2013 Tour de Shawnee

The Living History Day event on October 5, 2013 included an 1845 court case reenactment (The Forgery) and a cemetery walk (most of those characters will be from that era and the Civil War era). The cemetery is in the same block as the courthouse, but we had to move this part of the event to the dungeon due to the rain. Wilford Garrett was the quilt raffle winner of a beautiful "Southern Belle" quilt embroidered by Faye Prater. (Photo below) Also check out our Living History Day photo album in the photo tab.

2013 Living History Day
The Thebes Historical Society is busy preparing for a Living History Day on Saturday, October 5th from 3 to 6 PM at the Thebes Courthouse. The event will include a court case reenactment and a cemetery walk. Participants will dress in Civil War era period clothing. Keep checking this website and our Facebook page for updates. Below are some pictures of an outing by several members of our group. We visited Creatures of Habit in Paducah, KY to try on costumes for Living History Day. We also stopped by Hancocks of Paducah and picked out material for another quilt to be raffled off on October 5, 2013.

Quilt to be raffled off October 5, 2013

Here is a sample block of the beautiful quilt to be raffled off at the end of our Living History Day event on October 5, 2013. Tickets may be purchased at the Thebes Courthouse on weekends or from any Thebes Historical Society member. They are $2 each or 6 for $10.

Thanks for making this happen again, Faye Prater :)

All dressed up and ready for Memorial Day Weekend 2013. New windows were made possible by a grant from Southern Foundation. New doors were financed by fundraisers and donations.

Please go to our "Photos" page for pictures of Memorial Day weekend 2013.

2013 Memorial Day Raffle prizes

The beautiful quilt on the left was made by Historical Society member Faye Prater of Thebes.
Deloris "Sis" (Palmer) Clubb of Thebes was the lucky winner of the quilt raffle on May 27, 2013. All proceeds go toward the preservation of the Old Courthouse.

The second raffle prize is a beautiful afghan made and donated by Sonjia (Orick) Baugher of Mammoth, Arizona.

The third raffle prize is an apron made by Patty Tapley of Thebes and embroidered by Go2 Designs of Thebes.

We opened to the public for 2013 on Saturday, March 16. We are scheduled to be open from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays and from Noon to 4 PM on Sundays. If you are coming from a distance, please check our Facebook page to make sure we haven't closed due to extreme heat or emergencies.

We received a beautiful crocheted afghan in the mail today from Sonjia (Orick) Baugher who lives in Arizona. She has donated the afghan to add to our quilt raffle for Memorial Day weekend this year. It is even prettier than in the pictures which were posted about a week ago. Thank you so much, Sonjia!

Thebes Historical Society Members Visit Tollhouse Museum

On February 25, 2013 Historical Society members Twyla Wareing, Debbie Goins and Phyllis Allison met with Charles Althoff at the Tollhouse Museum in Cairo. We discussed ideas for hosting a Civil War Reenactment or Living History Event at the Thebes Courthouse this September.

Plans Underway to Host a Civil War Era Living History Event at the Thebes Courthouse

In addition to our plans for Memorial Day Weekend 2013, we are excited about developing plans for the last weekend of September. In this photo we are discussing plans for a Living History Event or a Civil War Reenactment at the Courthouse this year. We also met with
Cindy Lynch at Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus, Kentucky. She wasvery helpful as she shared information and knowledge gained by years of hosting their Civil War Days. This year's event at Columbus-Belmont State Park is scheduled for October 11-13. You can
get more information by calling 270-677-2327 or email cindy.lynch@ky.gov

Thebes Historical Society Members Attend the SIAM Annual Meeting at the Gambit in Vienna in August

Please see our "Meetings" page for further information about the Thebes Historical Society.

Courthouse Was Closed Temporarily for Repairs: June-July 2012

Four windows were being replaced on the entrance side of the Courthouse. The wood had rotted and the windows themselves were in poor condition. Contractor David McCain replaced the windows for us and a generous grant from Southern Foundation funded most of the work. We are sorry for any inconvenience during the time we were closed. Thanks for your understanding.

Thebes Historical Society members present March 2012
Front Row (L to R) Samantha Bruer, Jo Smith, Debbie Goins, Janet Bradley
Back Row (L to R) Evelyn Caldwell, Raymond McAfee, Twyla Wareing, Phyllis Allison, Faye Prater, Jay Smith

We continue to seek photos and information about area veterans and active military personnel. You may submit photos with names, dates, branch of service and any other interesting information to: Thebes Historical Society, P.O. Box 53 Thebes, IL 62990
If you contact us through the contact page on this website, we can arrange to get your submission by email.

We plan to display these photos in an album, as well as with a PowerPoint or DVD which will be playing throughout the 2013 Memorial Day weekend. Thank you for helping us to honor the brave men and women who have served our country.

Thanks to Lynda and Ray Smith and to Martha Vines, we will have DVDs available with photos of the Thebes Railroad Bridge which was completed in 1905. The DVD also includes other photos and interesting information about the RR bridge and the Historical Thebes Courthouse. They have also provided us with new postcards, prints of photos and several other creative and unique items. We also have Courthouse T-shirts in maroon, royal blue and light gray. All proceeds and donations go toward the preservation and maintenance of the courthouse.

Our main concern right now is to protect the interior from weather damage due to broken windows, a leaking roof and improperly fitting doors. There is some termite damage as well. We know that there are many cosmetic things that need done. We are also concerned about the condition of the front balcony and the roof.

We appreciate your support for this worthwhile endeavor.

Winter Meetings continued 2011-2012

We decided to continue to meet throughout the winter to work on projects for spring and summer. Meetings will be the 2nd Thursday of each month, beginning at 6 PM. We meet in the parsonage next to the Thebes 1st Baptist Church. Bring your ideas for helping to improve our displays for visitors at the Courthouse!

CHILI SUPPER
The Thebes Historical Society had a chili supper fundraiser on Saturday, October 29, 2011. The meal was held at Thebes Baptist Church from noon to 4 p.m.
Thank you to all who made donations, desserts, and for those who cooked and served meals on that day. Proceeds will go, as usual, toward the preservation of the Thebes Historical Courthouse.
See the photo page for a few pictures of the chili supper.

October 27, 2011
Please be aware that the Courthouse was open its final weekend for 2011 on October 29th and 30th.
We will be closed from November through March due to winter weather. The Historical Society will continue to meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month and work on Courthouse projects and planning. Bring a friend and join us!

NEW Tshirts Available
We now have our Thebes Courthouse tshirts available in sizes 2X and 3X, in addition to S, M, L and XL. They are available at the Courthouse for donations of $15 each. Send us a message on this website's Contact Page if you want us to make arrangements to mail one to you - we'll just add the cost of shipping.
A special thank you to Nancy Kerr for donating a rack that we are using to hang up the Tshirts. We also have beautiful costume jewelry which was donated by Nancy Kerr. All proceeds go toward maintenance and preservation of the Thebes Courthouse.