Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This 1880 publication is a must for anyone interested in the full historical coverage of this region. Volume 1 begins with the Mound Builder Indians and continues through the history of each township in Pike County. An historic treasure, this volume provides the story of the sturdy pioneers of Pike County who inhabited the Military Tract, a section of bounty land set aside by an act of Congress as payment to volunteer soldiers of the War of 1812. These counties, among the first settled in Illinois, were located in the western part of the state between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. This land includes the present counties of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Peoria, Schuyler, Stark, and Warren. Also included in Volume 1 are the agricultural, geological, archeological, and legal histories of the region, with detailed sections on the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the organization of Illinois as a state.

Volume 2 of this valuable publication provides detailed portraits of Pike County's prominent citizens and gives focus as to how they worked to establish a blueprint for a respectable society. The history of townships continues along with information on the evolution of the press, the organization of this region's county courts and judicial system, and a digest of the common state laws. This detailed picture of this region as it was in 1880 includes information on marriage licenses, agricultural and educational statistics, property value, and data on wages. Maps, charts, tables, and graphs make the data accessible and easily understood.