Perry County Jail Museum

06/18/2026

Did you know there are Revolutionary war patriots buried in Perry County? I didn’t either! And did you know this region (the MississippiValley) was a very important piece of land that was occupied by the English, then the French and eventually negotiated and fought for by the clever leadership of George Rogers Clark with the help of Chief DuQuoin to claim it for the new America!

06/16/2026

On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln accepted his party's nomination for the Senate at Illinois' State Capital Building. His address — delivered by heart — was the most important speech he had ever made.

"'A house divided against itself cannot stand,'" Lincoln quoted from the Bible, continuing: “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided."

Lincoln had launched a campaign to challenge his old political rival, Stephen Douglas, for his Senate seat. Lincoln ultimately lost the election, but the series of seven debates that he challenged Douglas to ultimately raised his political profile, setting the stage for his ascent to the presidency.

📸: Abraham Lincoln in 1858 (Public Domain)

06/16/2026

We will be open beginning July 7- and our hours will be same weekly.

06/16/2026

We finally got to show the Jail Museum off! This past Sunday, Pinckneyville celebrated America’s 250th Birthday with a day full of food, fun, music, and patriotic endeavors. It was outdoors between the Jail Museum and the Pinckneyville Community Center (formally the Pville medical Clinic). We teamed up together to make it happen - and a big Thank You goes out to Rhonda Shubert who put the event together - it was a big success!
We’re popping our buttons over the progress we’ve made at the museum, this was her debut and there were a couple hundred people who came thru to see all that is inside. We’ve been doing renovations and re-constructing exhibits and are very proud (and tired). But! We are opening back up for tours so there will be a post shortly with the hours that we will be open. Here are some pictures one of our members snapped Sunday, be sure to stop in and take a look around if you weren’t able to make it Sunday.

06/16/2026

05/05/2026

This past Saturday, May 2nd we hosted “Dining in History” at St Paul United Church of Christ fellowship hall. It was a great success with more than 50 in attendance. We had a delicious meal provided by Kitten Lee catering, we had very interesting speakers and learned just how much of the founding of our nation involved our area and some very savvy patriots! If you’ve never heard of him, his name is George Rogers Clark and he was integral to the United States securing the Midwest from the French. We also learned about “the Indigo Girl” who was the mother to Colonel Pinckney, of whom our town is named after. That’s an incredible story! We had a silent auction, and the best cake from
Mark’s Bakery in Duquoin. Oh and we learned how important chief DuQuoin was in helping the Americans with trade and support of the troops. Thanks to our speakers, Ray Porter and Rhonda Schubert, thanks to Cheryl Bigham who came up with the idea and headed up the planning, and thanks to David Sprehe for his introduction to our evening, compelling people to become involved and helping us to understand the importance of our history and of us learning how we got to here today. And a big thank you to all who attended, It was a very special evening. If you missed it, the Pinckneyville Community Center and the historical society are putting on “Celebrate250” on June 14. We have so much planned for the day - music, food trucks, historically themed games and crafts, and some historical characters will be showing up! The museum will be open to walk thru - you’ll get to see the work we’ve done inside making it more historically correct. So keep an eye out for info - we have flyers we’ll post here. And of course if any of this sounds like something you would like to get involved with, we would love to have you become a member! Just leave a comment and we’ll get you a membership form (just $25 for the year)

04/26/2026

🇺🇸We have a few spots still
available for Dining in History this coming Saturday evening!🇺🇸

⭐️If you are interested in getting a ticket, contact Cheryl Bigham directly at 618-357-1642!⭐️

🇺🇸Calling all history buffs!🇺🇸

🌟Join us for a special evening of local history, great food and community!

🌟The Perry County Historical Society invites you to a unique Dining History Event, where stories of our past come to life while you enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Kittens Catering.

🌟Spend the evening with local historians as they share fascinating insights, stories, and connections that make our community so special. It’s the perfect opportunity to gather with friends, learn something new, and celebrate Perry County’s rich heritage.

📅 May 2, 2026�📍 Saint Paul, UCC, Pinckneyville, Illinois�⏰ 6 PM 

🌟Seats are limited, so be sure to reserve yours soon!

💰Venmo Payment to Perry County Jail Museum or send your payment 108 W. Jackson Street, Pinckneyville, IL.

🇺🇸We look forward to sharing this memorable night with you!🇺🇸

04/15/2026

🇺🇸Calling all history buffs!🇺🇸

🌟Join us for a special evening of local history, great food and community!

🌟The Perry County Historical Society invites you to a unique Dining History Event, where stories of our past come to life while you enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Kittens Catering.

🌟Spend the evening with local historians as they share fascinating insights, stories, and connections that make our community so special. It’s the perfect opportunity to gather with friends, learn something new, and celebrate Perry County’s rich heritage.

📅 May 2, 2026�📍 Saint Paul, UCC, Pinckneyville, Illinois�⏰ 6 PM 

🌟Seats are limited, so be sure to reserve yours soon!

💰Venmo Payment to Perry County Jail Museum or send your payment 108 W. Jackson Street, Pinckneyville, IL.

🇺🇸We look forward to sharing this memorable night with you!🇺🇸

01/28/2026

12/28/2025

When children are raised among artifacts, photographs, and local legends, they grow into adults with depth, curiosity, and a sense of place.