History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 23

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > Illinois > Fulton County > History of Fulton county, Illinois > Part 23

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Building-Stone .- The Coal Measures seldom afford large quanti- ties of limestone of sufficient thickness and of the right quality for good building-stone, and this material has to be supplied mainly from the sandstones, which are usually the prevailing rock in the coal regions. There are some beds of limestone, however, in this county that furnish a suitable material for rough walls, though the supply is quite limited.

Limestone for Lime .- The gray concretionary beds of the St. Lonis group, which outerop in the valley of Spoon river from Se- ville to Bernadotte, will afford the best material for the manufacture of quick-lime to be found in the county. This rock is usually a nearly pure carbonate of lime, and the beds in the vicinity of Alton, which also belong to this group, afford the purest and whitest of lime made in the State. The limestone above No. 7 coal is gener- ally a purer carbonate of lime than any other of the Coal Measure limestones in this county, and might be extensively used in the vicinity of Farmington for lime-burning.

Sand and Clay for Brick .- These materials are abundant on all the uplands in the county. On the bluff lands adjacent to the Illi- nois river the Loess affords an excellent material for this purpose, in which the ingredients are often mixed in just the right propor- tions. The subsoils of the prairies and of the oak ridges furnish an abundance of brown clay, which, mingled with sand that is abun- dant in the beds of the streams, forms a good material for this pur- pose. These materials are so universally distributed that they may be readily found in every neighborhood, and on almost every farm in the county.

The reason why timber soil is lighter and thinner than that of the prairie, is probably the fact that grass outran the trees in taking possession of the land, the latter coming slowly up the water courses and contending against the annual prairie fires. The trees once upon the hill-sides and high land, shading the ground, the grass and other herbaceous plants were so killed out that the surface easily washed down, rendering it still poorer for the latter while the trees held on by their deeper roots.

CHAPTER V.

ZOOLOGY.

QUADRUPEDS.

Of the species of native animals that once roamed the flowery prairies and wild forests of Fulton county, but few of the smaller remain, and none of the larger. Of the latter we cannot even find a specimen preserved in taxidermy. The buffalo which grazed upon the verdant prairies has been driven westward. With or before it went the beaver, elk, badger, panther, black wolf and black bear. Some animals that were quite numerous have become very rare, such as the gray fox, the catamount; otter, lynx, and the beautiful Virginia deer.

There still remain many of the different species, mostly inhabit- ing the country adjacent to the Illinois and Spoon rivers and a few of the other larger streams. These are, however, fast disappearing, and ere long will be known only in history, as are the deer, the beaver, and the bison. Among those still to be found here are the gray wolf, which is numerous in some parts, the opossum, raccoon, mink, muskrat, the common weasel, the small brown weasel, skunk, woodchuck, or Maryland marmot, prairie mole, common shrew mole, meadow and deer mouse, and the gray rabbit. Of squirrels there are the gray timber squirrel, the fox, chipmunk, the large gray prairie squirrel, the striped and the spotted prairie squirrel, and the beautiful flying squirrel. The dark-brown and the reddish bat are common. Other small animals have been found here which have strayed from other localities.

BIRDS.

Of the 5,000 existing species of birds many have sojourned in this county, some temporarily and others for a considerable time. Many migratory species come only at long intervals, and therefore but little is known of them.

There is not a more fascinating study than that afforded by our feathered friends. Their free movements through seemingly bound- less space, the joyous songs of many, and the characteristic tones of all, their brilliant colors, their lively manners, and their wonderful instincts, have from earliest ages made a strong impression on the minds of men, and in the infancy of intellect gave rise to many

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

peculiar and mysterious associations. Hence the flight of birds was made the foundation of a peculiar art of divination. Religion borrowed many symbols from them and poetry many of its orna- ments. Birds avail themselves of their powers of wing to seek situations adapted for them in respect to temperature and supply of food. The arrival of summer birds is always a welcome sign of advancing spring, and is associated with all that is cheerful and delightful. Some birds come almost at the same date annually ; others are more influenced by the character of the season, as mild or severe.

