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Pike County, Illinois

101 topographic sheets cover 49 settlements here, and 11 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

11 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources name 3 people · people the book names include General Topic (Chambersburg Township, 1877) · Miss Helen Biddle (Spring Creek Township, 1920) (machine-read).

Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service

Illinois within the United States
Pike County within Illinois

What the record shows

  • 664 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 11 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 6 buildings, 3 districts, 1 structure and 1 site.
  • 3 of the 11 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 49 populated places in this county; 49 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
  • 3 public-domain county histories, 1877 to 1920, supply 22,677 words of narrative reproduced here.

Places on the National Register

11

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Barry Historic Districtdistrict197979000862
Church of Christbuilding200606000675
Griggsville Historic Districtdistrict197979000863
Griggsville Landing Lime Kilnstructure199999000974
Massie Variety Storebuilding200404000864
Free Frank McWorter Grave Sitesite198887002533
Pittsfield East Schoolbuilding197171000295
Pittsfield Historic Districtdistrict198080001404
Lyman Scott Housebuilding198383000334
John Shastid Housebuilding200303000579
Zoe Theatrebuilding201312001116

Wildfire, 2008 to 2019

61 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 61 of them, burning about 703 acres. 1 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined29
Debris and open burning24
Equipment and vehicle use3
Smoking2
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Recreation and ceremony1
Natural1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 March 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined210 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources6162015
29 January 2014Debris and open burning140 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources140012
14 March 2014Debris and open burning96 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources140046
17 March 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined45 acresIllinois Division of Forestry ResourcesWASHKO
26 March 2014Equipment and vehicle use40 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources140052
11 March 2014Debris and open burning25 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources140040
30 March 2014Debris and open burning21 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources140054
29 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined13 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources203

