Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County

Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County. . This Greek Revival style mansion was built in 1835 by John Wood, Quincy's first settler, who erected a log cabin in 1822 at Front and Delaware Streets. The Society was formed in 1896, acquired the mansion in 1907, and maintains museum displays, loan collections and library open at regular visiting hours., In 1821, John Wood, a native of New York, came to this vicinity to investigate a claim to a land bounty in the Military Tract, a large area of land in Western Illinois set aside by Act of Congress for soldiers from the War of 18 12. So impressed was he with the natural resources of the locality that he returned in 1822 to build the first log cabin and became Quincy's first permanent white settler. Later he was elected Lt. Governor of Illinois and in 1860 became the 12th Governor, filling a vacancy caused by the death of Governor Bissell. He was prominent in state politics, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, and of Orville Hickman Browning, a nationally prominent Quincyan, who served in President Andrew Johnson's Cabinet.