Piatt County, Illinois - Piatt County- Its Topography, Agricultural Products and, 1883

Piatt County- Its Topography, Agricultural Products and

LOCATION. - Near the center of one of the richest and most influential states of the Union, and about midway between Chicago and St; Louis, the chief cities of central United States, is located the little county of Piatt. It lies right in the midst of the great agricultural region of Illinois, and the neighboring counties being influential in the state, thus aid in advancing the interests of Piatt county. McLean and DeWitt counties form the northern boundary ; Champaign and Douglas bound it on the east ; Moultrie forms the southern boundary , while it is bounded on the west by Macon and DeWitt counties.

Within the last three years much of the formerly " raw " land has been improved, and the value of all the land has been greatly advanced. Preparations are being continually made for the improving of the low lands in the county. Tiling has already done much in this direction, but its value in preparing the soil for cultivation is not, as yet, half realized. It will not be long before every foot of soil in this county will be under cultivation.

those of the surrounding counties. However, the amount of timber and prairie land is probably more nearly equal here than in some of the neighboring counties. The surface, in the most part, is undulating, the northern part of the county, however, being more rolling than the land of the southern townships.

Hydrography. - In the main, the county has excellent natural drainage. A ridge, striking the county line a little north of Cerro Gordo and extending northeasterly through the county, passing between Bement and Monticello and extending into Champaign county, forms the water-shed between the Illinois and Kaskaskia rivers, both tributaries of the Mississippi river. From this ridge magnificent views of various parts of the county can be seen. A beholder, some sunshiny day in harvest time, standing on the ridge at a point east of Monticello, could ask for no grander view in any agricultural region of the state. The eye leaving the timber, which is visible as far as the eye can reach to the northeast, and turning slowly to the east and southeast, is first attracted by the undulating prairie, dotted everywhere with fast growing groves of trees. A protracted glance takes in the beautiful effect produced by the various fields of grain and corn, and a practical eye readily sees a "mint of money" literally growing on the ground. This is but an illustration of what may be seen at any point of the ridge.

A little north of this ridge, and coursing southwesterly across the county, flows the Sangamon river, through quite a belt of timber. The principal tributaries of the Sangamon on the north are Madden's Run, Goose Greek, Wild Cat Creek and Friend's Creek, which runs through a very small portion of the western part of the county. Camp Creek and Willow Branch are the principal tributaries on the south. The extreme northern part of the county is drained by Salt Creek, another tributary of the Sangamon. The southern and southeastern part of the county drains into the Kaskaskia through the West Okaw and Lake Fork of the Okaw. It is in the southeastern part of the county that the drainage is most inefficient. The fall of the country along the Lake Fork is very slight, and during the rainy season of the year acres of rich and valuable land are submerged. A movement is under foot now which we hope will be successful. It is proposed to deepen the channel of the Lake Fork in eastern Bement township and southern Monticello, or in other words dig a big ditch which will be of size sufficient to drain all the swamp lands in that section of the county. This is a wane long felt and we trust the wished for result is near at hand.

Topography, Agriculture, Resources

There are a few living springs in the county. Probably the most noted of these is Coon's spring, on the south bank of the Sangamon, a little above the Marquiss ford. This is quite a resort, and serves alternately for camp-meeting and picnic grounds. Another spring near the Wabash railroad bridge, has also attracted pleasure seekers. From the bluff above this spring, probably the most beautiful view of the Sangamon in the county can be seen.

The main dependence of the people for water is in wells, and an abundant supply of excellent drinking water can be had at a- moderate depth of digging. In some cases, upon boring for water, a seemingly exhaustless supply has been obtained.

Mounds. - Up the river, a little way from the spring just referred to, are a number of mounds, commonly known as Indian mounds. According to Mr. McAdams, of Otterville, Illinois, who has given ."American antiquities" many years of study, it is impossible to definitely ascribe these mounds as being the work of the Indians, the "Pottery-makers," or the mound-builders, without an examination of the remains and implements which are now, or were once probably contained in them.

