A New Guide For Emigrants To The West Part 22

ROCK ISLAND.--Is at the mouth of Rock river, which, with the Mississippi, and some minor streams, drain the county. Rich alluvion along the Mississippi, with much excellent table land,--both timber and prairie interior. Some wet, level prairie, south of Rock river.

SANGAMON.--Watered by Sangamon river and its numerous branches.

Much of the soil is of the richest quality, with due proportions of timber and prairie, moderately undulating, and a first rate county.

SCHUYLER.--The south-eastern side has the Illinois, the interior has Crooked and Crane creeks, and the south-west has McKee's creek. Along the Illinois is much timber, with some inundated bottom lands. Interior, there is a due proportion of prairie and timber and rich soil, with an undulating surface.

SHELBY.--Is watered by the Kaskaskia and tributaries; has a large amount of excellent land, both timber and prairie, with good soil, moderately undulating.

ST. CLAIR.--The streams are Cahokia, Prairie du Pont, Ogle's, Silver, Richland, and Prairie de Long creeks, and Kaskaskia river. The land is various, much of which is good, first and second rate, and proportionably divided into timber, prairie, and barrens. The minerals are lime and sandstone, and extensive beds of coal, and shale.

TAZEWELL.--Watered by the Illinois, Mackinau, and their tributaries. Much of the surface is undulating, soil rich; prairie predominates, but considerable timber, with some broken land about the bluffs of Mackinau, and some sand ridges and swamps in the southern part of the county.

UNION.--Watered by the Mississippi, Clear creek, the heads of Cash, and some of the small tributaries of the Big Muddy. Much of the surface is rolling and hilly,--all forest land. Soil, second and third rate. Some rich alluvial bottom.

VERMILLION.--Is watered by Big and Little Vermillion of the Wabash, with large bodies of excellent timber along the streams, and rich prairies interior. Surface, undulating and dry; soil, deep, rich, and calcareous.

WABASH.--Has Wabash river on the east, Bon Pas on the west, and some small creeks central; surface rolling, and a mixture of timber and prairie; soil, generally second rate. Minerals; lime and sandstone.

WARREN.--Besides the Mississippi, its princ.i.p.al stream is Henderson river, which pa.s.ses through it, with Ellison, Honey, and Camp creeks. Much of the land on these streams is rich, undulating, deficient somewhat in timber, with excellent prairie. Along the Mississippi, and about the mouth of Henderson, the land is inundated in high water.

WASHINGTON.--Has the Kaskaskia on its north-western side, with Elkhorn, Little Muddy, Beaucoup, and Little Crooked creeks interior. The prairies are rather level, and in places inclined to be wet; the timber, especially along the Kaskaskia, heavy.

WAYNE.--The Little Wabash, with its tributaries, Elm river, and Skillet Fork, are its streams. It is proportionably interspersed with prairie and woodland, generally of second quality.

WHITE.--The eastern side washed by the Big Wabash, along which is a low, inundated bottom; the interior is watered by the Little Wabash and its tributaries. Some prairie, but mostly timber. Soil and surface various. Some rich bottom prairies, with sandy soil.

TOWNS.

Vandalia is the seat of government till 1840, after which it is to be removed to Alton, according to a vote of the people in 1834, unless they should otherwise direct. It is situated on the right bank of the Kaskaskia river, in N. lat. 39 0' 42", and 58 miles in a direct line, a little north of east from Alton. The public buildings are temporary.

Population, about 750.

_Alton._ Two towns of this name are distinguished as Alton, and Upper Alton. Alton is an incorporated town, situated on the bank of the Mississippi, two and a half miles above the mouth of the Missouri, and at the place where the curve of the Mississippi penetrates the furthest into Illinois, 18 miles below the mouth of the Illinois river. For situation, commerce, business of all kinds, health, and rapidity of growth, it far exceeds any other town on the east bank of the Mississippi, above New Orleans. The population is about 2000. The commercial business done here is already immense, and extends through more than half of Illinois, besides a large trade on the western side of the Mississippi. Five large mercantile establishments do wholesale business only, four do wholesale and retail, besides four wholesale and retail groceries, and fifteen or twenty retail stores and groceries; and yet many more mercantile houses are necessary for the business of the country. Great facilities for business of almost every description, especially for every kind of mechanics, are to be had here. It offers one of the best situations on the western waters for building and repairing steamboats. Town lots and lands adjacent have risen in value from 500 to 1000 per cent. within the last twelve months.

