Namesake

In 1863, during the Civil War, a man by the name of C.B. Eaton appeared on the scene in Grafton.  It was he who built our very own namesake. Originally named The River House, the fine establishment was better known as The Bloody Bucket.  

The infamous saloon had a reputation of harboring an assembly of treacherous and virulent characters taken from the pages of history during the distressing era of the Civil War.  Blood thirsty murderers, Bushwackers, Jayhawkers, Horse Thieves and other corrupt outlaws of various descriptions found hideouts in the hills, caves, hollows and islands of Grafton, Illinois.  Jesse James and his gang were no strangers to Grafton or The Bloody Bucket.

Murder was commonplace at The Bucket; the nearby Mississippi swept away countless lifeless bodies.  Gambling, whiskey, and women were usually to blame for the bloodshed.  

Welcome to The Bloody Bucket.