USA > Illinois > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 7
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October, 1812. Shadrach Bond, then a resident of St. Clair County, was elected the first Delegate to Congress from Illinois. Pierre Menard was chosen from Randolph County member of the Legislative Council, and George Fisher of the House of Representatives. The Legislature convened at Kaskaskia on the twenty-fifth of November, 1812.
In April, 1818, a bill providing for the admission of Illinois into the Union as a sovereign State was passed by Congress. A Convention to frame a Constitution assembled at Kaskaskia in the following July. The first election under the Constitution was held in September, 1818, and Shadrach Bond was elected Governor, and Pierre Menard, Lieutenant Governor. Illinois was now declared by Congress admitted to the Union as on equal footing in all respects with the original States. The Legislature again met at Kaskaskia in January, 1819. This was the last session ever held at Kaskaskia. Vandalia, the same year, was selected as Capital of the State. It was stipulated that Vanda- lia was to be the Capital for twenty years. At the end of that period it was changed to Springfield. Below we give list of governors and chief officers of Illinois.
Illinois was constituted a separate Territory by act of Con- gress, February 3d, 1809.
OFFICERS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
STATE
SOVEREIGNTY
FROM 1809,
TO 1878.
IONAL UNION
ILLINOIS TERRITORY.
NAME OF OFFICER.
OFFICE.
OR INAUGURATION.
Nathaniel Pope,
Secretary of the Territory, ...... March 7, 1809.
Ninian Edwards,
Governor, .April 24, 1809.
H. H. Maxwell,.
Auditor Public Accounts, 1816.
Daniel P. Cook,
January 13, 1816.
Joseph Phillips,
Secretary,
December 17, '16.
Robert Blackwell,
Auditor Publie Accounts, .. April 5, 1817.
Elijah C. Berry.
... .August 29, 1817.
Jolın Thomas, .Treasurer, 1818.
STATE OF ILLINOIS.
Shadrach Bond, Governor,
October 6, 1818.
Pierre Menard,
.Lieut-Governor,
6, 1818.
Elias K. Kane,.
.Secretary of State,.
6, 1818.
Elijah C. Berry,.
. Auditor Public Accounts,. 1818.
Jolın Thomas,
.Treasurer,
1818.
Robert K. Mclaughlin, ... =
August 2, 1819.
Edward Coles,
.Governor,
December, 1822.
Adolphus F. Hubbard, .... Lient .- Governar,
$6
1822.
Samuel D. Lockwood, ..... Secretary of State,
18, 1822.
Abner Field,
Treasurer, January 14, 1823.
David Blackwell,.
.Secretary of State,
October 15, 1824.
George Forquer,
=
January 15, 1825.
Ninian Edwards, Governor,
.December, 1826.
William Kinney.
Lieut-Governor,
1826.
James Hall,.
.Treasurer, Febr'y. 12, 1827.
Alexander P. Field, ..
.Secretary of State, January 23, 1829.
DATE OF COMMISSION
Morris Birbeck, .. April 2, 1823.
29
John Reynolds,
.Governor, December 9, 1830.
Zadock Casey,
Lieut-Governor,
9,1830.
Jolın M. Palmer, ..
.Governor,
January 11, 1869.
John Dougherty, .. .Lieut-Governor,.
" 11, 1869.
Edward Rummell, .. Secretary of State.
11, 1869.
Charles E. Lippincott ....
.. Auditor Public Accounts,.
11, 1869.
" 11, 1869.
Levi Davis,.
Auditor Public Accounts ...
Nov. 16, 1835.
Charles Gregory,
Treasurer,.
December 5, 1836.
Jolın D. Whiteside,.
March 4, 1837.
Thomas Carlin,
Governor,
December, 1838.
Stinson H. Anderson, ...... Lieut-Governor,
1838.
Steplien A. Douglas, ........ Secretary of State,.
Nov. 30, 1840.
Lyman Trumbull,
March 1, 1841.
Milton Carpenter, Treasurer,
1841.
James Shields, . Auditor Public Accounts, "
1841.
Thomas Ford,
.Governor,
December 8, 1842.
John Moore, .Lient-Governor,. 8, 1842.
Thomas Campbell, .. Secretary of State, .March 6, 1843.
William L. D. Ewing.
.. Auditor Public Accounts,
6, 1843.
Thomas H. Campbell,
"
P. A. (to fill vacancy),
"
26, 1846.
