The state of Indiana delineated: geographical, historial, statistical, and commercial, 1838, Part 1

Author: Colton, J[oseph] H[utchins], pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: New-York, J. H. Colton
Number of Pages: 110


USA > Indiana > The state of Indiana delineated: geographical, historial, statistical, and commercial, 1838 > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


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526 C 72 GO. 2


F 526 . C72 Copy 2


War Departmel


THE STATE OFD


INDIABRARY, DELINEATED


GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL,


STATISTICAL & COMMERCIAL,


AND A BRIEF VIEW OF THE


INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS,


GEOLOGY, EDUCATION, TRAVELLING ROUTES, &c.,


Prepared to accompany Colton's Map.


NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED BY J. H. COLTON 1838.


F526 . CY2 Cafel 2


ENTERED, according to act of congress, in the year 1838, by J. H. Colton, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New - York.


By transfer OCT 7 1915


CONTENTS.


Boundaries, Situation and Extent,


PAGE


Names of the Counties, with their Population, &c., ......


7


Increase of Population,.


9


Number of Polls, amount of Taxables, &c.,.


13


10


Sketches of each County,


44


Internal Improvements,.


Table of Altitudes,


49


Geology,


58


Form of Government,


63


64


Education,


Public Lands,


64


69


History,


70


Travelling Routes,


Consulting Index,


76


6


ADVERTISEMENT.


THIS book is designed to accompany Colton's Large Map of Indiana, and add to the usefulness and interest of that work. Conciseness and accuracy have been studied in the descriptions. Much of the in- formation detailed has been obtained by the pub- lisher recently, in his efforts to collect materials to complete the map, from gentlemen residing in the State of Indiana, and agents employed for the pur- pose. Reference has also been had to the valuable Gazetteer of Indiana, published in 1833, at India- napolis, by Messrs. Douglass & Maguire, and to " Peck's New Guide for Emigrants to the West."


In the preparation of the map no pains have been spared, with regard to accuracy and style of execu- tion, to render it worthy of all confidence and pa- tronage. J. H. C.


· B


-


BOUNDARIES, SITUATION AND EXTENT.


THE State of Indiana is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan and the State of Michigan, east by the State of Ohio, south by the Ohio River, which separates it from Kentucky, and west by the State of Illinois; situated between 37° 50' and 41° 46' north latitude, and between 7º 47' and 11° west longitude from Washington City. Length, about 260 miles from north to south, and 150 miles in width from east to west; containing an area of about 37,000 square miles.


.


War Department


STATE OFPINDIANA.


THE State is divided into 88 counties, which are enumerated in the following table, with the dates of their formation, the number of square miles in each, and their population in 1830, except such as have been formed since 1830.


Counties.


Date. Sq m. [Po. 1830


County seats.


Adams,.


1836


336


Decatur.


Allen,. .


1824


650


1,000


Fort Wayne.


Bartholomew,


1821


396


5,480


Columbus.


Boone,


1830


408


622 Lebanon.


Blackford,.


1839


182


Brown,.


1836


310


Nashville.


Carroll,


1828


380


1,614 Delphi.


Cass, .


1829


415


1,154|Logansport.


Clark,


1802


400


10,719 Charleston.


Clay, ..


1825


360


1,616 Bowling Green. .


Clinton,


1830


432


1,423 Frankfort.


Crawford,


1818


300


3,184 Fredonia.


Daviess,


1816


420


4,512 Washington.


Dearborn,


1802


380 14,573|Lawrenceburgh.


Decatur,.


1821


340


5,854 Greensburgh.


De Kalb,


1835


365


Auburn.


Delaware,


1827


384


2,372 Muncietown.


Dubois,.


1817


432


1,774 Jasper.


Elkhart,


1830


460


935


Goshen.


Fayette,


1818


200


9,112 Connersville.


Floyd,.


1819


144


6,363


New-Albany.


Fountain,


1825


390


7,644 Covington.


Franklin,.


1810


400 10,199 Brookville.


Fulton,.


1836


350


Rochester.


