historian and retired educator Frank Brinkerhoff on Salem, Illinois’ Favorite Son, three-time presidential candidate, and U.S. Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan. Mr. Brinkerhoff currently serves on the City of Salem Historical Commission which operates the William Jennings Bryan Birthplace Home and Museum and the Salem Area Historical Museum.

We’ll also install historical society officers for the 2022-2023 term.

Members, history buffs, and hungry folk welcome! Meal catered by Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, includes dessert. Tickets are $15 available at the door. Benefiting Bond County Historical Society’s rebuilding of chimneys on the DeMoulin Mansion, home of Bond County Museum. The program will begin at 7pm. (Students attending for a class may arrive in time for the program only and there will be no entry charge.)

Missed our Mount Auburn Cemetery Walk? Want to watch it again? Enjoy this encore presentation from Thursday, September 8, 2022. Bond County Genealogical Society featured the tales of 8 citizens eternally resting in the memorial park. Thank you again to all who attended in person, helped plan the evening, and those who spoke.

• Video Playlist

Meet at Mount Auburn Cemetery for the next gathering of the Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society. Thursday, September 8, 2022 (rescheduled from July 26) at 6pm, hosts from the Mount Auburn Cemetery Association will share the history of the cemetery, its operation, and tales of some of Bond County’s prominent former citizens eternally resting in this memorial park founded in 1929. In 1953, Mount Auburn was described by its directors as an “ideal setting that produces a scene of peace and tranquility.” There are presently more than 2,300 burials with much room left in the land design for more.

Tour the well-manicured lawns, beautifully trimmed trees, and recently repaired curving drives within the cemetery, plus take the precious opportunity to visit the stones of family and/or friends. Among the burials are a few well remembered by members of both societies: the Anthonys, Davises, Don Jordahl, and the Hawleys.

Mount Auburn Cemetery is located at 1403 E College Ave, Greenville, Illinois, at the intersection with Idler Lane.

The Annual Rural Church meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society will be Thursday August 25th at the Woburn Baptist Church, north of Greenville (1513 Woburn Ave at the intersection of Woburn Ave and Woburn Rd).

It will be a potluck dinner (6 pm) and church members will provide the meat entrée and the drinks. The program will follow at 7pm highlighting the history of the church and community. The public is invited! Bring your memories of Woburn!

Feb 22, 2022 • Future of the Past in Illinois

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual Soup and Chili Supper program! Tuesday, February 22, 2022 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois (across First Street from the main Bradford National Bank)

We will be hearing from Illinois State Historical Society Executive Director William Furry.

Members, history buffs, and hungry folk welcome! Tickets to eat are $7, Pay at the door. The program will begin at 7pm. (Students attending for a class may arrive in time for the program only and there will be no entry charge.)

Oct 28, 2021 • Annual Dinner Program

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual dinner program! Thursday, October 28, 2021 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois.

We will be hearing from speaker Dr Richard Huston, Greenville University Department Chair of History and Political Science, on “Challenges and Benefits to Working in International Archives”. Dr Huston’s program will deal particularly with Latin American Archives based on the personal research he has done in Paraguay and Nicaragua.

We’ll also install society officers for the 2021-2022 term.

Members, history buffs, and hungry folk welcome! Meal catered by Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, includes dessert. Tickets are $12. Available at TNT RV & Generator and Will-o’-th’-Wind. You may also pay at the door. Benefiting Bond County Historical Society’s collections of resources, speakers, and to cover general society costs. The program will begin at 7pm. (Students attending for a class may arrive in time for the program only and there will be no entry charge.)

Feb 27, 2020 • Never Ending – The 1904 World’s Fair

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual Soup and Chili Supper program! Thursday, February 27, 2020 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois (across First Street from the main Bradford National Bank)

We will be hearing from noted St. Louis World’s Fair historian Professor Karl Kindt. Prof. Kindt’s program titled “Never Ending – The 1904 World’s Fair,” will focus not only on the fair held in St. Louis’ Forest Park to commemorate the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase; but also on the technological and photographic legacy the fair left behind. As part of his program, Prof. Kindt will show dozens of photographs from the Missouri Historical Society’s collection. As a special bonus, he will also search for families from Bond County that signed the fair’s visitor books. RSVP to the event on Facebook.

Members, history buffs, and hungry folk welcome! Tickets to eat are $7. Available at Watson’s Drug Store, TNT RV & Generator and WIll-o’-th’-Wind. You may also pay at the door. Benefiting Bond County Historical Society’s relocating in the U.S. DeMoulin House and meeting ADA requirements. The program will begin at 7pm. (Students attending for a class may arrive in time for the program only and there will be no entry charge.)

Oct 22, 2019 • Annual Dinner Program

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual dinner program! Tuesday, October 22, 2019 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois.

We will be hearing from speaker John Goldsmith, curator of the DeMoulin Museum in Greenville, on the topic of U.S. DeMoulin, past president of DeMoulin Bros. Uniform and Regalia Manufacturing Co and builder of the house at 409 S 4th Street, designated the future home of the Bond County Museum.

We’ll also install society officers for the 2019-2020 term.

Members, history buffs, and hungry folk welcome! Meal catered by Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, includes dessert. Tickets are $12. Available at Watson’s Drug Store, TNT RV & Generator and Will-o’-th’-Wind. You may also pay at the door. Benefiting Bond County Historical Society’s relocating in the U.S. DeMoulin House and meeting ADA requirements. The program will begin at 7pm. (Students attending for a class may arrive in time for the program only and there will be no entry charge.)

