2018 Map of Pearl East

About this map

Hillview and the village of Pearl flank the wide floodplain of the Illinois River, where a complex network of islands and creeks defines the border between Pike, Greene, and Calhoun Counties. The landscape transition is sharp, moving from the level bottomlands around Grand Pass and Hartwell Ranch to the dissected bluffs on the eastern side of the river. These uplands are characterized by prominent drainages such as Scott Hollow and Garrison Hollow, which provided the secluded locations for several family and community burial grounds including Shelton Cem, Likely Cem, and Bridgewater Cem. Along the lower reaches, Apple Creek meanders toward its confluence with the river near Twin Islands. The mapping of small-scale operations like McClay Orchard and the Hartwell Ranch RLA Airport reflects the continued agricultural and private aviation character of this riverine corridor during the early twenty-first century.