Visitors Guide to Troy
Madison County, Illinois

In 1814 John Jarvis entered Jarvis Township at the land office in Edwardsville and in 1819 he sold ten acres to James Riggin and David Hendershott for $100. Riggin and Hendershott then mapped out, surveyed the land, and renamed the community Troy after Troy, NY, which was named after the ancient city of Troy, described in Homer's Iliad. Within a year, the village was populated by 120 people and had a band mill, storehouse, taverns, and housing. A post office began operating in 1833.

Population growth in Troy was stimulated when the National Road, the nations first highway, was built through the town in 1839. Troy became the first stagecoach stop on this road for travelers heading east from St. Louis. By the time Troy incorporated as a town in 1857 the community had over 250 people. Troy's growth continued with the addition of more industry, and shops with the local mines and farms offering additional employment. Further growth ensued with the arrival of the St. Louis, Terre Haute, & Vandalia R.R. in 1870. In 1892 Troy incorporated as a city in 1892 when Brookside and Mechanicsburg were annexed. Troy was considered the third fastest growing area in the U.S. by 1978, but despite its continued growth, Troy has maintained it's small town charm.