Massac County, Illinois - Chapter 4: Physical Geography, 1900

SUEFACE - Massac county contains 244 square miles, or about 156,100 acres. The surface naturally divides itself into cultivated and timbered upland, low bottom lands densely timbered, cy- ^ press swamps, and small lakes. The lakes are chain extending from the Cache river in the northwest corner of the county in a southeastward and then northeasterly course to big Bay river in the northeast corner of the county. Skirting these lakes are cypress swamps not covered during all the year with water but even in the dryest season presenting a loose saturated black soil of a murky nature. Adjacent to these swamps is a stretch of low bottom land with undulating sandy ridges which join the foot-hills of the upland, and intersect the swamps, rising slightly above the annual overflow. This lower surface of lakes, swamps and undulating lojw lands varies from a mile to four miles in width. The lakes occupy by far the smallest area, the swamps being more extensive, while the greater part consists in the low flat soil with undulating ridges or swells. Another swamp district, annually overflowed by the Ohio, lies in the Black Bend and is termed the Black Bottom. It contains long lines of sloughs, cypress ponds, low flats, and sand ridges. The Ohio bottom lands in Massac county, however, are quite limited as undulating hills above high water closely fringe the bank. Between the chain of lakes, cypress swamps and low lands of the north and the Ohio lies the upland, forming a narrow broken ridge in the western i)art becoming more rolling and widening to the east, less cut by numerous ravines and forming the greater area of the county. Between Johnson county and the swamp lands, the surface resembles Johnson county, is more elevated than the rest of the couuty, presents splendid open, tillable land, and in many places ends in precipitous bluffs marginating the swamps.

Drainage^ - One division of the uplands forms a water shed intersected by numerous ravines which carry the rainfall to the Ohio on one side and the lakes on the other. The Ohio backs up in the Cache river in the northwest and the drainage from the hills inundates the low lands with an apparent tendency to escape into the Ohio river by the Big Bay river, which it will do when that stream does not present as high backwater as the Cache. This order is reversed when the Cache is lower than Big Bay, presenting a drainage current alternating in its course. There also seems to be a low watershed between the swamp lands and Cache and also the Big Bay, which retains a large body of water as these streams fall. Herein lies the much discussed question of drainage and will be some day solved. Professor Englemann, who made the extensive and accurate geological survey of Massac county for Illinois, under the direction of State Geologist Worthen, says the lands may be reclaimed by an artificial drainage system of simple dykes to prevent the overflow from the Cache and Big Bay rivers, and drainage ditches. This would reclaim 25,000 acres of the richest soil and add greatly to the healthfulness, and material wealth of the county. Western Massac contains no large creeks. Eastern Massac is drained by the Eobinet, Barren, Dog, Elkhorn and Massac creeks.

Soil - The upland between Johnson county and the swamps is underlaid with sand and limestone of the sub-carboniferous formation. The soil is light, warm and excellent farm land. The upland between the swamps and the Ohio riTer bottoms, in the less broken -parts is a yellow loam, oali barrens which merges into post oak flats. Sandy soil occurs in township 14, range 5, while a sub-stratum of gravel formation presenting a dry, sandy soil, varying to a rough yellow loam, occurs in townships and ranges: 15, 4; 14, 4; 15, 6; and 16,7. Thrifty German settlements have made of this upland fine fertile farms. The chain of lakes, cypress swamps, sand ridges, erosions on the sides of the bluffs in connection with the deep, loose, black silt formation clearly prove that the course of the Ohio river once followed the depression and after a change in the original course heavy currents of back water passed through until the deposit gradually prevented an excessive overflow. Of similar nature is the soil of the Black Bottom, the most fertile soil on the surface of the earth.

Timber - Heavy growths of valuable timber have dotted the surface consisting of barren, post, black, laurel, white, black-jack, and water oaks; barren, scalybark and pignut hickories; soft and sugar maple, pecan, tupelo and black gum; ash, Cottonwood, sycamore, willow, yellow poplar, sassafras, hazel, sumac, etc.

Minerals, etc Coal formations do not extend into Massac county; thin streaks of carboniferous matter have appeared which has led some to suppose coal might be found in paying quantities, but the state geologist assures us this is a "futile hope." He also informs us that all specimens of galena, or lead ore which have been found were brought by the Indians from other fields. In section 26, range 6, township 14, fluor spar has been found, indicating lead ore, vaguely so. Iron ore exists only as it is dessimated throughout th" conglomerate gravel, which makes the conglomerate so valuable in the construction of streets and pikes and which is found so extensively near old Fort Massac. The iron is also mixed with smilex and prevents its being smelted. Near Golightly's mill is the best evidence of the existence of iron ore. The fluor spar might be utilized in the manufacture of hydrofluoric acid used in the mechanical arts. Copperas springs along the Ohio river are found and are of no value. Fine plas- tering sand prevails. The Chester and St. Louis limestones could be utilized in building, while the latter could be easily converted into quick-lime. Excellent brick may be produced throughout the county.

