Bond County
Historical
Society
History of the Bond County Historical Society
The Bond
County Historical Society was organized in 1955 as a result of the
efforts of John H. Nolan. For over half a century Mr. Nolan collected
information on the history of the county and wrote letters tracking down
former residents across the United States. In the early 1950's he wrote
regular articles for the Greenville Advocate and became known as an
unofficial historian of the area. He also began informal meetings with
a small group of people to discuss the county’s history. Mr. Nolan soon
put out an appeal for the creation of a historical society, and interest
quickly grew.
Bond County Historical Society Founder
John H. Nolan
On
October 11, 1955 the Bond County Historical Society was formed with 111
charter members and John Nolan as President and Historian. Other
officers elected at the first meeting included Mrs. Charles J. Dawdy,
First Vice President; Ms. Evelyne McCracken, Second Vice President; Mrs.
Cornelia Davis, Secretary; and C. Douglas Hoiles, Treasurer. A
constitution and bylaws were adopted and regular meetings scheduled.
1950's era membership card
Because many artifacts were being donated to the society, a temporary museum was established in an upper room of the Bond County Courthouse in Greenville. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Gobberdiel were the first curators of this small museum. They also restored a rosewood piano donated by Greenville College that was once owned by Almira Blanchard Morse. This piano is known to have been shipped by boat from Boston to St. Louis in 1840 and is believed to be the first piano in Bond County.