A Brief History of Troy, Illinois

The City of Troy, in Jarvis Township is one of the earliest settlements in Madison County. Jacob Gregg settled on the land in 1803, then sold the improvements to John Jarvis who erected a tavern and mill. The village has grown from a village of just over a thousand residents in 1900 to a City of nearly 10,000 today. The city’s most famous resident was Paul Simon who owned and was the editor of the Troy Times Tribune before entering politics. Simon went on to become a U. S. Senator, presidential candidate and university professor.