SKETCHES OF WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN
STATES.
Legislation in Regard to Ohio - Admission
as a State - Description - Climate
and Soil - Origin of Name - Seat of
Government - Legislation in Regard
to Indiana - Description - Lost River
- Wyandot Cave - Seat of Government
- Internal Improvements - Vmcennes
- Illinois - Admission as a State
- Description - Productions - Towns
and Cities - "Lover's Leap"
- "Buffalo Rock" - "Cave
in the Rock" - Michigan - The
Boundary Question - Admission as a
State - Description - History - Towns
and Cities - Wisconsin-Description
- Climate and Productions - Objects
of Interest - Towns and Cities - Sketch
of Milwaukee - Minnesota - Description
- Lakes - Climate and Productions
- Natural Scenery - Red Pipe Stone
- HistoricalSketch - Towns and Cities
-Nebraska - Description - Townsand
Cites - Missour i- Organic Legislation
- The "Missouri Compromise"
- Description Early Settlement - St.
Louis - Other Towns and Cities.
67
OHIO.
OHIO was the first State formed out
of the territory northwest of the
river Ohio, which was ceded to the
United States by the General Assembly
of Virginia in 1783, and accepted
by the Congress of the United States,
March 1, 1784. This territory was
divided into two separate governments
by act of Congress of May 7, 1800.
Ohio remained a Territorial government
until under an act of Congress, approved
April 30, 1802, it adopted a State
constitution, and was allowed one
representative in Congress. On the
first of November of the same year
the constitution was presented in
Congress. The people having, on November
29, 1802, complied with the act of
Congress of April 30, 1802, whereby
the State became one of the United
States, an act was passed and approved
February 19, 1803, for the due execution
of the laws of the United States within
that State.
The State embraces
an area of about 39,964 square miles,
or 25,576,960 acres. There are no
mountains, but the central portion
of the State is elevated about 1000
feet, above the level of the sea,
while other portions are from 600
to 800 feet in elevation. A belt of
highlands north of the middle of the
State separates the rivers flowing
north into Lake Erie from those flowing
south into the Ohio river. The middle
portion of the State in great part
is an elevated plain with occasional
patches of marsh land. A large proportion
of the State when first settled was
covered with forests, but in the central
part there was some prairie. Boulders
are found scattered over the surface,
as they are generally throughout the
Northwest.
The bituminous
coal-field of the State extends over
an area embracing nearly 12,000 square
miles. It occupies the eastern and
southeastern part, with its northern
boundary running near Wooster, Newark,
and Lancaster. There are also frequent
beds of limestone, as well as sandstone
well suited for heavy masonry. The
most important of the other mineral
productions is
68
iron, which it possesses
in great abundance. This is found
.running through, the counties of
Lawrence, Gallia, Jackson, Meigs,
Vinton, Athens, and Hocking, in a
bed 100 miles long by 12 wide. For
fine castings it is not surpassed
by that found in any other part of
the United States. Salt, springs are
also frequent.
The great river
of the State is the Ohio, which forms
its southern boundary, and receives
the tributary volume of waters flowing
from the Muskingum, Scioto, and Miami,
as well as those of many smaller streams.
The interior rivers mentioned vary
in length from 110 to 200 miles. The
Ohio is navigable by steamboats of
the first-class during one-half the
year to Pittsburg. The Muskingum is
navigable by means of dams and locks
to Zanesville, 70 miles from its mouth,
and at times 30 miles farther up to
Coshocton. On the northern slope of
the State, beginning at the northwest,
are the Maumee, Sandusky, Huron, and
Cuyahoga, all Rowing into Lake Erie,
and all flowing their entire course
within the State, except the Maumee,
which rises in Indiana. The last-named
river is navigable for lake steamers
a distance of 18 miles. Lake Erie
coasts the State about 150 miles on
the north and northeast, affording
several good harbors.
The climate in
the southern part of the State is
mild, while in the north the temperature
is equally as rigorous as in the same
latitude near the Atlantic. Great
droughts have occasionally prevailed,
but the State is regarded as one of
the most productive in the Union.
Indian corn, wheat, rye, oats, and
barley, are the leading cereals. All
the fruits of the temperate latitudes
are generally abundant. The forest
trees are of many kinds, including
the several varieties of oak, hickory,
sugar and maple, beech, poplar, ash,
sycamore, paw-paw, buckeye, dogwood,
cherry, elm, and hackberry.
The State receives its name from that
of the river which forms its southern
boundary. It is of Indian or aboriginal
origin. It is not easy to determine
its real signification in the Indian
language, but some writers have claimed
that it means handsome or beautiful.
This opinion would seem to be somewhat
plausible from the fact that the early
French explorers called it La Belle
Riviere, or the Beautiful River,
having probably learned the signification
of the Indian name, and therefore
gave it a French name with the same
signification.
Ohio was first
partially settled by a few French
emigrants on the Ohio river, while
they possessed Canada and Louisiana,
about the middle of the {the} last
century. But these settlements were
very inconsiderable until the year
1787 and 1788, when the Ohio Company
and others from New England made the
settlement at Marietta. The early
inhabitants were much annoyed by the
incursions of the Indians, who had
successively defeated Gen. Harmar
and Gen. St. Clair, in 1791 and 1792,
but were themselves utterly routed
by Gen. Wayne in August, 1794. Fort
Sandusky, in the war of1812, was successfully
defended by Maj. Croghan, then but
21 years of age, with 160 men against
the attack of, Gen. Proctor, with
500 British regulars and as many Indians.
Cincinnati was laid out as early as
1788, but there were only a few settlers
until after Wayne's victory. It then
improved rapidly, having in 1818 a
population of upward of 9,000. Chillicothe
was laid out in 1796, and in 1818
had a population of 2,600. Columbus,
the present capital, was laid out
early in the year 1812, and in 1818
contained about 1,500 inhabitants.
Cleveland was laid out in 1796, and
about the same time a number of settlements
were made along the Miami. Until the
legislature met in Columbus, in December,
1816, Cincinnati and Chillicothe had
alternately enjoyed
69
the distinction of being
both the Territorial and State capitals.
In 1814 the first State-house, a plain
brick building, was erected at Columbus,
the permanent seat of the State Government.
In February, 1852, it was entirely
consumed by fire, and was succeeded
by the present fine State capitol,
which had been commenced prior to
the destruction of the old one. The
convention which formed the first
constitution of the State was held
in Chillicothe, in November, 1802.
The following table shows the population
of Ohio at the close of each decade
from 1800 to 1870:
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1800 |
45,028
|
337
|
45,365
|
| 1810 |
228,861
|
1,899
|
230,760
|
| 1820 |
576,572
|
4,723
|
581,295
|
| 1830 |
928,329
|
9,574
|
1,519,467
|
| 1840 |
1,502,122
|
17,345
|
1,519,467
|
| 1850 |
1,955,050
|
25,279
|
1,980,329
|
| 1860 |
2,302,808
|
36,673
|
*2,339,511
|
| 1870 |
2,601,946
|
63,213
|
*2,665,260
|
*The above aggregate for 1860 includes
30 enumerated as Indians, and the
aggregate for 1870 includes 100 enumerated
as Indians.
INDIANA.