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 321 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 321 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 5 injuries and about $4,449,230 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind172
Hail92
Tornado34
Flash Flood11
Flood10
Lightning2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2020Flash FloodHadley1 killedUp to three inches of rain fell in about a two hour time period causing localized flash flooding on Hadley Creek, about 2 miles north northeast of Barry. Hadley Creek was overflowing the low water crossing on 275th Street. A car was driven into the flood waters at the low water crossing and stalled out. The passenger was swept downstream and drowned. The driver was able to make it to dry land. Rescue crews found her body about 1500 feet down stream from the location where the car stalled about 3 hours later.
July 2015Flash FloodFishhook1 killedUp to six inches of rain fell onto already saturated soils causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded across the northern part of Pike County. County Road 2 about a mile east of New Salem was washed out due to a creek that flowed through the area. This created a 30 foot wide by 30 foot deep hole. A lineman with a local electric company was driving through the area and did not see the hole due to darkness. His vehicle plunged into the hole. He died at the scene. No other injuries or deaths were reported.
September 2007Tornado (EF0)Perry2 hurtA tornado touched down 1.7 miles west southwest of Perry off of Township Road 3225E. It travelled to the east northeast with intermittent touchdowns occurring until the tornado reached the southern portion of Perry. On the south side of Perry, a vacant mobile home had its roof and northwest corner ripped off. Another mobile home had a tree land on it causing extensive damage and two children in the home sustained minor cuts and bruises. Also, 3 homes sustained window and shingle damage, a barn lost part of its roof, and numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down. Two vehicles sustained damage from fallen tree limbs. The tornado then lifted and dissipated.
June 1957Tornado (F2)not stated1 hurt, $250,000no account filed
June 2008Flash FloodHull Arpt1 hurt, $20,000Up to 6 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time over northern Pike county during the morning hours of June 3rd. Numerous secondary roads had water over them. Around 810 am, an eastbound Norfolk Southern freight train derailed on a bridge that just got washed out between Kinderhook and Barry. Hadley Creek was out of its banks and the force of the water washed out the railroad bridge as the train was going over it. Thirty-two cars of the 78 car train derailed. The cars were not carrying anything toxic, just coal and corn oil product. In Pittsfield, the heavy rains caused a basement wall to collapse on a home while several other homes suffered water damage to their basements due to sewer backups. Near the Pike/Adams county line, a couple were driving on a local road when the road gave way and collapsed. The car remained suspended between the two sections of roadway, so the couple had to carefully exit the vehicle. The driver sustained a broken foot and a badly sprained foot on the other leg. Her husband was able to get her out of the vehicle without the car falling further into the hole. They then used their cell phone to call for help.
February 2014Tornado (EF2)Martinsburg1 hurtThe tornado developed over the north side of Martinsburg, Illinois. One home sustained minor roof and fascia damage and one window was damaged along the south side of the home. A few large trees and several large branches were downed by the tornado. The tornado then traveled east-northeast and sheared a path of large pine trees 30 to 40 feet tall half a mile north of Martinsburg along and west of County Road 11. Many of the pine trees were snapped from near the base to half way up the trunk. The width of this damage area was 80 yards. The next damage was found approximately 300 yards south of the intersection of County Road 7 and 205th Avenue. A one story residence home sustained minor fascia damage and a few pine trees were snapped at the bases. The tornado then totally destroyed a medium size machine shed on the south side of Watsons Cemetery east of the intersection. Several tomb stones were damaged. Approximately 300 yards east of the cemetery another farmstead sustained damage. Two empty medium size grain bins were destroyed while another machine shed was destroyed. Damage was found again at another farmstead located 1 mile west of Detroit, Illinois. The east side of a two story farm house was moved off its foundation by 5 inches while part of the east side of the roof was tossed to the east. The upper half of a large barn was removed and tossed to the east. One old machine shed was completely destroyed while two canvas hoop sheds were completely destroyed. Debris from the machine sheds were tossed a quarter of a mile to the east. The tornado crossed Illinois Route 106 about a mile west of Detroit and damaged several large trees. The tornado then directly hit a hog building which was supported by steel I-beams. The southern part of the structure was pushed to the north and northeast. Debris from the roof of this structure was tossed over half a mile to the northeast. The damage width over this area was 80 yards wide. Damage to this structure was rated EF-2. The tornado continued to the northeast destroying a shed before lifting and dissipating about a mile north northeast of Detroit. Several people were in the area of the shed working on repairing fencing. One man sustained a minor shoulder injury and was taken to the hospital. The maximum intensity was EF2 with a maximum wind speed of 120 mph. The total path length was 12.09 miles with a maximum width 80 yards.
May 1961Tornado (F3)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
October 2014LightningPerry$1,000,000Lightning struck a historic church built in the 1880s and caught fire. It was a total loss.
April 1961Tornado (F3)not stated$250,000no account filed
February 1999Tornado (F1)Beecreek$200,000no account filed
