If you can't find that one (and maybe there is something special about it), this is a wonderful map site, even brings up places that no longer exist: http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form ----- Nancy

I have a George Washington Stevens, b. 1831 in Louisiana MO. Most of his children were born in Chili IL, and his granddaughter, Edith Brooks Stevens was supposedly born "in a sod house on the Missouri prairie" in the town of Pleasant Hill MO. We don't know where this was, there is more than one, but I was startled today when I looked at a map of Louisiana MO to see, just over the MO/IL border, the town of Pleasant Hill IL, just about ten miles from Louisiana MO. Is it possible that in 1883 that part of IL would have been considered part of Missouri or that they were both part of a big "MO Territory". I know I can dig around, but wondered if anyone can answer this faster than I can find it out--it would make so much sense if this were the case, and it has got me excited. Were people in MO not included in the 1880 census because of it's not being a state? as this family does not appear on it. Nancy

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Pleasant Hill, Pike, Illinois was originally laid out circa 1835 under the name Fairfield. While this region was originally part of Upper Louisiana, it was "conquered" by George Rodgers Clark and his Rangers during the American Revolution, and the land East of the Mississippi River and North of the Ohio River became the Northwest Territory. The area where Pleasant Hill, Illinois is located was never part of the Louisiana Purchase, and so was never part of the Missouri Territory. Missouri became a state in 1821, but did not have an 1820 Federal Census due to the hoopla regarding statehood and the Missouri Compromise. ----- Original Message ----- From: "the Hamiltons" <hamilton@getus.com> To: <MOPIKE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2002 7:23 PM Subject: [MOPIKE-L] puzzle of Pleasant Hill & the Stevens family > I have a George Washington Stevens, b. 1831 in Louisiana MO. Most of his > children were born in Chili IL, and his granddaughter, Edith Brooks Stevens > was supposedly born "in a sod house on the Missouri prairie" in the town of > Pleasant Hill MO. We don't know where this was, there is more than one, but > I was startled today when I looked at a map of Louisiana MO to see, just > over the MO/IL border, the town of Pleasant Hill IL, just about ten miles > from Louisiana MO. Is it possible that in 1883 that part of IL would have > been considered part of Missouri or that they were both part of a big "MO > Territory". I know I can dig around, but wondered if anyone can answer this > faster than I can find it out--it would make so much sense if this were the > case, and it has got me excited. > Were people in MO not included in the 1880 census because of it's not > being a state? as this family does not appear on it. > Nancy >