Climate. - In regard to the climate of the county we quote the following : "Closely bordered on the east by the vast forests of Indiana ; sheltered by the fringes of forest that line the banks of the sinuous streams and the island-like groves of forest ; located out of the direct route of the trade-winds from the southwest, though these are mildly deflected to us by the river forests of the Kaskaskia and Sangamon rivers, and little subject to the cold currents from the polar plains, that press down the valley of the upper Mississippi, making a variance in the isothermal lines that mark the several seasons," this county shows a more equable climate than most other parts of the country.

Agricultural Product^. - " When the county was first settled the rank grasses presented an impediment to evaporation, and the result was a moist climate, ,that gave a too luxuriant growth to wheat and oats. This resulted in the lodging of the latter and producing rust in the former, but culture and pasturage have so modified these conditions that the latter is becoming one of our great staples, and the former, both in its spring and winter varieties, is becoming more and more popular as we learn better how to manage this crop."

Sorghum has met with encouraging results in this county. The potato crop averages well. All cereals are at home on this soil ; but the grand staple of the county is Indian corn. In all the fifty years since the first settlement of this county, the time has not been known when there was an absolute failure of the corn crop. Some large farms in the county are devoted entirely to the raising of broom corn.

Fruit. - This county produces as fine a quality of fruit as any tract of land of similar size in central Illinois. Many varieties of the apple and pear trees, and many varieties of the grape, blackberry, raspberry and other small fruits are grown. About every other year peaches of good quality grow in abundance. The several nurseries and maiiy fine orchards testify to the fact that this is a fruit growing county.

Acqording to the same report, in 1879 there were 44,153 acres of inclosed pasture ; 2,274 acres in orchard ; and 49,463 acres of woodland in the county.

Stock. - -But a glance over the reports just given suffices to indicate that stock-raising must be carried on in this county. For fifty years this has been one of the great industries of the county. According to the assessor's report of 1882 the county contained 6,321 sheep ; 10,064 mules and horses ; 16,218 cattle, and 27,493 kogs ; the aggregate value. of the same being estimated at $564,238.

The grade of stock in the county is continually improving. In regard to cattle the short-horns seem to have the preference of the people, and consequently there are several herds in the county. The dairy stock is also improving. In this the Jerseys and Alderneys have the preference. The Berkshire, Poland China and Red-rocks or Jersey-red hogs are the principal improved grades in the county. Of horses, the draft stock has been principally in demand. Of late years several importations of horses have been made from Great Britain and France. Trotting horses have been introduced into the southern part of the county from a Kentucky grade of stock. The influence of these superior grades of stock for the road and for work has already been felt, and we are glad to note the increasing interest in this direction.

Markets. - Subsequent to statements relating to the agricultural products and the stock of the county $ there conies a query relating to the markets and shipping facilities. In regard to railroad facilities this county is second to none in central Illinois. ISTot a foot of ground lies farther than six miles from a railroad ; ay, and we are very near the truth when we say that every foot of land is within six miles of a railroad station. Five railroads cross the county in a general direction from east to west, making abundant facilities for marketing in the eastern cities. The railroad extending north and south through the middle of the county connects the rival cities of Chicago and St. Louis, and affords ample means for shipments to either place. We quote the following, showing the distance of Monticello from some of the neighboring cities and principal market places in the United States.

Manufactures, etc. - - In manufactures, Piatt county is extremely limited. Agricultural implements, wagons, buggies, etc., are made, but in limited quantities. Brick kilns are in several parts of the county, while tile manufactories are becoming quite plentiful and very profitable. The county is well supplied with flour mills : Monticello, Bement, Cerro-Gordo and Mansfield, each contains mills, while there is a waterpower mill about a mile north of Monticello, on the Sangamon river. There is a steam saw-mill in connection with the latter mill. Piatt county needs more manufactures. With its good railroad facilities we see no reason why almost any manufacturing establishment would not do well. Within the last year or two several tow-mills have been started, and with success. We are glad of it and trust that mills of various kinds will follow suit.