Alton has respectable and well finished houses of worship for the Presbyterian, Methodist Protestant, and Baptist denominations; two good schools, a Lyceum, that holds weekly meetings, and two printing-offices.

The population in general, is a moral, industrious, enterprising cla.s.s.

Few towns in the West have equalled this in contributions for public and benevolent objects, in proportion to age and population.

Arrangements have been made for doing an extensive business in the slaughtering and packing of pork and beef. Four houses are engaged in that line, and have slaughtered about 25,000 hogs the present season.

Many buildings will be erected the approaching season, amongst which will be an extensive hotel, which is much needed. The town is situated at the base, side, and top, of the first bluffs that extend to the river, above the mouth of the Kaskaskia. Adjacent to it, and which will eventually become amalgamated, is Middletown, laid off directly in the rear.

_Upper Alton_ is from two and a half to three miles back from the river, and in the rear of Lower Alton, on elevated ground, and in every respect a very healthy situation. It has exceeding 120 families, and is rapidly improving. Adjacent to it, and forming now a part of the town plat, is "_Shurtleff College, of Alton, Illinois_," which bids fair to become an important and flourishing inst.i.tution. Also "_Alton Theological Seminary_," which has commenced operations. Both these inst.i.tutions have been gotten up under the influence and patronage of the Baptist denomination. A female seminary of a high order, under the name of the "_Alton Female Inst.i.tute_," has been chartered, and a building is about to be erected for the purpose. The Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians have congregations here, and two houses of worship are to be built the present year.

_Chicago_ is the largest commercial town in Illinois. It is situated at the junction of North and South branches, and along the main Chicago, near its entrance into lake Michigan, on a level prairie, but elevated above the highest floods. A recent communication from a respectable mercantile house, gives the following statistics: "Fifty-one stores, 30 groceries, 10 taverns, 12 physicians, 21 attorneys, and 4,000 inhabitants. We have four churches, and two more building, one bank, a Marine and Fire Insurance company about to go into operation, and a brick hotel, containing 90 apartments.

There were 9 arrivals and departures of steamboats in 1835, and 267 of brigs and schooners, containing 5,015 tons of merchandise and 9,400 barrels of salt, besides lumber, provisions, &c.

The harbor now constructing by the U. S. government, will be so far completed in 1836, as to admit vessels and steamboats navigating the lakes. A few miles back of Chicago are extensive tracts of wet prairie.

_Galena_ is the seat of justice for Jo Daviess county, situated on Fever river, in the midst of the mining district. It has about 20 stores, a dozen groceries, and about 1,000 inhabitants.

_Springfield_ is near the geographical centre of the State, and in the midst of a most fertile region of country. It is a flourishing inland town, and contains about 2,000 inhabitants. _Jacksonville_, the county seat of Morgan county, has about the same population, and is equally delightful and flourishing.

One mile west, on a most beautiful eminence, stands "_Illinois College_," founded under the auspices of the Presbyterian denomination, and bids fair to become a flourishing seat of learning.

I have not room to name, much less describe, the many growing towns and villages in this State, that excite and deserve the attention of emigrants. On the Illinois river are Ottawa, and several eligible sites in its vicinity, where towns have commenced; Beardstown, a short distance below the mouth of Sangamon river, Peoria, at the foot of Peoria lake, (a most beautiful site, and containing 1,000 inhabitants,) Meredosia, Naples, Pekin, Hennepin, &c. On the Mississippi, are Quincy, Warsaw, New Boston, and Stephenson, the seat of justice for Rock Island county. Interior, are Bloomington, Decatur, Tremont, Shelbyville, Hillsboro', Edwardsville, Carlyle, Belleville, Carrollton, and many others. Towards the Wabash, are Danville, Paris, Lawrenceville, Carmi, and Mount Carmel, the last of which has an importance from being connected with the grand rapids of the Wabash. Shawneetown is the commercial depot for the south-eastern part of the State. On the Military Tract are Rushville, Pittsfield, Griggsville, Carthage, Macomb, Monmouth, Knoxville, Lewistown, Canton, &c., all pleasant sites, and having a population from two or three hundred to one thousand inhabitants.

