1836.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1836,
By Gould, Kendall & Lincoln,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
INDEX.
| [CHAP. I] | |
| General View of the Valley of the Mississippi. | |
| Extent—Subdivisions—Population—Physical Features—Animal, Vegetable and Mineral Productions—History—Prospective Increase of Population, | 11 |
| [CHAP. II] | |
| General View, &c., Continued. | |
| Productions, | 32 |
| [CHAP. III] | |
| Climate. | |
| Comparative View of the Climate with the Atlantic States—Diseases—Means of Preserving Health, | 37 |
| [CHAP. IV] | |
| Character, Manners and Pursuits of the People. | |
| Cotton and Sugar Planters—Farmers—Population of the large Towns and Cities—Frontier Class—Hunters and Trappers—Boatmen, | 102 |
| [CHAP. V] | |
| Public Lands. | |
| System of Surveys—Meridian and Base Lines—Townships—Diagram of a Township surveyed into Sections—Land Districts and Offices—Pre-emption Rights—Military and Bounty Lands—Taxes—Valuable Tracts of Country unsettled, | 130 |
| [CHAP. VI] | |
| Aborigines. | |
| Conjecture respecting their former Numbers and Condition— Present Number and State—Indian Territory appropriated as their Permanent Residence—Plan and Operations of the U. S. Government—Missionary Efforts and Stations—Monuments and Antiquities, | 144 |
| [CHAP. VII] | |
| Western Pennsylvania. | |
| Face of the Country—Soil, Agriculture and Internal Improvements—Chief Towns—Pittsburg—Coal—Sulphur and Hot Springs—Wheeling, | 163 |
| [CHAP. VIII] | |
| Michigan. | |
| Extent—Situation—Boundaries—Face of the Country—Rivers—Lakes, &c.—Soil and Productions— Subdivisions—Counties—Towns— Detroit—Education—Internal Improvements projected—Boundary Dispute—Outline of the Constitution, | 179 |
| [CHAP. IX] | |
| Ohio. | |
| Boundaries—Divisions—Face of the Country—Soil and Productions—Animals—Minerals—Financial Statistics—Canal Fund— Expenditures—Land Taxes—School Fund—Statistics— Canal Revenues—Population at different Periods—Internal Improvements—Manufactures—Cities and Towns—Cincinnati— Columbus—Education—Form of Government—History, | 193 |
| [CHAP. X] | |
| Indiana. | |
| Boundaries and Extent—Counties—Population—Face of the Country, &c.—Sketch of each County—Form of Government— Finances—Internal Improvements—Manufactures—Education— History—General Remarks, | 222 |
| [CHAP. XI] | |
| Illinois. | |
| Boundaries and Extent—Face of the Country and Qualities of Soil— Inundated Land—River Bottoms, or Alluvion—Prairies— Barrens—Forest, or timbered Land—Knobs, Bluffs, Ravines and Sink Holes—Rivers, &c.—Productions—Minerals—Lead, Coal, Salt, &c.—Vegetables—Animals—Manufactures—Civil Divisions—Tabular View of the Counties—Sketches of each County—Towns—Alton—Projected Improvements—Education— Government—General Remarks, | 251 |
| [CHAP. XII] | |
| Missouri. | |
| Extent and Boundaries—Civil Divisions—Population—Surface, Soil and Productions—Towns—St. Louis, | 315 |
| [CHAP. XIII] | |
| Arkansas and Territorial Districts. | |
| Arkansas.—Situation and Extent—Civil Divisions— Rivers—Face of the Country—Soil—Water—Productions— Climate—Minerals—State of Society. Wisconsin. Boundaries and Extent—Rivers—Soil—Productions—Towns, &c., | 323 |
| [CHAP. XIV] | |
| Literary and Religious Institutions for the West. | |
| Colleges—Statistical Sketch of each Religious Denomination —Roman Catholics—Field for Effort, and Progress made— Theological Institutions—Deaf and Dumb Asylums—Medical Institutions—Law Schools—Benevolent and Religious Societies—Periodical Press, | 334 |
| [CHAP. XV] | |
| Suggestions To Emigrants. | |
| Modes of Travel—Canal, Steamboat and Stage Routes—Other Modes of Travel—Expenses—Roads, Distances, &c., | 364 |
INTRODUCTION.
Much has been published already about the West,—the Great West,—the Valley of the Mississippi.—But no portion of this immense and interesting region, is so much the subject of inquiry, and so particularly excites the attention of the emigrant, as the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Michigan, with the adjacent territorial regions.
All these States have come into existence as such, with the exception of Ohio, within the last twenty years; and much of the territory, now adorned by the hand of civilization, and spread over with an enterprising, industrious and intelligent people,—the field of public improvements in Canals and Railways,—of Colleges, Churches, and other institutions, was the hunting ground of the aborigines, and the scene of border warfare. These States have been unparalleled in their growth, both in the increase of population and property, and in the advance of intellectual and moral improvement. Such an extent of forest was never before cleared,—such a vast field of prairie was never before subdued and cultivated by the hand of man, in the same short period of time. Cities, and towns, and villages, and counties, and States never before rushed into existence, and made such giant strides, as upon this field.