Pearl, IL

Pearl gets its name from a fascinating chapter in Illinois River history. Back in the early 1900s, the town was a bustling hub for making mother-of-pearl buttons, with local workers harvesting freshwater mussels from the riverbed and cutting them in busy steam-powered mills. The button rush eventually died down after plastic hit the market, but the village never lost its connection to the water. Today, Pearl is a quiet, close-knit Pike County community that appeals to anyone looking for a slow pace of life, wide-open rural space, and easy access to fishing and river views.