A New Guide For Emigrants To The West Part 21

SKETCHES OF EACH COUNTY.

ADAMS.--The streams are Bear creek and branches, Cedar, Tyrer, Mill, Fall, and Pigeon creeks, with the Mississippi river on its western border. Timber various, with equal portions of prairie. First rate county.

ALEXANDER.--In the forks of the Ohio and Mississippi, with Cash river through it. All timbered,--half alluvion,--some inundated at high water,--lime and sandstone on the Ohio;--soil, generally rich.

BOND.--Shoal creek and its branches through it, with Hurricane creek on the east side;--proportioned into timber and prairie;--rather level,--second rate. Sandstone, coal, and salt springs.

CALHOUN.--Long and narrow, in the forks of the Illinois and Mississippi;--alluvial and sometimes inundated along the rivers;--broken bluffs and interior table land;--good soil;--prairies at the foot of the bluffs. Coal, lime and sandstone.

CHAMPAIGN.--The streams are the heads of the Kaskaskia, Sangamon, Vermillion of Illinois, Salt Fork of the Vermillion of the Wabash, and the Embarras, all running in opposite directions. Extensive prairies, a little undulating and rich;--timber in groves;--many granite bowlders.

CLARK.--North Fork of Embarras, Mill and Big creeks. Timber and prairie,--second rate soil.

CLAY.--Watered by Little Wabash and tributaries. Two thirds prairie,--of inferior quality,--rather level and wet.

CLINTON.--Kaskaskia river, with its tributaries, Crooked, Shoal, Beaver and Sugar creeks, pa.s.s through it. Equally proportioned into timber and prairie. Soil, second rate; surface, a little undulating.

COLES.--The Kaskaskia, Embarras, and heads of the Little Wabash water it. Much excellent land,--much undulating, rich prairie;--some level and wet land in the southeastern part. Timber in sufficient quant.i.ties.

COOK.--Adjoins Lake Michigan, and has the branches of Chicago, Des Plaines, Du Page, Au Sable and Hickory creeks. Surface, tolerably level; rich soil,--extensive prairies,--timber in groves;--a few swamps.

Plenty of limestone, and the streams run over rocky beds.

CRAWFORD.--The Wabash river on its eastern side, with Lamotte, Hudson, Racc.o.o.n and Sugar creeks. Some level prairies, rather sandy, with a full supply of timber.

EDGAR.--Watered by Big, Clear, and Brulette's creeks on the eastern, and Little Embarras on its western side. Southern and eastern sides timbered; northern and western sides much prairie; some undulating,--some level and rather wet. Grand View is a delightful tract of country.

EDWARDS.--The Little Wabash on its western, and Bon Pas on its eastern border. Several prairies, high, undulating, and bounded by heavy timber. Soil, second quality.

EFFINGHAM.--Watered by the Little Wabash and its tributaries; due proportion of timber and prairie; tolerably level,--second rate.

FAYETTE.--Kaskaskia river, Hurricane, Higgens', Ramsey's and Beck's creeks. The bottom lands on the Kaskaskia low, and inundated at high water; considerable prairie; much heavy timber; soil, second rate.

FRANKLIN.--Watered by the Big Muddy and its branches, and the South Fork of Saline creek. The prairies small, fertile and level,--timber plenty,--soil rather sandy.

FULTON.--The Illinois on the south-eastern side, with Spoon river and several small creeks through it. About half heavily timbered, with rich, undulating prairies; streams flow over a pebbly bed; soil, first rate.

GALLATIN.--Joins the Wabash and Ohio rivers, and has the Saline and branches running through it. Soil, sandy, with sand rock, limestone, quartz crystals, excellent salines, &c. Timber of various kinds; no prairies.

GREENE.--Has the Mississippi south, the Illinois west, with Otter, Macoupen and Apple creeks. Much excellent land, both timber and prairie, in due proportion, with abundance of lime and sandstone, and coal.

HAMILTON.--Watered by branches of the Saline, and Little Wabash; a large proportion timbered land; soil, second and third rate, with some swamp in the northern part. Sandstone and some lime.

HANc.o.c.k.--Besides the Mississippi, it has a part of Bear, Crooked, and Camp creeks; large prairies; timber along the streams; rich, first rate land.

HENRY.--Has Rock river north, with Winnebago swamp, and its outlet on Green river, and one of the heads of Spoon river, and Edwards river interior. Some rich, undulating prairies and groves, with considerable wet, swampy land. Not much population.

IROQUOIS.--Kankakee, Iroquois and Sugar creek. Sand ridges and plains; much rich prairie; some timber, but deficient. It is found chiefly in groves and strips along the water courses.

JACKSON.--Has the Mississippi on the southwest, and Muddy river running diagonally through it, with some of its tributaries. Some prairies in the north-eastern part,--much heavy timber,--some hilly and broken land,--with abundance of coal, saline springs, lime and sandstone.

JASPER.--The Embarras runs through it, and the Muddy Fork of the Little Wabash waters its western side. Much of both the prairie and timbered land is level and rather wet; some fertile tracts.

JEFFERSON.--Watered by several branches of the Big Muddy and Little Wabash. Soil, second rate; surface, a little undulating; one third prairie; several sulphur and other medicinal springs.

