Page images
PDF
EPUB

Α company, with a capital of a million of dollars, has been incorporated by the legislature, for the purpose of opening a canal along the falls, or rapids, of the Ohio, which, when executed, will be of great advantage.

Minerals.-Silver ore is said to have been discovered at a place about twenty-eight miles above Ouitanon, on the northern side of the Wabash ;* copperas on the high bank of Silver creek, about two miles from its mouth; iron ore on White river, and other places. Between White river and New Lexington, the wells are so impregnated with copperas, that they blacken linen; and being considered by the inhabitants as very unwholesome, several of them have on this account abandoned their habitations. A chalybeate spring, containing sulphur and iron, near Jeffersonville, is much frequented. Coal.-Mr Hutchins states, "that the hills are replenished with the best coal; that there is plenty of swinestone and freestone; blue, yellow, and white clay, for glassworks and pottery." There is a coal mine a little below the forks of White river.

Salt Springs.-Some valuable salt springs have been discovered on the Wabash river, and also on Salina creek, which are leased by the government of the Unit

the Chicago and Kickapoo branch of the Illinois, and so level ist the surface, that during the rise of their waters, boats pass be tween Lake Michigan and the Illinois river. +

Hutchins, p. 28.

+ See Volney's account of this internal water communication between the akes and waters of the Mississippi.

ed States to contractors, who are obliged not to receive more for salt than half a dollar a bushel at the works; but through the agency of private copartners, it is not sold at the storehouses for less than two dollars. * Near the town of New Lexington, at the depth of 520 feet, the salt wells give from three to four bushels of salt to the hundred gallons of water. These works are the property of General Macfarland. Glauber's salt, or sulphate of potash, has been lately found in a cave situated twelve miles from the Ohio river, and about the same distance west of New Albany. The quantity is so great as to promise an inexhaustible supply. Epsom salt (sulphate of magnesia) has been also found in a cave about thirty-five leagues from Louisville; and saltpetre exists in certain caves in the neighbourhood. A section of land of 160 acres, containing these treasures, was purchased † at two dollars an acre.

Forest Trees and Shrubs.-Mr Hutchins remarks, that the timber on the Wabash river is large, high, and in such variety, that almost all the different kinds growing upon the Ohio, and its branches, (but with a greater proportion of black and white mulberry trees,) may be found here. The natural meadows are intersected by narrow woods, containing oak, ash, maple, locust, poplar, plum, and the crab-apple tree. On the outside of these meadows oak abounds, and grows to a great size. The principal trees on the branches of

Schultz, Vol. I. p. 199.
P. 28.

+ By Dr Adams

White river are white oak, hickery, and black walnut. The hills of Whitewater river terminate in a level and rich country, thickly wooded with oak, walnut, beech, ash, elm, kickery, maple, sugar tree, &c. On Silver creek, Canerun, and other branches of the Ohio, and the south fork of White river, hickery and oak abound. The banks of Blue river are also covered with oak and locust; the neighbouring hills with black walnut, oak, hickery, ash, sugar maple; the low intervening grounds with bass-wood, papaw, honey-locust, buck-eye, and spice-wood, with the wild vine, and various shrubs. Along the borders of Whitewater river, ginseng grows to an uncommon size; on the poor soil of the spurs of the hills, the columbo root abounds. The cane grows to the south of the ridge of hills, which extend from the falls of the Ohio to those of the Wabash, above the mouth of White river, and in some places as far north as the mouth of the Big Miami. An extraordinary phenomenon is met with in this country in the woods along White river,-natural wells, from ten to fifteen feet deep, formed by the decay of the trunks and roots of large sycamore trees.

Animals.-The woods abound with deer. Bears and wolves are also numerous. Of the feathered race of game, wild turkeys, ducks, and pigeons, swarm in the woods, and on the waters of the northern parts. The rattlesnake and copperhead snake infest the woody country, but are seldom seen on the low lands. Fishes. Of the fish which inhabit the rivers, we find no particular account. The Great Kennomic of Lake

Michigan is said to furnish the Indians with an inexhautible supply."

Civil or Administrative Division of the State of Indiana, with the Population of each County and Chief Town in 1810, the year of the last Enumeration.

[blocks in formation]

Jeffersonville, situated on the bank of the Ohio, a little above the falls, and nearly opposite Louisville, contained, in 1816, about 130 houses.

Lawrenceburgh, situated on the Ohio river, two miles be. low the mouth of the Big Miami, has not succeeded as was expected, owing to the annual inundation of the river. A new town has been laid out half a mile farther up on an elevated situation, and named Edinburgh. A place called "Rising Sun," in the same county of Dearborn, situated on an elevated bank of the Ohio, between Vevay and Lawrenceburgh, contains thirty or forty houses. Its growth has been rapid; and it will probably become a place of considerable trade.

§ Brookville, in Franklin county, situated between the branches of White river, thirty miles north of Lawrenceburgh, was established in 1811; but being within fifteen miles of the Indian line of demarcation, it did not increase during the late war; since the peace, however, its growth has been very rapid. In 1816 it contained eighty dwelling-houses, a grist-mill, two saw-mills, two fulling-mills, three carding-machines, and a printing-office, besides a great number of workshops. The ground, elevated between seventy and eighty feet above the level of the river, is dry and pleasant, and is peculiarly favourable for the establishment of manufactures, the branches of the river affording fine situations for the erection of

White river are white oak, hickery, and black walnut. The hills of Whitewater river terminate in a level and rich country, thickly wooded with oak, walnut, beech, ash, elm, hickery, maple, sugar tree, &c. On Silver creek, Canerun, and other branches of the Ohio, and the south fork of White river, hickery and oak abound. The banks of Blue river are also covered with oak and locust; the neighbouring hills with black walnut, oak, hickery, ash, sugar maple; the low intervening grounds with bass-wood, papaw, honey-locust, buck-eye, and spice-wood, with the wild vine, and various shrubs. Along the borders of Whitewater river, ginseng grows to an uncommon size; on the poor soil of the spurs of the hills, the columbo root abounds. The cane grows to the south of the ridge of hills, which extend from the falls of the Ohio to those of the Wabash, above the mouth of White river, and in some places as far north as the mouth of the Big Miami. An extraordinary phenomenon is met with in this country in the woods along White river,-natural wells, from ten to fifteen feet deep, formed by the decay of the trunks and roots of large sycamore trees.

Animals.-The woods abound with deer. Bears and wolves are also numerous. Of the feathered race of game, wild turkeys, ducks, and pigeons, swarm in the woods, and on the waters of the northern parts. The rattlesnake and copperhead snake infest the woody country, but are seldom seen on the low lands. Fishes. Of the fish which inhabit the rivers, we find no particular account. The Great Kennomic of Lake

« PreviousContinue »