Pike

Formed December 17, 1818 (14^th county)

Pike County (17,590), Bowling Green (4,196)                

The Classical Revival masonry courthouse in Bowling Green was erected in 1917 on a town square.  Main, Court, Church, and Main Cross streets surrounded the courthouse.  United States Highway 61 Business is seven blocks to the west of the location.  Veteran memorial slabs are on the courthouse grounds.  The building architect was Henry H. Hohenschild.  There were 1820, 1829, 1844, and 1867 versions of the courthouse.  Louisiana was the county seat until 1824 when Bowling Green assumed the position.  The county was organized on December 17, 1818 from Saint Charles County as the 14^th county.  The county is named for explorer Zebulon M. Pike.  The county seat is named for Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Pike County was the birthplace for 1 Missouri Governor, Lloyd C. Stark. 

Pike County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Pike and Lincoln counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Pike County (judicial.)  Pike County is in the northeast part of the state on the Mississippi River border with Illinois.  Saint Louis, Missouri is southeast and Kansas City, Missouri is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles Northeast of Bowling Green.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Illinois and Lincoln, Montgomery, and Audrain counties. 

The area of the county is 673 square miles.  It is 39 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 61 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.1 persons per square mile making it 66 out of 115 in the state.  Pike County has 50.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 54 crosses the county east to west from Illinois to Ralls County.  United States Highway 61 passes north to south from Ralls County to Lincoln County.  The county is a number 7 lying on its face.  Bowling Green is in the western third of the county.  Bowling Green is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.9% of the county population.

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