USA > Iowa > Warren County > The history of Warren County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics &c > Part 10
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
by steamboats as far as Covington. White river is its principal tributary. It rises in two branches in the eastern part of the State, the two branches uniting about 30 miles from the Wabash. The Manmee is formed by the St. Joseph's and St. Mary's in the northeastern part of the State, and passes off into Ohio. The Kankakee, one of the sources of the Illinois, drains the northwestern part of the State. Among other streams are the Tippeca- noe, Mississiniwa, Whitewater, Flat Rock, and Blue rivers.
The State yields an abundance of coal, the great deposit being in the ยท southwestern portion, and embracing an area of nearly 8,000 square miles, or some twenty-two counties, in most of which it is profitably mined. There are also iron, zinc, gypsum, and lime and sandstone. Many quarries of stone yield excellent building material.
Indiana is not without its natural wonders which have attracted the atten- tion of the curious. Among these is Lost river, in Orange county. This stream is about fifty feet in width. It sinks many feet under ground, and then rises to the surface at a distance of 11 miles. Then there is Wyandot Cave, in Crawford county. In beauty and magnificence it almost rivals the celebrated Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. It has been explored a distance of over twenty miles. Its greatest width is about 300 feet, and its greatest height 245 feet. Among its interior wonders are "Bandit's Hall," "Pluto's Ravine," "Monument Mountain," "Lucifer's Gorge." and "Calypso's Island." The interior is brilliantly sparred with pendant stalactites.
The climate is milder than in the same latitude on the Atlantic coast, but somewhat subject to sudden changes. The soil is generally productive, and in the river bottoms very deep, well adapted to Indian corn and other kinds of grain. The alluvial bottom lands of the Wabash and its tributaries are especially noted for their fertility. The productions are the various kinds of grain, vegetables, and fruits common in temperate latitudes.
Indiana has a large variety of forest trees. Among those indigenous to the State are several kinds of oak, poplar, ash, walnut, hickory, elm, cherry, maple, buckeye, beech, locust, sycamore, cottonwood, hackberry, mulberry, and some sassafras.
Indianapolis is the capital, and is situated on the west fork of White river, in Marion county. The site was selected for the capital in 1820, while the whole country for forty miles in every direction was covered with a dense forest. Previous to 1825 the State capital was at Corydon, but in that year the public offices were removed to Indianapolis. The State-house was erected at a cost of $60,000, and at that time was considered an elegant building. It is now unsuited for the purposes of a great State like Indiana and will soon give place to a larger and more elegant structure. Indianapolis, in 1840,had a population of 2,692; in 1850 it had 8,900; in 1860 it had 18,611; and in 1870 it had 48,244.
In works of internal improvement Indiana stands among the leading States of the Mississippi valley. Railroads radiate in all directions from Indian- apolis, and there is scarcely a place in the State of any considerable import- ance that is not connected, directly or indirectly, with the larger cities. Among her early improvements were the Wabash and Erie Canal, connect- ing Evansville with Toledo, and the Whitewater Canal, connecting Cam- bridge City with Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio. Of the Wabash and Eric Canal, 379 miles are within the limits of Indiana. The Whitewater Canal is 74 miles long. Indianapolis is the largest and most important city in the State, and among the principal cities may be mentioned New Albany,
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Evansville, Fort Wayne, La Fayette, Terre Haute, Madison, Laporte, Jeffer- sonville, Logansport, Crawfordsville, Lawrenceburg, South Bend and Michi- gan City. Corydon, the former State capital, is 115 miles south of Indian- apolis, in Harrison county. When the seat of government was removed from this place to Indianapolis, in 1824, it remained stationary for a long time, but within a few years it has become more flourishing. Vincennes, the an- cient seat of the Territorial government, is on the left bank of the Wabash river, 120 miles south of Indianapolis. It is the oldest town in the State, and possesses much historic interest, being first settled by the French about the year 1735. Many of the present inhabitants are of French, descent. The seat of government was removed from Vincennes to Corydon in 1813.
The following table shows the population of Indiana, at the close of each decade, from 1800 to 1870:
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
2,402
298
2,517
1810
23,890
630
24,520
1820
145,758
1,420
147,178
1830.
339,399
3,632
343,031
1840.
678,698
7.168
685,866
1850.
977,154
11,262
988,416
1860.
1,338,710
11,428
*1,350,428
1870.
