A New Guide For Emigrants To The West Part 16

GREEN.--Watered by White and Eel rivers, and Richland creek; soil, on the rivers a rich loam,--on the bluffs, sandy,--east side, hilly,--west side, level. White river is navigable. Minerals; lime and sandstone, coal, and some iron ore.

HAMILTON.--The streams are White river, and Cicero, Coal, Stoney, and Fall creeks. Generally forest,--some few prairies; soil, in places, clay,--more generally, a sandy loam. Minerals; lime, and some soft sand rock.

HANc.o.c.k.--Watered by Blue river, Sugar and Brandywine creeks, with excellent mill sites, and well supplied with springs. Surface, either level or gently undulating; soil, a rich loam, mixed with sand,--heavily timbered.

HARRISON.--Watered by Big and Little Indian, and Buck creeks, and Blue river. Surface various,--some parts hilly and broken,--some parts undulating,--some parts level; soil, in the low grounds, a rich loam,--on the high grounds, calcareous and gravelly. A large tract of "barrens" in the west. Minerals; a quarry and several caves of black flint, salt licks, limestone.

HENDRICKS.--The waters are White Lick, and branches of Eel river, with good mill sites. Surface, gently rolling, and timbered with the varieties of the Wabash country; soil, a mixture of clay, loam and sand.

HENRY.--Watered by Blue river, Flat Rock and Fall creeks.

Surface, in some places, broken,--in most parts, level; soil, a mixture of sand with loam and clay. Plenty of springs and mill sites. Mostly timbered, but several tracts of prairie.

HUNTINGTON.--The streams are Salamania, Little river, and Wabash. Surface, on the rivers, level,--back, gently undulating; soil, loam and clay, with a slight mixture of sand. Several tracts of prairie, but generally forest land.

JACKSON.--Watered by Indian, Driftwood, White, Muscatatack, and Gum creeks. Surface, rolling and in places hilly; soil, clay and loam, mixed with sand. In the forks of the creeks, sand predominates. On the west and north-west, inclined to clay.

JEFFERSON.--Watered by the Ohio river, Indian, Kentucky and Big creeks. Surface various; along the river and creeks, low alluvion; soil, loam mixed with sand. The bottoms are bounded by precipitous bluffs, with towering cliffs of limestone. The table lands are undulating, and the soil inclined to clay. Timber various. Abounds with limestone, ma.s.ses of freestone, and scattered granite bowlders.

JOHNSON.--Watered on the eastern side by Blue river, and Sugar and Young's creeks,--on the western side by Indian, Crooked, and Stott's creeks. Surface, gently undulating; soil, a rich, black, sandy loam; timbered. Minerals; ma.s.ses of freestone, and scattered granite bowlders.

JENNINGS.--Watered by Graham's Fork, and the North Fork of the Muscatatack. Surface, in some parts level, some parts very hilly; soil, calcareous, rich and productive; timber of all varieties; abounds with limestone.

KNOX.--The Wabash on the west side,--White river south,--the West Fork of White river east,--and Maria and Duchain creeks, interior.

Surface undulating; soil, somewhat various,--a rich loam in places,--sandy in other places;--some tracts of prairie, but timber predominates.

LAGRANGE.--Watered by Pigeon and Crooked rivers. Surface, gently rolling; northern part extensive prairies; southern portion chiefly forest; soil, loam and sand.

LA PORTE.--Watered by the Kankakee, Galena, and Trail creek, at the mouth of which is Michigan city, and a harbor for lake Michigan commerce. Surface, gently undulating; abounds with large, rich prairies, with groves of timber, and lakes of clear water interspersed; soil, a sandy loam, rich and productive.

LAWRENCE.--Watered by Salt, Indian, Guthrie's, Beaver, and Leatherwood creeks, and excellent springs. Surface, generally hilly,--some level lands;--soil, on the water courses, sandy,--back from the streams, loam and clay. Abounds with limestone.

MADISON.--The West Fork of White river is navigable. The other streams are Killbuck, Pipe, Lick and Fall creeks. Surface, generally level, with some broken land near the streams; timbered, with a wet prairie, 7 miles long and three fourths of a mile wide; soil, sand, mixed with clay and loam,--productive. Minerals; lime and freestone, marble that polishes well, and some traces of iron ore.

MARION.--West Fork of White river pa.s.ses through it, on which is situated INDIANOPOLIS, the capital of the State. Fall creek is an excellent mill stream. Surface, chiefly level forest land; soil, a deep black loam, with a mixture of sand. Large granite bowlders are scattered over the surface.