Indiana was formed
out of a part of the Northwestern
Territory which was ceded to the United
States by the Virginia. It received
a separate Territorial form of government
by act of Congress of May 7, 1800,
and William Henry Harrison was appointed
Governor. At this time it included
all the territory west to the Mississippi
river, including all now embraced
in the States of Michigan, Illinois,
Wisconsin, and that part of Minnesota
east of the Mississippi. The seat
of the territorial government was
established at Vincennes. By act of
January 11, 1805, it was divided into
two separate governments, and that
of Michigan created. Again, February
3,1809, that of Illinois was created.
On the 19th of April, 1816, Congress
passed an act to enable the people
of Indiana to form a constitution
and State government. On the 29th
of June of the same year the people
formed a constitution, and on the
11th of December, 1816, an act of
Congress was approved admitting the
State into the Union. The laws of
the United States were extended to
the State by an act of March 3, 1817.
Indiana is 278
miles in its greatest length from
north to south, and about 144 miles
in width, and includes an area of
33,809 square miles, or 21,637,760
acres. It has no mountains or great
elevations, but portions south of
White river are somewhat hilly. North
of the White and Wabash rivers the
country is generally level or slightly
undulating. The rivers are generally
bordered by rich alluvial bottom lands,
sometimes extending for several miles
in width. Some of the southeastern
counties in places present a rocky
surface. The eastern part is generally
heavily timbered, while the western
is chiefly prairie. The State has
a gradual inclination toward the Ohio,
and most of the streams flow into
that river. Lake Michigan borders
the State on the northwest for a distance
of about 40 miles, while the Ohio
forms the entire southern boundary.
In the northern part there are some
small lakes. The Wabash is the largest
interior river, and with its tributaries
drains nearly three-fourths of the
State. At high water it is navigable
70
by steamboats as far
as Covington. White river is its principal
tributary. It rises in two branches
in the eastern part of the State,
the two branches uniting about 30
miles from the Wabash. The Maumee
is formed by the St. Joseph's and
St. Mary's in the northeastern part
of the State, and passes off into
Ohio. The Kankakee, one of the sources
of the Illinois drains the northwestern
part of the State. Among other streams
are the Tippecanoe, Mississiniwa,
Whitewater, Flat Rock, and Blue rivers.
The State yields
an abundance of coal, the great deposit
being in the southwestern portion,
and embracing an area of nearly 8,000
square miles, or some twenty-two counties,
in most of which it1s profitably mined.
There are also iron, zinc, gypsum,
and lime and sandstone. Many quarries
of stone yield excellent building
material.
Indiana is not without its natural
wonders which have attracted the attention
of the curious. Among these is Lost
river, in Orange county. This stream
is about fifty feet in width. It sinks
many feet under ground, and then rises
to the surface at a distance of 11
miles. Then there is Wyandot Cave,
in Crawford county. In beauty and
magnificence it almost rivals the
celebrated Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
It has been explored a distance of
over twenty miles. Its greatest width
is about 300 feet, and its greatest
height 245 feet. Among its interior
wonders are "Bandit's Hall,"
"Pluto's Ravine," "Monument
Mountain," "Lucifer's Gorge,"
and "Calypso's Island."
The interior is brilliantly sparred
with pendant stalactites.
The climate is
milder than in the same latitude on
the Atlantic coast, but somewhat subject
to sudden changes. The soil is generally
productive, and in the river bottoms
very deep, well adapted to Indian
corn and other kinds of grain. The
alluvial bottom lands of the Wabash
and its tributaries are especially
noted for their fertility. The productions
are the various kinds of grain, vegetables,
and fruits common in temperate latitudes.
Indiana has a large variety of forest
trees. Among those indigenous to the
State are several kinds of oak, poplar,
ash, walnut, hickory, elm, cherry,
maple, buckeye, beech, locust, sycamore,
cottonwood, hackberry, mulberry, and
some sassafras.
Indianapolis
is the capital, and is situated on
the west fork of White river, in Marion
county. The site was selected for
the capital in 1820, while the whole
country for forty miles in every direction
was covered with a dense forest. Previous
to 1825 the State capital was at Corydon,
but in that year the public offices
were removed to Indianapolis. The
State-house was erected at a cost
of $60,000, and at that time was considered
an elegant building It is now unsuited
for the purposes of a great State
like Indiana and will soon give place
to a larger and more elegant structure.
Indianapolis, in 1840,had a population
of 2,692; in 1850 it had 8,900; in
1860 it had18,611; and in 1870 it
had 48,244.
In works of internal
improvement Indiana stands among the
leading States of the Mississippi
valley. Railroads radiate in all directions
from Indianapolis, and there is scarcely
a place in the State of any considerable
importance that is not connected,
directly or indirectly, with the larger
cities. Among her early improvements
were the Wabash and Erie Canal, connecting
Evansville with Toledo, and the Whitewater
Canal, connecting Cambridge City with
Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio. Of the
Wabash and Eric Canal, 379 miles are
within the limits of Indiana. The
"Whitewater Canal is 741 miles
long. Indianapolis is the largest
and most important city in, the State,
and among the principal cities may
be mentioned New Albany,
71
Evansville, Fort Wayne,
La Fayette, Terre Haute, Madison,
Laporte, Jeffersonville, Logansport,
C,rawfordsville, Lawrenceburg, South
Bend and Michigan City. Corydon, the
former State capital, is 115 miles
south of Indianapolis, in Harrison
county. When the seat of government
was removed from this place to Indianapolis,
in 1824, it remained stationary for
a long time, but within a few years
it has become more flourishing. Vincennes,
the ancient seat of the Territorial
government, is on the left bank of
the Wabash river, 120 miles south
of Indianapolis. It is the oldest
town in the State, and possesses much
historic interest, being first settled
by the French about the year 1735.
Many of the present inhabitants are
of French descent. The seat of government
was removed from Vincennes to Corydon
in 1813.
The following
table shows the population of Indiana,
at the close of each decade, from
1800 to 1870:
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1800 |
2,402
|
298
|
2,517
|
| 1810 |
23,890
|
630
|
24,520
|
| 1820 |
145,758
|
1,420
|
147,178
|
| 1830 |
339,399
|
3,632
|
343,031
|
| 1840 |
678,698
|
7,168
|
685,866
|
| 1850 |
977,154
|
11,262
|
988,416
|
| 1860 |
1,338,710
|
11,428
|
*1,350,428
|
| 1870 |
1,655,837
|
24,560
|
*1,680,637
|
*The above aggregate for 1860 includes
290 enumerated as Indians, and the
aggregate for 1870 includes 240 enumerated
as Indians.
ILLINOIS.
Illinois was formed out of a part
of the Northwestern Territory, which
was ceded to the United States by
the State of Virginia. An act for
dividing the Indian Territory, was
passed by Congress, and approved February
3d, 1809. An act to enable the people
of the Territory to form a constitution
and State government, and authorizing
one representative in Congress, was
passed and approved April 18th, 1818.
By the same act a part of the Territory
of Illinois was attached to the Territory
of Michigan. The people having, on
the 26th of August of the same year,
formed a constitution, a joint resolution
was passed by Congress, and approved
December 3d, 1818, admitting the State
into the Union, and on the 2d of March
following, an act was approved to
provide for the due execution of the
laws of the United States within the
State of Illinois.