October 2004Thunderstorm WindPleasant Hill$30,000no account filed
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPike$25,000Thunderstorm winds downed a tree which blocked traffic along Spring Lake Road near Atlas. Near Pittsfield, a tree fell on a vehicle.
April 2002HailPittsfield$25,000Baseball size hail was reported in Pittsfield. Numerous vehicles were damaged.
June 1957Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1956Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 2021Thunderstorm WindPerry$20,000A wide swath of damaging winds from Perry southward into Griggsville and Valley City. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Some of the trees fell onto Illinois Route 107 both north and south of Perry. A power pole was blown down in Griggsville.
December 2021Thunderstorm WindPerry$10,000Pike County dispatch reported three to four trees blown down at the intersection of Illinois Routes 104 and 107. In Griggsville, a transformer was blown and several power lines were blown down.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindBarry$10,000Thunderstorm winds blew part of the roof off of the library, causing some water damage to the museum that is on the second floor of the building. Also, numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down.
May 1996HailPerry$10,000no account filed
April 2024Thunderstorm WindPleasant Hill$5,000In Pleasant Hill, a trampoline was thrown into power lines then tossed 80 feet up into a tree. A 2.5 foot section of roof was lifted. The damage path was 3 to 4 blocks wide and about 6 blocks long. In Nebo, winds were measured as high as 74 mph with tree debris in both towns.
February 2023Thunderstorm WindHull Arpt$5,000Thunderstorm winds blew off a small portion of a machine shed tin roof.
April 2023Thunderstorm WindNebo$5,000Thunderstorm winds blew down a power line in Nebo.
December 2021Thunderstorm WindEl Dara$5,000Several large trees were blown down along County Highway 4 near El Dara.
April 2013FloodChambersburg$5,000The Illinois River hit major flood levels from Meredosia to Valley City south into Calhoun County. In Pike County the river crested on April 27th, but remained above flood stage into May.
May 2008Tornado (EF1)New Salem$5,000This tornado formed about 1 mile north of I-72 near mile marker 31. The tornado initially damaged trees, then moved east and destroyed a machine shed about 1/2 mile north of County Roads 1900N and 2800E. Debris from the machine shed was thrown over 1/2 mile to the east and northeast.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindNew Salem$5,000Storm spotters reported a machine shed destroyed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindBarry$5,000Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees and power lines in Barry. A couple of cars received minor damage from falling trees and branches.
May 2013FloodEast Hannibal$2,000The Mississippi River was at major flood levels in early May, dropped a bit for the middle of the month, then rose to major flood levels again at the end of the month. Damage was limited to some flooded roads and flooded farmland.
April 2013FloodEast Hannibal$2,000The Mississippi River reached major flood levels along the border of Pike County. The river crested on April 21st and 22nd, but remained above flood stage into May. Damage was limited to a few closed roads and agricultural lowlands.
May 2013FloodChambersburg$2,000The Illinois River along the border of Pike County remained at major flood levels in early May, dropping below flood stage on the 23rd, then rose to major levels again at the end of the month. The river remained in flood into June.
June 2013FloodEast Hannibal$1,000The Mississippi River bordering on Pike County started June in flood and rose to major flood levels cresting on the 1st. The river remained in flood into July. Damage was limited to a few closed roads and flooded farmland.
June 2013FloodChambersburg$1,000The Illinois River started June in flood and hit major flood levels cresting on the 6th. The river then slowly fell dropping below flood stage on the 28th. Damage was minimal.
September 1993Thunderstorm WindFishhook$500A newspaper employee reported large trees down.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$300Numerous large trees were blown over damaging homes and parked vehicles in Barry. Winds as high as 70 mph were also reported in Pittsfield knocking down numerous trees across town. Reported by local newspapers.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindBarry$200Numerous large trees were blown over damaging homes and parked vehicles in Barry. Winds as high as 70 mph were also reported in Pittsfield knocking down numerous trees across town. Reported by local newspapers.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindEast Hannibal$200The Illinois State Police reported several large trees down.
July 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
April 2025Thunderstorm WindHull Arpt-Thunderstorm winds downed power poles along Illinois Route 57 near Hull. This is not to be confused with Interstate 57.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Thunderstorm winds knocked a tree onto a home in Pittsfield. The tree was about 12 inches in diameter.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindFishhook-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines across the northern portions of Pike County. This includes the Fishhook, Perry and Chambersburg areas.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindHull-Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree and power line damage from Hull to Pittsfield to Milton.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindBeverly-There were numerous reports of fallen trees and one report of downed power lines between Atlas/Summer Hill and Pleasant Hill as the leading edge of the line of storms passed over Pike County.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Widespread tree damage around RV Resort about 3 miles north of Pittsfield.