Gibson,.


1813


450


5,417


Princeton. Marion.


Grant,


1831


415


Greene,.


1821


540


4,253 Bloomfield.


Hamilton,.


1823


400


1,705 Noblesville.


Hancock,


1828|


310


1,569 Greenfield.


8


COUNTIES, POPULATION, &C.


Counties.


Dat :. |Sq.m. Po. 1830 County seats.


Harrison, .


18"8


470


10,288 Corydon.


Hendricks,.


1:23


380


3,967 Danville.


Heury, ..


1821


385


6,498 | New-Castle.


Huntington,.


1832


384


Huntington.


Jackson,


1815


500


4,894 Brownstown.


Jasper,


1836


370


Portland.


Jay,. .


1809


360 11,465 Madison.


Jefferson,


1816


380!


3,950 Vernon.


Johnson, .


1822


320


4,130 Franklin.


Knox,


1802


540


6,557 Vincennes.


Kosciusko,.


1835


567


Warsaw.


Lagrange,.


1832


380


Lima.


Lake,.


1836


468


Lake C. H.


Laporte,.


1832


460


Laporte.


Lawrence,


1818


438


9,237 Bedford.


Madison,.


1823


390


2,442 | Andersontown.


Marshall,


1835


440


Plymouth.


Marion,.


1821


400


7,181| Indianapolis.


Martin,


1818


300


2,010| Mount Pleasant.


Miami,


1832


380


Peru.


Monroe,


1818


420


6,57 Bloomington.


Montgomery, .


1822


504


7,376 Crawfordsville.


Morgan,.


1821


453


Newton,


1837


640


Noble, .


1836


432


Augusta.


Orange,


1815


400


Owen,.


1818


396


4,060 Spencer.


Parke,


1821


450


7,534 Rockville.


Perry,


1816


325


2,464 Petersburgh.


Porter,


1835


415


Valparaiso.


Posey,


1836


342


Putnam,.


1821


486


3,195 Greencastle.


Randolph,


1818


440


3,912| Winchester.


Ripley,


1818


400


3,957 Versailles.


Rush,.


1821


410


9,918 Rushville.


Scott,.


1817


200


3,097 Lexington.


Shelby,.


1821


410


6,294 Shelbyville.


Spencer, 1818


400


3,187 Rockport. 287 | South Beml.


St. Joseph, 1830


468


Stark, .. 1837


432


Steuben, ..


1837


325


Angola.


Sullivan,. . 1816


43 .


4,696 Merom.


Switzerland,


1814


216!


7.111 Vevay.


6,883| Mount Vernon.


1814


450


Pulaski,


1814


400


3,378 Rome.


Pike,.


5,579 Martinsville.


7,909 Paoli.


-


1837


700


Jennings,


9


COUNTIES, POPULATION, &c.


Counties.


Date. |Sq.m. l'o. 1830


County seats.


Tippecanoe,


1826


504


7,167


Lafayette.


Union, .


1821


168


7,957


Liberty.


Vanderburg,


1818


225


2,610


Evansville.


Vermillion,


1823


280


5,706


Newport.


Vigo,. .


1818


400


5,737


Terre Haute.


Wabash,.


1832


415


Wabash.


Warren,


1828


350


2,854


Williamsport.


Warrick,.


1813


360


2,973


Boonville.


Washington,


1813


540


13,072


Salem.


Wayne,


1810


420|23,344 |Centreville.


Wells,


1937


372


White,.


1836


530


Monticello.


Whitley,


1838


324


To give some idea of the surprising increase of population and wealth, since the early settlement of the state, the following tables are inserted.


In the year 1800, the territory at present occupied by the state of Indiana, contained a population of 2,641


1810,


24,520


1820,


147,178


1825,


222,000


1830,


.341,582


1838, it is estimated at,


. 700,000


Increase from 1800 to 1810,


21,879


1810


1820,


122,658


1820


1825,. 74,822


1825


1830, ,119,582


1830


1838, estimated, 358,418


The following statement is taken from the Annual Report of the Auditor to the General Assembly, December 8, 1837, exhibiting the number of polls, the value of lands and improvements taxed, the to- tal amount of taxables, and the gross amount of B *


10


COUNTIES, POPULATION, &c.


revenue, at the rate of 15 cents on the one hundred dollars, and 50 cents on each poll, in the respective counties, for 1837 :-


Counties.