The extreme length
of Illinois from north to south is
about 380 miles, and its greatest
width about 200 miles. It embraces
an area of 55,409 square miles, or
35,459,200 acres. The surface of the
State is generally level, with a general
inclination from north to south, as
indicated by the course of its rivers.
There are some elevated bluffs along
the Mississippi and Illinois rivers,
and a small tract of hilly country
in the southern part of the State.
The northwest part also contains a
considerable amount of broken land.
Some of the prairies are large, but
in the early settlement of the State
there were many small prairies, skirted
with fine groves of timber. The prairies
are generally undulating, and in their
native state were clothed in a great
variety of beautiful wild flowers.
The State is well supplied with minerals
of great economic value. The region
of Galena, in the northwest part,
has
72
Lincoln Monument, Springfield, Ill.
73
for many years yielded
vast quantities of lead. The coal
fields cover an area of 44,000 square
miles. There are salt springs in Gallatin,
Jackson and Vermillion counties; and
medicinal springs, chiefly, sulphur
and chalybeate, have been found m
several places. Excellent building
stone for heavy masonry, are quarried
at Joliet, La Mont, Quincy, and other
places.
Illinois possesses
pre-eminent facilities for water transportation,
the Mississippi river forming the
entire western boundary, and the Ohio
the entire southern,while Lake Michigan
bounds it on the northeast 60 miles.
The Illinois river is navigable for
steamboats 286 miles. Rock river,
though having obstructions near its
mouth, has in times of high water
been navigated for a considerable
distance. Kaskaskia, Sangamon. and
Spoon rivers have also been navigated
by steamboat, but the construction
of railroads has in a great measure
superseded the necessity of this means
of transportation. Among the rivers
are the upper portion of the Wabash,
which receives from this State the
waters of the Vermillion, Embarras
and Little Wabash. The principal tributaries,
or sources, of the Illinois river
are Kaskaskia, Des Plaines and Fox
rivers. Lake Peoria is an expansion
of the Illinois river, near the middle
of the State. Lake Pishtoka, in the
northeast part, is a lake of some
importance.
Illinois, extending
through five degrees of latitude,
presents, considerable variety of
climate. Peaches and some other fruits,
which do not succeed so well in the
northern part, rarely fail to yield
abundantly in the southern part. The
State has immense agricultural capabilities,
unsurpassed, indeed, by any other
State in the Union, unless it may
be the younger State of Iowa. Among
its agricultural staples are Indian
corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes,
butter and cheese. Stock raising on
the prairies of Illinois has, for
many years been carried on extensively.
All the fruits and vegetables common
to the latitudes in which it is situated
are successfully and abundantly produced.
Timber is plentiful,
but not very equally diffused. The
bottom lands arc supplied with fine
growths of black and white walnut,
ash, hackberry, elm, sugar maple,
honey locust, sycamore, cottonwood,
hickory, and several species of oak.
Some of these also grow on the uplands,
and in addition white oak, and other
valuable kinds of timber. White and
yellow poplar flourish in the southern
part, and cypress on the Ohio bottom
lands.
As we have seen, Illinois did not
become a member of the Federal Union
until 1818, yet settlements were made
within its limits about the same time
that William Penn colonized Pennsylvania,
in the latter part of the seventeenth
century. These settlements, like other
French colonies, failed to increase
very rapidly, and it was not until
after the close of the Revolution,
that extensive colonization commenced.
Springfield, the
capital of Illinois, was laid out
in 1822. It is situated three miles
south of' the Sangamon river, in Sangamon
county, and is surrounded by rich
and extensive prairies, which have
been transformed into splendid farms.
Large quantities of bituminous coal
are mined in this vicinity. This city
will ever be memorable as the home
of Abraham Lincoln, and as the place
where his remains are entombed. In
1840 it had a population of 2,579;
in 1850 it had 4,533; in 1860 it had
7,002; and in 1870 it had 17,364.
Since the last date the population
has increased rapidly. A new and magnificent
State capitol has been erected, and
Springfield may now be regarded as
one of the flourishing cities of Illinois.
Chicago, on the
site of old Fort Dearborn, is now
the largest interior city of the united
States. It stands on the shore of
Lake Michigan, with the
74
Chicago river flowing
through it. As the great commercial
emporium of the Northwest, a special
account of this city will be given
elsewhere. Among other large and thriving
cities are Peoria, Quincy, Galena,
Belleville, Alton, Rockford, Bloomington,
Ottawa, Aurora, Lincoln, Rock Island,
Galesburg, Joliet and Jacksonville.
The internal improvements
of Illinois are on a grand scale.
The railroads traverse almost every
county, connecting her towns and cities
with her great commercial city on
the lake, and with the markets of
the East. Besides these, she has her
great canal, from Chicago to Peru,
uniting the waters of Lake Michigan
with the Mississippi river. This canal
is 100 miles long.
A few striking
features of the natural scenery of
this State may be mentioned. Along
the Mississippi are bold and picturesque
bluffs, rising from one to three hundred
feet. "Starved Rock" and"
Lover's Leap" are eminences on
Illinois river, the former being a
perpendicular mass of limestone, eight
miles below Ottawa, and rising 150
feet above the river. It is so called
from an incident in Indian warfare.
.A band of Illinois Indians took refuge
on this eminence from-the Pottawattamies,
but being surrounded by the latter,
they all died, it is said not of starvation,
but of thirst. Nearly opposite"
Lover's Leap" is "Buffalo
Rock," 100 feet high. Here the
Indians formerly drove the buffalo,
and with shouts caused them to crowd
each other over the precipice. On
the banks of the Ohio, in Hardin county,
is "Cave in the Rock," the
entrance to which is but little above
the water. The cave ascends gradually
from the entrance to the extreme limit,
back 180 feet. In 1797 it was the
rendezvous of a band of robbers, who
sallied forth to rob boatmen and emigrants.
Other outlaws have since made it their
abode.
The following
table shows the population of Illinois
at the close of each decade, from
1800 to 1870.
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1800 |
2,275
|
183
|
2,458
|
| 1810 |
11,501
|
781
|
12,282
|
| 1820 |
53,788
|
1,374
|
55,162
|
| 1830 |
155,061
|
2,384
|
157,445
|
| 1840 |
272,254
|
3,929
|
476,183
|
| 1850 |
846,034
|
5,436
|
851,470
|
| 1860 |
1,704,291
|
7,628
|
*1,711,951
|
| 1870 |
2,511,096
|
28,762
|
*2,539,891
|
*The above aggregate for 1860
includes 32 enumerated as Indians,
and the same number enumerated as
Indians in 1870.
MICHIGAN.
Michigan was formed out of a part
of the territory ceded to the United
States by the State of Virginia. It
was detached from Indiana Territory,
and become a separate Territorial
government under an act of Congress
approved January 11, 1805. It remained
for more than thirty years under a
territorial form of government, but
embraced a vast region not now included
in the State. During this time there
was considerable legislation in regard
to its boundaries, the most important
of which was the adjustment of the
boundary line between Michigan and
the State of Ohio, in 1836. In January,
1833, a memorial of the Legislative
Council of the Territory was presented
in Congress, praying for admission
into the Union as a State.