1,655,837
24,560
*1,680,637
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 290 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate for 1870 includes 240 enumerated as Indians.
ILLINOIS.
Illinois was formed out of a part of the Northwestern Territory, which was ceded to the United States by the State of Virginia. An act for divid- ing the Indian Territory, was passed by Congress, and approved February 3d, 1809. An act to enable the people of the Territory. to form a constitu- tion and State government, and authorizing one representative in Congress, was passed and approved April 18th, 1818. By the same act a part of the Territory of Illinois was attached to the Territory of Michigan. The people having, on the 26th of August of the same year, formed a constitution, a joint resolution was passed by Congress, and approved December 3d, 1818, admitting the State into the Union, and on the 2d of March following, an act was approved to provide for the dne execution of the laws of the United States within the State of Illinois.
The extreme length of Illinois from north to south is about 380 miles, and its greatest width about 200 miles. It embraces an area of 55,409 square miles, or 35,459,200 acres. The surface of the State is generally level, with a general inclination from north to south, as indicated by the course of its rivers. There are some elevated bluffs along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and a small tract of hilly country in the southern part of the State. The northwest part also contains a considerable amount of broken land. Some of the prairies are large, but in the early settlement of the State there were many. small prairies, skirted with fine groves of timber. The prairies are generally undulating, and in their native state were clothed in a great variety of beautiful wild flowers. The State is well supplied with minerals of great economic value. The region of Galena, in the northwest part, has
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
LINCOLN
BAKER-CO
LINOOLN MONUMENT, SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
for many years yielded vast quantities of lead. The coal fields cover an area of 44,000 square miles. There are salt springs in Gallatin, Jackson and Vermillion counties; and medicinal springs, chiefly sulphur and chalybeate, have been found in several places. Excellent building stone for heavy ma- sonry, are quarried at Joliet, La Mont, Quincy, and other places.
Illinois possesses pre-eminent facilities for water transportation, the Missis- sippi river forming the entire western boundary, and the Ohio the entire southern, while Lake Michigan bounds it on the northeast 60 miles. The Illinois river is navigable for steamboats 286 miles. Rock river, though having obstructions near its mouth, has in times of high water been navi- gated for a considerable distance. Kaskaskia, Sangamon and Spoon rivers have also been navigated by steamboat, but the construction of railroads has in a great measure superseded the necessity of this means of transportation. Among the rivers are the upper portion of the Wabash, which receives from this State the waters of the Vermillion, Embarras and Little Wabash. The principal tributaries, or sources, of the Illinois river are Kaskaskia, Des Plaines and Fox rivers. Lake Peoria is an expansion of the Illinois river, near the middle of the State. Lake Pishtoka, in the northeast part, is a lake of some importance.
Illinois, extending through five degrees of latitude, presents considerable variety of climate. Peaches and some other fruits, which do not succeed so well in the northern part, rarely fail to yield abundantly in the southern part. The State has immense agricultural capabilities, unsurpassed, indeed, by any other State in the Union, unless it may be the younger State of Iowa. Among its agricultural staples are Indian corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, butter and cheese. Stock raising on the prairies of Illinois has, for many years, been carried on extensively. All the fruits and vegetables common to the latitudes in which it is situated are successfully and abundantly produced.
Timber is plentiful, but not very equally diffused. The bottom lands are supplied with fine growths of black and white walnut, ash, hackberry, elm, sugar maple, honey locust, sycamore, cottonwood, hickory, and several species of oak. Some of these also grow on the uplands, and in addition white oak, and other valuable kinds of timber. White and yellow poplar flourish in the southern part, and cypress on the Ohio bottom lands.
As we have seen, Illinois did not become a member of the Federal Union until 1818, yet settlements were made within its limits about the same time that William Penn colonized Pennsylvania, in the latter part of the seven- teenth century. These settlements, like other French colonies, failed to in- crease very rapidly, and it was not until after the close of the Revolution, that extensive colonization commenced.
Springfield, the capital of Illinois, was laid out in 1822. It is situated three miles south of the Sangamon river, in Sangamon county, and is sur- rounded by rich and extensive prairies, which have been transformed into splendid farms. Large quantities of bituminous coal are mined in this vicinity. This city will ever be memorable as the home of Abraham Lincoln, and as the place where his remains are entombed. In 1840 it had a pop- ulation of 2,579; in 1850 it had 4,533; in 1860 it had 7,002; and in 1870 it had 17,364. Since the last date the population has increased rapidly. A new and magnificent State capitol has been erected, and Springfield may now be regarded as one of the flourishing cities of Illinois.