No. of Polls.


Value of land and improve- ments taxed.


Total amount of Gross amt. Taxables.


of Reven.


Allen


756


$ 476,647


cts.


$


cts.


$ cts. 2,093 10


Adams,.


117


7,600


25,491


96 74


Bartholomew,


1,097


874,294


1,329,455 13


2,542 68


Boone, ..


395


131,357


418,829


1,793 98


Brown,


226


8,152


51,529 .


190 29


Clark,.


1,722


1,735,712


2,869,175


5,164 76


Clay,.


533


270,317 27


671 97


Crawford,.


560


208,907


381,454


849 18


Carroll,


1.164


674,795


1,062,593


2,175 89


Cass,. .


953


323,126


827,567


1,670 95


Clinton,.


806


638.259


880,489


1,723 73


Dearborn,.


2,333


2,510,521


4,048,509


7,241 76


Decatur,.


1,406


1,400,225


1,725,410


3,291 11


Daviess,


864


369,067


635,237


1,384 85


Dubois,


352


102,715


227,911


517 86


Delaware,.


982


296,279


534,295


1,292 44


De Kalb,


184


14.439


113 66


Elkhart,.


845


383.798


698,588


1,470 88


Fayette,


1,446


2,295,637


3,132,095


5,421 14


Floyd,.


1,408


1,092,404 50


3.005.221


5,211 83


Franklin,


1,689


1,875,198


2,621,27 L


4,776 40


Fountain,


1,713


1,373,060


2,001,775


3,859 16


Fulton,


126


66.882 77


100,089 77


213 13


Gibson.


1,131


714,018


1,271,886


2,173 33


Greene,.


740


222,204


425,014


1,007 52


Grant, ..


455


146,695


208 888 50


540 83


Hamilton,


1,004


382.767


605,023


1,409 53


Harrison,.


1,471


955,873


1,371,187


2,792 28


Hendricks,


1,470


912,334


1,366,031


2,784 05


Henry,


1,874


1,585,302


2,13 ,725


4,137 58


Hancock,.


920


418,187


627,041 03


1,400 56


Huntington,


213


7,260


46,653


431 47


Jackson,


980


406,919


753,590


1,620 38


Jefferson,


2,058


3,037,825


3,986,950


4,709 42


Jennings,


980


495,337


810,838


1,646 25


Johnson,.


1,194


809,085


1,208,925


2,410 39


Jay,.


213


1,040


18,936


134 90


Knox, ..


1,345


1,022,106


2,019,111


3,701 16


Kosciusko,


437


21,981


132,123


416 68


Lawrence,,


1,480


1,078,244


1,639,423


3,199 13


1,143,402


11


COUNTIES, POPULATION, &C.


Counties.


No. Polls.


and Value of land improve- ments taxed.


Total amount of "ross amt. Taxables. of Revenue.


"Lagrange,


252


6,427 96


71,571 46


Laporte,.


1,491


1,122,326


2,047,048


3,816 07


Lake,. .


226


77,788 88


149,595 89


337 39


Madison,.


1,123


381,278


603,850


1,467 28


Marion,.


2,203


1,976,850


3,621,156


6,533 23


Martin,.


392


79,915


171,000


452 50


Monroe, .


1,200


586.468


1,041,552


2,162 33


Montgomery,


2,043


2,225,147


3,190,975


5,807 96


Morgan,


1,237


807,213


1,191,570


2,412 86


Miami,


304


182,418


284,419


578 63


Marshall,


173


93,979


155,912 48


320 36


Noble,.


246


50,806


199 21


Newton,


Orange,.


1,152


568,896


1,020,787


2,107 18


Owen,


834


365,611


609,289


1,330 93


Parke,.


