|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Pike County, Missouri
Settlers came to
Pike County in
the 1800s, in the days of the Louisiana Purchase. Before, then after the
war of 1812, they built the towns of Clarksville and Louisiana along the
banks of the Mississippi. Those two towns, along with Bowling Green – the
county seat, named after Bowling Green, Kentucky – are today the three
largest in the county. Other cities: Annada, Ashburn, Curryville, Eolia,
Frankford, Paynesville and Tarrants.
The county is famously rich in American history. Cemeteries bear witness
to the tragedies of the Civil War; churches are architectural gems. St.
Johns Episcopal Church built near Eolia in 1854 is the oldest Episcopal
Church west of the Mississippi, and is listed on the National Register of
Historical Places.
Natural beauty abounds throughout the county, especially along the
Mississippi, which borders the county’s eastern side. View bald eagles at
Lock & Dam #24 in Clarksville, and other waterfowl at Clarence Cannon
Nat’l Wildlife Refuge. Other wildlife areas: The Dupont Reservation
Conservation Area, for camping and fishing; Edward Anderson Wildlife Area,
for camping; Ranacker Wildlife Area, and the Ted Shanks Wildlife Area,
where there are wetlands, waterfowl, camping and fishing.
Pike County also boasts several scenic highways and byways. The Little
Dixie Highway of the Great River Road, a nationally designated scenic
byway, stretches 30 miles, from Clarksville to the county line. Another
scenic byway roams from Route W in Clarksville to U.S. Highway 61.
For art fans, there’s the twice yearly Provenance Studio Tour. Local
artisans and artists in Clarksville, Louisiana, Bowling Green, and
Hannibal join together and produce “50 miles of art” along the Mississippi
Great River Road, open to the public the first weekend of November and the
fourth weekend of April.
<< Back to Community Page
|
|
|
|