The prayer of
the memorial was not granted at that
time, partly on account
75
of the disputed boundary
question. Finally, on the 15th of
June, 1836, an act was passed to establish
the northern boundary of the State
of Ohio, and to provide for the admission
of the State of Michigan into the
Union, upon conditions therein expressed.
One of the conditions was, that if
a convention of delegates elected
by the people of Michigan for the
purpose of giving their assent to
the boundaries, as declared and established
by the act of June 15th, 1836, should
first give their assent, then Michigan
was to be declared one of the States
of the Union. This condition having
been complied with, Congress, on the
26th of January, 1837, passed an act
declaring Michigan one of the United
States, and admitting it into the
Union upon an equal footing with the
original States.
Michigan occupies
two peninsulas, the southern one lying
between Lakes Erie, St. Clair and
Huron on the east, and Lake Michigan
on the west; and the northern one
between Lakes Michigan and Huron on
the south, and Lake Superior on the
north. The northern peninsula is about
320 miles in extreme length, from
southeast to northwest, and 130 miles
in its greatest width. The southern
peninsula is about 283 miles from
north to south, and 210 from east
to west in its greatest width. The
joint area of the two peninsulas is
56,243 square miles, or 35,595,520
acres. The northern peninsula embraces
about two-fifths of the total area.
The southern
peninsula is generally an undulating
plain, with a few slight elevations.
The shores of Lake Huron are often
characterized by steep bluffs, while
those of Lake Michigan are coasted
by shifting sand-hills, rising .from
one hundred to two hundred feet in
height. In the southern part of this
peninsula are large districts covered
with thinly scattered trees, called
"oak openings." The northern
peninsula is in striking contrast
with the southern, both as to soil
and surface. It is rugged, with streams
abounding in water-falls. The Wisconsin,
or Porcupine Mountains, form the water-shed
between Lakes Michigan and Superior,
and attain an elevation of 2,000 feet
in the northwestern portion of the
peninsula. The shores of Lake Superior
are composed of sandstone rock, which
in places is worn by the winds and
waves into many strange and fanciful
shapes, resembling the ruins of castles,
and forming the celebrated "Pictured
Rocks." The northern peninsula
of Michigan possesses probably the
richest copper mines in the world,
occupying a belt one hundred and twenty
miles in length by from two to six
miles in width. It is rich in minerals,
but rigorous in climate and sterile
in soil. Coal is plentiful at Corunna,
one hundred miles from , Detroit.
The State is so
surrounded and intersected by lakes
as to fairly entitle it to the soubriquet
of "The Lake State." There
are a number of small lakes in the
interior of the State, which add to
the general variety of scenery, but
are not important to navigation. The
Straits of Mackinaw (formerly written
Michilimackinac) divide the southern
from the northern peninsula, and connect
the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron
by a navigable channel. There are
a number of small rivers, the most
important in the southern peninsula
being St. Joseph's, Kalamazoo, Grand,
Muskezon and Manistee, all emptying
into Lake Michigan; and Au Sable and
Siganaw, flowing into Lake Huron,
and the Huron and Raisin discharging
their waters into Lake Erie. The principal
rivers of the northern peninsula are
the Menomonee, Montreal and Ontonagon.
The shores around the lakes are indented
by numerous bays. Several small islands
belong to Michigan, the most important
of which is Isle Royale, noted for
its copper mines.
76
The climate of Michigan
is generally rigorous, except in proximity
to the lakes, where the fruits of
the temperate zone succeed admirably.
The northern peninsula is favorable
for winter wheat, but Indian corn
does not succeed well. In the southern
peninsula, Indian corn is produced
abundantly, as well as the winter
grains. This part of the State is
preeminently agricultural.
Portions of the
northern peninsula are heavily timbered
with white pine, spruce, hemlock,
birch, aspen, maple, ash and elm,
and vast quantities of lumber are
manufactured at the fine mill-sites
afforded by the rapid streams. Timber
is plentiful also in the southern
peninsula, and consists chiefly of
several species of oak, hickory, ash,
basswood, maple, elm, linden, locust,
dogwood, poplar, beech, sycamore,
cottonwood, black and white walnut,
cherry, pine, tamarack, cypress, cedar
and chestnut.
Northern Michigan
abounds in picturesque scenery, among
which may be mentioned the "Pictured
Rocks,'" composed of sandstone
of various colors. They extend for
about twelve miles, and rise 300 feet
above the water. Sometimes cascades
shoot over the precipice, so that
vessels can sail between them and
the natural wall of the rock. This
portion of the State every season
attracts large numbers of excursionists
and pleasure-seekers; on account of
its charming and interesting scenery.
The State is
named for the lake which forms a part
of its boundary, and signifies in
the Indian language, "Great Water."
The first white settlements were by
the French, near Detroit and at Mackinaw,
in the latter half of the seventeenth
century; but these colonies did not
progress rapidly. This territory,
with other French possessions in North
America, came into possession of Great
Britain at the peace of 1763. It remained
under the dominion of Great Britain
until the American Revolution, when
it became the possession of the United
States. The British, however, did
not surrender Detroit until 1796.
This region was chiefly the scene
of the exploits of the celebrated
chief Pontiac, after the expulsion
of the French. During the war of 1812,
Michigan became the theater of several
of' the battles and many of the incidents
connected with that war. At Frenchtown,
in this State, January 22, 1813, occurred
a cruel massacre by the savages of
a party of American prisoners of war.
Gen. Harrison soon after drove the
enemy out of the Territory, and removed
the seat of war into Canada, where
he fought and gained the battle of
the Thames.
Lansing, the
capital of Michigan, is situated on
Grand river, in Ingham county one
hundred and ten miles northwest of
Detroit. It was selected for the seat
of government in 1847, at which time
it was surrounded by an almost unbroken
wilderness. The river here affords
excellent water power. A new and handsome
State capitol has just been completed.
Detroit, situated on the river from
which it takes its name, eighteen
miles from the head of Lake Erie,
is the largest city in the State.
It was the capital until the removal
of' the seat of' government to Lansing,
in 1850. Historically it is one of
the most interesting cities in the
West. The French had here a military
post as early as 1670. Three Indian
tribes, the Hurons, Pottawattamies
and Ottawas, had their villages in
the vicinity. With other French possessions,
it passed into the hands of the British
at the peace of 1763, and twenty years
later it came under the jurisdiction
of the United States, although, as
stated above, it was not surrendered
until 1796. June 11th, 1805, it was
almost totally destroyed by fire.
Gen. Wm. Hull, first governor of the
Territory of Michigan, then projected
the city on a new
77
plan. On the 18th of
August, 1812, this same Gen. Hull
surrendered it into the hands of the
British, but the latter evacuated
it September 29th of the same year.
In 1870 the population was 79,577,
and since then has rapidly increased.
Among the other
important towns and cities in .the
State, are Grand Rapids, Adrian, Kalamazoo,
Ann Arbor, Jackson and Monroe.
