HARRISTOWN Though situated too near Decatur to ever become large, deserves special mention as a shipping point for the surrounding country. It is the home of J. H. Pickrell, our famous breeder of short-horns, elsewhere noticed; also of M. G. Camron, who, as a member of our board of supervisors, has been faithful and vigilant in guarding the interests of the county. [Smith, J. W. (1876). History of Macon County, Illinois, from its organization to 1876. Springfield, Ill: Rokker's Printing House. P. 232. ] Harristown. This village was platted on land owned by J. H. Burkey. It was named Summit, because it is the highest point between Indianapolis and Springfield, but when the railroad was completed it was changed to Harristown in honor of a railroad official in Springfield. It contains a general store, a blacksmith shop, an elevator, a restaurant, a Methodist church, a Church of Christ, and a two-room school house. It has a population of 150. It is situated about eight miles west of Decatur in Harristown township; the surrounding country is beautifully undulating and very fertile. [Past and present of the City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois. 1903. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. p. 70. Transcribed by Judy Rosella Edwards.] HOME ©2008 Genealogy Trails