In the foregoing manner have we related some of the advantages, the resources and needs of^ Piatt county. No attempt has been made to overrate it, while we have conscientiously striven to give it due mention.

Chapter

is an older history of this little speck of the vast globe which -L we call Piatt county than the traditions of the log cabin, or even those roving tribes that preceded the cabin, can tell us. For this oldest history we must look to the first and oldest settlers - the rocks. But the record of so small and uniform a space must necessarily be brief.

The great geological revolutions which have rent and upheaved and turned the strata in other portions of the globe by which the clue to that long dark past is discovered, seem not to have disturbed this locality ; or, if such disturbances took place they have been carefully covered over and hidden by the peaceful action of later ages.

Beneath us may be the relic of an ancient sea-floor, overlaid by the traces of a vanished land surface, over which again the waters may have left marks of their dominion. There may be great coal measures with their buried forms of extinct vegetation. Perhaps there are traces of a sea-shore, where huge animals left the prints of their ponderous tread, or a tiny raindrop its impress, to tell us of its missive then as now. There may be indications of great forests, or vast marshes where gigantic reptiles floundered. But if there are such records they are sealed in that great tomb beneath us to which we have had, as yet, no admittance.

While the region around the great lakes and the Alleghanies were rearing their heads above the waters, as the forerunners of this great continent, this, with the adjoining counties of central Illinois, was a part of a vast ocean bed. Not until during what is called in geology the Carboniferous age is it supposed that it emerged from its watery depths. There are no formations to be seen, however, older than the Drift.

One vast age, the Tertiary, had begun and ended its unknown myriads of years, and another, the Quaternary, has begun since the Carboniferous, before what is called the Drift or Glacial period was formed. The phenomena representing this period seems to have been caused by a great refrigeration of the climate, which reached such a height that the whole continent north of 39 degrees was loaded with immense accumulations of ice and snow which overrode hill and valley, removing soil and surface material to the southward. In this way those large stones called bowlders scattered over the county are accounted for. They were carried here and left by the powerful glacier. Not only the bowlders are accounted for in this way, but the clay, sands and pebbles.

Between Monticello and Centerville the road washings disclose three to four feet of bright brown clay, sometimes brown sand, pebbles and bowlders. On the prairies there are bowlders of granite of various colors : gray, red, sienitic, granite, quartzite, and altered sandstone, gneiss and greenstone ; and in the altered drift Devonian fossils and fragments of coal measure rocks.

Springs highly colored with oxide of iron are found. On Sec. 29, T. 19 N., R. 5 E., there are many such springs. Some of them are strongly chalybeate. In one gas arises, and a quantity of brown sediment is deposited on its sides, and it is marshy around. Some of the wells dug and bored from sixty to one hundred feet are supplied with a seemingly exhaustless amount of water. This great vein of water is thus reached at 'various depths throughout the county. In Goose Creek township a well was bored 120 feet, but the vein was not reached. On the fair-grounds it was reached at fifty-two feet. According to the state geological survey, in the northern part of the county, water is reached at a depth of from twelve to twenty feet. Bement, fifteen to thirty feet, and on the prairie near Monticello at from twenty to thirty feet. For surface water, wells in the timber are dug deeper

One of the wells dug in the county showed a fine deposition of conglomerate, supposed to have been from the bottom of Lake Michigan when its' outlet was the Mississippi river. Pieces of wood have been found in various wells of the county. Mr. Jesse Warner reports a piece of wood resembling a crab-apple branch, well preserved, and at the depth of twenty-five feet. We might mention other similar remains oi former geological periods, and we suppose there have been some depositions discovered which have not come under our notice.