PIKE COUNTY, situated on the northeasterly boundary of Missouri, with Mississippi river on the northeast. Area, 720 square miles. Seat of justice, Bowling Green. Pop. in 1820, 3,747; in 1830, 6,122; in 1840, 10,646; in 1850, 13,609. (Fanning's, 1853)
PIKE, a county in the E. part of Missouri, bordering on the Mississippi river, which separates it from Illinois, contains about 600 square miles. It is intersected by Salt river, and also drained by Cuivre river, and by Spencer's, Ramsey's, and Buffalo creeks. The county consists partly of prairies. The forests originally covered about two-thirds of the surface. The soil is generally good. Indian corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, butter, and pork are the staples. In 1850 it produced 748,540 bushels of corn; 106,241 of wheat; 85,060 of oats,and 848,830 pounds of tobacco. It contained 15 churches, 2 newspaper offices, 2730 pupils attending public schools, and 110 attending other schools. Limestone and sandstone underlie the surface. Capital, Bowling Green. Population, 13,609, of whom 10,334 were free, and 3275, slaves. (Baldwin & Thomas, A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States ... 1854)