Coulterville Historical Society

 

Website:cvillehistory.wixsite.com/coulterville

Email: cvillehistory@cvillecusd1.org

Contact by Phone: Jenny Dyson 618-317-4933

Quarterly Newsletter

January 2026

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026 where we hope to bring exciting new activities to the museum! As you know, the museum closed at the beginning of October to start the renovation process. Some of the current renovations include: new exterior doors, all new windows, a completely new front room floor, and new flooring to replace all the carpeted areas. This renovation project is being funded by the TIF monies from the Village of Coulterville. During this renovation, the plumbing finally gave out. This is something that we have been anticipating, and the time is here. So, we are now working with CS Plumbing out of Pinckneyville to get a bid to get us up and running again. We will fill out a second TIF application to cover this cost. With this being said, our goal of reopening for our Anniversary in March may have to be delayed depending on the work completion. Please continue to check back to our website and the Facebook page to follow the progress.

 

In other news, the Savers Fund Drive ended with a profit of $450. We delivered 3190 pounds of clothing items, household goods, and media on October 25th  with a three person caravan. Although we didn't make our goal of $600, we learned a lot about the process, and the community was able to de-clutter items from their homes. We also want to extend our thanks to those of you who donated cash towards this event. All donations are greatly appreciated! It all helped boost our account for operating expenses. 

 

In other funding prospects, Jenny has applied for two grants being offered by two different solar companies who are building in Randolph County. We hope to hear back soon and will report any progress as soon as we get it!

 

Here are some local America 250 events that will be taking place this summer:

-The Randolph County Tourism Committee will be hosting a celebration at Fort Kaskaskia on Saturday, June 20. There will be live music, food trucks, and vendors throughout the day. More information will be shared on our Facebook page as soon as the details are finalized. 

-The Coulterville Fall Festival will be held on Saturday, September 19 and the theme will be America 250.

 

*Once the museum is fully operational again, we will host some special events in honor of our re-opening with some America 250 themed surprises from some of our High School students!

 

Please plan to help celebrate this milestone in our country’s history in your own community!

 

LASTLY! We need your help! We have a huge fundraising opportunity and need volunteers. The Fort de Chartres Rendzeveous has asked us to manage the parking at this year’s event. Volunteers are needed on June 6 and 7 from 7:00 am to approximately 5:00 pm. We welcome all day volunteers or shift volunteers. We stand to make a significant amount of money by working this one weekend. It could potentially pay for almost half of a year’s operating expenses. Please contact Jenny if you are able to help! 618-317-4933