Washington County Historical Society

Call Directions Contact the organization

Washington County Historical Society The WCHS owns and operates three museums containing many historical items that have been collected or donated by WC residents over the past 51 years.

The John Paul Jones/Kate LeCompte House at 326 S. Kaskaskia St. contains period furnishings, paintings, books, newspaper articles, clothing, photos, various collections, and military uniforms and items. Also at the Museum, we have a library containing Census info, maps, old movies, old cemetery listings, genealogy reference books, family histories, yearbooks, IL county history books, surrounding county history books, and Washington County reference books. Sadly, we do not have a resident genealogist that can assist you on site, however, we can put you in contact with someone whom we consider to be an expert genealogist, and can assist you with tracing family lineage in southern Illinois. Our L&N Train Depot is located at the corners of E. 1st and N. Kaskaskia Streets. This museum is in fact the only remaining (nonworking) depot in WC. While it appears to be a working depot, passenger service was stopped in 1971. We do, however, have many photos and some memorabilia of past WC train depots that once dotted the countryside. There is also a working train set located in the Cargo Room of the depot that is operated only by tour guides. Both the Museum and the L&N Depot are open on Saturday afternoons from 1:00-4:00. Lastly, we have the McKelvey One Room School House located about 3 miles west of Nashville on State Route 15. It is open by appointment only. At one time, WC had as many as 90 one room school houses. It is completely outfitted to resemble what the old school houses looked like and that were used from the late 1800s until about the 1950s. If you would like to arrange a special group tour, i.e., class reunion, senior citizen, school, or family reunion, we will gladly open our doors to accommodate your schedule. Point of contact for arrangements for tours is Elaine Rucker (618)589-3238.

Each year on November 11, we honor the men and women who wore the uniforms of our country. This special day is a time t...
10/20/2026

Each year on November 11, we honor the men and women who wore the uniforms of our country. This special day is a time to reflect on the stories, legacies, and sacrifices that shaped our history. This past July 4th, we paid special tribute to those American Revolutionary War soldiers who were the first to pick up arms and fight for our young country. Many of our Washington County men and women have followed after them. For our historical society, this day carries special meaning . We are entrusted with preserving the memories of those who served, ensuring that future generations understand the courage and commitment behind their service.

Two of the three museums we own and operate hold many military artifacts, i.e., handwritten letters sent home, uniforms, photographs, old weapons, diaries, histories of soldiers, and shadow boxes of treasures that hold items once kept by soldiers. It is such an honor to collect these artifacts so that they can be shared to tell the human side of military history.

This year, we are hoping that many of our county veterans would like to bring some of their military items to the L&N Depot for Veterans Day. We have done this in the past and it was always well received. If this interests you, please contact us. We would love to show your artifacts and share your story. Our county's history is rich with stories of local heroes - men and women who left their homes from that same Depot to be inducted into service in St. Louis. Many of our farmers became soldiers, students who became pilots, and nurses who became lifelines for the wounded. Give it a thought, then give us a call.
Point of contact for this message is Elaine Rucker, 618-239-4539

Our Museums Are Open Today!!!All three WCHS Museums will be open Sunday, October 11th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.Our museums are...
10/11/2026

Our Museums Are Open Today!!!
All three WCHS Museums will be open Sunday, October 11th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.
Our museums are located as follows:
WCHS Main Museum 326 South Kaskaskia Street, Nashville, IL
WCHS L&N Depot East 1st Street and North Kaskaskia Street, Nashville, IL
McKelvey One Room School 2 miles west of Nashville on State Route 15.
Lots of new displays and exhibits!
Please support your local museums.