Augustus C. French, .. .. Governor,
Joseph B. Wells,
Lieut-Governor,
December 9, 1846. 66 9, 1846.
Horace S. Cooley
.. Secretary of State,.
23, 1846.
John Moore,
Treasurer, (to fill vacancy), ..... August 14, 1848. ..... Lieut-Governor,.
David L. Gregg,
Joel A. Matteson, ....
Gustavus Koerner,
Lieut-Governor,
1853.
Alexander Starne,
.Secretary of State, "
1853.
Ninian W. Edwards,. Super't. Public Instruction, ..... Marclı 24, 1854.
William H. Bissell, .. Governor,
January 12, 1857.
John Wood,
. Lieut-Governor, ..
12, 1857.
Ozias M. Hatch, Secretary of State, ..
12, 1857.
Jesse K. Duhois Auditor Public Accounts,
12, 1857.
James Miller,. Treasurer,
" 12, 1857.
William H. Powell, .Super't. Public Instruction, = 12, 1857. James Monroe. Virginia, ....... 1817 to 1825, eight years.
Newton Bateman,.
"
10, 1859. John Quincy Adams Massachusetts, .... 1825 to 1829, four years.
Andrew Jackson
New York, ... 1837 to 1841, four years.
William H. Harrison. .Ohio,. .1841, one month.
John Tyler.
. Virginia, .. .1841 to 1845, four years.
James K. Polk
Tennessee, .. .1845 to 1849, four years.
Zachary Taylor
Louisiana, 1849 to 1850, one year.
Millard Fillmore New York, .1850 to 1853, three years.
Franklin Pierce. .New Hampshire,.1853 to 1857, four years.
James Buchanan .Pennsylvania, ..... 1857 to 1861, four years.
Abraham Lincoln, (murdered) .. Illinois, ...... .1861 to 1865, 4 yrs. 1 mo.
Andrew Johnson
Tennessee, 1865 to 1869, four years.
Ulysses S. Grant Illinois, 1869 to 1877, eight years.
Rutherford B. Hayes .Ohio, .1877, to 1881, four years.
James A. Garfield Ohio, .1881, present incumbent.
POPULATION OF ILLINOIS, BY COUNTIES.
COUNTIES.
POPULATION.
1870. 1880.
COUNTIES.
POPULATION. 1870.
1880.
1870.
1880.
Kane ...
39,091
44,956
Monroe . ........
12,982
13,682
Alexander ...
10,564
14,809
Edwards .........
7,565
8.600
Kankakee .....
24,352
24,961
Montgomery ...
25,314
28,086
Bond ..
........
13,152
14,873
Effingham ......
15,653
18,924
Kendall ..
12,399
13,084
Morgan ...
28,463
31,519
Boone ......
12,942
11.527
Fayette.
19,638
23,243
Knox ......
39,522
38,360
Moultrie.
10,385
13,705
Vermillion .. ...
30,388
41,600.
Brown .... .........
12,205
13,044
Ford ...
9,103
15,105
Lake .....
21,014
21,299
Ogle ...
27,492
29,946
8,841
9.945
Bureau ... ........
32.415
33,189
Fulton ....
38,291
41.249
Lawrence ......
12,533
13,663
Perry ..
13,723
16,008
Washington ...
17,599
21,117
Carroll ...
16,705
16,895
Gallatin ...
11,134
12,862
Lee ...
27,171
27,494
Piatt ..
10.953
15,583
Wayne
19,758
21,297
Cass ..
11,580
14,494
Greene ...
20,277
23,014
Livingston .. ...
31,471
38,450
Logan ..
23,053
25,041
Pope ..
11,437
13,256
Champaign ....
32,737
40,869
Hamilton
13,014
16,712
Hancock
35,935
35,352
Hardin ..
5,113
6,024
McLean ....
53,988
60,115
Randolph ..
20,859
25,691
Clinton ..
16,285
18.718
Henderson ....
10,755
Macon ...
26,481
30,671
....
Rock Island ...
29,783
38,314
Cook
349,966
607,468
Iroquois.
25,782
35,457
Madison ..
44,131
50,141
St. Clair
51,068
61,850 15,940
Crawford ..
13,889
16,190
13,762
Jasper
11,234
14,515
De Kalb ..
.23,265
26,774
Jefferson ..
17,864
20,686
Mason ..
16,184
16,244
Schuyler ..