The following list is as nearly correct as can be compiled from the available information upon the subject :

Perchers .- This order of birds is by far the most numerous, and includes nearly all those which are attractive either in plumage or in song. The ruby-throated humming-bird, with its exquisite plumage and almost ethereal existence, is at the head of the list. This is the humming-bird which is always the delight of the children, and is the only one found in Illinois. The chimney swal- low, easily known from other swallows by its very long wings and forked tail, and which is a true swift, is quite numerous. Of the whippoorwill family there are two representatives .- the whippoorwill proper, whose note enlivens the forest at night, and the night-hawk. The belted kingfisher, so well known to the school-boy, is the only member of its family in this region. At the head of the fly- catchers is the king-bird. the crested Av-catcher and the wood pewer.

Sub-order of Singers-Thrush family .- Of this family are the robin. the wood thrush. Wilson's thrush, the blue-bird, the ruby-crowned and the golden-crested wren. tit-lark, the black and the white creeper, blue yellow-backed warbler, yellow-breasted chat, worm- cating warbler, blue-winged vellow warbler, Tennessee warbler, and golden-crowned thrush. Shrike family .- This family is represented by the great northern shrike, red-eyed fly-catcher, white-eyed fly- catcher, the blue-headed and the yellow-throated fly-catcher. Swallow family .- This family of birds are very numerous in Ful- ton county. AAmong them are the barn swallow, white-bellied swallow, bank swallow, cliff swallow. and purple martin. War- wring family .- The cedar bird is the representative of the wax-wing in America. Mocking-bird family .- The genera of this family are the cat-bird, brown thrush, the house and winter wren. Finch and Sparrow family .- The snow bunting and Smith's bunting appear only in winter. The purple finch, the yellow bird and the lark finch inhabit this county. Of the passerine genus of this family are the Savannah sparrow, the field and the chipping sparrow, the black snow-bird, the tree sparrow the song sparrow, the swamp and the fox-colored sparrow, the black-throated bunting, the rose- breasted gros-beak and the ground robin. Titmouse family is represented by the chickadee and the tufted titmouse. Creeper

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

family .- There are two specimens of this family,-the white-bellied nut-hatch and the American creeper. Skylark family .- This melo- dious family is represented here by only the common skylark of the prairie. Black-bird family .- The rusty black-bird, the crow black- bird, the cow-bird, the red-winged black-bird, the meadow lark, the orchard and the Baltimore orioles of this family, are the most beau- tiful and brilliant of birds that inhabit this region. Crow family. -The blue-jay and the common crow comprise the species of this family.

Birds of Prey .- This order of birds comprises all those, with few exceptions, which pursue and capture birds and other animals for food. They are mostly of large size, the females are larger than the males, they live in pairs, and choose their mates for life. Most rap- torial birds have disappeared. Among them are the golden eagle, which was always rare but now no longer seen here; the bald eagle, or properly the white-headed eagle, once quite common, now scarce. Some well preserved specimens of this genus are in the county. This eagle enjoys the honor of standing as our national emblem. Benjamin Franklin lamented the selection of this bird as emblemat- ical of the Union, for its great cowardice. It has the ability of ascending in circular sweeps without any apparent motion of the wings or the tail, and it often rises in this manner until it disappears from view; when at an immense height, and as if observing an object on the ground, it sometimes closes its wings, and glides to- ward the earth with such velocity that the eye can scarcely follow it, causing a loud rustling sound like a violent gust of wind among the branches of the forest. The Hawk family has eight or nine species, some but seldom seen, others common. The turkey-buzzard has almost, if not quite, disappeared. Of the owl genera are sever- al species, though all are but seklom seen because of their nocturnal habits. Among them are the barn owl, the sereech owl, the long and the short-eared owl, the barred owl, and the snowy owl, the lat- ter being the rarest.

Climbers .- But few of this order remain in the county, the most common of which are the woodpeckers. Of the various kinds are the golden-winged, the pileated, the hairy, the downy, the yellow- bellied, red-bellied and the red-headed. At an early day the Car- olina parrot was often seen, but he has now entirely deserted this section. The yellow and black-billed cuckoos are occasionally seen.

