This
county lies in the southwestern corner of the State. It is an irregular
shaped county, and contains 300 square miles, or 192,000 acres. It was
organized in 1817, and was named in honor of General Z. M. Pike, who
fell at the capture of York, April twenty seventh, 1813. The surface of
the county is either level or rolling. In the western part of the
county the soil is a rich, dark loam, with a mixture of sand, which
renders it very friable. The bottom lands of the White river, which
forms the northern boundary of the county, and the Patoka, which flows
through the center, and which form about one sixth part of the county,
are very rich and productive; probably no larger crops of corn are
raised in any part of the West. Walnut, hickory, poplar, cottonwood,
ash, pecan and elm, are the prevailing timber. The land in the eastern
part of the county is more sandy, and the timber consists mainly of
oak, hickory, gum, sassafras, and dogwood.
Petersburgh, situated in the north part of the county, in Washington township, is the county seat. It is a town of 1,200 people, and possesses all the facilities usual for towns of this size. Pike county possesses no railroad facilities as yet, but the Wabash and Erie canal passes through the north western portion. The numerous statistical tables in another part of this volume will be found to give additional information in regard to the counties, such as population, area, wealth and taxation, manufactures, agricultural products, value of farms and farming implements, schools and value of school property, churches, etc.
Pike County, Indiana needs a
County Host
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