About Historic Bell Hill 

      On an amazing property in Union County, Illinois, just outside of Cobden, stands a home with a story embroidered into the fabric of the rural landscape it dominates. As if  transported to a time gone by, each day spent in this home resonates the rich history of the land and the people who loved it.  Only a few families have owned Bell Hill over the last century and a half.  James Bell, made a fortune in timber.  Just after the Civil War, the growing towns and cities needed trainloads of lumber to satisfy the need for reconstruction. Mr. Bell met the demand with logs cut from vast tracts of Southern Illinois forests which fed into his saw mills.  The need was so great that at least one carload of Bell lumber was hooked to every northbound train.  As you can imagine, Bell Hill, has many stories.

Julia invites you to experience the beautiful mansion and hear more about its fascinating past.

P. S. If you are a history buff and interested in the life of the American Indians in our area, Bell Hill is a great place to study. We have rocks amongst the boulders where Indians carved out bowls to catch rain water in the wet season and used the same bowls during the dry season to grind corn.

Our pets love to drink from these bowls. The water must be tastier than normal because we see all sorts of critters drinking there.

   Memberships:
   Union County Chamber of Commerce
   Illinois Bed & Breakfast Association
   Shawnee Hill Wine Trail Bed & Breakfast Association