March 2021Tornado (EFU)Rockport-A storm chaser observed and photographed a tornado west of Rockport, IL. Based on this chasers observations and radar data, the tornado formed around 0019 UTC and tracked northeastward mainly across open fields before dissipating at 0022 UTC. Photo showed a condensation funnel not reaching the ground, but lofted debris was still noted beneath the funnel. The starting and ending points are estimated and based on information received.
October 2021Thunderstorm WindPike-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs near Pike along U.S. Highway 54. In Griggsville, several power lines were blown down.
June 2020HailSummer Hill-Another wide swath of large hail up to the size of quarters fell as the storm slowly moved to the south.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindRockport-Thunderstorm winds destroyed a shed and tossed it about 200 feet to the southwest as the storm moved through.
June 2020HailNew Salem-Wide swath of large hail up to the size of quarters fell.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees around town. One tree fell onto a house and caused moderate damage.
May 2020Flash FloodHull Arpt-Up to three inches of rain fell in about an hour causing flash flooding, including on Illinois Route 106 between Hull and Kinderhook.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPerry-Thunderstorm winds caused minor roof damage to a house 3 miles north northwest of Perry. On the outskirts of Perry, the roof of a barn was destroyed, windows were blow out of a tractor and some shingles were ripped off the roof of a house.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Several large trees were blown down around town.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindNew Canton-Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees and power lines around town.
June 2019HailPleasant Hill-Via Facebook.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindHadley-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees around town, as well as numerous tree limbs and power lines.
May 2019Flash FloodIndependence-Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous secondary roads were flooded across the southwestern portions of the county. Also, several creeks rose out of their banks due to the heavy rain.
December 2018Tornado (EF1)Pleasant Hill-The tornado began about 1 mile east of Pleasant Hill, IL and remained on the ground for about 4 minutes with a path that skipped to the northeast of Pleasant Hill. A grain bin sustained damaged along 130th Avenue near the beginning of the track. The path then continued to the northeast where a barn was rolled about 20 yards off its foundation. Another barn sustained heavy roof damage. The tornado continued northeast toward 147th Street where some large trees sustained damage. The tornado lifted as it moved northeast of 147th Street. Overall the tornado was rated EF1 with a path length of 1.65 miles and a max path width of 25 yards. No injuries or deaths were reported with this tornado.
December 2018Tornado (EF1)Valley City-The tornado began about 1 mile NNW of Valley City, IL. Along County Highway 21, trees were uprooted and a mobile home lost its roof and sustained wall damage. The tornado continued to the northeast, crossing County Highway 21 twice, before lifting. Along this path there was significant tree damage along the east side of Highway 21. Overall, the tornado was rated EF1 with a path length of 0.6 miles and a max path width of 110 yards. No injuries or deaths were reported with this tornado.
December 2018Tornado (EF0)Detroit-This short lived tornado began 2 miles northwest of Detroit, IL, along 435th street. Damage was primarily confined to trees, but there was a home with roof damage and a large camper was blown on its side. Overall, the tornado was rated EF0 with a path length of 0.11 miles and a max path width of 25 yards. No injuries or deaths were reported with this tornado.

Mines and quarries

18 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 18 workings inside this county. 6 still produce and 12 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken9
Sand and Gravel, Construction9

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Barry Plant No. 6, DredgeSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Barry Plant No. 8, DredgeSand and Gravel, ConstructionPlant
Buckeye QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
C.W. Curtis Sand & Gravel Co. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Chicago and Alton Railroad QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Florence Plant No. 6 QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Foster Quarry #14w. Ill. StoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Hadley Plant No. 22 QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Honey Creek PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Horton Creek PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Kinderhook Pit No. 2Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Kiser Creek PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Lacy & Bauer Quarry & MillStone, Crushed/BrokenPlant
Milton PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
New Hartford QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Pike County Sand & Gravel Co.Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Six Mile Creek PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Valley City QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

The townships, in 1880

22,677 words

History of Pike County, Illinois; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws .. devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 17 are reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.

The county's history books

295,768 words

One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 11 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.

History of Pike County, Illinois; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws .. (1880)

The people it describes

3 named

Everyone History of Pike County, Illinois; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws .. stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1880.

Every populated place in the county

49

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

The vanished settlements of Pike County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.