Chapter I: Front Matter

A

NEW GUIDE FOR EMIGRANTS

TO THE

WEST,

CONTAINING SKETCHES OF

OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, MISSOURI, MICHIGAN, WITH THE TERRITORIES OF WISCONSIN AND ARKANSAS, AND THE ADJACENT PARTS.

BY J. M. PECK, A. M.

OF ROCK SPRING, ILL

BOSTON:

GOULD, KENDALL & LINCOLN.

FOR SALE BY THE BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED STATES.

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