The Pike County Courthouse Fight

Towards the end of the 19th century the courthouse in Pike County, Illinois needed to be replaced. The citizens were facing a tax levy to pay for it, and as is always the case, people were tight with money. My great-great grandfather and a bunch of cronies saw this as an opportunity to get the county seat moved to their town, so they started a movement to accomplish that.

The New Courthouse
(as pictured in the Barry Adage)

Privately-raised money was pledged to pay for the courthouse if the county seat was moved from Pittsfield, to Barry. Enough signatures were gathered on a petition that the county was forced to hold an election. The citizens of Pittsfield pledged funds equal to the amount promised by the Barryites. Campaigning was fierce.

When the votes were counted, the county seat stayed in Pittsfield and very little taxpayer money was used to build the courthouse because of the funds pledged by the citizens of the county seat. The new courthouse is still in use today, and very attractive it is.

My father was very close to his grandfather. Whenever Dad told us this story he always ended it by saying his great grandfather said he and his friends started the whole thing just to get Pittsfield to pay for the building.

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