Jefferson County Historical Society

10/25/2026

Stop by the Historical Village today and take photos of your favorite pumpkin! The buildings will be open to tour today from 1-4. This is the last day of the season to tour the buildings but they will be open for the Candlelight Walk on November 7th from 5-7pm.

10/22/2026

Step back in time at a hidden village showcasing 19 historical buildings. Discover more about this immersive experience at the link in the comments. 🔗

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

BLUFORD, ILLINOIS — THE ICE THAT KEPT THE FRUIT MOVING

*Images are for illustration only and are not actual photos.*

A railroad town needed more than tracks and locomotives. In Bluford, it also needed ice.

During the 1920s, construction of the Illinois Central cutoff brought new activity to this Jefferson County community. The railroad established a division point, with extensive yards, a roundhouse and machine shops.

An ice plant supplied northbound fruit cars, helping keep their perishable cargo cool on the journey to market. Long before modern refrigerated trucks became familiar sights, ice helped connect distant growers with customers.

Railroad work also supported life beyond the tracks. Hotels, a rooming house and restaurants accommodated railroad men, while nearby Markham City developed businesses of its own.

There was even music among the machinery. Local history remembers a “Round House Quartet”—four railroad workers who performed at school, church and social events.

The yards closed in 1967, ending an important chapter in the community’s working life. But Bluford’s railroad story survives in the memories of families whose livelihoods depended on those tracks.

Did anyone in your family work at the Bluford yards, roundhouse or ice plant?

Images are for illustration only and are not actual photos.

10/19/2026

MOUNT VERNON, ILLINOIS — REMEMBERING GRIGGS MARKET

Sometimes a town’s history comes back to us through the name of an old grocery store.

For Mount Vernon, Griggs is one of those names. Griggs Grocery appears in the December 1, 1956, edition of the Mount Vernon Register-News. In an archived discussion about old Mount Vernon, a local contributor remembered the business at 1019 Main Street and identified its owner as Bill Griggs.

Those few details give us a starting point. The people who shopped and worked there hold another part of the story.

Think of grocery shopping in the 1950s: mechanical cash registers, prices entered by hand, and purchases packed into brown paper bags. Before the familiar beep of a barcode scanner, checkout had a different rhythm.

Our illustration imagines that era with four checkout lanes and cashiers in period clothing. It does not reproduce the documented interior of Griggs Market or depict its actual employees.

Local businesses leave memories that newspaper mentions cannot capture. A first job. A shopping trip with a parent. Someone behind the counter whose name you still remember decades later.

Did your family shop at Griggs? Did you work there, or remember where it stood? Share your memories—and help fill in the story behind this Mount Vernon name.

Images are for illustration only and are not actual photos.

10/17/2026

Getting ready for Astronomy Night! Come see us at 6pm!

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

🎉 Celebrating 80 Years of Preserving Our History! 🎉

Congratulations to the Jefferson County Historical Society on 80 incredible years of preserving, sharing, and celebrating the stories that make our community so special! ❤️

For eight decades, this dedicated organization and its members have worked to keep Jefferson County's rich history alive, connecting generations through the people, places, and stories that shaped our home.

We are so fortunate to have the Jefferson County Historical Society as part of our community, and we are grateful for the passion and dedication they bring to preserving our heritage for future generations.

From all of us at Enjoy Mt. Vernon, HAPPY 80TH ANNIVERSARY! 🎂🎉

Here's to 80 years of history — and many more years of stories worth sharing!