For a more particular description of each county, town, and settlement, with all other particulars of Illinois, the reader is referred to "A GAZETTEER OF ILLINOIS," by the author of this GUIDE.

_Projected Improvements._--The project of uniting the waters of lake Michigan and the Illinois, by a ca.n.a.l, was conceived soon after the commencement of the Grand ca.n.a.l of New York, and a Board of commissioners, with engineers, explored the route and estimated the cost, in 1823. Provision, by a grant of each alternate section of land within five miles of the route, having been granted by Congress, another Board of commissioners was appointed in 1829, a new survey was made, and the towns of Chicago and Ottawa laid off, and some lots sold in 1830. Various movements have since been made, but nothing effectually done, until the recent special session of the legislature, when an act was pa.s.sed to authorize the Governor to borrow funds upon the faith of the State; a new Board of commissioners has been organized, and this great work is about to be prosecuted with vigor to its completion.

Funds, in part, have been provided, from the sales of certain saline lands belonging to the State, to improve the navigation of the Great Wabash, at the Grand Rapids, near the mouth of White river, in conjunction with the State of Indiana. From the same source, funds are to be applied to the clearing out of several navigable water-courses, and repairing roads, within the State.

Charters have been granted to several rail-road companies, some of which have been surveyed and the stock taken. One from Alton to Springfield was surveyed last year, and the stock subscribed in December. Another from St. Louis, by the coal mines of St. Clair county, to Belleville, 13 miles, is expected to be made immediately. The project of a central railway from the termination of the Illinois and Michigan ca.n.a.l, at the foot of the rapids, a few miles below Ottawa,--through Bloomington, Decatur, Shelbyville, Vandalia, and on to the mouth of the Ohio river, has been entered upon with spirit. Another charter contemplates the continuance of a route, already provided for in Indiana, and noticed under Ohio, from La Fayette, Ia. by Danville, Shelbyville and Hillsboro,' to Alton, the nearest point from the east to the Mississippi. A rail-road charter was granted at a previous session of the legislature from Meredosia to Jacksonville, and another from Vincennes to Chicago.

We have only room to mention the following charters, which have been recently granted, in addition to those already specified:

One from Pekin to Tremont, in Tazewell county, 9 miles.

One from the Wabash, by Peoria to Warsaw, in Hanc.o.c.k county.

The Wabash and Mississippi rail-road company.

The Mount Carmel and Alton rail-road company.

The Rushville rail-road company.

The Winchester, Lynville, and Jacksonville rail-road company.

The Shawneetown and Alton rail-road company.

The Pekin, Bloomington, and Wabash rail-road company.

The Waverly and Grand Prairie rail-road company.

The Galena and Chicago Union rail-road company.

The Wabash and Mississippi Union rail-road company.

The Mississippi, Carrollton and Springfield rail-road company.

The _National Road_ is in progress through this State, and considerable has been made on that portion which lies between Vandalia and the boundary of Indiana. This road enters Illinois at the north-east corner of Clark county, and pa.s.ses diagonally through Coles and Effingham counties in a south-westerly course to Vandalia, a distance of 90 miles.

The road is established 80 feet wide, the central part 30 feet wide, raised above standing water, and not to exceed three degrees from a level. The base of all the abutments of bridges must be equal in thickness to one third of the height of the abutment.

The road is not yet placed in a travelling condition. The line of the road is nearly direct, the loss in 90 miles being only the 88th part of one per cent. Between Vandalia and Ewington, for 23 miles, it does not deviate in the least from a direct line.

From Vandalia westward, the road is not yet located, but it will probably pa.s.s to Alton.