JO DAVIESS.--Formerly embraced all the State north-west of Rock river, but recently divided into three or four counties. Besides the Mississippi, it has Fever river, Pekatonokee, Apple river, and Rush and Plum creeks. A rich county, both for agricultural and mining purposes.

Timber scarce, and in groves; surface undulating,--in some places hilly; well watered by streams and springs, and has good mill sites. Copper and lead ore in abundance.

JOHNSON.--The Ohio on the south, Cash river and Big Bay creek, and a series of lakes or ponds interior. A timbered country, tolerably level; soil sandy, with considerable quant.i.ties of second rate land.

KNOX.--Watered by Henderson and Spoon rivers, and their tributaries. The prairies large, moderately undulating, and first quality of soil, with excellent timber along the water courses.

LASALLE.--Besides the Illinois river, which pa.s.ses through it, Fox river, Big and Little Vermillion, Crow, Au Sable, Indian, Mason, Tomahawk, and other creeks, water this county. They generally run on a bed of sand or lime rock, and have but little alluvial bottom lands.

Deficient in timber, but has an abundance of rich, undulating prairie, beautiful groves, abundant water privileges, and extensive coal banks.

LAWRENCE.--The Wabash east, Fox river west, and Embarras and Racc.o.o.n through it. An equal proportion of timber and prairie, some excellent, other parts inferior,--and some bad, miry swamps, called "_purgatories_."

MACON.--South-east portion, watered by the Kaskaskia and tributaries; the middle and northern portions by the North Fork of Sangamon, and the north-western part by Salt creek. The prairies large, and in their interior, level and wet,--towards the timber, dry, undulating and rich.

MADISON.--The Mississippi lies west; Cahokia and Silver creeks, and Wood river, run through it. A part of this county lies in the American bottom, and is a rich and level alluvion; but much of the county is high, undulating, and proportionably divided into timber and prairie. Well supplied with stone quarries and coal banks.

MACOUPEN.--The Macoupen creek and branches water its central and western parts, the Cahokia the south-eastern, and the heads of Wood river and Piasau, the south-western parts. A large proportion of the county is excellent soil, well proportioned into timber and prairie, and slightly undulating.

MARION.--Watered by the East Fork, and Crooked creek, tributaries of Kaskaskia river, on its western, and heads of Skillet Fork of Little Wabash on its eastern side. Much of the land of second quality, slightly undulating, about one third timbered,--some of the prairie land level, and inclined to be wet.

MCDONOUGH.--Crooked creek and its branches water most of the county. The eastern side, for 8 or 10 miles in width, is prairie,--the western and middle parts suitably divided between prairie and forest land; surface, moderately undulating; soil, very rich.

MCLEAN.--One third of the eastern, and a portion of the northern side, is one vast prairie. The timber is beautifully arranged in groves; the surface moderately undulating, and the soil dry and rich.

The head waters of the Sangamon, Mackinau, and the Vermillion of the Illinois, are in this county. Its minerals are quarries of lime and sandstone, and granite bowlders, scattered over the prairies.

MERCER.--Has the Mississippi on the west, and Pope and Edwards rivers interior, along which are fine tracts of timber; in its middle and eastern parts are extensive prairies; surface, generally undulating; soil, rich.

MONROE.--Watered by Horse, Prairie de Long, and Fountain creeks. The American bottom adjacent to the Mississippi is rich alluvion, and divided into timber and prairie. On the bluffs are ravines and sink-holes, with broken land. Further interior is a mixture of timber and prairie. Abundance of limestone, coal, and some copper.

MONTGOMERY.--Watered by Shoal creek and branches, and Hurricane Fork. Surface, high and undulating, and proportionably divided into timber and prairie. Soil, second rate.

MORGAN.--A first rate county,--well proportioned into prairie and forest lands,--much of the surface undulating; watered by the Illinois river and Mauvaise-terre, Indian, Plum, Walnut, and Sandy creeks, and heads of Apple creek. Coal, lime and freestone.

PEORIA.--Watered by the Illinois, Kickapoo, Copperas, Senatchwine, and heads of Spoon river. Surface, moderately rolling, rich soil, and proportionately divided into prairie and forest.

PERRY.--Streams; Big Beaucoup, and Little Muddy; one third prairie, tolerably level, and second rate soil.

PIKE.--Besides Mississippi and Illinois, which wash two sides, it has the Suycartee slough, running through its western border, and navigable for steamboats, and a number of smaller creeks. The land and surface various,--much of it excellent undulating soil,--some rich alluvion, inundated at high water,--large tracts of table land, high, rolling, and rich, with due proportion of timber and prairie. A large salt spring.

POPE.--With the Ohio river east and south, it has Big Bay, Lusk's, and Big creeks interior. A timbered region, tolerably level, except at the bluffs, with good sandy soil, and sand and limestone.

PUTNAM.--The Illinois runs through it,--Spoon river waters its north-western part, and Bureau, Crow, Sandy, and some other streams, water its middle portions. Here are beautiful groves of timber, and rich, undulating and dry prairies, fine springs, and good mill sites.

Lime, sand and freestone, and bituminous coal. A few tracts of wet prairie, with some ponds and swamps, are in the north-western part.

RANDOLPH.--Has the Mississippi along the western side; Kaskaskia river pa.s.ses diagonally through it; soil, of every quality, from first rate to indifferent; surface, equally as various, with rocky precipices at the termination of the alluvial bottoms.