17,419
16,249
Douglass ..
13,484
15,857
Jo Daviess ..
27,820
27,534
Menard ...
11,735
13,028
Shelby.
25,476
30,282
Du Page.
16,685
19,187
Johnson
11,248
13,079
Mercer
18,769
19,501
Stark.
10,751
11,209
COUNTIES.
1870.
POPULATION. 1880
Stephenson .....
30,608
31,970
Tazewell.
27,903
29,679
Union .......
16,518
18,100
Calhoun
6,562
7,471
Franklin ........
12,652
16,129
La Salle
60,792
70,420
Peoria .....
47,540
55,419
23,174
22,940
Christian ........
20,363
......
....
15,875
16,195
Coles ...
25,235
27,055
Henry
12,562 35,506
36,609
Macoupin.
32.726
37,705
Marion ..
20,622
23,691
Marshall
16,956
15,036
Sangamon ...
46,352
52,902
De Witt ....
14,768
17,014
Jersey
15,054
15,546
Massac ..
9,581
10,443
Scott
10,530
10.745
10,1881.
Edward Rutz,
Treasurer,
10, 1881.
Believing that it will be interesting to the younger readers of our work, we subjoin the following list of Presidents of the United States :
PRESIDENTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. TERM OF SERVICE.
George Washington ...
. Virginia, ......... .. 1789 to 1797, eight years.
John Adams. Massachusetts, .... 1797 to 1801, four years.
Thomas Jefferson
. Virginia, ....... .1801 to 1809, eight years.
James Madison . Virginia ....... ... 1809 to 1817, eight years.
William Butler, Treasurer (to fill vacancy). ..... September 3, 1859.
Richard Yates, .Governor Jannary 14, 1861.
Francis A. Hoffman, ...... Lieut-Governor,
" 14, 1861.
Ozias M. Hatch,
Secretary of State,
14, 1861.
Jesse K. Dubois,.
.Auditor Public Accounts,.
14, 1861.
William Butler,. .Treasurer,
14, 1861.
Newton Bateman,. .Super't. Public Instruction,
Alexander Starne, .. .. Treasurer,
John P. Brooks,. .. Super't. Public Instruction,
12, 1863.
Richard J. Oglesby,. .Governor,
16, 1865.
William Bross, Lieut-Governor,
16, 1865.
Sharon Tyndale, .Secretary of State, ..
Orlin H. Miner,
Auditor Public Accounts, ...
Dec. 12, 1864.
James H. Beveridge, ...... Treasurer, January 9, 1865.
Newton Bateman,
.Super't. Public Instruction ...... Jannary 10, 1865.
George W. Smith, .. Treasurer,
.January, 1867.
Jobin Dement,
.Treasurer,
February 5, 1831.
James T. B. Stapp,
.. Auditor Public Accounts, .....
.. August 27, 1831.
Joseph Duncan,
.Governor,
.December, 1834
Alexander M. Jenkins, ... Lieut-Governor,
1834.
Erastus N. Bates, ..
.Treasurer,
Newton Bateman, ..
.Super't. Public Instruction, ..... January, 1871.
Erastus N. Bates,.
.Treasurer,
Richard J. Oglesby,.
.. Governor,
.Jannary 13, 1873.
Jolın L. Beveridge, ....
.Lieut-Governor,
13, 1873.
George H. Harlow,
.Secretary of State,
13, 1873.
Charles E. Lippincott, .... Auditor Public Accounts, Edward Rutz, .. Treasurer,
13. 1873.
John L. Beveridge
.Governor,
= 23, 1873.
John Early,
Lieut-Governor,
23, 1873.
S. M. Cullom,.
Governor,
8,1877.
Andrew Shuman,.
.Lieut-Governor,
= 8, 1877.
George H. Harlow ... Secretary of State,.
8, 1877.
Edward Rutz,
.Treasurer,
8, 1877.
T. B. Needles,
. Auditor Public Accounts,.
8, 1877.
S. M. Etter, .Super't. Public Instruction, " ¥
8, 1879.
J. C. Smith,
.Treasurer,
יו
8,1879.
S. M. Cullom,. Governor,
.6
10, 1881.
Henry D. Dement, . Secretary of Sate, ..
10, 1881.
Charles P. Swigert,
.. Auditor Public Accounts,.
8, 1877.
J. P. Slade,.
.January, 1849.
