WMOK – Metropolis, IL – As we wrap up the month of February, we look back at a major milestone that shaped the identity of Metropolis and Massac County.
183 Years Since the Founding of Massac County
On February 8, 1843, the Illinois state legislature officially carved Massac County out of lands previously belonging to Pope and Johnson counties. Early settlers, weary of traveling through thick timber and swampy bottomlands to reach distant government seats, petitioned for their own center of law. Named after the storied Fort Massac, the county was born from the grit of the river, with pioneers envisioning Metropolis as a “Gateway to the West.” By the end of February 1843, the first local commissioners were already at work establishing the roads and boundaries we still use today.
Comments