Pope County Historical Society - The Packet

08/24/2024

Tuesday at 6 pm! Come listen to Krist share what he has learned about the building of the levee at Golconda.

Send a message to learn more

08/17/2024

Check this out! Are you a direct descendant of a Pope County Pioneer?

08/17/2024

It's a beautiful day. The Pope County Historical Society Museum is open today 9a-3:30p. Come see us.

08/13/2024

Click here to view this video from wsiltv.com.

08/09/2024

Sharing for the folks who haven't seen yet.

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08/07/2024

Please join the Pope County Historical Society Tuesday, August 27th at 6 pm in their society meeting room for an evening of discovery regarding the building of the Golconda Levee.

Krist Thodoropoulos will provide an overview of this research project titled “Golconda: From Port to Fort”.

Krist commented on the origin of his work. “It started a couple years ago when I decided to research the history of my childhood home and still the home of my parents for the last 49 years, located at the north end of Columbus Street and adjacent to the levee. I wanted to know when the home was built, who lived there and find any early pictures that might exist. What I discovered was far more fascinating than I could have imagined! The search led me to find out about a famous Pope County politician, stories of the ‘37 flood, and a long-lost cache of levee construction photos! I am very excited to share this information with the community and I hope to see you there.

The program will be live on Facebook."

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08/06/2024

Old postcard of Pope County State Bank about 1914. Postmarked Nov. 1915.

08/06/2024

07/26/2024

1964 Herald Enterprise

07/26/2024

Lots of us remember this event. Jan 1964 Herald Enterprise

07/26/2024

1964 Herald Enterprise

07/24/2024

Dino is ready to welcome all the 9-day trail riders to town this weekend. Gates open Thursday I believe. We hope everyone has a fun, safe, and memorable week. The weather forecast is looking pretty good! Yeehaw! 🐴🐎🤠

07/16/2024

The Pope County Historical Society will meet on Tuesday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m. in the society's museum meeting room.
Our speaker this month is Mr. Bill Tanner. Come join us as we learn the story of the Trail of Tears.
Cherokee Trail of Tears through Southern Illinois
During the winter of 1838/39 almost 16,000 citizens of the Cherokee nation were forcibly removed by the U. S. government to the Oklahoma territory. For the majority of these people the route of their removal would cross Southern Illinois from Golconda to Ware. This presentation will talk about the national events leading up to the removal, and the unbelievable hardships of the Cherokee while in Illinois. Almost 200 years later have we learned or are we doing the same things over again?
This will be on Facebook live on this page. If you can't attend in person please watch Bill's presentation here.

Send a message to learn more

07/08/2024

The Pope County Historical Society will meet on Tuesday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m. in the society's museum meeting room.
Our speaker this month is Mr. Bill Tanner. Come join us as we learn the story of the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee Trail of Tears through Southern Illinois
During the winter of 1838/39 almost 16,000 citizens of the Cherokee nation were forcibly removed by the U. S. government to the Oklahoma territory. For the majority of these people the route of their removal would cross Southern Illinois from Golconda to Ware. This presentation will talk about the national events leading up to the removal, and the unbelievable hardships of the Cherokee while in Illinois. Almost 200 years later have we learned or are we doing the same things over again?
This will be on Facebook live on this page. If you can't attend in person please watch Bill's presentation here.

Send a message to learn more

07/03/2024

06/28/2024

Found in the Pope County County Clerk's office today while randomly looking in a probate box.

06/25/2024

Anyone know Beverly Sams Pitts? Needing contact info for society.
Mary Matrice Moulder ? Needing contact info.

06/19/2024

The Alexander Buel House, constructed in 1840, is a state historic site with ties to the Trail of Tears.
Like other Illinois State Historic Sites included on the 2024 Endangered List, the house suffers from deferred maintenance due to a lack of state resources. The state recently painted the exterior of the house, but other repairs are desperately needed, including urgent interior work.
Please encourage your senator, representative and the IL Dept of Natural Resources to encourage funding for this home historical landmark in Pope County.

To contact your state senator: Senator Dale Fowler
[email protected] Phone (618) 294-8951

To contact your representative: Rep. Patrick Windhorst
[email protected] Phone (618) 294-8703

To contact IL Dept of Natural Resources
[email protected] Phone: (217) 782-6303

06/17/2024

ANNOUNCEMENT! Find new information on your family! We at the Pope County Historical Society recently scanned onto our website a very valuable set of index books at the Circuit Clerk's office in Golconda. These are indexes to the valuable Loose Court Papers in the vault there. We are making the indexes free to the public on our website - go to www.popecoilhs.org and look under Circuit Court Records to see the index books and complete information about these wonderful records and learn how to order digital copies of the actual files!

Pope County Illinois was created in 1816. The society has worked since 1966 to collect artifacts and items of interest regarding the county's history. Family genealogy is important to the society.

06/13/2024

Join us Tuesday, June 25th (in person or on Facebook Live) at 6pm as Mark Motsinger presents a program on Ancient Fortifications - The Stone Fort Tradition of the Lower Ohio Valley.
Southern Illinois is unique in the number of confirmed pre-Columbian stonewalls that can be found stretching east to west across the southern tip of the state. Mark has done research into the stone forts of our area. The program will look at his research and explore the mystery surrounding this unique part of our area’s history. Because of his research, Mark was awarded the Olive Foster Illinois History Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Historical Society in 2014.

Mark Motsinger is a recently retired History Teacher at Carrier Mills/Stonefort High School. He came to Carrier Mills/Stonefort after stints at Dakar Academy in Senegal, West Africa, Southeastern Illinois College, and Henderson County High School in Henderson Kentucky. Mr. Motsinger is on the Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society Advisory Board, Chairman of the State Historical Markers Committee, President of the Saline County Historical Society, Saline County and Southern Most Tourism Boards, and Ozark/Trigg Tours Board. Mr. Motsinger lives near Harco, Illinois with his wife Jackie.

06/12/2024

Need help with names please!
They were probably born around 1946.

06/01/2024

PTF-26, known as the “Last American PT Boat” makes a stop at Mobile AL National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico

05/28/2024

Come see Darrell Dexter this evening. He is discussing and