The following
table shows the population of Michigan
at the close of each decade, from
1800 to 1870:
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1800 |
551
|
------
|
551
|
| 1810 |
4,618
|
144
|
4,762
|
| 1820 |
8,591
|
174
|
8,765
|
| 1830 |
31,346
|
293
|
31,639
|
| 1840 |
211,560
|
707
|
212,276
|
| 1850 |
395,071
|
2,583
|
397,654
|
| 1860 |
736,142
|
,6799
|
*749,113
|
| 1870 |
1,167,282
|
11,849
|
*1,184,059
|
*The above aggregate for 1860 includes
6,172 enumerated as Indians, and the
aggregate For 1810 includes 4,926
enumerated as Indians.
WISCONSIN.
Wisconsin was
formed out of a portion of the territory
of Michigan, but was originally a
part of the Northwestern Territory
ceded by the State of Virginia to
the United States. On the 12th of
December, 1832, a resolution passed
the house of representatives directing,
a committee to inquire into the expediency
of creating a Territorial government
for Wisconsin out of a part of Michigan.
On the 20th of April, 1836, an act
was passed and approved establishing
a Territorial government. On the20th
of June, 1838, an act was passed and
approved to divide the Territory of
Wisconsin, and to establish the Territorial
government of Iowa. June 12, 1838,
an act was passed designating the
boundary line between the State of
Michigan and the Territory of Wisconsin.
On the 6th of August, 1846, an act
was passed and approved to enable
the people to form a constitution
and State government. On the 21st
of January, 1847, the people adopted
a constitution, and on the 3d of March
of the same year an act of Congress
was passed and approved for the admission
of the State into the, Union. By act
of May 29, 1848, the State was declared
admitted into the Union, to be entitled
to three representatives in Congress
after March 3, 1849.
The extreme length
of Wisconsin from north to south is
about 285 miles, and its greatest
breadth from east to west is about
255 miles. It includes an area of
about 53,924 square miles, or 34,511,360
acres. It is generally of an elevated
rolling surface, with a large proportion
of prairie. There are no mountains,
properly so called, though the descent
toward Lake Superior is quite abrupt,
and the rivers full of rapids and
falls, which afford valuable mill-sites.
The great lakes, Superior and Michigan,
lave the northern and eastern borders,
besides which there are a number of
smaller lakes, the most important
of which is Lake Winnebago, southeast
of the middle of the State. It is
28 miles long and 10 miles wide, and
communicates with Green Bay through
the Fox or Neenah river. In the northwestern
part are numerous small lakes, with
clear , water, gravelly or rocky bottoms,
and bold picturesque
78
shores. The rivers generally
flow in a southwest direction and
discharge their waters into the Mississippi;
which flows along the southwest border
of the State for more than 200 miles.
The most important interior river
is the Wisconsin, which has a course
of about 200 miles almost directly
south, when it changes its course
westwardly, and flows about 100 miles
further to its junction with the Mississippi.
At favorable stages it is navigable
for steamboats 180 miles. The Bad
Axe, Black, Chippewa, and St. Croix
rivers are important streams for floating
timber and lumber from the pine region
in the northwest part of the State.
The streams flowing into Lake Superior
are small, but rapid, affording excellent
mill-sites.
The climate is
severe and the winters long, but the
State is free from the unhealthy changes
which are common farther south. The
south and middle portions form a fine
agricultural region. Wheat is the
great staple production, though all
kinds of small grain and Indian corn
are raised successfully. Large portions
of the State are well adapted to grazing
and the dairy. The northern part of
the State, about the head-waters of
the Black and Chippewa rivers, and
the sources of the rivers emptying
into Lake Superior, has hut limited
agricultural capabilities, as in that
region are many ponds and marshes,
and also large quantities of boulders
scattered over the surface.
There are many
objects of interest to the tourist
and the lover of the picturesque.
The rivers abound in rapids and falls.
In St. Louis river there is a series
of cascades which have a descent of
320 feet in 16 miles. The Menomonee
river at Quinnesec Falls dashes down
over a perpendicular ledge of rocks
40 feet, and has a fall of 134 feet
in a mile and a half. Among other
noted falls are the St. Croix, Chippewa
and Big Bull Falls in the Wisconsin
river. Along the rivers are many grand
views of bluffs, rising from 150 to
200 feet, and at one place in Richland
county on the Wisconsin, where it
passes through a narrow gorge, the
cliffs have an elevation of from 4.00
to 500 feet. On the Mississippi, in
La Crosse county, the rocks rise feet
perpendicularly above the water.
The great lead
region extends into the southwestern
part of Wisconsin. The deposit here
is intermingled to some extent with
copper and zinc, together with some
silver. Copper is found in a number
of places, and also some iron ore.
The iron ores of the Lake Superior
region extend into Wisconsin. Beautiful
varieties of marble are found on the
Menomonee river and in other localities.
On the upper Wisconsin
river, and other tributaries of the
Mississippi, north of the Wisconsin,
are vast forests of pine, and immense
quantities are annually floated down
the Mississippi to supply the markets
in other States. Among other forest
trees are spruce, tamarack, cedar,
hemlock, oak of several varieties,
birch, aspen, basswood, hickory, elm,
ash, poplar, sycamore and sugar-maple.
Wisconsin was
visited at an early period by French
missionaries, and a settlement was
made in the latter part of the seventeenth
century.
Madison, the capital
of the State, is situated on an isthmus
between Lakes Mendata and Monona,
80 miles west of Milwaukee, and 132
miles northwest of Chicago. When the
place was selected for the seat of
government in 1836, there were no
buildings except a solitary log cabin.
The State capitol is a fine looking
stone building erected at a cost of
$500,000, and stands on an elevation
seventy feet above the lakes. The
city overlooks a charming country,
diversified by a pleasing variety
of scenery. It has steadily and rapidly
increased in population.
79
The great city of Wisconsin
is Milwaukee (called at an early day
"Milwacky") and next to
Chicago may be regarded as the commercial
metropolisof the Northwest. It is
situated on the west shore of Lake
Michigan, about 90 miles north of
Chicago. Milwaukee river empties into
the lake at this point. The city is
situated on both sides of the river,
and has one of the best harbors on
the whole chain of lakes. The fine
water power of the Milwaukee river
is an important element in its prosperity.
Being a port of entry, the government
has expended large sums in the improvements
of its harbor, and in the erection
of public buildings.
In 1805 Jacques
Vieau, a half-breed trader whose
house was at Green Bay, visited the
country at the mouth of the Milwaukee
river for the purpose of trading with
the Indians. This he did annually
until in September, 1818, when he
brought with him a young man named
Solomon Juneau, who became
his son-in-law. The young man established
friendly relations with the Indians,
and in 1822 erected a block-house
on the site of the present city of
Milwaukee. He remained for 18 years
the only permanent white resident,
being visited occasionally by fur
traders to whom he sold goods. In
1836, the village which has grown
to be a large city, began to appear
Juneau died in 1856, at the age of
64 years, having lived to see the
place he founded grow to a prosperous
and flourishing city. In 1836 the
population was 275; in 1840, it was
1810; in 1850, it was 19,873; in 1860,
it was 45,286; in 1870) it was 71,640;
and at the present time (1878) it
is estimated at 123,000.