MARTIN.--The East Fork of White river pa.s.ses through it, and receives Lost river from the left, and Indian and Flint creeks from the right. Surface, on the east side of White river, broken and hilly; soil, clay and loam; on the west side, level, or gently undulating, with portions of barrens and prairie land; soil, clay and loam, mixed with sand. Minerals; coal in large quant.i.ties, lime, sand and freestone.

MIAMI.--The Wabash and Eel rivers pa.s.s through it, and the Missisinawa comes from the east, and enters the Wabash about the centre of the county. The Wabash and Erie ca.n.a.l pa.s.ses through it. Surface, gently undulating and beautiful,--chiefly forest, and interspersed with small prairies; soil, the richest in the State, of loam, clay and sand intermixed.

MONROE.--Streams; Salt, Clear, Indian, Racc.o.o.n, Richland, and Bean-blossom creeks,--pure springs. Surface, hilly and undulating; soil, second rate. Minerals; limestone rock, salt licks, with manufactories of salt.

MONTGOMERY.--The heads of Shawnee and Coal creeks in the north-west,--Sugar creek in the centre,--and Big Racc.o.o.n on the southeastern part. Surface, gently undulating; the northern portion prairie, interspersed with groves, with a rich soil of black loam, mixed with sand,--the middle and southern portions timbered. Excellent quarries of rock in the middle,--granite bowlders in the northern parts.

MORGAN.--White river, which is navigable. The mill streams are White Lick, Sycamore, Highland, and Lamb's creeks on the west side, and Crooked, Stott's, Clear, and Indian creeks on the east side. Surface, generally rolling,--some parts hilly; soil, calcareous and clayey,--on the bottoms, a rich sandy loam. Minerals; limestone, and some iron ore.

ORANGE.--Streams; Lost river, French Lick, and Patoka. Surface, hilly and broken,--limestone rock,--springs of water, of which Half-moon and French Lick are curiosities. On the alluvial bottoms, the soil is loamy,--on the hills, calcareous, and inclined to clay. Excellent stones for grit, equal to the Turkey oil stones, are found in this county.

OWEN.--Watered by the West Fork of White river, with its tributaries, Racc.o.o.n, Indian, Mill, Rattlesnake, and Fish creeks. The falls of Eel river furnish the best water power in the State. Surface rolling; soil, in some places a dark loam,--in others clayey and calcareous. Minerals; immense bodies of lime rock, and some iron ore.

PARKE.--Watered by the Big and Little Racc.o.o.n, and Sugar creeks, (with excellent mill sites,) all of which enter the Wabash on its western side. Surface, generally level,--some beautiful prairies, but mostly forest land; soil, a loam mixed with sand and rich. Minerals; lime and sandstone, coal and iron ore.

PERRY.--Watered by the Ohio river, with Anderson's, Bear, Poison, and Oil creeks interior. Some level land, with a rich, sandy loam, on the streams,--all the high lands very broken; hilly, with a clayey, sterile soil. Minerals; immense bodies of limestone, grindstone quarries, iron ore and coal.

PIKE.--Has White river on the north, and Patoka creek through the centre. Surface all forest land and undulating; soil, eastern part clay and sand,--western, a rich, dark loam, mixed with sand,--some swampy land. Minerals, limestone and coal.

POSEY.--In the forks of the Ohio and Wabash, with Big, Mill, and McFadden's creeks interior, and good springs. Surface, rolling, and all forest land; soil, a sandy loam, and produces well. Minerals; sand, and limestone and coal.

PUTNAM.--Has Racc.o.o.n creek, and Eel river, with abundant water privileges, and fine springs. Surface, gently undulating; soil, in places calcareous and clayey,--in other places a rich loam; limestone.

RANDOLPH.--Watercourses, the West Fork of White river and Missisinawa and their tributaries, which furnish good mill sites.

Surface, either level or gently undulating; soil, a rich loam,--in some places marshy; a small quant.i.ty of limestone, with granite bowlders.

RIPLEY.--Watered by Laughery and Graham's creek. Surface level, forest land; soil clay,--in some parts inclines to sand,--with limestone abundant.

RUSH.--The streams are Big and Little Blue rivers, Big and Little Flat Rock, with excellent water power. Surface, moderately rolling, and heavily timbered; soil, loam on clay, with a slight mixture of sand.

SCOTT.--Watered by tributaries of the Muscatatack. Surface rolling,--some flat lands inclining to marsh; soil, clay. Minerals; limestone, iron ore, salt, sulphur, and copperas.

