La Harpe is a town in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,235 at the 2010 census, down from 1,385 at the 2000 census.

During the 18th century, French explorers headed by Bernard de la Harpe were forced to spend the winter just north of the gift city of La Harpe. About 1896, four rock tablets antiquated June 15, 1715, and inscribed in French were reportedly found a few miles east of the antiquated fortification built by the explorers. Stones were translated locally by the forlorn French relatives in town as follows: “We are with indians and have no hope for leftover unless back up soon arrives.” Said stone tablets were reported to be sent to the Smithsonian for authentication, and were ruled a hoax. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.

Soon after 1830, landowners in the area began to develop a town which they called “Franklin”. In 1836, they applied for a read out office and were informed substitute town in Illinois was already named Franklin. The first postmaster, Louis Rice Chaffin, suggested the read out be registered as “La Harpe”, for the Frenchman who spent the winter more than 100 years earlier. The City of La Harpe was approved a charter by the Illinois legislature in 1859. The charter was amended in 1861 to amend the size of the town, and the boundaries have changed through the years. Today the city has 22 streets and avenues.

In 1867, the TP&W railroad lineage was completed through the town. In 1888, the city council bought the first flame engine, but a ember in October 1893 nevertheless destroyed nearly everything the businesses in one block of Main Street. City Hall was built in 1894. The election of 1895 was the first election in which the women of La Harpe were allowed to vote upon the matter of liquor licenses. (The women had a surgically remove ballot box.) The La Harpe Carnegie Public Library was built in 1905, with local Keep and a donation from Andrew Carnegie. Today it is listed upon the National Register of Historic Sites. The City Park was donated by Marvin Tyron, one of the town’s founders, as a public square.