Bond County Museum

06/21/2026

The heroism of one of Bond County’s earliest – and quite possibly most cantankerous – residents was remembered June 10, 2000 at a ceremony rededicating the monument to the Battle of Hill’s Fort south of Greenville.

The Hill’s Fort Monument, located near Millersburg Road, was first erected in 1916 by the local Daughters of the American Revolution. It commemorates a fight that took place near there in 1814, during the War of 1812.

In 1988, headstones were added to the monument to list the four young men who died during the battle. However, some of the information on the stones was incorrect, prompting the rededication with the right facts.

About 60 descendants of William Grotts (one of the four who died) attending a nearby family reunion were on hand for the ceremony.

The ceremony was sponsored by the Bond County Genealogical Society, the Bond County Historical Society, and the Kaskaskia Chapter of the U.S. Daughters of 1812.

Hill's Fort Monument's actual location of this video. https://maps.app.goo.gl/sa8mgAX2LnoTcSWA6There is a wonderful reconstruction of Hill's Fort nearby.. j...

06/20/2026

On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved people in America learned they were free. Though the Civil War had ended months before, the news had not yet reached Galveston, Texas. That day, now commemorated as Juneteenth, became a significant date in American history.

The founding ideals of this nation, liberty, equality, and freedom for all, have always been a promise of progress. Juneteenth represents a turning point in America's journey to fulfill them, and a reminder that the work of each generation is to bring those ideals closer to reality.

DAR honors that history and the countless Americans whose courage and perseverance helped carry this nation toward a more perfect union.

06/17/2026

In this February 1978 Greenville Advocate, local businesses advertised appliances, lawn mowers, tires, and a 24-hour truck stop restaurant!

06/15/2026

Scenes and sounds from Saturday, June 13, 2026: Bond County Museum and the Greenville Garden Club hosted the Greenville Municipal Band for an outdoor Garden Party on the beautiful grounds of the old DeMoulin Mansion. This occasion was to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of The United States of America and to honor those who have served their country!! Illinois America 250

The Bond County Museum and the Greenville Garden Club host the Gree...

06/14/2026

We enjoyed celebrating with you at our Garden Party yesterday. 🥰🌹🌸🇺🇸🥁🪈 The rain forecast almost scared us off, but we are so glad we went ahead and had a great event commemorating our independent nation’s upcoming birthday this July 4th! Please, share your own photos of the fun, socializing, and entertainment on this post!

Thank you to all the volunteers who made this party possible, and to our community friends, especially the following in particular:

Greenville Municipal Band, Greenville, Illinois
Greenville Garden Club (table centerpieces and flowers in the planters out front)
Genl George Rogers Clark Chapter Sons of the American Revolution (SAR Liberty Tree dedication)
Benjamin Mills Chapter, NSDAR
Cathy at IGA Capri Market - Greenville (preparing the catered food)

06/14/2026

🇺🇸Today, June 14, we celebrate Flag Day. 🇺🇸

It marks the day in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the American flag as the official flag of the United States.

Since then, the flag has become more than a symbol. It represents the freedoms we enjoy, the unity of our nation, and the sacrifice of the men and women who have served to protect it.

Every stripe tells part of the story.
Every star represents a state in the union.
And every time we raise the flag, we are reminded that freedom has always come at a cost.

Flag Day is a chance to pause and reflect on what the American flag stands for courage, service, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of this country.

06/11/2026

Check out this Old Ripley sign! The entire store is a fun walk-through of an estate sale. Check it out this weekend.

06/11/2026

🇺🇸🪻🌹🍰🥪🍉🏸🎼 Bond County Historical Society's America 250 Garden Party is just 2 days away at Bond County Museum! Vice President Blake Knox and his committee have a great party lined up. Food will be catered by Capri Market - Greenville for 200 people. Desserts baked by BCHS volunteers. A cash (donations) bar will be provided by Donnewald Distributing Company. Table decorations are being provided by the Greenville Garden Club. Liberty Trees will be dedicated by the Genl George Rogers Clark Chapter Sons of the American Revolution at 2pm. A croquet court will be set up plus badminton (games once more popular). And the Greenville Municipal Band, Greenville, Illinois will play.

🇺🇸It should be a great event this coming Saturday, June 13, 1:00 to 4:00 at the Bond County Museum. Come and go in your Garden Party duds or stay for the entire event!

06/08/2026

A label from a can of evaporated cream produced in Greenville under the parent brand Greenville Milk Condensing Co. serves as ’s . It has been mounted for a past exhibit, but is not currently on display.

Greenville Brand Evaporated Cream (an early term used interchangeably with unsweetened evaporated milk) was sold in 8, 16, 20 oz., and gallon-size cans; every can bore the Green “V” Trade Mark. In the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s, it was sold in grocery stores across the Midwest from Kansas to Pennsylvania and across the south from Texas to Georgia. Text on the label guarantees the product’s purity, medical healthfulness, and long shelf life in any climate. Another section provides consumer directions for mixing the product with water for general use, coffee, tea, and infant formula.

This label is part of a collection of Greenville Milk Condensing Company records and documents discovered in several boxes in a second floor attic of the two story brick building on Franklin Avenue, Greenville, that was once part of the Co. The collection has been on loan to Bond County Historical Society since 2004 from Dave and Karen Wernle.

Bond County Museum in Greenville, Illinois is open Saturdays 10am-noon year round. Also open Sundays 1pm-3pm June, July, August. And by special appointment/tour.

06/07/2026

🪻🌹🍰🥪🍉🏸🎼 Bond County Historical Society's America 250 Garden Party is less than a week away at Bond County Museum! Vice President Blake Knox and his committee have a great party lined up. Tables and chairs are rented. Food will be catered by Capri Market for 200 people. A cash (donations) bar will be provided by Donnewald Distributing. Table decorations are being provided by the Greenville Garden Club. A croquet court will be set up plus badminton (games once more popular). And the Greenville Municipal Band, Greenville, Illinois will play. It should be a great event this coming Saturday, June 13, 1:00 to 4:00 at the Bond County Museum.

Here's how you can help if you are able:
* Come by anytime this week and pull weeds from our flower beds
* Make desserts (we are planning for 200 people), then bring them by the Museum before 11:00 Saturday
* Come Saturday morning by 11:00 to
+ help cut up and plate the desserts, or
+ help set up our "pop-up" canopies, or
+ otherwise help with final preparations

Please help us spread the word, and we certainly hope you will come and join in the fun. You can come and go if you like. There will be a dedication of a Liberty Tree at 2 pm.