Miller Grove

Miller Grove is a vanished community in Pope County, Illinois, carrying a remarkable origin story: it was established in 1844 by freed slaves who had journeyed north from Tennessee, making it a predominantly Black settlement in an era when such independent communities were rare.

The site today lies within the Shawnee National Forest. Visitors come primarily for the historical significance rather than any surviving structures, and the forested national forest setting shapes the experience — expect a quiet, natural environment rather than a preserved townsite.