In 1830 Frank, Lucy and their four free children moved to Pike County, Illinois. By the second year they started farming. In 1836 Frank filed a plat to create the village of "New Philadelphia" on which he had purchased from the federal government for $100. The town site, which was divided into 144 lots, was registered with government authorities in 1836. McWorter established residence in New Philadelphia with his family and sold other lots to new residents. Both blacks and whites settled there and supported an integrated school. It was the crossroads of an agricultural community and, when founded, proposed as being on the route of a planned Illinois-Michigan canal (which was never built.)