National
Road
Association
Of
Illinois
National
Road
Association
Of
Illinois
Home History Membership Links Contact Us
Greenville
http://greenvilleusa.org
Named the county seat in 1821 for Bond County, Greenville has grown to a bustling college town. The community, once a stagecoach stop of the National Road, offers travelers a classic main street experience with unique shopping and eateries. There are several stories as to how Greenville got its name. One states that the oldest area resident was asked to name the town. He commented that since everything was so green, the town should be called Greenville. Another says that it was named for Greenville, South Carolina, where many of the early settlers originated. A third story states that the town was named for Green P. Rice, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister and one of the first county merchants. however it got its named, Greenville’s picturesque downtown has led to it being called a "Norman Rockwell Town".
(C) 2008 National Road Association