Pike Press

Overview

Pike Press is a weekly newspaper (Wednesdays) covering Pittsfield, Illinois, and Pike County. It is now produced as part of the River County News masthead and owned by Better Newspapers, Inc.

History

Traces to the Sucker and Farmer's Record, first published June 12, 1842, the first newspaper in Pike County. John Nicolay, later private secretary to Abraham Lincoln, edited and published one of the Pike Press's ancestor papers; an editorial he wrote suggesting Lincoln for president was distributed at the 1860 Republican National Convention. The modern Pike Press was formed in 1968 by the union of the Pike County Republican, Pike County Democrat-Times and the Independent Press of Griggsville. It was owned by Campbell Publications as of 2020; Better Newspapers, Inc. later acquired the Campbell Publications titles. In April 2026, Better Newspapers Inc. announced the consolidation of Pike Press and four sister Illinois weeklies into a single River County News masthead.

Notable works

Marked its 175th anniversary of publication in 2017.

Key personnel

President, Better Newspapers, Inc.: Scott Hoskins (following the 2024 death of founder Greg Hoskins)

Audience

Residents of Pittsfield and Pike County, Illinois.

Location and contact info

Address
115 W. Jefferson St.
Pittsfield, IL 62363
Website
https://rivercountynews.com