William McMurtry, ..
.Sec'y. of State (to fill vacancy), April 3, 1850. .Governor,
.January, 1853.
= 14, 1861.
12, 1863.
" 16,1865.
COUNTIES.
POPULATION.
COUNTIES.
POPULATION. 1870.
1880.
Adams ...
56,362
59,148
Edgar ...........
21,450
25,504
McDonough ... 26,509
27,984
Pulaski ...
8,752
9,507
Clark ......
18,719
21,900
McHenry ....
23,762
24,914
Putnam
6,280
5,555
Williamson ....
17,329
19,326
Winnebago ....
29,301
30,518
Richland .. .
12,803
15,546
Woodford ....
18,956
21,630
Total ............ 2,539,891 3,078,769
Saline .
12,714
33,761
White ....
16,846
23,089
Whitesides .....
27,503
30,888
Will ..
43,013
53,424
Clay .......
Cumberland ...
12,223
28,232
Grundy ...
14,938
16,738
Jackson ...
19,634
22,508
Pike ....
30,768
Warren ....... Wabash ...
10, 1881.
Jolin M. Hamilton, Lieut .- Governor,
13, 1873.
Nov. 8, 1870.
White, 3,032,174; Colored, 46,- 595, including 214 Chinese, and 133 Indians.
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Tennessee, .. .. 1829 to 1837, eight years. Martin Van Buren
30
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
·CHAPTER V.
GEOGRAPHY, AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES, AND RAILROAD FACILITIES.
N view of the irregularity of conformation of the State of Illinois it is hard to locate St. Clair county specifically; to speak of it as one of the south-western counties is eminently proper. Geo- graphically it lies wholly within the degree belt lying north of the thirty-eighth parallel of lati- tude, whilst the thirteenth meridian of longitude, west from Washington, bisects it north and south. Its northern boundary is 38º 33' north latitude: its southern 38° 10' 45" north ; whilst its eastern is 12º. 42' 30" west longitude and its most western point 13º 16' west. Its greatest length east and west is thirty miles. Its width thirty miles. It contains 653.36 square miles or 418,162 acres. It is bounded on the north by Madison ; east by Clinton and Washington ; south by Randolph and Monroe; west by Monroe county and the State of Missouri. The Mississippi river washes its western shore for a dis- tance of thirteen miles. Belleville, situated north-west of the cen- tre, and midway between the Mississippi and Kaskaskia rivers is the capital of the county. It is fourteen miles distant from St. Louis, and one hundred and ten miles from Springfield, Ill. It em- braces sixteen full and five fractional parts of congressional town- ships, and is divided for political purposes into sixteen voting pre- cinets, known as Athens, Belleville, Cahokia, Caseyville, Center- ville, Fayetteville, French Village, East St. Louis, Lebanon, Mas- coutah, O'Fallon, Prairie du Pont, Richland, St. Clair, Summer- field and Shiloh.
The first surveys of land under the government of the United States, were made by William Rector in 1808. They were part of Cahokia Commons and military claims. The surveying of Con- gressional townships was not made until 1814, when much of the work was done by John Messinger, who was a sub-contractor under Rector. The first land entries of these lands were by Robert Le- man, of 441.63 acres in section 1, T. 2 N. R. 8 W. August 12th, 1814; by John Scott of 320 acres being the south half of section 1, T. 1 N. R. 8 W., August 13th, 1814; by Hugh Alexander 320 acres, being the south half of section 4, T. 1 N. R. 7 W., August 13, 1814. After August 15th, there were many more the same year ; for records of which see histories of precincts. Numerous claims had been made, notably on the score of military service performed prior to this, elsewhere recorded in this work.
Population :- According to the census of 1880 the population of the county is 61,850, composed of persons of German, English, French, Swiss, Irish and African descent. The German element largely preponderates. In 1870 the population was 51,068, show- ing an increase of nearly twenty per cent. during the last decade.
