Our History

Perry County, named for Commodore Oliver H. Perry, was formed on January 29, 1827 as 80 acres carved out of Jackson and Randolph Counties. 20 of those acres were retained for the county seat, Pinckneyville, which was organized May 17, 1857.

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Early Pinckneyville, in 1834, consisted of a log courthouse, four stores, a tavern, and a grocery all serving about 20 families with the first store opening in 1827.  The first Perry County jail was also constructed in Pinckneyville in 1834 with a larger jail built in 1871, now the home of the Perry County jail museum.

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Pinckneyville has a great and rich history which has lead us to where we are today. If you would like to research the history of Pinckneyville more in depth, we invite you to come to Pinckneyville and visit the Perry County Jail Museum, our local library or our Illinois Rural Heritage museum.