Bond
County, Illinois
Just over
17,000 people live in Bond
County, one of the smallest
counties in the state. Until 1817, Bond
County was part of Madison County. On
January 4 of that year, the Illinois
Territorial Legislature voted to establish a
new county, and named it after its
territorial governor, Shadrach Bond. It is
located in southwestern Illinois.
Bond County cities include Donnellson,
Greenville, Mulberry Grove, Pierron,
Pocahontas, Smithboro and Sorento.
Greenville is the county seat, located about
45 miles east of St. Louis, Mo. Greenville
holds its history close. Downtown, there’s
the Bond County Historical Society at the
Hoiles-Davis Museum, and the Bond County
Genealogical Society, which holds thousands
of archived materials at the Greenville
Public Library – also an historic
building.
On the campus of Greenville
College, the Bock
Museum houses the works of
sculptor Richard W. Bock, who collaborated
with famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Hogue
Hall, also on campus, is listed
on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Despite its size, Bond County is home to
parts of some of the most popular parks in
the state. The 1,463-acre Eagle Creek State
Park has several scenic trails that follow
the Lake Shelbyville shoreline. Nearby Wolf
Creek State Park is 2,400 acres,
on Lake Shelbyville’s eastern shore.
There’s also Eldon
Hazlet State Park located on
Carlyle Lake, the largest manmade reservoir
in the state. Carlyle
Lake is home to South
Shore State Park, where more than
200,000 waterfowl drop by each winter during
their migratory travels north and south.
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