SHELBY.--Watered by Big and Little Blue rivers, Brandywine, and Sugar creeks, with good mill sites,--all heads of the East Fork of White river. Surface, generally level with forest land; soil, clay mixed with loam.

SPENCER.--Ohio river, Anderson's, Little Pigeon, and Sandy creeks. Surface tolerably level, and forest land; soil, clay mixed with loam. Minerals; coal, and lime and sand rock.

ST. JOSEPH.--St. Joseph's river, Kankakee, and Bobango, with some small creeks. Extensive marshes on the Kankakee, and near the South Bend of the St. Joseph. These marshes are of vegetable formation.

Surface, in some parts level,--in others gently undulating; soil, a loam,--in some places sand. The north-west part chiefly prairies and barrens, including the large and fertile prairies of Portage and Terre Coupe. The north-eastern, barrens,--the south-eastern, forest. Minerals are granite bowlders, and bog iron ore.

SULLIVAN.--Has the Wabash river on its western side, and Turman's, Busseron, and Turtle creeks interior. Surface rolling,--some prairies, but generally forest land,--some poor barrens; soil, loam and sand;--lime and sand rock and coal.

SWITZERLAND.--The Ohio east and south,--Indian, Plum, Bryant's, Turtle, and Grant's creeks interior. Surface various,--bottom lands level, and rich,--then a range of precipitous bluffs, with cliffs of limestone,--the table land rolling with a calcareous and clayey soil. At Vevay are extensive vineyards.

TIPPECANOE.--Watered by the Wabash river, and Wildcat, Wea, Burnett's, and Mill Branch creeks. The Wabash affords navigation, and the other streams excellent mill sites. Surface gently undulating, with extensive level tracts, and consists of one half prairie, one eighth barrens, and the remainder heavy forest land. The prairie soil is a rich, black loam,--the barrens cold, wet clay,--the forest a very rich loam and sand.

UNION.--Streams; the East Fork of White river and its tributaries, Hanna's, Richland, and Silver creeks, all of which furnish excellent mill sites. Surface, moderately rolling; soil, a dark loam.

VANDERBURGH.--Watered by the Ohio, and Great Pigeon creek.

Surface, high, dry, rolling land, with good timber, and well watered; soil, clay and sand, of inferior quality. Minerals; lime and sandstone, salines, and a mineral spring.

VERMILLION.--A long, narrow county, between the Wabash river and the State of Illinois. The streams are Wabash, Big and Little Vermillion, and their tributaries. Surface high, rolling land, with abrupt bluffs near the streams; a good proportion of prairie and timber; soil, rich, sandy loam, and very productive. Minerals; freestone and limestone, and large coal banks.

VIGO.--The Wabash pa.s.ses through it--navigable. The mill streams are Prairie, Honey, Otter, and Sugar creeks, but their waters fail in a dry season. Surface level, or gently undulating, with forest and prairies; soil, rich loam and sand,--first rate. Minerals; gray limestone, freestone, and inexhaustible beds of coal.

WABASH.--The Wabash river, and W. and E. ca.n.a.l, pa.s.s through it, as does the Missisinawa, Eel, Bluegra.s.s, and Salamania.

Surface,--wide, rich bottoms on the streams,--bluffs and ravines adjoining,--table lands further back, either dry and rolling, or flat and wet, and abound with willow swamps. Limestone rock abundant, and many excellent springs of pure water.

WARREN.--The Wabash on the S. E. border for thirty miles, and navigated by steamboats; interior streams, Rock, Redwood, and Big and Little Pine creeks, all of which afford good mill sites. Some pine and cedar timber. Surface generally level, with broken land on the bluffs of creeks; some forest, but the largest proportion prairie; soil, a rich and very fertile loam. Minerals; lime and excellent freestone for building purposes,--coal,--iron,--lead and copper,--with several old "diggings" and furnaces, where both copper and lead ore have been smelted in early times.

WARRICK.--Watered by the Ohio river, Big and Little Pigeon, and Cypress. Surface, rolling and hilly; soil, a sandy loam on clay.

Minerals; quarries of freestone, some limestone, and inexhaustible beds of coal.

WASHINGTON.--Streams; Muscatatack on the north, Rush, Twin, Highland, Delany's, Elk, Bear, and Sinking creeks, and the heads of Blue and Lost rivers, with mill sites. Surface, diversified from gentle undulations, to lofty and precipitous hills; soil, in part, second rate, with much of inferior quality. Substratum of limestone, caves, hollows, and sink holes.