The Washington County Historical Society had a really nice turn out for the Annual Ice Cream Social on October 4th at th...
10/06/2026

The Washington County Historical Society had a really nice turn out for the Annual Ice Cream Social on October 4th at the WCHS Museum. For those of you who haven’t been to one of our Ice Cream Socials, the process of making the ice cream is certainly quite entertaining to watch. We thank Seth and Tom Swoboda for bringing their very unique antique Ice Cream Maker to support this event and for whipping up some of the best homemade ice cream. We also want to thank Miss Ainsley Swoboda, daughter of Seth and Nicole Swoboda, for helping her dad mix up the ingredients for the ice cream mixture and for being our official “First Taster” of the ice cream. She chose the strawberry ice cream and gave her approval… and the festivities began. We thank Don and Shelley Rybacki for the use of their chest freezer to keep the ice cream cold. Mike Chwasczinski generously donated some Prairie Farms Ice Cream for the event. Lastly, we thank our Nashville Kroger Manager making sure we had plenty of milk and cream for the event. Thanks to all who came and supported this event. It was beautiful day…perfect for ice cream and visiting with everyone. See you next year!

Photo Captions:
1. Tom and Seth Swoboda preparing to crank up the pony motor that powers the Ice Cream Maker.
2. Ainsley Swoboda and Cathy Dinkelman getting ready to serve up some delicious ice cream.
3. Full view of the antique ice cream maker. Check out the size of that bucket!

Wood Family…Early Settlers of Nashville The John Wood Family is documented in the “Washington County Combined 1879 H...
10/04/2026

Wood Family…Early Settlers of Nashville
The John Wood Family is documented in the “Washington County Combined 1879 History and 1906 Standard Atlas.” as early settlers in the Nashville Precinct. In Circa 1821, twenty-one-year-old John Wood and his wife were among the earliest settlers to arrive in the Nashville Precinct. Wood’s wife’s name is not given our history book, and she is continually referred to as Mrs. John Wood. Like most settlers of that time period, the Wood’s squatted on a piece of government land and built their home in Circa 1822 or 1823.
Initially, Wood worked as the business manager of a store owned by James Mitchell who came from Belleville. Mitchell’s store was the second business store to open in Nashville; the first store was owned by Orcenith Fisher. After a short while, Wood became partners with Mitchell in the business. He would eventually purchase Mitchell’s interest in the store and was the sole proprietor. Historical records tell us the Wood’s home was built and used as an inn, pony express stop, tavern, store and post office. Mrs. Wood is credited for running the post office in the home. It was also the meeting place of politicians and it became their headquarters in those early days. It was a stopping place of circuit-riding lawyers, preachers, and of the riders of the pony express. It has also been said, but cannot be verified, that on one or two occasions that during a time when there was no courthouse, court was held within the walls of the tavern. Their home stood for nearly 130 years near the corners of North Western and West Vernor Avenue on the north western edge of Nashville. It was razed in 1952.

Mr. and Mrs. Wood are known to have had at two children, Joseph and Susan. Susan’s marriage to Mr. Champness Ball was an eventful affair as it was the first marriage performed in the city of Nashville in February 1835. Their marriage was solemnized by Major John Wood. Upon the deaths of John, Mrs. Wood, and their daughter Susan, they were laid to rest about 100 yards from their home. Gravestones marked the burial sites throughout the years up until the late 1970s. Today, we are not sure what happened to the stones as they are no longer at that site. The gravesite for Joseph Wood, is at the Masonic Cemetery in Nashville.
It should be noted our history book informs John Wood served as a Senator for two years (1838-1840). It also informs he served as a soldier in the Black Hawk War. He enlisted into service on May 28, 1832 and served two years. First, he was mustered in as an Orderly Sergeant, then appointed as Adjutant, and then was elected as Major of the regiment from WC.
As a courtesy to the family of one our earliest settlers, the Washington County Historical Society has done preliminary genealogical research on the John Wood family and is trying to locate any living descendants. We hope to be able to provide them with the history of their family and if they are interested, we can also provide them with local points of contact for veteran’s service organizations who can assist them through the protocols of requesting a military cenotaph from the Veterans Administration. The purpose of this cenotaph is to allow the family to use it as a gathering point at a cemetery to honor their ancestor even though the remains are buried elsewhere. Anyone with information of the John Wood Family, please contact Ray Porter at 618-314-5185.

