USA > Illinois > Pike County > History of Pike County, Illinois : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens > Part 24
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On Lazarus Ross' place, a mile and a half northwest of Perry Springs, some indications of coal may be seen in the bluffs of the middle fork of McGee's creek.
QUATERNARY SYSTEM.
A broad belt of alluvial bottom lands, 6 to 12 miles wide, skirts the whole western border of Pike county. The deposit consists of alternations of clay, sand and loam, in quite regular strata, but of variable thickness. The soil is exceedingly fertile, and where they are above high water, they constitute the most productive and val- uable lands in the county. A large proportion of this land was originally prairie, but now there are many belts of heavy timber skirting the small streams intersecting these bottoms.
On the east side of the county there is very little bottom land from the south line of the county to the north line of Flint town- ship, where it begins to widen, and thence to the north line of the county the Illinois bottoms are 2 to 5 miles wide; but they are too low and wet for cultivation. . A portion of them are heavily tim- bered with cottonwood, sycamore, soft maple, elm, ash, hackberry, honey locust, linden, black walnut, water oak, hickory, etc.
LOESS.
The river bluffs on both sides of the county are capped with this formation, which ranges from 10 to 60 feet or more. It always overlies the Drift, where both are present, and hence is of more recent origin. It generally consists of buff or brown marly clays or sands, usually stratified, and often so coherent as to remain in vertical walls 20 or 30 feet high when cut through. From 75 to.
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
80 per cent. of it is silica, 10 to 15 per cent. alumina and iron per- oxide, 3 to 4 per cent. lime, and 1 to 2 per cent. magnesia. In the vicinity of Chambersburg the Loess is 60 to 70 feet thick. Every- where it furnishes a light, porous sub-soil, which is admirably adapted to the growth of fruit trees, vines and small fruits. In some places it contains a variety of fossil shells which present the usual bleached and water-worn appearance of the dead shells of our ponds and bayons. It also affords a variety of chalky Iumps and masses which assume many imitative forms, as of potatoes and the disks called " clay-stones " in New England. It also gives origin to the bald knobs so frequently met with along the river bluffs, and is often rounded into natural mounds which have been very gener- ally used by the Indians as burial places. The bones of extinct animals are often found in the marly beds of this formation, along with land and fresh-water shells.
DRIFT.
This deposit consists of variously colored clays containing gravel and boulders. It underlies the Loess, and hence is not visible along the bluffs. In the interior of the county it is often penetrated by well-diggers. It thins ont toward the bluffs. At the base of the Drift near Barry there is a bed of clean, yellow flint gravel, par- tially cemented by iron oxide into a ferruginous conglomerate.
ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY.
Pike county has an abundance of building stone. The Niagara limestone near Pleasant Hill furnishes a buff magnesian rock, in very regular beds, fully equal in quality to that of Grafton and Joliet. Part of the stone in the public-school building at Pittsfield was brought from Joliet, while stone just as good and beautiful was outcropping within ten miles of that town. "A want of the knowl- edge of this, fact," says Mr. Worthen, "has probably cost the citi- zens of Pike county far more than their proportion of the entire cost of the geological survey of Illinois."
The Burlington limestone, which onterops over a wide area in this county, will furnish an unlimited supply of excellent building stone. It is probably not less than 150 feet thick. The more flinty portions are the best material for macadamizing roads. Near Montezuma is a 10-foot bed of excellent dimension stone. Similar beds are exposed on Big Blue creek four miles southeast of Pitts- field, where they are 40 feet thick, containing masses two to four feet in thickness. On the west side of the county it forms an almost continuons outerop, 10 to 40 feet thick, along the river bluffs; and on the east side of the county it also forms a continuous outcrop in the bluffs from Griggsville Landing south.
The lower portion of the Keokuk limestone is fully as useful as the preceding. Excellent quarries are worked two miles north of Griggsville on the south fork of McGee's creek. The stone is com-
Hutson Martin
DERRY T!