Chicago, on the site of old Fort Dearborn, is now the largest interior city of the United States. It stands on the shore of Lake Michigan, with the
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
Chicago river flowing through it. As the great commercial emporium of the Northwest, a special account of this city will be given elsewhere. Among other large and thriving cities are Peoria, Quincy, Galena, Belleville, Alton, Rockford, Bloomington, Ottawa, Aurora, Lincoln, Rock Island, Galesburg, Joliet and Jacksonville.
The internal improvements of Illinois are on a grand scale. The rail- roads traverse almost every county, connecting her towns and cities with her great commercial city on the lake, and with the markets of the East. Besides these, she has her great canal, from Chicago to Peru, uniting the waters of Lake Michigan with the Mississippi river. This canal is 100 miles long.
A few striking features of the natural scenery of this State may be men- tioned. Along the Mississippi are bold and picturesque bluffs, rising from one to three hundred feet. "Starved Rock " and " Lover's Leap " are eminen- ces on Illinois river, the former being a perpendicular mass of limestone, eight miles below Ottawa, and rising 150 feet above the river. It is so called from an incident in Indian warfare. A band of Illinois Indians took refuge on this eminence from the Pottawattamies, but being surrounded by the latter, they all died, it is said not of starvation, but of thirst. Nearly oppo- site "Lover's Leap " is "Buffalo Rock," 100 feet high. Here the Indians formerly drove the buffalo, and with shouts caused them to crowd each other over the precipice. On the banks of the Ohio, in Hardin county, is "Cave in the Rock," the entrance to which is but little above the water. The cave ascends gradually from the entrance to the extreme limit, back 180 feet. In 1797 it was the rendezvous of a band of robbers, who sallied forth to rob boatmen and emigrants. Other outlaws have since made it their abode.
The following table shows the population of Illinois at the close of each decade, from 1800 to 1870.
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
2,275
183
2,458
1810.
11,501
781
12,282
1820.
53,788
1,374
55,162
1830.
155,061
2,384
157,445
1840.
472,254
3,929
476,183
1850.
846,034
5,436
851,470
1860.
1,704,291
7,628
*1,711,951
1870.
2,511.096
28,762
*2,539,891
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 32 enumerated as Indians, and the same number enumerated as Indians in 1870.
MICHIGAN.
Michigan was formed out of a part of the territory ceded to the United States by the State of Virginia. It was detached from Indiana Territory, and become a separate Territorial government under an act of Congress ap- proved January 11, 1805. It remained for more than thirty years under a territorial form of government, but embraced a vast region not now inclu- ded in the State. During this time there was considerable legislation in regard to its boundaries, the most important of which was the adjustment of the boundary line between Michigan and the State of Ohio, in 1836. In January, 1833, a memorial of the Legislative Council of the Territory was presented in Congress, praying for admission into the Union as a State. The prayer of the memorial was not granted at that time, partly on account
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
of the disputed boundary question. Finally, on the 15th of June, 1836, an act was passed "to establish the northern boundary of the State of Ohio, and to provide for the admission of the State of Michigan into the Union, upon conditions therein expressed." One of the conditions was, that if a convention of delegates elected by the people of Michigan for the purpose of giving their assent to the boundaries, as declared and established by the act of June 15th, 1836, should first give their assent, then Michigan was to be declared one of the States of the Union. This condition having been complied with, Congress, on the 26th of January, 1837, passed an act de- claring Michigan one of the United States, and admitting it into the Union upon an equal footing with the original States.
Michigan occupies two peninsulas, the southern one lying between Lakes Erie, St. Clair and Huron on the east, and Lake Michigan on the west ; and the northern one between Lakes Michigan and Huron on the south, and Lake Superior on the north. The northern peninsula is about 320 miles in extreme length, from southeast to northwest, and 130 miles in its greatest width. The southern peninsula is about 283 iniles from north to south, and 210 from east to west in its greatest width. The joint area of the two peninsulas is 56,243 square miles, or 35,595,520 acres. The northern penin- sula embraces about two-fifths of the total area.