Scratchers .- This order contains but few genera in this county. The wild turkey, the choicest of game, has almost entirely disap- peared, and was the only one of its family that ever sojourned here. In an early day they were in abundance. Grouse family .- The chiefest among this family is the prairie chicken, which, if not care- fully protected, must ere long follow the wild turkey, never to re- turn. The ruffled grouse, wrongfully called " pheasant," has of late made its appearance. It is quite fond of cultivated fields, and, if properly protected and encouraged until it becomes fairly settled,

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

will make a fine addition to the game, and fill the place of the prairie chicken. Partridge family .- The fate of that excellent bird, the quail, is only a question of a short time. The Dore family .- The wild pigeons continue to make their semi-annual visits, but not in such vast numbers as years ago. Acres of forest were so often filled at night with these birds that the breaking of boughs and the flying of pigeons made a noise that could be heard for miles, and the shot of a sportsman's gun could not be heard at a distance of ten feet. Highly interesting is the description by Audubon of the enormous flights which he observed on the Ohio in the fall of 1813; they obscured the daylight and lasted three days without interruption. According to a very moderate estimate of his, each flight contained the stupendous number of one billion, one hundred and fifteen thousand million, one hundred and thirty-six thousand pigeons. These flights caused a general commotion among the entire rural population. Desirous of booty and anxious lest their erops should be spoiled, the farmers, arming themselves with rifles, clubs, poles, torehes and iron pots filled with sulphur, proceed to the resting- places of the birds. The work of slaughter being accomplished, everybody sat down among mountains of dead pigeons, plucking and salting the birds which they selected, abandoning the rest to the the foxes, wolves, raccoons, opossums and hogs, whole herds of which were driven to the battle-field. The plaintive notes of the Carolina dove, commonly known as the turtle-dove, are still heard.

Swimmers .- This order of birds, which formerly frequented this county in large numbers, have almost disappeared. They are mi- gratory, and in their usual season would appear coming from the north or south, as winter passes into summer or summer into winter. Diver family .- The great northern diver, or loon, sometimes visits this section, but inhabits the frigid zone. Gull family .- Of this family are Wilson's tern and the silvery gull. Pelican family .- The rough-billed pelican was the only genus of this family that ever stopped in Fulton county, and it has now altogether ceased to make its visits here. Cormorant family .- The double-crested cor- morant, or sea raven, has been seen here. Duck family .- This family of migratory birds visited the ponds and streams of this county in large numbers before it became so thickly settled, both on their northern and southern passage, but now mostly confine them- selves to the Illinois, where large numbers are found. This family furnishes most game for sportsmen and for the table. There are the wood-duck, the big black-headed duck, the ring-necked duck, the red-head, the canvas-back, the dipper, the sheldrake or goosander, the fish duck, the red-breasted, and the hooded merganser, the mal- lard and the pintail, the green-winged and the blue-winged teal, the spoonbill and the gadwall, the baldpate, the American swan, the trumpeter swan and the white-fronted goose.

Waders .- Probably less is known of this order of birds than of any other, because of their shyness and solitary habits. They fre-

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

quented the marshes, but cultivation has drained their favorite haunts. Crane family .- The whooping crane, always rare, is now never seen. The sand-hill cranes stop on their journeys north and south. Heron family .- The great blue heron or crane, least bittern, the green heron, night heron and the American bittern, compose those of this family visiting this region. Ibis family .- The glossy ibis has been seen here. Plorer family .- The golden plover, the killdeer and the king plover comprise this family known here. Phalarope family .- The Wilson's and the red phalarope have fre- quented the swamps of this county. Snipe family .- Various birds of this family have been common in and around the swamps of this county. Among them were Wilson's snipe, gray or red-breasted snipe, the least and the semi-palmated sandpiper, the willett, the tell-tale, the yellow-leg, the solitary sandpiper, the spotted sand- piper, the field plover, long-billed curlew, the common rail, the clap- per rail or mud hen, and the coot.

Reptiles .- All of the species of this class that ever inhabited this region are still to be found here except the poisonous snakes. The rattlesnake, of the genus Crotalus, is of a yellowish-brown color, and has a series of horny joints at the end of the tail, which make a rattling sound. These were the most venomous of all snakes found here, and were numerous in the early settlement. There are two kinds, the bandy, or striped, and the prairie rattlesnake, the lat- ter being still occasionally found. The copperhead was always rare. Among the harmless snakes are the water-snake, the garter-snake, the bull-snake, the milk-snake, the black-snake, and the blue racer.

Many reptiles found here are erroneously called lizards, but are salamanders and other like innocent creatures. Lizards are never found in this county. Among the tortoises or turtles are found the map turtle, the snapping and the soft-shelled turtle. Of the hatra- chian, or naked reptiles, there are a few, and, though loathsome to sight and touch, are harmless. The toad, the bull-frog, the leopard-frog, the tree-toad, with some tailed batrachia, comprise the most of this order. The Illinois-river bull-frog is as large as a man's head, often much larger, and his deep bellowing can be heard for a mile or more.