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
posed almost entirely of the joints and plates of crinoids, cemented together by a calcareous paste.
The St. Louis group, although limited in extent, furnishes some good building stone, mostly found in Perry township and vicinity, as already described.
The coal deposits in this county are all, except at Huntley's place, too thin for profitable working. Where surface " stripping," however, can be done, it pays to mine the thinner deposits. Hunt- ley's is probably a local deposit, a " pocket," which will soon be exhausted.
No mineral ore, except a little iron, has been found in Pike county.
The Burlington and Keokuk groups furnish the best of material for quick-lime. The St. Louis group, which is generally preferred, is very limited.
Good hydraulic limestone for cement can be obtained from the Kinderhook group.
Fire clay, which usually underlies the coal, can be mined with the coal to advantage. The brown clays of the Drift and the Loess furnish superior material for brick.
For marble the bed of oolitic conglomerate of the Kinderhook gronp at Rockport furnishes a stone capable of a fine polish and makes a beautiful variegated marble ; but the bed, so far as ex- amined, is rather thin for profitable working. Some of the sub- crystalline beds of the Burlington limestone also receive a high polish and make a fine ornamental stone.
The Perry mineral springs, three in number, issue from the up- per part of the Keokuk limestone which underlies the valley and ontcrops along the bluffs. The principal ingredients of the water here are the bi-carbonates of lime and magnesia, the silicate of potash and soda and the carbonate of potash. For further account of these springs see history of Perry township in this volume.
There are a few small caves in Pike county, two near Barry, into one of which one can enter a distance of 550 feet and the other 400 feet. In early day panthers were known to inhabit these caves. In Pearl township, on land owned by Judge Atkinson, the railroad employees of the Chicago & Alton company were blasting rock in 1871 or 1872, when they discovered a small cave in which were found lime carbonate drippings in the form of stalagmites and sta- lactites. Many of these are of imitative forms and can be imag- ined to be petrified human beings or animals. An exaggerated account of this cave was published in the Pittsfield papers at the time, which led many people to believe something wonderful was found at the place.
18
CHAPTER VI.
ZOOLOGY.
QUADRUPEDS.
Of the species of native animals that once roamed the flowery prairies and wild forests of Pike 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 be- fore 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 bean- tiful Virginia deer.
There still remain many of the different species, mostly inhabit- ing the country adjacent to the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and a few of the other larger streams. These are, however, fast disap- pearing, 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 opos- sum, raccoon, mink, muskrat, the common weasel, the small brown weasel, skunk, woodchnek, or Maryland marmot, prairie mole, com- mon shrew mole, meadow and deer mouse, and the gray rabbit. Or squirrels there are the gray timber squirrel, the fox, chip- munk, 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 joyons songs of many, and the characteristic tones of all, their brilliant colors, their lively manners, and their wonderful
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
instincts, have from earliest ages made a strong impression on the ininds of men, and in the infancy of intellect gave rise to many 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 sit- nations 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.
Pike county is highly favored, compared with any county north of it, as the Virginia red-bird and cedar-bird remain here during the winter, and the indigo-bird is here in its season. Parroquets also used to abound in this region.
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 alınost ethereal existence, is at the head of the list. This is the humming-bird which is always the delight. of the chil- dren, and is the only one found in Illinois. The chimney swallow, easily known from other swallows by its very long wings and forked tail, and which is a true swift, is quite numerous. Of the whip- poorwill 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 fly-catcher and the wood pewee.