1,563


1,329,159


1,895,545


3,624 81


Perry,.


583


295,482


501,557


1,043 84


Pike,.


512


195,494


385,061


833 59


Posey,.


1,159


764,105


1,454,288 52


2,760 93


Putnam,


1,986


1,390,647


2,034,737


4,045 10


Porter, .


321


76,910


187,676


447 01


Randolph,


1,196


578,094


741,943


1,710 91


Ripley,


1,058


581,367


869,748


1,823 12


Rualı,


2,074


2,593,661


3,479,020


6,255 53


Scott,.


515


199,115


332,207


755 81


Shelby,


1,629


1,143,750


1,599,195


3,213 29


Spencer,.


629


348,423


:22,949


1,098 92


Switzerland,


1,264


1,071,350


1,535,855


2,935 78


St. Joseph,.


995


704,834


1,305,315


2,455 49


Stark,.


Sullivan,


919


402,740


716,621


1,534 43


Steuben,.


312


63,712


231 50


Tippecanoe,.


2,146


2,029,771


3,613,928


6,493 89


Union,.


1,014


1,515,536


1,929,538


3,401 38


Vanderburg,.


812


666,743


1,661,005


2,897 50


Vermillion,


1,179


584,977


1,130,060


2,284 59


Vigo,


1,638


1,058,165


2,368,759 50


4,372 14


Warrick, ..


675


213,207


426,082 58


972 62


Washington, ..


1,890


1,370,503


22,385,032


4,522 62


Wayne,.


2,974


3,299,113


4,780,478


8,657 13


Warren,


858


766,290


1,188.724


2,212 09


White,.


276


81,262


153,863 50


368 79


Wabash,


228


74,744


138,549 50


321 82


Wells,.


93


4,786


13,602


66 90


82,921


61,033,425 11


98,141,063 12 149,415 13


* Incomplete.


of


$ cts.


$ cts.


$ cts. 233 36


Pulaski,.


12


COUNTIES, POPULATION, &C.


In the above statement, Blackford, Jasper, New- ton, Pulaski, Stark and Whitley counties, are not mentioned, being at the time unorganized, and con- nected with other counties.


At first view, the estimate of 700,000 inhabitants at the present time, may seem incredible; but the last official returns of the assessment of taxable property made from the several counties in the state, sufficiently indicate the increase of population to remove all distrust of the correctness of the estimate.


These returns show, that the taxable polls of 1830 amounted to 52,196 ; the same for 1835, amounted to 64,289 ; for 1837, to 85,000.


It will be perceived from this, that the increase of the last two years amounts to 20,711 polls, whilst the increase of the five preceding years amounts to only 12,093-showing an astonishing increase of emigration from year to year, which will doubtless continue years to come.


1


SKETCHES OF EACH COUNTY


IN THE


STATE OF INDIANA.


ADAMS COUNTY .- Organized in 1836; con- tains about 336 square miles ; bounded north by Allen county, east by the state of Ohio, south by Jay, west by Wells, counties. Population about 300. Soil, desirable for cultivation. The river St. Mary's flows through the north part, and the Wabash through the south part of the county. DECATUR is the county seat.


ALLEN COUNTY .- Organized in 1824; con- tains an area of 650 square miles ; bounded north by De Kalb and Noble counties, east by the state of Ohio, south by Adams and Wells, west by Whit- ley and Huntington counties. The face of the country is generally level and well timbered ; there are, however, some wet prairies, which are highly prized for the heavy growth of grass, which serves the new settlers for hay and winter pasture for their cattle ;- ultimately, these prairies will doubt- less be made very valuable by draining. Streams, the St. Joseph's from the north, and the St. Mary's from the south, unite at Fort Wayne, and form the Maumee, which takes an easterly direction to Lake


.


