On Saturday, May 17, 2025, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association is hosting Gunsmiths of Henry County, IL program by Curt Johnson, author of Gunmakers of Illinois 1683-1900. His presentation will be on the gunsmiths of Illinois, with an emphasis on Henry County gunmakers. Guns made by area gunsmiths will also be on display.
Mr. Johnson’s program will include the gunsmiths that worked on Illinois soil during the French Colonial period. He will then talk about the early Illinois territory gunmakers. His presentation will then conclude with the gunsmiths of Henry County, and the adjoining counties of Whiteside, Bureau, Stark, Knox, Mercer, and Rock Island.
Curt Johnson is a retired tool & die maker with a lifelong interest in antique firearms. His two-volume book set, Gunmakers of Illinois 1683-1900, has information on over 1,500 early Illinois gunsmiths. This free one-hour public program will start at 1 p.m. in the Steeple Building Museum, located at 103 North Bishop Hill Street in Bishop Hill, Illinois. It is sponsored by the Geneseo Foundation and the Galesburg Community Foundation. For more details, please call the BHHA at 309 927-3899 or email bhha@mymctc.net.
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