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-eating warbler, blue-winged yellow-warbler, Tennessee war- bler, 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 Pike county. Among them are the barn swallow, white-bellied swallow, bank swallow, cliff swallow, and purple martin. Wax- wing 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
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
family are the Savannah sparrow, the field and the clipping spar- row. 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. T'itmouse family is represented by the chickadee and the tufted titmouse. Creeper family .- There are two specimens of this family,-the white-bellied nut-hatch and the American creeper. Skylark family .- This melodious 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 beautiful 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 raptorial 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 emblematical of the Union, for its great cowardice. It has the ability of ascending in circular sweeps without any apparent mo- tion 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 ob- serving an object on the ground, it sometimes closes its wings and glides toward 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 several species, though all are but seldom seen because of their nocturnal habits. Among them are the barn owl, the screech owl, the long and the short eared owl, the barred owl, and the snowy owl, the latter 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, generally called the " parrokeet," was often seen, but he has now entirely deserted this section. The yellow and black- billed enekoos 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
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
chiefest among this family is the prairie chicken, which, if not carefully protected, innst ere long follow the wild turkey, never to return. The ruffled gronse, 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, 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 Dove family .--- The wild pigeons continue to make their semi-annual visits, but not in such vast numbers as years ago. Aeres 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 Andu- bon of the enormous flights which he observed on the Ohio in the fall of 1813; they obscured the daylight and lasted three days with- ont 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 crops should be spoiled, the farmers, arming themselves with rifles, clubs, poles, torches 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, aban- doning the rest to 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 silvery gull. Pelican family .- The rough-billed pelican was the only genus of this family that ever stopped in Pike county, and it has now altogether ceased to make its visits here. Cormorant family .- The double-crested cormo- rant, 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 themselves to the Illinois and Mississippi, 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 shell- drake or goosander, the fish-duck, the red-breasted, and the hooded
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
merganser, the mallard 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- 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. Plover 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, grey or red-breasted snipe, the least and the semi-palmated sandpiper, the willet, the tell-tale, the yellow-leg, the solitary sandpiper, the spotted sand- piper, the field plover, long-billed curfew, the common rail, the clapper 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 latter 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 batra- chian, or naked reptiles, there are a few, and, though loathsome to sight and touch, are harmless. The toad, the bull-frog, the leop- ard-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
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
casnal 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 and Mississippi. Sickle-backed family .- This family furnishes the game fish, and are never caught larger than four pounds in weight. The varons genera found here are the black bass, goggle-eye, the croppy, 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. Cat-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 ponnds.
The shovel-fish is yet abundant, and its flesh, as well as its gen- eral appearance, resembles that of the cat-fish.
Besides these varieties there are the chub, 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 VII.
BOTANY.
Persons coming to the West for the first time in their lives are deeply impressed with the high and rolling character of our prairies, which they had before always imagined low and level; and this feature of the prairie, combined in early days with its beautiful, dreamy covering of flowering plants and grassy verdure in spring and summer, inspired one to sing:
A billowy ocean with green carpet spread, Which seems almost too neat for man to tread ! With glittering stars of amaryllis white, With violets blue and roses red and bright, With golden cinquefoil, star-grass, buttercups, With dazzling cardinal flowers and painted-cups, And lone but cheerful 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 labyrinthine bowers. Thus nature, clad in vesture gold and green, Brought autumn in and closed the floral scene.
Also the beautiful, elean-ent hills of our forests present a taste- ful view scarcely ever witnessed in the East. But at the present day both our prairie and our timber are under either cultivation or pasturage, and blue grass, white elover and a large number of introduced weeds from the East have taken the place of the origi- nal flora. Industrially this enltivation is a gain, but poetically it is a loss. Only in the most retired situations can many interest- ing plants be found which used to be abundant. Several species of prairie elover, false wild indigo, rosin-weed, mountain mint, loosestrife, etc., have almost disappeared with the original prairie, while a few of the modest strawberry, star-grass and blue-eyed grass remain with us as sweet reminiscences of the past.
Nearly all the plants growing spontaneously in cultivated or waste grounds are " introduced;" that is, they have been brought here by white settlers,-unintentionally, of course, with referenec to most of the weeds. In the timbered seetions no particular weed is on the increase in the present decade, but in the prairie seetion, the garden parsnip. common thistle, rich weed (in artificial
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
groves), toad flax, wild lettuce, and oxybaphus (a four-o'clock plant) are increasing rapidly; and along the railroads several sand plants are making good headway, as sand-bur, polanisia, ox-eye daisy, etc.
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