FISHES.

Although fishes are the lowest class of vertebrates, their varied forms and colors, which often rival those of precious stones and burnished gold, the wonderful power and velocity of some, the wholesome food furnished by many, and the exciting sport of their capture, combine to render fishes subjects of great interest to the casual observer, as well as to the amateur and professional natural- . ist. The number of known species of fishes is about ten thousand. The waters of this county are quite prolific of the finny tribe. The commerce in fish has become quite extensive along the Illinois. Sickle-backed family .- This family furnishes the game fish, and are

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

never caught larger than four pounds in weight. The various gen- era found here are the black bass, goggle-eye, the eroppy, or big black sun-fish, and the two common sun-fish. Pike family .- There are but two species of this family,- the pickerel, weighing from five to twenty-five pounds, and the gar pike. Sucker family .- Of this tribe are the buffalo, red-horse, white sucker, two species of black- suckers, mullet ranick. Fish of this family are found in all the streams of the county. They abound wherever there is water. C'at-fish family .- Of this voracious family the channel cat-fish, the mud cat-fish and two species of the small cat-fish inhabit the waters of this county, and are caught ranging in weight from one to thirty pounds. .

The shovel-fish is yet abundant, and its flesh, as well as its general appearance, resembles that of the cat-fish. ,

Besides these varieties there are the ehub, silver-sides and fresh-water herring, and large numbers of other species denominated minnows, which are found in the smallest spring branches, as well as the larger streams.

CHAPTER VI.

BOTANY.

Besides the mushrooms, mosses, lichens and the other lower orders, there are about a thousand species of plants growing within the bounds of this county. Having almost every variety of ground here, our flora is richer than that of most other counties in the State. On the following pages we give a list of all the plants grow- ing here, except the mushrooms, mosses, etc., and indicate their rel- ative abundanee by the letters a, abundant; c, common but not abundant ; r, rare but not very rare ; and rr, very rare. These terms refer to the county at large. Some plants abound in certain situa- tions, as sand, swamps, ponds, prairie, ete., in certain parts of the county, which occur rarely if at all in other parts.

As to the order in the list, we follow Gray's Manual, 5th edition, and give the English names instead of the scientific where they are to be had. Names in parenthesis are generally synonyms. We have not space to indicate medieal properties or other peculiarities. Nearly all the plants growing spontaneously in cultivated and waste grounds are "introduced," that is, they have been brought here by white settlers,-unintentionally, of course, with reference to most of the weeds. In the timbered section no particular weed is on the in- crease at the present day, but in the prairie section the garden pars- nip, common thistle, richweed (in the artificial groves), toad-flax, wild lettuce and oxybaphus, a four-o'clock plant, are increasing rapidly. While the wild plants in the woods are about the same as originally, the prairie has changed its grassy clothing for cultivated erops and hundreds of different weeds. Before settlement by the whites the prairie was mostly covered by one or two kinds of grass. Several other kinds grew in patches here and there, notably the Indian grass and blue joint, which grew very tall. In wet places grew the slough grass and many sedges, and along the chan- neled sloughs abounded several species of golden-rod, aster and wild sunflower, which in the latter part of the summer and during almost the whole autumn formed broad yellow stripes across the prairies, and were peculiarly charming. Prairie clover, false wild indigo, several species of rosin-weed and a few other weeds have almost dis- appeared with the original prairie, while a few of the modest straw- berry, star-grass and blue-eyed grass remain with us as sweet remin- iscences of the past.

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

Persons coming to this county in early day were struck with the high and rolling appearance of the prairie, which they had before always imagined low and level ; and this billowy character of the prairie, combined with its dreamy verdure, has inspired a native of this county to indite the following :

A billowy ocean with green carpet spread,

Which flowers with beauty in abundance fed! With glittering stars of amaryllis white, With violets blue and roses red and bright, With golden cinquefoil, star-grass, buttercups, With dazzing cardinal-flowers and painted-cups,

And bright-regaliaed meadow larks to sing,

This grassy sea appeared in smiling spring. In summer came the stately compass-plant, As if to guide the wandering immigrant. Then asters, golden-rods and wild sunflowers O'erspread the vales in labryinthine bowers. Thus nature, clad in vesture gold and green, Brought autumn in and closed the flowery scene.

