Pike County Illinois GenWeb

About Pike County, Illinois

County Seat: Pittsfield

Pike County was formed on January 31, 1821 out of Madison County. It was named in honor of Zebulon Pike, leader of the Pike expedition in 1806 to map out the south and west portions of the Louisiana Purchase. Pike served at the Battle of Tippecanoe, and was killed in 1813 in the War of 1812.

Prior to the coming of the first European settler to Pike County, French traders, hunters, and travelers passed through the native forests and prairies. Originally Pike County began on the south junction of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. The first county seat was Cole's Grove, a post town, in what later became Calhoun County. The Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri, published in 1822, mentioned Chicago as "a village of Pike County" containing 12 or 15 houses and about 60 or 70 inhabitants.

The New Philadelphia Town Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009. Founded by Frank McWorter, an early free black settler in Pike County, it was the first town founded by a black man in the United States. McWorter had invested in land there sight unseen after purchasing the first few members of his family out of slavery. In 1836 he founded the town of New Philadelphia, near Barry. He was elected mayor and lived there the rest of his life. With the sale of land, he made enough money to purchase the freedom of his children. After the railroad bypassed the town, its growth slowed and it was eventually abandoned in the 20th century. The town site is now an archaeological site.

In the early 21st century, Pike County acquired notability as a whitetail deer hunting center, especially for bowhunting.

Communities of Pike County

Cities

Barry, Pittsfiled, Griggsville

Villages

Baylis, Detroit, El Dara, Florence, Hull, Kinderhook, Milton, Nebo, New Canton, New Salem, Pearl, Perry, Pleasant Hill, Time, Valley City

Townships

Atlas, Barry, Chambersburg, Cincinnati, Derry, Detroit, Fairmount, Flint, Griggsville, Hadley, Hardin, Kinderhook, Levee, Martinsburg,, Montezuma, Newburg, New Salem, Pearl, Perry, Pittsfield, Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Vale, Ross, Spring Creek

Unincorporated Area's

Atlas, Chambersburg, East Hannibal, Fishhook, Maysville, Pike, Rockport, Seehorn, Straut, Summer Hill

Table of Content

• Biographies
• Birth Records
• Cemetery Records
• Census Records
• Communities
• Court Records
• Death Records
• Family Bibles
• Genealogy Research
• History
• Helpful Research Links
• Maps
• Marriage Records
• Military Records
• Newspaper Articles
• Obituaries
• School Records
• Wills/Probate Records

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Adjacent Counties

• Adams County - north
• Brown County - northeast
• Scott County - east
• Morgan County - east
• Greene County - southeast
• Calhoun County - south
• Pike County, Missouri - southwest
• Ralls County, Missouri - west
• Marion County, Missouri - northwest

About Us

Pike County ILGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the county. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of ancestors and relatives from Pike County.