Named for American explorer Zebulon Pike, Pike County was
created by the territorial legislature on November 1, 1833 from Clark and
Hempstead Counties. It was not until
1836 that a permanent county seat was chosen when Murfreesborough (later
changed to Murfreesboro) was established along with a post office.
The town is said to have been named by settlers who came
from the town of the same name in Tennessee.
Due to two courthouse fires, most of Pike County’s early records are unavailable
prior to 1895, thus making much of Pike County’s early history difficult to
research. However, a ledger of the
County Treasurer’s records that dates to 1884 survived the fires and has been
preserved in SARA’s collections.
These records, which list county income and expenses, give a
rare glimpse into Pike County history.
The columns record what was available in the treasury in currency, state
scrip and county scrip. It also lists poll
taxes collected and fees for teacher’s licenses, as well as payments for public
school teacher’s salaries. With so much of Pike County’s early history lost,
having such a record available is of great value to researchers.