Among other important
towns and cities of Wisconsin are
Racine, Janesville, Oshkosh, Fond
du Lac, Watertown, Sheboygan, Beloit,
Kenosha, La Crosse, Wauwatosa, Manitowoc,
Portage City, Platteville, Sheboygan
Falls, Beaver Dam, Whitewater, Port
Washington, Green Bay, Mineral Point,
Shullsburg, Monroe, Prescott, and
Hudson.
The following
table shows the population of Wisconsin
at the close of each decade from 1800
to 1870:
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1800 |
115
|
------
|
115
|
| 1810 |
-----
|
------
|
------
|
| 1820 |
-----
|
------
|
------
|
| 1830 |
-----
|
------
|
------
|
| 1840 |
30,749
|
196
|
30,945
|
| 1850 |
304,756
|
635
|
305,391
|
| 1860 |
773,693
|
1,171
|
*775,881
|
| 1870 |
1,051,351
|
2,113
|
*1,054,670
|
*The above aggregate for 1860 includes
1017 enumerated as Indians, and the
aggregate for 1870 includes 1206 enumerated
as Indians.
MINNESOTA.
The eastern portion of Minnesota formed
a part of the territory surrendered
by the French to Great Britain at
the peace of 1763, and subsequently
by the latter to the United States
at the close of the Revolution. The
western portion is a part of the territory
known as the Louisiana Purchase, ceded
by France to the United States in
1803. It received a Territorial form
of government under an act of Congress
which became a law March 3, 1849,
and was admitted into the Union as
a State May 11, 1853.
The extreme length
of Minnesota north and south is about
380 miles, and
80
in width is about 300
miles. It embraces an area of 81,259
square miles, or 52,005,760 acres.
The face of the country generally
presents the appearance of an undulating
plain, although it is the most elevated
tract of country, between the Gulf
of Mexico and Hudson's Bay. There
are no mountains, but the summits
of the water-sheds rise to a height
of nearly two thousand feet above
the level of the sea.
Minnesota is
one of the best watered States in
the Union, being drained by many rivers
and dotted over with innumerable small
lakes and some of considerable size.
The great Mississippi has its humble
origin as a mere rivulet in Lake Itasca.
This diminutive stream, here but a
few feet in width, first meanders
in a northeasterly direction, receiving
tribute as it passes from a number
of other small lakes, when it changes
its, course to the south, and after
meandering a length of six hundred
miles ,in Minnesota, dashes its waters
down over the Falls of St. Anthony,
then flows along the border of the
State two hundred miles further, and
thence grandly pursues it a course
to the Gulf of Mexico. Several tributaries
of the Mississippi drain the southeastern
portion of the State. The Red River
of the North drains the northern part,
passing off into Hudson's Bay. It
is the outlet of a number of lakes,
among which are Traverse, Otter Tail,
and Red. This river also forms the
west boundary of the State for about
two hundred miles. That portion of
the State sloping toward Lake Superior
is drained by the St. Louis and its
tributaries. St. Peters, or Minnesota
river, has a total length of over
four hundred miles within the State.
Its principal branch is Blue Earth
or Mankato river, which flows nearly
north. The St. Peters, Crow-Wing and
Crow rivers are tributaries of the
Mississippi from the west.
Lake Superior
forms a part of the eastern boundary,
and the Lake of the Woods a part of
the northern. Among other lakes of
considerable size are Rainy, Red Lake,
Lake Cass, and Leech Lake. Devil Lake
in the north. west part is about 40
miles long and 15 miles wide, and
is said to have no visible outlet.
Lake Pepin is an expansion of the
Mississippi in the north-eastern part
of the State, and is a beautiful sheet
of water. The State abounds in small
lakes which ate mostly clear and beautiful.
Owing to the multitude of lakes Minnesota
seldom suffers from inundations, as
they tend to check the sudden rise
and violence of the streams.
The climate of
the northern part of Minnesota is
severe, but in the southern part is
not so rigorous as to prevent fair
crops of Indian corn from being produced
some seasons. Wheat and other winter
grains succeed admirably in nearly
all parts. In the valleys of the rivers
the soil is excellent, and even the
valley of the Red River of the North
is regarded as a fine, agricultural
region. Wheat is the great staple
and the facilities for manufacturing
flour are unsurpassed, as the water
power is practically unlimited.
A portion of
the State is heavily timbered with
pine, and one of, the great industries
is the manufacture of lumber. Extensive
forests of pine grow on the Rum, St.
Croix, and Pine rivers, and on the
shores of the Mississippi, below Pokegamin
Falls. Taken, as a whole, however,
Minnesota cannot be called a well-wooded
country. The river bottoms furnish
some very good growths of oak, aspen,
soft maple, basswood, ash, Birch,
white walnut, linden and elm. In the
swamps or marshy places are found
tamarack, cedar, and cypress.
Minnesota presents
to the tourist many natural objects
of interest, especially in her grand
and beautiful scenery along the Mississippi
and around her lakes. St. Anthony's
Falls are celebrated, not so much
for their magnitude as a
81
cataract, as for their
geological interest and the wild scenery
connected with them. Like Niagara,
the. falls are divided by an island,
with the larger volume. of water passing
On the west side. This west division
is 310 yards wide. The greatest perpendicular
fall, of water is but 16 1/2 feet,
but including the rapids the descent
is 58 feet in 260 rods. The rivers
of Minnesota have numerous picturesque
falls and rapids, and are in many
places bordered with perpendicular
bluffs of limestone and sandstone.
So far as revealed
b1 geological examination, Minnesota
possesses no great mineral or metallic
wealth. There is, however, a rich
deposit of iron ore in that part of
the State bordering on Lake Superior.
A thin vein of lead was discovered
by the geological corps of Prof. Owen
on Waraju river, and some copper was
found, but not "in place,"
having probably been carried thither
by the drift. Stone suitable for building
purposes exists in great abundance.
In the southwest part of the State
is a singular deposit known as "red
pipestone." Of this the Indians
made their pipes, and the place of
its deposit was held in great sacredness
by them. It is said that different
tribes at enmity with each other,
met here on terms of amity and smoked
the pipe of peace. Longfellow has
rendered this locality celebrated
in "Hiawatha." It was here—
"On the Mountains
of the Prairie,
On the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
He the Master of Life. descending,
On the red crags of the quarry.
Stood erect, and called the nations,
Called the tribes of men together."
The first white men
who are said to have visited the country
now embraced in Minnesota, were two
fur traders in the year 1654. They
returned to Montreal two years afterward
and gave a glowing account of the
country. This was followed by the
visits of trappers and missionaries,
and to the latter we are indebted
for the first printed accounts of
Minnesota. In 1805 an exploring expedition
under Pike traversed the country.
A military post was established at
Fort Snelling in 1819. Excepting a
British settlement at Pembina, which
was not then known to be within the
limits of the United States, no settlements
were formed in Minnesota until after
1840.
St. Paul, the
capital of Minnesota, is in Ramsey
county, on the bank of the Mississippi,
2070 miles from its ,mouth, and 9
miles by land below the Falls of St.
Anthony. The first settlement was
made about the year 1840. The population
has increased rapidly, and as manufacturing,
commercial and business place it has
assumed considerable importance. Minneapolis,
a few miles above St. Paul, is a rapidly
growing city, and is noted for its
great water power and manufacturing
resources. Among other important towns
are Stillwater, Red Wing, St. Anthony,
Fort Snelling, and Mankato.