Mounds - On the Kincaid farm, located in the Black Bend of the Ohio river, appears the clear outline of an earthenwork resembling a levee enclosing about 40 acres of land. Inside this enclosure are a number of mounds. Two of these mounds are quite large and are built according to the points of the compass. The one on which the residence stands is 45 feet high, perpendicular, with a 60 foot slope. Sundried cups bowls and water bottles have been found. An image, perhaps an idol, about 10 inches in height, was also found. Near this mound is another, also about 150 feet long, but rising higher at only one extremity. The barn occupies a flat mound about 20 feet high. Two are quite large and in the form of a pyramid. Many smaller ones exist and have been cultivated. In the spring of 1900 after the rise of the Ohio had receded the plowman found the skeletons of two very large human beings. The bones of the forearm were as long as the average forearm and extended hand while the lower jaw readily enclosed the lower jaw of an average man's face. The skeletons sat upright. These mounds present an interesting study to the scientist and might be made to yield a number of valuable relics by proper investigation.

Agriculture - The soil of Massac county is very fertile. Tobacco and cotton have been grown, but not to profit. Wheat and corn develop more perfectly here than in almost any spot on the globe. The best developed corn at the Columbian Exposition, Chicago, was from Massac county. While the acreage is necessarily limited the yield has reached one hundred and forty-two bushels per acre. Wheat is the principal product and the berry is usually so perfect that Pittsburg and Eastern millers prize the crop. Oats and the grasses flourish.

One of the chief occupations, however, is gardening. The various vegetables are readily and profitably grown. We have seen a number of delicious watermelons weighing almost

70 pounds, unlike the Missouri melon, retaining their flavoi'. Musk-melons also thrive. Vineyards have been made to pay, while the delicious and beautiful strawberry develops into rare beauty, size and perfection.

It might, perhaps, be a surprise to many to know that the winesap apple attains its most perfect growth in Massac county. To this statement, we know no exception in the way of territory. Winesap apples raised by Mr. E. Byrd Leeper in Jackson precinct have by the greatest horticulturists been declared to excel the world. By the investment of some money, the exercise of caution and patience it is believed the fertile acres of Massac county could be made to produce a Winesap apple which would tind a ready market at large profit. The open sweep from the southland and the great protection from cold storms by the skirting Ozarks on the north in a great measure accounts for this condldon.

veteran secretary of the Massac County Frait Growers' Association, tells us in his most excellent little pamphlet, entitled "Southern Illinois," that the largest wheat yield was by John Anderson, who threshed 102 bushels off two acres; W. C. Sexton raised 2,005 bushels on fifty acres; John Stewart made 910 bushels on twenty acres; while J. D. Kennedy realized 29 bushels per acre on land which had been in constant cultivation over 50 years without artificial fei-tilization and only one year in clover. John McElya raised 140 1-2 bushels of corn on one acre, and took the world prize, offered by W. H. Maule of Philadelphia, on canteloupes. The prize was $25.00, secured with a cantaloupe weighing 28 1-2 pound; S. H. Johnson took a f 15.00 prize for best yield of tomatoes and a $50.00 on the largest yield of Japanese buckwheat offered by Mr. Maule, and open to the world; F. N. Kirk raised 300 bushels of Irish potatoes on one acre without the use of fertilizer; William Mesker raised a sweet potato weighing 10 pounds, 9 1-2 inches by 13 1-2 inches in diameter; John Oakes paid |10 to raise an acre of melons which made him $200; D. H. Freeman gathered 125 barrels of apples per acre on an orchard grown on land that had been in constant cultivation for seventy years. The

Proud Record - In the Illinois building at the World's Pair was arranged a corn exhibit of immense proportions which astonished the world. From this exhibit was selected a small number of ears of corn to enter the competition in the general exhibit for the "World's Best Corn" prize. Mr. Freeman chose ears grown by H. D. Fry, our county commissioner, as perfect ears of white bread-corn and Mr. Fry holds the diploma over the whole world. Because of this the state agricultural society called upon Mr. Freeman to supply from Massac county the corn exhibit which took the premium at the Mid- Winter exhibit in San Francisco, California, the following winter. Why should we not feel proud of our record?