In the forests the most valuable timber has been pretty cleanly ent ont, as the walnut, ash, hickory and the neatest oaks, while gin- seng is the most notable of the herbaceous plants that has been nearly all taken.

We venture to compile the following list of corrections from Grav's Manual :

ERRONEOUS NAME.

CORRECT NAME.

Sarsaparilla.

Moonseed.

Buttercups.

Creeping Crowfoot.

Ladies' Slippers (or Moccasins. )

Touch-me-nots.

Sheep Sorrel.

Wood Sorrel.

Ivv. Bittersweet.

Climbing Bittersweet.

Red Maple.

White Maple.

Pursley.

Purslane.

Black Ilaw.

Sheepberry (mostly).

Ox-eye Daisy.

Coneflower.

Canada Thistle.

Common Thistle.

Spanish Needles.

Beggar Ticks.

Carolina Pink.

Cardinal Flower.

Blue-Bells. Horsemint.

Wild Bergamot.

Peppermint.

Wild Mint.

Wild Morning-glory.

Hedge Bindweed.

Ball (or Bull) Nettle. Lake Grass.

Smooth Lungwort.

Horse Nettle. River Club Rush.

Moonseed is a smooth vine running up on bushes somewhat like a morning-glory, and has a round, bright yellow root, with a tonic bitter taste, while the true wild sarsaparilla of this country is a kind of large ginseng. The true butterenps of the East are not found in this county. Sheep sorrel has lance-shaped, sharp-pointed leaves, while wood sorrel has leaves like elover. Poison ivy has leaves like the box-elder, three leaflets to each leaf, and when the plant is young it can be distinguished from the latter by its having

Virginia Creeper.

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

no white bloom on the stem. The Virginia creeper has five leaflets to each leaf, almost in a circle, and is quite innoxious. The true bittersweet does not grow wild here. It has sparingly escaped from gardens to roadsides. Red maple grows in Southern Illinois, but not here. Its flowersare quite red. There is the true black-haw in this county, very scarce, and differs but very little from the more common sheep-berry. Beggar-ticks differ but little from the true Spanish needles. Cardinal-flower is that dazzling scarlet-red flower, on a plant about two feet high in low grounds, July and August. The white-flowered wild " morning-glory " is hedge bindweed. The true Solomon's seal has greenish-white flowers along the sides of the plant, and the berries when ripe are black or blue; false Solo- mon's seal has white flowers at the summit, and speckled berries.

The sycamore of the old world is very different from our svea- more here ( button-wood). The different kinds of ash are difficult to distinguish, and some of the oaks hybridize so that the leaves of the same tree will often be various in shape, and the acorns of all intermediate grades. Some names, even in the books, are applied to two different plants, as button snakeroot, black snakeroot, syca- more, goose-grass, etc.

CATALOGUE OF PLANTS GROWING SPONTANEOUSLY IN FULTON COUNTY.

Crowfoot Family .- a, creeping crowfoot ; c, Virginian anemone, Pennsyl- vanian anemone, rue anemone, early meadow rue, purplish meadow rue, tall meadow rue, yellow water crowfoot, water plantain spearwort, small-flowered crowfoot, hooked crowfoot, bristly crowfoot. early crowfoot, false rue anemone, marsh marigold (cowslips), wild columbine, liver-leaf (liverwort, hepatica), dwarf larkspur, azure larkspur; r, Clematis Pitcheri, virgin's bower, long-fruited anemone, false bugbane, wood anemone ( wind-flower), yellow puccoon (orange root, turmeric root), white baneberry, black snakeroot ; rr, leather-flower, Caro- lina anemone, stiff water crowfoot, mouse-tail, red baneberry.

Custard-Apple Family .- r, pawpaw.

Moonseed Family .- c, Canadian moonseed.

Burberry Family .- a, May-apple (mandrake); ", blue cohosh (pappoose- root); rr, twin-leaf.

Water-Lily Family .- c, tuber-bearing water-lily (the most common pond or white lily), yellow pond-lily (spatter-dock, frog lily ; r, water-shield (water target), yellow nelumbo ( water chinquepin).

Poppy Family .- c, blood-root.

Fumitory Family .- c, Dutchman's breeches; rr, climbing fumitory, squirrel- corn, golden corydalis.

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History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 23

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096