The following
table shows the population of Minnesota
at the close of each 'decade from
1850 to 1870:
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1850 |
6,3038
|
39
|
6,077
|
| 1860 |
169,395
|
259
|
*172,023
|
| 1870 |
438,257
|
759
|
*439,706
|
*The above aggregate for 1860 includes
2369 enumerated as Indians, and the
aggregate for 1870 includes 690 enumerated
as Indians.
82
NEBRASKA.
Nebraska is formed out of a
part of the territory ceded to the
United States by France by the treaty
of April 30, 1804. It was erected
into a separate Territory May 30,
1854, the limits subsequently being
greatly reduced by the formation of
.Dakota Territory in 1861, a right
reserved in the act creating the Territory
of Nebraska. It was admitted into
the Union as a State, March 1, 1867.
Nebraska is in
its extreme length from east to west
about 412 miles, and in breadth from
north to south about 208 miles, embracing
an area of 75,905 square miles, or
48,036,800 acres. The greater portion
of the State is an elevated undulating
prairie with a genera inclination
toward the Missouri river. There are
no mountains or very high hills. The
soil is various, but generally fertile,
except in the western portion near
the base of the Rocky Mountains. The
bottom lands along the rivers are
not surpassed in fertility by any
in the United States, while the higher
undulating prairie is equally productive
with that of other western States.
When the prairies are once broken
they are easy of cultivation, the
soil being light and mellow. The state
productions are wheat, Indian corn,
oats, and other cereals common to
the latitude. The climate is mild,
as compared with that of the same
latitude on the Atlantic. The summers
are sometimes very warm, and the extreme
western part is occasionally deficient
in rain. Taken as a whole, however,
this is destined to become one of
the foremost agricu1tllral States
in the Union.
Nebraska is deficient in native timber,
but the older settled portions are
dotted over with groves of artificial
or cultivated timber, which is so
rapid in its growth as to require
but a few years to produce enough
for the ordinary wants of the settler.
The rivers and streams me generally
bordered with groves of native trees,
including oak, walnut, hickory, cottonwood
and willow. Along the Missouri river
in places are some heavy growths of
cottonwood.
The Missouri
river forms the entire eastern boundary,
and is navigable for steamboats throughout
the whole extent of that boundary
and for hundreds of miles above. Among
the important interior rivers are
the Platte, the Niobrara, the Republican
Fork of the Kansas, the Elkhorn, the
Loup Fork of the Platte, the Big Blue
and the Nemaha. These rivers are so
distributed, as, with their numerous
tributaries, to afford admirable drainage
to all parts of the State, and as
a consequence it is free from marshes,
conducing to the excellent health
for which Nebraska is noted.
So far as yet revealed, the State
is not rich in minerals. Coal, however,
has recently been discovered in the
southeastern part, is a vein sufficiently
thick for mining. Near Lincoln are
some salt springs of sufficient magnitude
to yield large quantities of salt.
On Platte river and other streams
both limestone and sandstone are obtained
of suitable quality for building material.
Rapid progress
has been made in the construction
of railroads in' Nebraska. Among them
are the Union Pacific and its branches,
the Burlington & Missouri River
and its branches, and others, affording
railroad advantages to a large portion
of the State, and connecting the principal
towns with the main lines, east, west
and south.
Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska,
is in Lancaster county, in the southeastern
part of the State. Here are most of
the State institutions. It is a thriving
young city and is in the midst of
a fine agricultural portion of the
State. Near it, on a little stream
known as Salt Creek, are a number
of
83
salt springs, and considerable
quantities of salt have been manufactured.
Railroads connect it with all the
great markets of the country.
Omaha is the
leading commercial city of the State,
and is located on the west bank of
the Missouri river in Douglas county.
It is 18 miles by land above the mouth
of the Platte river. The principal
portion of the city is situated on
gently rising slope, extending from
the river to the bluffs. The elevations
are crowned with fine residences;
and command pleasant views of the
river and valley, with the city of
Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the distance.
Since the completion of the Union
Pacific Railroad it has grown in population
and wealth very rapidly. A costly
iron railroad bridge spans the Missouri
river at this point. As a produce,
shipping and general commercial point
it is rapidly growing into prominence.
It was the first capital of the Territory
and State, and takes its name from
a tribe of Indians.
Among other important
towns and cities are Nebraska City,
Columbus, Kearney, Grand Island, Hastings,
Plattsmouth, Tecumseh, and Niobrara.
The following
table, shows the population of Nebraska
by the census of 1860 and 1870:
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1860 |
28,696
|
82
|
28,841
|
| 1870 |
122,117
|
789
|
122,993
|
In
the aggregate for 1860, the enumeration
includes 63 Indians, and in that of
1870, the enumeration includes 87
Indians.
MISSOURI.
Missouri was
formed out of a part of the territory
ceded by France to the United States
in 1803. By an act approved March
26th, 1804, the French, or Louisiana
purchase, was divided, that part embracing
the present State of Missouri being
at first designated as the District
of Louisiana. The name was changed
to Territory of Louisiana, by an act
passed March 3d, 1805, and again by
an act of June 4, 1812, Louisiana
Territory was changed to Missouri
Territory. By an act passed March
2, 1819, the southern portion was
detached and organized as the Territory
of Arkansas. During the same year
the people of the Territory of Missouri,
through their Legislative Council
and House of Representatives, memorialized
Congress for admission into the Union
as a State. On the 6th of March following
an act was passed to authorize-the
people of the Territory to form a
State constitution. Missouri being
the first State formed wholly out
of territory west of the Mississippi,
the question of the extension of slavery
came up and gave rise to a stormy
debate in Congress while the Missouri
bill, as it was called, was pending.
The propriety and expediency of extending
that institution to the new States
west of the Mississippi, was powerfully
and earnestly contested, and resulted
in a compromise restricting Slavery
to certain limits, and prohibiting
the extension of slavery to certain
territory. The bill, however, of March
6th, passed without restrictions.
The people on, the 19th of July, 1820,
adopted their constitution, which
was laid before Congress November
16th of the same year. The Senate
passed a joint resolution declaring
the admission of the State of Missouri
into the Union. This was referred
to a select committee in the House
of Representatives, and on
84
the 10th of Feqruary,
1821, Mr. Clay made a report. The
House rejected the resolution and
on motion of Mr. Clay, a committee
on the part of the House was appointed
to join a committee on the part of
the Senate to consider the subject
and report. On the 26th of February,
Mr. Olay, from the joint committee,
reported a "Resolution providing
for the admission of the State of
Missouri into the Union, on a certain
condition." This resolution was
passed and approved, March 2, 1821.
The condition was that Missouri, by
its legislature, should assent to
a condition that a part of the State
constitution should never be construed
to authorize the passage of a law
by which any citizen of either of
the States in the Union should be
excluded from the enjoyment of any
of the privileges and immunities to,
which such citizen is entitled under
the Constitution of the United States.