The southern peninsula is generally an undulating plain, with a few slight elevations. The shores of Lake Huron are often characterized by steep bluffs, while those of Lake Michigan are coasted by shifting sand-hills, ris- ing from one hundred to two hundred feet in height. In the southern part of this peninsula are large districts covered with thinly scattered trees, called "oak openings."
The northern peninsula is in striking contrast with the southern, both as to soil and surface. It is rugged, with streams abounding in water-falls. The Wisconsin, or Porcupine Mountains, form the water-shed between Lakes Michigan and Superior, and attain an elevation of 2,000 feet in the northwestern portion of the peninsula. The shores of Lake Superior are composed of sandstone rock, which in places is worn by the winds and waves into many strange and fanciful shapes, resembling the ruins of castles, and forming the celebrated "Pictured Rocks." The northern peninsula of Michigan possesses probably the richest copper mines in the world, occupying a belt one hundred and twenty miles in length by from two to six miles in width. It is rich in minerals, but rigorous in climate and sterile in soil. Coal is plentiful at Corunna, one hundred miles from Detroit.
The State is so surrounded and intersected by lakes as to fairly entitle it to the soubriquet of " The Lake State." There are a number of small lakes in the interior of the State, which add to the general variety of scenery, but are not important to navigation. The Straits of Mackinaw (formerly writ- ten Michilimackinac) divide the southern from the northern peninsula, and connect the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron by a navigable channel. There are a number of small rivers, the most important in the southern pe- ninsula being St. Joseph's, Kalamazoo, Grand, Muskegon and Manistee, all emptying into Lake Michigan; and Au Sable and Siganaw, flowing into Lake Huron, and the Huron and Raisin discharging their waters into Lake Erie. The principal rivers of the northern peninsula are the Menomonee, Montreal and Ontonagon. The shores around the lakes are indented by mi- merous bays. Several small islands belong to Michigan, the most impor- tant of which is Isle Royale, noted for its copper mines.
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
The climate of Michigan is generally rigorous, except in proximity to the lakes, where the fruits of the temperate zone succeed admirably. The nortli- ern peninsula is favorable for winter wheat, but Indian corn does not suc- ceed well. In the southern peninsula, Indian corn is produced abundantly, as well as the winter grains. This part of the State is pre-eminently agri- cultural.
Portions of the northern peninsula are heavily timbered with white pine, spruce, hemlock, birch, aspen, maple, ash and elm, and vast quantities of lumber are manufactured at the fine mill-sites afforded by the rapid streams. Timber is plentiful also in the southern peninsula, and consists chiefly of several species of oak, hickory, ash, basswood, maple, elm, linden, locust, dogwood, poplar, beech, sycamore, cottonwood, black and white walnut, cherry, pine, tamarack, cypress, cedar and chestnut.
Northern Michigan abounds in picturesque scenery, among which may be mentioned the "Pictured Rocks," composed of sandstone of various col- ors. They extend for about twelve miles, and rise 300 feet above the water. Sometimes cascades shoot over the precipice, so that vessels can sail between them and the natural wall of the rock. This portion of the State every sea- son attracts large numbers of excursionists and pleasure-seekers, on account of its charming and interesting scenery.
The State is named for the lake which forms a part of its boundary, and signifies in the Indian language, "Great Water." The first white settle- ments were by the French, near Detroit and at Mackinaw, in the latter half of the seventeenth century ; but these colonies did not progress rapidly. This territory, with other French possessions in North America, came into possession of Great Britain at the peace of 1763. It remained under the dominion of Great Britain until the American Revolution, when it became the possession of the United States. The British, however, did not surren- der Detroit until 1796. This region was chiefly the scene of the exploits of the celebrated chief Pontiac, after the expulsion of the French. During the war of 1812, Michigan became the theater of several of the battles and many of the incidents connected with that war. At Frenchtown, in this State, January 22, 1813, occurred a cruel massacre by the savages of a party of American prisoners of war. Gen. Harrison soon after drove the enemy out of the Territory, and removed the seat of war into Canada, where he fought and gained the battle of the Thames.
Lansing, the capital of Michigan, is situated on Grand river, in Ingliam county one hundred and ten miles northwest of Detroit. It was selected for the seat of government in 1847, at which time it was surrounded by an al- most unbroken wilderness. The river here affords excellent water power. A new and handsome State capitol has just been completed.