14


SKETCHES OF EACH COUNTY


Erie-Little river in the western part of the county, and numerous creeks. The Wabash and Erie Canal, which will connect Lake Erie at To- ledo with the Ohio river at Evansville-and the Michigan and Illinois Canal, forming a junction with the Wabash and Erie Canal at Fort Wayne, extends to, and connects with, a similar undertaking . in the state of Illinois. FORT WAYNE is the county seat. It is situated on the south side of Maumee river, high and beautiful, commanding a view of the surrounding country. In the midst of a rich and fertile country, with the advantages of canals and navigable rivers, it cannot fail to become one of the most important commercial towns in the state. Its present population is about 1,500.


BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY .- Organized in 1821; contains 396 square miles ; bounded north by Johnson and Shelby, east by Decatur, south by Jennings and Jackson, west by Brown, counties. The principal streams are the East Fork of White river, Flat Rock and Clifty creeks. A rail-road from Indianapolis to Madison passes through the county a distance of 23 miles ; and the rail-road from Jeffersonville to Indianapolis forms a junction at COLUMBUS, the county seat. There is consider- able broken and hilly land in the county, but it is generally fertile; and in the neighbourhood of White river and its tributaries especially, it is very excellent.


BLACKFORD COUNTY .- Established Feb., 1838. Population about 150-containing about 182 square miles; bounded north by Wells, south by Delaware, east by Jay, west by Grant, counties. The soil is mostly susceptible of cultivation-the


15


IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.


southern portion, especially, is considered excellent land. The Salamanie river is the principal stream, besides which there are several small creeks. MONTPELIER is the principal town.


BOONE COUNTY .- Organized in 1830; con- tains 408 square miles ; bounded north by Clinton, east by Hamilton, south by Marion and Hendricks, west by Montgomery, counties. Surface, generally level. Soil, excellent ; forest land interspersed with prairie, wet and dry. The branches of the Raccoon and Sugar creeks are the principal streams. LEBA- NON is the county seat.


BROWN COUNTY .- Recently organized ; contains 310 square miles ; bounded north by Mor- gan and Johnson, east by Bartholomew, south by Jackson and Lawrence, and west by Monroe, coun- ties. Streams-Salt creek is the principal, and many smaller, its tributaries. Surface, undulating and hilly; soil, productive. NASHVILLE is the county seat.


CARROLL COUNTY .- Organized in 1828; contains 380 square miles ; bounded north by White and Cass counties, east by Cass county and the Miami Reserve, south by Clinton, west by Tippe- canoe and White counties. Surface, generally level ; the largest portion timber, but considerable prairie land. Deer Prairie is the largest and most beauti- ful. Near DELPHI, the county seat, there is a re- markable spring of water of a reddish colour. Prin- cipal water courses are the Wabash river, Deer, Rock and Wildcat creeks. The county is in- creasing rapidly in population and improvement. The Wabash and Erie Canal passes through it.


CASS COUNTY .- Organized in 1829; con-


16


SKETCHES OF EACH COUNTY


tains 415 square miles ; bounded north by Pulaski and Fulton, east by Miami, south by Carroll county and Miami Reserve, west by Carroll and White counties. The face of the country is generally level; it abounds with springs of excellent water, and the streams are sufficiently rapid to furnish great facilities for mills and machinery of every description. The principal streams are the Wabash and Eel rivers, which unite at LOGANSPORT, the county seat-a large and flourishing town. The Wabash and Erie Canal passes through this county.


CLARKE COUNTY .- Organized in 1802; con- tains an area of 400 square miles ; bounded north by Jefferson and Scott counties, east and south by the Ohio river, west by Floyd and Washington counties. Surface, rolling, but not hilly, except the bluffs bordering the Ohio and its tributaries. Be- sides the Ohio, are numerous small streams, the most important of which are Silver and Fourteen Mile creeks. A rail-road from Jeffersonville to Indianapolis, and one from Jeffersonville to New- Albany, are located through this county. CHARLES- TON is the county seat.