What was known as the "Missouri
Compromise," was embraced in
the act of the previous session, which
authorized the people of the State
of Missouri to form a State constitution,
and consisted of a compromise section
in the bill by which slavery was to
be forever prohibited in that part
of the territory west of the, Mississippi
(except the State of Missouri), lying
north of thirty-six degrees and thirty
minutes north latitude. Thus, after
fierce and stormy debates, running
through two sessions of' Congress,
Missouri came into the Union, and
the exciting question of slavery was
supposed also to have been settled.
On the 10th of August, 1821, President
Monroe issued his proclamation declaring
the admission of Missouri completed,
according to law.
Missouri in its greatest length from
east to west is about 285 miles, and
in width from north to south, 280
miles. It embraces an area of 67,380
square miles, or 43,123,200 acres.
That portion of it north of' the Missouri
river is mostly undulating prairie
and timber land, while that portion
south of the Missouri river is characterized
by a great variety of surface. In
the southeast part, near the Mississippi,
is an extensive area of marshy land.
The region forming the outskirts of'
the Ozark Mountains is hilly and broken.
West of the Osage river is a vast
expanse of prairie. The geological
features of Missouri are exceedingly
interesting. Coal, iron and several,
kinds of stone and marble for building
purposes exist in great abundance.
A vast region, in the vicinity of
Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob, produces
iron of the best quality, and exists
in inexhaustible quantity. It is also
found in other parts of the State.
There is also lead, which has been
mined in considerable quantities.
Copper is found throughout the mineral
region, but is found combined with
other minerals. Silver is also combined
with the lead ore. The bituminous
coal deposits are mainly on both sides
of the Missouri river, below the mouth
of' the Osage, and extending forty
miles up that river. Cannel-coal is
found in Callaway county.
Missouri possesses the advantages
of two of the greatest navigable rivers
in the United States—the Mississippi,
which forms her entire eastern boundary,
and the Missouri, which flows along
her northwestern border nearly two
hundred miles, and crosses the State
in a south-easterly course to its
junction with the Mississippi. As
both of these rivers are navigable
for the largest steamers, the State
has easy and ready commercial intercourse
to the Gulf of Mexico and the Rocky
Mountains, as well as up the Ohio
to Pittsburg. Besides the Missouri,
the State has several important interior
rivers, to-wit: Grand river and Chariton,
tributaries of the Missouri river
to the north, and the Osage and Gasconade
from the south; also, Salt river and
Maramec, tributaries of the Mississippi.
The St. Francis and White river
85
drain the southeastern
part, passing from the State into
Arkansas. The Osage is navigable for
steamboats about 275 miles.
Missouri as a
State has many material resources,
fitting her for becoming one of the
most wealthy and populous States in
the Union. The soil is generally excellent,
producing the finest crops while those
portions not so well adapted to agriculture
are rich in minerals. The greater
portion of the State is well timbered.
In the river bottoms are heavy growths
of oak, elm, ash, hickory, cottonwood,
sugar, and white and black walnut.
On the uplands also are found a great
variety of trees. Various fruits,
including apples, pears, peaches,
plums, cherries and strawberries,
are produced in the greatest abundance.
Among the staple productions are Indian,
corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, hemp
and tobacco. A great variety of other
crops are also raised.
The State has
an uneven and variable climate—the
winters being very cold and the summers
excessively hot. Chills and fever
are common to some extent along the
rivers.
The earliest settlement in Missouri
seems to have been by the French,
about the year 1719. About that time
they built what was called Fort Orleans,
near Jefferson City, and the next
year worked the lead mines to some
extent. Ste. Genevieve was settled
in 1755, also by the French, and is
the oldest town in the State. Missouri's
greatest commercial metropolis, St.
Louis, was first settled in 1764,
the earliest settlers being mostly
French.
Jefferson City, the capital of the
State, is situated on the right bank
of the Missouri river, in Cole county.
It is 128 miles by land, and, 155
miles by water from St. Louis. The
location being elevated, commands
a fine view of the river, with the
pleasant and picturesque scenery which
is presented at this point on the
Missouri.
St. Louis, the
great commercial city of Missouri,
as well as of a large portion of the
Northwest, is situated on the right
bank of the Mississippi, twenty miles
below the mouth of the Missouri, and
174 above the mouth of the Ohio. It
is 744 miles below the Falls of St.
Anthony, and 1194 miles above New
Orleans. The city enjoys many natural
advantages as a commercial emporium,
being situated nearly midway between
the two oceans, and centrally in the
finest agricultural region on the
globe. With the greatest navigable
river on the continent, affording
her a water highway to the ocean,
and to many of the large inland cities
Of the country, St. Louis is rapidly
and surely going forward to a grand
future. Her already great and constantly
improving system of railways, is tending
every year to open up to her larger
fields of business and commercial
intercourse. Of late years a strong
.rivalry has sprung up between St.
Louis and Chicago, in regard to population,
etc., each claiming to be the third
city in the Union. The increase of
St. Louis since the war has been great,
the ascendency [ascendancy] being
at an annual rate of about ten per
cent. At this increase she is fast
earning the soubriquet of the "Future
Great City."
The site on which
St. Louis stands was selected February
15th, 1764, by Laclede, as a post
possessing peculiar advantages for
collecting and trading ;n furs, as
well as for defense against the Indians.
For many years it was but a frontier
village, the principal trade of which
was in furs, buffalo robes, and other
collections of trappers and hunters.
A great part of the population was
absent during the hunting and trapping
seasons, so that the infancy of this
city was almost a struggle for existence.
As late as 1820, the population was
but 4,598. The first brick house was
erected in 1813. In
86
1822, St. Louis was
chartered as a city, under the title
given by Laclede in honor of LOUIS
XV of France. In 1830 the population
was 6,694, an increase of only 2,096
in ten years. In 1840 the population
had reached 16,469; in 1850 it was
77,950, including 2,650 slaves; in
1860 the population was 160,773; and
in 1870 it was 312,963.
Kansas City,
one of the rapidly advancing young
cities of the State, is situated on
the Missouri river just below the
mouth of the Kansas. In 1870 the population
was 32,260. Since that time, there
has been a rapid increase, both in
population and business. ,
St. Joseph is one of the flourishing
cities, and is situated on the left,
or east bank of the Missouri river,
496 miles by water from St. Louis.
It was laid out in 1843, and became
an important point of departure for
overland emigration to California
and Oregon. In 1870 the population
was 19,560, but has rapidly increased
since then.
Among the important and thriving towns
and cities are Hannibal, Springfield,
Boonville, Lexington, Chillicothe,
Independence, .Palmyra, Canton, Iron
Mount and Moberly.
The following
table shows the population of Missouri
at the close of each decade, from
1810 to 1870 :
|
YEAR
|
WHITE
|
COLORED
|
AGGREGATE
|
| 1810 |
17,227
|
3,618
|
20,845
|
| 1820 |
55,988
|
10,569
|
66,557
|
| 1830 |
114,795
|
25,660
|
140,455
|
| 1840 |
323,888
|
59,814
|
383,702
|
| 1850 |
592,004
|
90,040
|
682,044
|
| 1860 |
1,063,489
|
118,503
|
*1,182,012
|
| 1870 |
1,603,146
|
118,071
|
*1,721,295
|
*The aggregate for 1860 includes 20
enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate
for 1876 includes 75 enumerated as
Indians.
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