Topography :- The surface of the country presents a pleasing variety, gently rolling prairies predominating. Along the water courses, or in some instances, notably along the Mississippi, at a re- move from five to seven miles distant are precipitous bluffs. The valleys intervening are low, level, and oft-times covered to con- siderable depth with rich alluvial deposits from swollen rivers hav- ing inundated their surface. These bluffs, like adamantine walls checking the course of destruction of raging floods, are from eighty to one hundred and fifty feet in height. In places the valleys bear strong evidences of having been beds of rivers or lakes. The relative proportion of open and woodland is as six to one. On many of the
prairies are stretches of young and vigorous timber, where once was an open space consequent upon annual fires sweeping everything before them. The timber belts follow the meanderings of the various streams or crown the bluffs that hem in their valleys. Following up the course of the Kaskaskia river from where it furnishes a di- viding line between this and Monroe counties, to where it enters on the eastern boundary, a shifting of bluff's from one bank to the other is noted. Opposite these bluffs are usually low, level and swampy tracts, dotted here and there with lakes. These low lands are high -. ly productive, but to be brought to their highest excellence must be drained and protected against overflow by means of levees. The same is true of that part of the Great Mississippi bottom lying with- in this county. Sloughs of hundreds of acres in extent, lie along the base of the foot hills and bluffs bounding this " bottom," rich in vegetable growth; prolific in exerting miasmatic influence ; for- bidding both to the eye and hand, waiting to be made to " bloom and blossom as the rose" before the hand of industry when once redeemed by drainage.
Turkey Hill :- Is the highest point in the county, being a short distance south-east of Belleville. Its situation is command- ing and imposing, overlooking a vast stretch of prairie and valley, twenty to thirty miles in extent to the eastward. To the south trends Prairie Tamarawais, named for the Indians who once resort- ed hither. The largest prairie in the south-eastern part of the county is Twelve Mile prairie, luxuriant in its herbage and happy in its home. East of Belleville surrounded by gently rising hills, is the beautiful Shiloh Valley. Its loveliness is unsurpassed by any in the state. In the eastern part of the county, in Mascoutah pre- cinct, as also in the southern in Richland, are sloughs of consider- able extent awaiting the construction of ditches to carry off their surplus waters, in turn to become fruitful fields.
The native kinds of timber are fully set forth in the chapter on the Flora of the county, hence demand but brief mention here. The largest bodies of timber skirt the streams. Oak in great va- riety abounds ; embracing black, white, over-cup, post, &c. There are also white, black and shell bark hickory ; soft and sugar maple; ash ; sasafras ; black and white or English walnut ; wild cherry ; elm ; pecan ; sycamore ; honey-locust ; box-alder ; paw-paw; buck- eye ; red-bud ; persimmon ; hackberry and other woods indigenous to south and central Illinois. Of shade trees there are black-locust, poplar, elm, maple, catalpa and the numerous family of evergreens. The preservation of forests is a question of vital importance. When it is remembered that wood is an article of constant daily consump- tion, positively indispensable to nearly every use and appliance of modern civilization ; that railroads require millions of ties annual- ly for purposes of construction, as well as reparation ; it becomes a question of moment, when will the supply be exhausted ? The cessation of prairie fires, with their besom of destruction, admits a growth not enjoyed before the occupation of the land in the inter- ests of agriculture.
Hydrography :- The county is well supplied with natural water courses. Along a part of its western boundary roll the waters of the Mississippi, whilst entering from the east, flowing a south-west- erly course, leaving on the south, is the Kaskaskia. Its length within the county is about thirty miles. It, together with its tribu- taries, drain the eastern half of the county. Prominent among its tributaries are, Silver Creek (so named because of a belief in the existence of silver along its course) which enters the county from the north, flows a southerly course, emptying into the Kaskaskia above New Athens. Big Mud creek which enters the county from the south-east, flows a north-westerly course, emptying into the Kas- kaskia below Fayetteville. Dosa creek, which drains much of
31
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Athens precinct and their numerous smaller tributaries, many of which are fed by springs.
The south-central part of the county is drained by Richland creek and its affluents ; the western by Prairie du Pont and its trib- utary Grand Marius. The Prairie du Pont, with its swift current, furnished the first utilized water power in the county. In addition to these natural means of drainage, tiling has been resorted to with excellent results. Wet, marshy lands have through its agency, been reclaimed and made to gladden the hearts of progressive husband- men by the rich harvests of the cereals they have borne. This til- ing, which has been in general use only a few years, is made out of a species of fire clay, of which extensive beds are found in the county. As the benefits of tile draining become more manifest it will be still more extensively used, and millions will be added to the wealth of the county.
