Brown County-IL Historical Society

05/21/2026

Would anyone remember Friday's Furniture store, where it was located or any history about it? They placed ads in the D-M from 1935-1959. Pictures would also be great! Thanks!

05/17/2026

Thank you to Robin Turner for submitting a few of her Turner family photos. Ed Turner was the circuit judge in Bro Co for many years and his father was also an attorney.

04/30/2026

A great example for churches would be a copy of their registry with membership names etc. School examples would be class pics, sports awards STATE CHAMPIONSHIP players/coaches, FFA, Art Club, Band/Choir...the possibilities are many and easy to get. Pictures used for yearbooks, sports articles etc. Businesses could submit a picture of staff in front of your building, DM can submit 250th Anniversary issue.......the possibilities are endless!!!!! Please leave your submission at the library between now and June 5th!

The America250 committee along with the Brown Co Historical Society and City of Mt. Sterling are coordinating the Time Capsule project which will preserve items including letters, lapel pins, pictures, booklets, flyers and other items that represent our community’s unique history. The time capsule will serve as a lasting record of how Brown County marked this important milestone and will be opened in 2076 during America’s 300th anniversary.
We are inviting all communities, businesses, churches, school classes/sports teams, civic organizations etc. to submit items. Those items that lay flat will be accepted. Ideal items are class pictures, church membership books/rolls, pictures receiving awards, resolutions/declarations and special edition newspapers are just a few. These items will tell the story of what Brown County was about and what we were proud of in 2026.
Items suggested for inclusion in the time capsule can be brought to the Brown County Public Library commencing Monday, April 13 through Friday, June 5. Items provided will not be returned (even if not selected for inclusion).

04/24/2026

The America250 committee along with the Brown Co Historical Society and City of Mt. Sterling are coordinating the Time Capsule project which will preserve items including letters, lapel pins, pictures, booklets, flyers and other items that represent our community’s unique history. The time capsule will serve as a lasting record of how Brown County marked this important milestone and will be opened in 2076 during America’s 300th anniversary.
We are inviting all communities, businesses, churches, school classes/sports teams, civic organizations etc. to submit items. Those items that lay flat will be accepted. Ideal items are class pictures, church membership books/rolls, pictures receiving awards, resolutions/declarations and special edition newspapers are just a few. These items will tell the story of what Brown County was about and what we were proud of in 2026.
Items suggested for inclusion in the time capsule can be brought to the Brown County Public Library commencing Monday, April 13 through Friday, June 5. Items provided will not be returned (even if not selected for inclusion).

03/29/2026

The Brown County Court House broke out in a fire early on Wed, March 8, 1939, a beautiful colonial structure and one of the the oldest and certainly best known landmarks in the county was totally wrecked by fire. Property damage was estimated in excess of $70,000 and only partially insured.
The alarm was announcing the fire was sounded at 6am. Kenneth Ferguson, an employee at Meyer Meat Market, observed smoke coming from the southeast corner of the building and notified the fire department. Within minutes, firemen arrived and found flames and smoke coming from all sections of the east side. efforts to confine the fire were unsuccessful and the raging flames spread rapidly to the adjoining areas especially the dome which for years had been an outstanding feature of the structure.
Officials were summoned immediately and assisted in moving valuable records from their offices. The records were carried into the court house yard and later in the day were transferred tot he Givens building for safe keeping. (The Givens store was being vacated that day).
Temporary headquarters were established in the First National Bank Building. County officials assigned to various rooms were Sheriff Otto Shoopman; county Clerk, Early Johnson; Circuit Clerk, Lucy Parlier; Treasurer, Luther Vale; States Attorney, Vernon Briggs; County Judge, John Q. Lawless; Superintendent of Schools, Fred Nations. Court sessions were held in the K.C. Hall.
The court house which was the second one for Brown County was constructed in 1867, by a local contractor, Thomas Jones, grandfather of Glenn Jones. It was designed by David House. The building was well built at a cost of about $20,000.
Plans for rebuilding of the Court House began at once. The Board of Supervisors secured the assistance of an architect, Raymond J. Johnson of Jacksonville to prepare the plans for renovation and repair of the damaged building. An attempt was made to preserve the old lines of the former court house but the cupola was not replaced. The large portico on the front with four huge white pillars was restored. County office rooms were provided with ceiling vaults, a modern court room was completed and the new Brown County Court House was ready for occupancy in 1942.

03/25/2026

A Clayton person is asking if anyone can identified these pictures. They could be the Orton or Robbins families. Please respond here and I’ll get responses to them. Thanks!

02/12/2026

I'm sure some of you are anxiously awaiting the next pages from the Versailles Sentinel Souvenir Edition from 1917!!!! Here are the remaining pages. I hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have. Please post your comments of the things you've learned from these posts!!!! It's always interesting to learn from others.

02/06/2026

HELP US MEET OUR GOAL!!!

Brown County Historical Society Replacing Depot Platform:
Updating made possible with the help of the Tracy Family
Foundation

Members of the Brown County Historical Society, owners of the Depot Museum that sits inside the gate of the Brown County Fairgrounds, have moved forward with plans to replace the aging platform that stretches across the front of the Museum.
The necessary large replacement timbers were ordered, and are now resting in front of the Museum Depot, obvious to the passersby. Financing the replacement project has been an important element in the planning. The total cost will be approximately $16,000. The Society is grateful for, and appreciative upon receiving the support of the Tracy Family Foundation,
who have accepted a grant application for monies towards this reconstruction project.
Along with their donation, the Tracy Family Foundation offered a
Challenge Grant of $1,000. To meet this challenge, the Society is asking members, community members and friends to support the effort with a donation towards the cost of replacing the platform, by helping raise $1,000, which will make it eligible for the additional
$1,000 from the Tracy Family Foundation.
Donations in check form may be made to the Brown County Historical Society (notation to: platform replacement fund), and mailed to Candy Knight, 990 450E Street, Timewell, IL. 62375. Your donation will be gratefully received!
The contractor has been hired, and the work is to begin this spring. The donated funds will put the Society in a good place financially to finish the platform replacement job, including the updating of additional details securing the safe entrance to the Depot Museum well ahead of the summer activities.

02/05/2026

For the next installment of the 1917 Souvenir Edition of the Versailles Sentinel, I'm posting pages 24-31. Enjoy!

01/31/2026

I hope you enjoy pages 16 thru 23 of the Versailles Sentinel Souvenir Edition 1917.