Our Mission

The mission of Kinmundy Log Cabin Village is to preserve pioneer era log structures and artifacts for the education of the public on the lifestyles of the 19th century pioneers.

KPI Board

Rick Hanks - President

Ed Green - Vice President

Teresa Hanks - Treasurer

Nancy Hanna - Secretary

Jeremy Mette

Julie Green

Jane Middleton

Sarah Mette

Debbie Wolfe

History of the Village

In the late 1950’s, a Log Cabin Village was the vision of Erma Ingram of Kinmundy, IL. She realized the log structures of the 1800’s were rapidly vanishing. She acquired her first log cabins from the Omega area where Stephen A. Forbes State Park was being constructed.

With her vision and her son Robert’s and his high school friends’ labor, she started dismantling cabins and moving them to a forty-acre wooded tract on the north side of Kinmundy where they were re-erected.

Ingram’s Pioneer Log Cabin Village became a reality throughout the 1960’s. A total of fifteen cabins, dating from the early to mid-1800’s were brought in from a fifty-mile radius of Kinmundy. They were furnished with authentic artifacts of the time to provide a look into the rough and simple lives of the Pioneers.

The cabins were opened to the public in the mid-1970’s, along with the establishment of an annual Fall Craft Show which continues to this day.

Upon Erma’s passing in 2003, the Village was left in a trust to her son Robert. He continued his mother’s vision, but cabin upkeep along with coordinating the Fall Craft Show was a very taunting task for one person. The Kinmundy Historical Society under the direction of Marla Shirley began to help Robert in keeping the Village operating.

Upon Robert’s passing in 2016, the Village became the property of Shriner’s Hospital for Children per Erma’s trust and wishes. This created an uncertainty of the Village’s future. A group of Kinmundy area leaders established a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, Kinmundy Promotions, Inc., and purchased the Village. Under the KPI umbrella is:

1. The original Kinmundy Promotions group, promoters of the annual Labor Day Celebration and other local events.

2. The Kinmundy Historical Society and its’ downtown museum of area history.

3. The Kinmundy Log Cabin Village

Erma’s original vision for the village continues:

1. The remaining twelve cabins are being repaired and the annual Fall Craft Show continues to grow.

2. There are plans to add another donated cabin this year and to seek other cabins for restoration.

3. To turn the existing Davidson cabin into a General Store and souvenir shop.

4. To restore the log stable into a Livery with a Feed Store and Blacksmith shop.

5. To create more education programs for the public.

6. To establish a variety of additional events at the Village venue.

7. Construction of a Memory Garden in honor of Erma and Robert Ingram.

8. Three yearly scholarships have been established in the memory of both Erma and Robert Ingram and Marla Shirley. They are for South Central High School seniors, starting with the Class of 2019