CLAY COUNTY .- Organized in 1825; con- tains 360 square miles ; bounded north by Parke, east by Putnam and Owen, south by Greene, west by Sullivan and Vigo counties. Principal streams are Eel river, Birch, Otter, Cross and Jordan creeks. It has a fair proportion of good land for cultivation, the largest portion heavily timbered; in the south- western part are some beautiful prairies. The Cross Cut Canal passes through the county diago- nally, and forms a junction with the Central Canal


17


IN THE STATE OF INDLINA.


in Greene county. BOWLING-GREEN is the county seat.


CLINTON COUNTY .- Organized in 1830; contains 432 square miles ; bounded north by Car- roll county and the Miami Reservation, east by Miami Reservation and Hamilton county, south by Boone, west by Montgomery and Tippecanoe coun- ties. Chief streams, middle fork and south fork of the Wild Cat, Sugar creek, and some smaller ones. Surface, generally level-and, excepting the "Twelve mile prairie," is timbered. Soil, rich and fertile. FRANKFORT is the county seat.


CRAWFORD COUNTY .- Organized in IS18; contains about 300 square miles ; bounded north by Orange and Washington, east by Harrison county, south by Ohio river and Perry county, west by Du- bois county. Surface, hilly and broken. The prin- cipal streams are the Ohio and Blue rivers, which wash the borders of the county on the south and east-Little Blue river, and other smaller streams. The rail-road from New-Albany to Mount Carmel, Ill., is located through this county. FREDONIA, on the Ohio, is the county seat.


DAVIESS COUNTY .- Organized in 1816 ; contains 420 square miles ; bounded north by Greene, east by Martin, counties, south by the East Fork of White river, which divides it from Pike and Dubois counties, west by the west fork of White river, which divides it from Knox county. The principal streams are the east and west branches of White river-Prairie, Smothers, Veal, Aikman's and Sugar creeks. White river affords steamboat navigation about six months in the year. The whole county may be considered good farming


B 1


18


SKETCHES OF EACH COUNTY


land. The northern portion is level-the eastern and southern undulating, but not hilly. There are many fine prairies-the principal of which are Steele, Hawkins' and Owl prairies. The Mac Adamized road from New-Albany to Vincennes, is located through the centre of the county from east to west, and the Central Canal from north to south. WASHINGTON, the county seat, is a flourishing town of about 800 inhabitants, and rapidly increasing.


DEARBORN COUNTY .- Organized in 1802; contains about 380 square miles ; bounded north by Franklin county, east by the state of Ohio and Ohio river, south by Switzerland, and west by Ripley, counties. The principal streams, besides the Ohio, are the Great Miami and White Water rivers- Laughery, Tanner's and Hogan's creeks. Surface, rather hilly and broken, with rich bottom lands on the rivers. White Water Canal, and the Law- renceburgh and Indianapolis Rail-Road terminate at LAWRENCEBURGH, the county seat.


DECATUR COUNTY .- Organized in 1821 ; contains 340 square miles; bounded north by Rush, east by Franklin, south by Ripley and Jennings, west by Bartholomew and Shelby counties. Sur- face, gently undulating and well timbered. Soil, adapted to grain; very little waste land in the coun- ty. Flat Rock, Clifty and Sand creeks, are good mill streams. The Lawrenceburgh and Indian- apolis Rail-Road is located through the county. GREENSBURGH is the county seat.


DE KALB COUNTY .- Recently organized ; contains 365 square miles ; bounded north by Steu- ben county, east by state of Ohio, south by Allen, west by Noble, counties. Principal streams, the


19


IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.


St. Joseph's of the Maumee, Cedar, Little Cedar, Fish, Buck and Bear creeks. AUBURN is the coun- ty seat.


DELAWARE COUNTY .- Organized in 1827; contains 384 square miles ; bounded north by Grant and Blackford, east by Jay and Randolph, south by Henry, west by Madison, counties. Surface, gene- rally level; soil, productive. Principal streams, west fork of White, and the Mississinewa rivers ; besides which are several considerable streams, as Bell creek, Buck creek, &c. From MUNCIETOWN, the county seat, there is a canal located west.


