| York is the oldest settlement in the county. It
is located in York Township at the southeast corner of the county
on the Wabash River.
It was first settled in the spring of 1814, while yet part of the Illinois
Territory, by Thomas Handy, a native of New York State. One legend says
it was named after a family of early settlers, but It most likely
took it's name from that state from whence came almost all of the early
settlers. It was once a thriving river
town. The heyday of "Old York" occurred during the era of the
steamboats. It began to decline after 1875 when the
Paris-Vincennes Railroad was built about 1 1/2 to the west of town. The town
of West York, just over the county line in Crawford County
, was founded on the railway and soon grew at the
expense of Old York.
A post office was established at York on Oct. 9, 1820, at that time
part of Crawford County.
It was discontinued since 1931.
See Also:
History of Crawford and Clark Counties, 1883 |