A New Guide for Emigrants to the West

by John Mason Peck

Rush.—The streams are Big and Little Blue rivers, Big and Little Flat Rock, with excellent water power. Surface, moderately rolling, and heavily timbered; soil, loam on clay, with a slight mixture of sand.

Scott.—Watered by tributaries of the Muscatatack. Surface rolling,—some flat lands inclining to marsh; soil, clay. Minerals; limestone, iron ore, salt, sulphur, and copperas.

Shelby.—Watered by Big and Little Blue rivers, Brandywine, and Sugar creeks, with good mill sites,—all heads of the East Fork of White river. Surface, generally level with forest land; soil, clay mixed with loam.

Spencer.—Ohio river, Anderson's, Little Pigeon, and Sandy creeks. Surface tolerably level, and forest land; soil, clay mixed with loam. Minerals; coal, and lime and sand rock.

St. Joseph.—St. Joseph's river, Kankakee, and Bobango, with some small creeks. Extensive marshes on the Kankakee, and near the South Bend of the St. Joseph. These marshes are of vegetable formation. Surface, in some parts level,—in others gently undulating; soil, a loam,—in some places sand. The north-west part chiefly prairies and barrens, including the large and fertile prairies of Portage and Terre Coupe. The north-eastern, barrens,—the south-eastern, forest. Minerals are granite bowlders, and bog iron ore.

Sullivan.—Has the Wabash river on its western side, and Turman's, Busseron, and Turtle creeks interior. Surface rolling,—some prairies, but generally forest land,—some poor barrens; soil, loam and sand;—lime and sand rock and coal.

Switzerland.—The Ohio east and south,—Indian, Plum, Bryant's, Turtle, and Grant's creeks interior. Surface various,—bottom lands level, and rich,—then a range of precipitous bluffs, with cliffs of limestone,—the table land rolling with a calcareous and clayey soil. At Vevay are extensive vineyards.

Tippecanoe.—Watered by the Wabash river, and Wildcat, Wea, Burnett's, and Mill Branch creeks. The Wabash affords navigation, and the other streams excellent mill sites. Surface gently undulating, with extensive level tracts, and consists of one half prairie, one eighth barrens, and the remainder heavy forest land. The prairie soil is a rich, black loam,—the barrens cold, wet clay,—the forest a very rich loam and sand.

Union.—Streams; the East Fork of White river and its tributaries, Hanna's, Richland, and Silver creeks, all of which furnish excellent mill sites. Surface, moderately rolling; soil, a dark loam.

Vanderburgh.—Watered by the Ohio, and Great Pigeon creek. Surface, high, dry, rolling land, with good timber, and well watered; soil, clay and sand, of inferior quality. Minerals; lime and sandstone, salines, and a mineral spring.