Sept 12, 2019 • Annual Rural Church Potluck Dinner Program

The Annual Rural Church meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society will be Thursday September 12th at 6:00 pm at the Pleasant Mound Baptist Church - southeast of Smithboro, Illinois. (1832 Pleasant Mound Ave)

It will be a potluck dinner (6 pm) and they will provide the meat and the drinks. The program will follow at 7pm highlighting the history of the church and community! The public is invited! Bring your memories of Pleasant Mound / Fairview!

This will be the August/September meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society.

Feb 11, 2019 • It was a Crime to be German

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual Soup and Chili Supper program! Thursday, February 11, 2019 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois (across First Street from the main Bradford National Bank)

We will be hearing from Barbara Kay, historical actor, as she portrays her great-grandmother, Margaret Kay, a resident of southern Illinois who saw and felt anti-German hysteria a century ago. Kay’s program is titled: “It was a Crime to be German”. Through her first-person, costumed portrayal, she will bring the struggles of World War I-era German Illinoisans to life and will engage audiences with questions and discussion.

Members, history buffs, and hungry folk welcome! Tickets to eat are $7. Available at Watson’s Drug Store, TNT RV & Generator and Will-o’-th’-Wind. You may also pay at the door. Benefiting Bond County Historical Society’s relocating in the U.S. DeMoulin House and meeting ADA requirements. The program will begin at 7pm. (Students attending for a class may arrive in time for the program only and there will be no entry charge.)

The event is being produced in part by Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, a program that provides organizations statewide with affordable, entertaining, and thought-provoking humanities events for their communities.

Sept 4, 2018 • Annual Rural Church Potluck Dinner Program

The Annual Rural Church meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society will be Thursday September 4th at 6:00 pm at the Reno Southern Baptist Church - Reno, Illinois. (661 16th Ave, Reno)

It will be a potluck dinner (6 pm) and they will provide the meat and the drinks. The program will follow at 7pm highlighting the history of the church and community! The public is invited! Bring your memories of Reno!

This will be the August/September meeting of Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society.

Sept 26, 2017 • DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy

Bond County Genealogical Society invites you to attend the presentation by guest Joy Upton, DAR speaker, librarian, professor, and genealogist. Ms Upton will speak on the topic of “DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy” 7pm at St Lawrence Catholic Church Posch Center (420 S Prairie St, Greenville, Illinois).

Discover the various DNA research services available, what kinds of results can be expected, and how these can be applied to finding your relatives. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Oct 27, 2015 • Annual Dinner Program

Bond County Historical Society and Bond County Genealogical Society invite you to attend the annual dinner program celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Historical Society! Tuesday, October 27, 2015 6pm at the Bradford Community Room in Greenville, Illinois.

The program will share several “Montrose Cemetery and Mausoleum Voices” as originally produced by the Greenville Bicentennial Committee. We will hear from

• Cary Holman as Will Carson
• Cindy Catron as Dr. Katherine Luzader
• Anthony Macon as Pvt. Edward Merrifield

The Business meeting will include the election of officers and various reports.

Sept 5, 2015 • Montrose Cemetery Living History Walk

Bond County Genealogical Society invites you to the Montrose Cemetery Living History Walk, 2-3pm, Saturday, September 5, 2015. 427 N 4th St, Greenville, Illinois.

Greenville’s Bicentennial Labor Day Weekend 200th Birthday Bash on September 5 and 6 will feature not only free concerts by the Bellamy Brothers and the Little River Band but also a variety of activities and performances for historians of all ages.

A tour of thirteen-acre Montrose Cemetery will be offered Saturday from 2-3 p.m. Local residents in period costumes will be stationed at various spots around the cemetery and portray early Greenville residents like Will Carson, U.S. DeMoulin, and Dr. Luzader. Tour organizer Nancy Gillard said, “You’ll learn about some fascinating Greenville residents including someone who played an important role in the development of our public library, a Bond County Civil War hero and a preacher who is buried facing the opposite direction as everyone else.” Montrose Mausoleum will also be open during that time.

A trolley will shuttle passengers for free to the museums and Montrose Cemetery on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored and chaired by the Greenville Bicentennial.

July 16, 2012 • Basic Genealogy Research: Online 101 Workshop

Monday, July 16, 6-9 pm Greenville College Library Computer Lab (301 N. Elm, Greenville).

Lola DeGroff, presenter, is a member of the Silver Creek DAR chapter, the Illinois War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the United States Daughters of 1812, and is very experienced in genealogical research.

Please register to attend.

Limited to 30 registrants.

June 11, 2011 • Bus Tour of Hill’s Fort Replica, Cox Massacre Site, & Smith Grove Cemetery

Join Bond County Genealogical Society and Bond County Historical Society on a Bond County Transit historical sites bus tour around the county!

Park at the American Farm Heritage Museum for an introductory talk about Hill’s Fort and the early settlements of Bond County prior to the War of 1812. Next, we’ll board the bus and continue to hear tales by tour guide and local historian, Kevin Kaegy, of adventure and tragedy on the way to the Cox Massacre Monument outside Pocahontas. Finally, at Smith Grove Cemetery southwest of Greenville, we’ll observe as Illinois Society War of 1812 conduct a Gravemarking Ceremony for Revolutionary War Patriot, Hezekiah Row.