Springs: - In many places, particularly along the hill sides which fringe the valleys, are perennial springs of clear, pure, cold, water. The most notable of these are, Falling Springs in section 22, T. 1 S. R. 10 W. two miles south-east of Prairie du Pont. The French Call the spring L'eau Tomb. It gushes out of a perpendicular rock of the Mississippi bluff, with a fall of seventy feet to the bottom below. At times in the spring the volume of water is greatly aug- mented ; when its rushings may be heard for a considerable distance. At one time, away back in the dim past, when Catholic missiona- ries sought its surrounding shades, wherein to teach savages the ways of life everlasting, an effort was made, under their direction, to utilize these waters by the construction of a water-mill. All traces of it have long since disappeared. " The oldest inhabitant," in early childhood, had the crumbling ruins pointed out to him, and was told that a hollow log conveyed the water to the wheel of the mill. At the present the springs are much visited by pleasure and pic-nic parties.
A short distance cast of Falling Springs in sceton 24,T. 1 S.,R. 10 W., are springs quite strongly impregnated with magnesia. Their tem- perature is uniform at all seasons of the year, fluctuating only from 54° to 56º Fahrenheit. The Bellville Fish Club, organized some six years ago, have constructed artificial ponds, wherein they are propagating trout. The third year after the stocking of the ponds, trout of a pound weight were taken from them.
On section 35, same township and range, is the largest spring in the county. It pours forth from an aperture in the rocks, at about the height of a man, from the general surface below. This entire township is full of springs, some of them only filled in wet seasons. After the waters recede, they become dry sink-holes.
Mounds .- Much speculation has been indulged in respecting the group of mounds to the south and south-west of Cahokia, and also Monks Mound, just across the line in Madison county. Many archeologists have claimed them as evidences of the existence of a prehistoric race ; others as the work of aborigines-the progenitors of the Indian race. Others still have asserted that the finding of crosses within these mounds, attest the builders to have been de- scendants of European races, perhaps the Northmen who crossed the Arctic Ocean several centuries before Columbus made his dis- coveries in the new world. They cannot think of crosses save as emblems of Christianity. To them the link between the Christian religion and the cross is plain. Again, there are those who in view of the irregularity of position of these mounds,-fifty to sixty in number, scattered over St. Clair county,-believe them but the result of natural causes-drift-clay and loess, deposited by waters which have receded from them. The fact that human bones are found within them, instead of proving them to have been made for interment of the dead, only proves their having been selected for
such purpose. That they were erected as fortresses, or as homes, is scouted by many ; whilst scientists are laboring earnestly to satisfy prying human curiosity respecting these speculations, the mounds have an existence, whether by human or divine agency. They vary in height from ten to sixty feet, or more, and in other dimensions their variance is equally noticeable. Sugar Loaf, on the Bluff, near Falling Springs, is among the highest of these mounds in this county. From its summit a view of rare beauty spreads out, like a panorama, before the eye.
Soil .- This county contains nearly all the elemental classes of soil known to agricultural writers. Argillaceous, calcareous and silicious soils, vegetable and alluvial loams, are represented by turns in the different geological formations which abound, often blended with each other in such minute gradations as to make it a task of some difficulty to classify them without preceding analysis. All these soils are characterized by an abundance of live spring- water, and a spontaneous growth of natural grasses and forest trees. Cultivation of the soil has greatly diminished the former, so that where once a luxuriant growth of wild-grasses furnished suste -. nance to herds of cattle and droves of hogs, cultivated fields more than compensate for their extinguishment. Here we find a stretch of the great sedimentary basin of the Mississippi valley, with its aggregations of centuries, constituting a soil of inexhaustible fer- tility, and destined yet to be the great market-garden whence will be supplied the wants of one of our nation's great cities. Hard by, frowning down upon this valley, are the bluffs, whose heights are crowned with clay loam, or here and there, but a thin covering of silicious soil, whose unfruitfulness, by a wise dispensation of nature, is compensated for by the coal measure beneath. Then again, farther to the east, are reached vast prairies with a wondrous wealth of black soil, from one to six feet in depth, and commonly termed "vegetable mould," from the fact that for untold ages, ex- tending back to the glacial period, immense accummulations of decayed vegetable matter have been successively adding their treasures, fertilizing these plains,-fitting them to become the sup- ply stations for a dense population. Imperceptibly do the different varieties of soil blend and intermingle. There is too, a cold, yellowish clay, protruding itself to the surface in places on the uplands, but its extent is limited. With proper appliances, suclı as drainage, there is but little land in the county not susceptible of cultivation.
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