Picken Cemetery is located in Hancock Township North West Corner Section 30 (near the Carthage Township line). Take Highway 136 east out of Carthage to county road 2450. Take county road 2450 south about one and one-half miles. Turn east (left)on 1350N and drive across the township line into Hancock Township. Legally, access is required. DO NOT travel across the field which is trespassing. You have two options:

1) Access in dry weather only. Four wheel drive recommended. Low riding vehicles NOT recommended. There is an entrance on the north side (left turn) of the 1350N about 500 feet prior to coming to the end of 1350N where road comes to a T intersection. Enter going north following the wheel tracks on the east side of corn (crop) field with the tree grove on your right. At the north edge of the crop field you will turn left (west) [you can not go straight or right due to creek bed and tree line]. Follow the north edge of field west and drive straight to grove of trees 1/4 mile. The wheel tracks go between two fields in a straight line. There is a short jog right in the grove of trees to the cemetery. As of 06-08-2012 there is a wooden sign over entrance. However, you have to walk into the grove of trees to see the sign. Cemetery is covered in heavy brush and thick foliage.

2) Stop on road 1350N and walk north across a field to a strip of woods about a quarter mile away. Just inside the woods in Picken Cemetery a rectangular plot about as big as a family sized vegetable garden.

The first burial here was a Negro Lady that came here with the Picken Family. The farm can be seen on the Platt map for George Picken. His infant son Herman G. Picken is buried in this cemetery. The cemetery is fenced with farm field wire fencing, old but standing well. There have been no burials here in many years and those since the turn of the century are few. Those buried here were of the Civil War generation. Most death dates are for the 1850s, 1860s, and 1870s. By 1880 this burying ground was practically abandoned. However, it appears at least one burial was in the early 1900's.

Maps are available for copy at the Hancock County Genealogical & History Society within the Kibbee Hancock Heritage Museum at 306 Walnut Street, Carthage, Illinois. 217-357-0043.