Detroit, situated on the river from which it takes its name, eighteen miles from the head of Lake Erie, is the largest city in the State. It was the capital until the removal of the seat of government to Lansing, in 1850. Historically it is one of the most interesting cities in the West. The French had here a military post as early as 1670. Three Indian tribes, the Hurons, Pottawattamies and Ottawas, had their villages in the vicinity. With other French possessions, it passed into the hands of the British at the peace of 1763, and twenty years later it came under the jurisdiction of the United States, although, as stated above, it was not surrendered until 1796. June 11th, 1805, it was almost totally destroyed by fire. Gen. Wm. Hull, first governor of the Territory of Michigan, then projected the city on a new
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
plan. On the 18th of August, 1812, this same Gen. Hull surrendered it into the hands of the British, but the latter evacuated it September 29th of the same year. In 1870 the population was 79,577, and since then has rap- idly increased.
Among the other important towns and cities in the State, are Grand Rap- ids, Adrian, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Jackson and Monroe.
The following table shows the population of Michigan at the close of each decade, from 1800 to 1870:
YEAR.
WHITE ..
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
551
551
1810
4,618
144
4,762
1820.
8,591
174
8,765
1830.
31,346
293
31,639
1840.
211,560
707
212,276
1850.
395,071
2,583
397,654
1860.
736,142
6,799
*749,113
1870.
1,167,282
11,849
*1,184,059
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 6,172 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate for 1870 includes 4,926 enumerated as Indians.
WISCONSIN.
Wisconsin was formed out of a portion of the Territory of Michigan, but was originally a part of the Northwestern Territory ceded by the State of Virginia to the United States. On the 12th of December, 1832, a resolution passed the house of representatives directing, a committee to inquire into the expediency of creating a Territorial government for Wisconsin out of a part of Michigan. On the 20th of April, 1836, an act was passed and approved establishing a Territorial government. On the 20th of June, 1838, an act was passed and approved to divide the Territory of Wisconsin, and to estab- lish the Territorial government of Iowa. June 12, 1838, an act was passed designating the boundary line between the State of Michigan and the Terri- tory of Wisconsin. On the 6th of August, 1846, an act was passed and approved to enable the people to form a constitution and State government. On the 21st of January, 1847, the people adopted a constitution, and on the 3d of March of the same year an act of Congress was passed and approved for the admission of the State into the Union. By act of May 29, 1848, the State was declared admitted into the Union, to be entitled to three represen- tatives in Congress after March 3, 1849.
The extreme length of Wisconsin from north to south is about 285 miles, and its greatest breadth from east to west is about 255 miles. It includes an area of about 53,924 square miles, or 34,511,360 acres. It is generally of an elevated rolling surface, with a large proportion of prairie. There are no mountains, properly so called, though the descent toward Lake Superior is quite abrupt, and the rivers full of rapids and falls, which afford valuable mill-sites. The great lakes, Superior and Michigan, lave the northern and eastern borders, besides which there are a number of smaller lakes, the most important of which is Lake Winnebago, southeast of the middle of the State. It is 28 miles long and 10 miles wide, and communicates with Green Bay through the Fox or Neenah river. In the northwestern part are numerous small lakes, with clear water, gravelly or rocky bottoms, and bold picturesque
78
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
shores. The rivers generally flow in a southwest direction and discharge their waters into the Mississippi, which flows along the southwest border of the State for more than 200 miles. The most important interior river is the Wisconsin, which has a course of about 200 miles almost directly south, when it changes its course westwardly, and flows about 100 miles further to its junction with the Mississippi. At favorable stages it is navigable for steam boats 180 miles. The Bad Axe, Black, Chippewa, and St. Croix rivers are important streams for floating timber and lumber from the pine region in the northwest part of the State. The streams flowing into Lake Superior are small, but rapid, affording excellent mill-sites.
The climate is severe and the winters long, but the State is free from the unhealthy changes which are common farther south. The south and middle portions form a fine agricultural region. Wheat is the great staple produc- tion, though all kinds of small grain and Indian corn are raised successfully. Large portions of the State are well adapted to grazing and the dairy. The northern part of the State, about the head-waters of the Black and Chippewa rivers, and the sources of the rivers emptying into Lake Superior, has but limited agricultural capabilities, as in that region are many ponds and marshes, and also large quantities of boulders scattered over the surface.
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