In the 1960's, several people interested in collecting and displaying artifacts from Johnson County formed a group for that purpose. This first group closed after the untimely death of the President, Buck Cummins. An interest in reogranizing came about after Delbert Brown wants to publish a county history book. A new board was organized, and the Johnson County Genealogical & Historical Society was incorporated in 1989, and the group started having regular meetings for the community. Johnson County, Illinois History & Families was published in 1990 with a lot of work and help from the community. It is commonly referred to as "The Green Book".

After "The Green Book" was published, the JCGHS was officially named the custodian of the Paul Powell House under a trust administered by the First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust as trustee as stated in the Last Will & Testament of Paul Powell, former Secretary of State of Illinois. This arrangement continued until the Trust Dissolved in 2023.

 

The JCGHS became interested in publishing books and articles about Johnson County. It was noted at that time there was only one book about the history of the county. It became very important to publish census records and information about towns and family histories. Currently, a monthly newsletter, The Heritage Journal, is published with four or more editors who rotate on producing the informative and interesting newsletter.

 

The JCGHS continues to hold monthly programs (except during the summer) at the Vienna Library Artifacts, and books are maintained by the Society. The monthly newsletter contains listings of books and publications available for purchase, and a listing is also on the website. Currently, members of JCGHS receive a discount when purchasing publications.

 

The future looks bright for the society. Many new innovations and changes in a possible location are coming about, and will be revealed when appropriate. We continue to grow and change to meet today's standards. We would love to have you as a Member!

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