DUBOIS COUNTY .- Organized in 1817 ; con- tains 432 square miles ; bounded north by Daviess and Martin, east by Orange and Crawford, south by Perry, Spencer and Warrick, west by Pike, counties. Principal streams, the east fork of White river, on the northern boundary; Patoka and Huntley's creeks, Strait river, &c. Surface, rolling-some parts hilly ; soil, good. The New- Albany and Mount Carmel Rail-Road is located through this county. JASPER is the county seat.


ELKHART COUNTY .- Organized in 1830; contains 460 square miles ; bounded north by the state of Michigan, east by Lagrange and Noble counties, south by Kosciusko, and west by Marshall and St. Joseph counties. Rivers, the St. Joseph and Elkhart are the principal ; tributary to these are Little Elkhart river, Pine, Turkey, Yellow, Chris- tian and Baubawgo creeks. The Northern Canal, and the Buffalo and Mississippi Rail-Road, pass through this county. "In no county in the state are the proportions of prairie, oak openings and timbered lands, more convenient than in Elkhart.


20


SKETCHES OF EACH COUNTY


No county is better watered with springs and un- failing streams. In its scenery, there is nothing grand or sublime; but in the spring and summer, when clad in the freshness and splendour of ver- dure and flowers, nothing can surpass it in beauty. Through the oak openings, far as the eye can ex- tend, and over the broad surface of the prairies, is spread out a carpet of green, decorated with flowers of every hue; the smooth surface of its streams, and of its small, clear lakes, here and there inter .. spersed, and the bold line of forest trees, which form the back ground of the prairie view ;- these are fea- tures, which, when combined, give to the face of nature an aspect of tranquil repose." GOSHEN is the county seat, pleasantly situated on the Elkhart river, near the centre of the county, and on the bor- der of the Elkhart prairie.


FAYETTE COUNTY .- Organized in 1818; contains 200 square miles ; bounded north by Henry and Wayne, east by Union, south by Franklin, west by Rush, counties. Surface, agreeably rolling ; soil, rich. Principal streams, the west branch of the White Water, and the creeks flowing into it. The White Water Canal passes through the county. CONNERSVILLE is the county seat.


FLOYD COUNTY .- Organized in 1819; con- tains an area of 144 square miles ; bounded north by Washington and Clarke, east by Clarke county and the Ohio river, south and west by Harrison county. The Ohio flows along its southern boun- dary, and Silver creek divides it from Clarke coun- ty on the east-Big and Little Indian creeks, &c. Surface, various ; soil, rather inferior. NEW-AL- BANY, on the Ohio river, about 2 miles below the


21


IN THE STATE OF INDIANA.


falls, is the county seat. It is a very enterprising and important town, estimated to contain about 6,000 inhabitants. Here are several large iron and brass foundries, factories and mills of various kinds ; steamboat building is carried on to consider- able extent ; there are many schools and seminaries of learning of a high order. A rail-road is chartered from Mount Carmel, Ill., to this place ; also, a Mac Adamized road from this place to Vincennes, and another to Crawfordsville, and a rail-road to Jeffer- sonville.


FOUNTAIN COUNTY .- Organized in 1825; contains 390 square miles ; bounded north by War- ren, east by Tippecanoe and Montgomery, south by Parke, west by Vermillion and Warren counties. Principal streams, the Wabash on the western and northern boundaries; Coal creek and Shawnee creek, and their tributaries, in the interior, which afford abundant facilities for mills, &c. Surface, un- dulating-largest portion is woodland, but there are many beautiful prairies; soil, very excellent. The Wabash and Erie Canal passes through the county. COVINGTON is the county seat.


FRANKLIN COUNTY .- Organized in 1810; contains an area of 400 square miles ; bounded north by Fayette and Union counties, east by the state of Ohio, south by Dearborn and Ripley, west by De- catur and Rush counties. The eastern part of the county is rolling, the western level-the eastern and northern section is considered most fertile. Princi- pal water courses, the east and west branches of the White Water, which unite at Brookville, near the centre of the county, affording immense water power; besides which are Salt creek, Pipe creek, B 1*




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