Photo Caption: The Wood Family Home as pictured in 1952. This was once Nashville's most famous landmark built in Circa 1822-1823.

09/27/2026

All three WCHS Museums will be open Sunday September 27th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.
Our museums are located as follows:
WCHS Main Museum 326 South Kaskaskia Street, Nashville, IL
WCHS L&N Depot East 1st Street and North Kaskaskia Street, Nashville, IL
McKelvey One Room School 2 miles west of Nashville on State Route 15.
Please support your local museums.

Just a reminder, a Historic Photo Display is being held at the Venedy Village Hall this Sunday. Check it out and meet a...
09/25/2026

Just a reminder, a Historic Photo Display is being held at the Venedy Village Hall this Sunday. Check it out and meet and greet the good folks out there sharing their history.

Quilt RaffleThis beautiful quilt was gifted to the WCHS to be raffled by longtime member Mary Ann Borowiak. It is curr...
09/25/2026

Quilt Raffle
This beautiful quilt was gifted to the WCHS to be raffled by longtime member Mary Ann Borowiak. It is currently be displayed in the lobby of the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank in Nashville, and raffle tickets are being sold there. The quilt measures 82" X 90". It is beautifully embroidered and machine quilted. It would be a perfect gift for a lady or a little girl. It will be displayed at the bank up until December 3rd and the drawing will be held on that day. Tickets are being sold for $5.00 per ticket or $25.00 for 6 tickets. Don't miss your chance on this beautiful quilt...it would make a very nice Christmas gift.

What better way to end a very hot summer? And check out Seth's ice cream maker.Mark your calendars!!!!!
09/18/2026

What better way to end a very hot summer? And check out Seth's ice cream maker.

Mark your calendars!!!!!

A Christmas TraditionAs a diversion from this horrible heat wave we’ve been having for weeks, I’d like to share a little...
09/10/2026

A Christmas Tradition
As a diversion from this horrible heat wave we’ve been having for weeks, I’d like to share a little information about the Washington County Historical Society’s “Santa At The Depot” Christmas Event. The WCHS will continue the tradition of presenting Santa and Mrs. Claus for the dates and times shown on the schedule below. We created this special event back in 2014, solely for the purpose of making sure children, parents, and grandparents from Washington County and nearby towns could comfortably visit Santa in a historic building that will surely be memorable and gives a nod to the 17 train depots that once existed in Washington County. This depot is beautifully preserved and is handicap accessible.
There will be cookies, candy, and other treats for each child that attends this event. Please bring your cameras or phones for photos. And yes, Santa will be happy to greet those “big kids” who like to sneak in just to get their picture taken.
We thank the Nashville Chamber of Commerce for the many years we have worked together to build this special Christmas Tradition that the people of the county have come to know and love. We welcome Sam and Martie Jack back who will portray Santa and Mrs. Claus. We are appreciative and thank the Santa and Mrs. Claus sponsors: The Wash Co, Nashville Self-Storage, the Swoboda Family, and Farmers Mid-County Feed Company. Our Santa Schedule is shown below so please mark your calendars. We hope to see you there!
Santa Schedule
November 28th 1:00-4:00
December 4th 5:00-7:00
December 12th 1:00-3:00
December 19th 1:00-3:00
December 20th 1:00-3:00
December 22nd 5:00-7:00
December 23rd 5:00-7:00

09/09/2026

All three WCHS Museums will be open Sunday September 13th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.
Our museums are located as follows:
WCHS Main Museum 326 South Kaskaskia Street, Nashville, IL
WHS L&N Depot East 1st Street and North Kaskaskia Street, Nashville, IL
McKelvey One Room School 2 miles west of Nashville on State Route 15.

Please support your local museums.

Address

326 South Kaskaskia
Nashville, IL
62263

Opening Hours

1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+16183278465

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Washington County Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Washington County Historical Society:

Shortcuts

Share