Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-02-08
SAIAsJ.
Feb. 1-363m

! HETfiEN it is considered that the Mississippi
! w river is bounded on the east by alluvial
| land from four to seven miles in width, begin
ming at the mouth of the kaskaskia river, and
extending to two miles above the junction of
! the Missouri river with the Mississippi, u dis
lance Of eighty or one hundred miles, and has
| nowhere IN this distance permanent Or rocky
shore, but oyelhowing the country i'll unusually
! high freshets and when it is considered that,
from the termina son Of this alluvial land, at
which place the townof Alton is situated, to
the mouth ofthc Illinois river, the shore of the
Mississippi is perpendicular rock frsm one
to two hundred feet high, with only here and
there narrow break admitting few small
streams of water to flow into the Mississippi,
| but not presenting any where situation tor a
| toWn:-and when it is also considered that the
eastern bank of the Illinois river for some dis
| lance, is rocky and broken, and then it becomes
| low bottom land for more than two hundred
| miles from the mouth of the river; the mind
| is irresistbly led to the opinion that the town
| OF Alton is situated on commanding and i'm
| portant site g; there being no where else on the
| eastern banks Of the Mississippi and Illinois
| rivers for more than three hundred miles, a
good situation tor town. This opinion is
drawn from the advantages this place may re-
ceive from the navigation OF those rivers. Let
us look forward only few years, when the in
ternal navigation shall be completed from the
Hudson through the Lakes to the Mississippi,
and the Importance OF this situation for a great
and commercial town, will be more fully APP
precated.
The surrounding country equals, in rich
ness OF soll and agricultural advantages, the
most fertile portion OF the western country.
In addition to the foregoing considerations,
Tree stone, lime stone, and stone coal, abound
in great abundance IN the nelghborhood OF
this place. And by reference 10 the actual
survey OF TINS state, Alton rs found TO be nearly
due west from andaia, the seat of govern
ment The Mississippi Is at this point fifteen.
miles nearer that IOWA than any otner naviga-
Die water OF the state, excepting the Kaskas-
kla river, winch Is naNgabIe to Nandalia only
two or three months in ;t.year.
But even here, although the bank is rocky,
the river easy OF access and there is good boat
landing and harbor, the lend is for more than
one mlie back, broken and uneven, interspersed
with hilis and SINK holes. Therefore the site
tor the town OF oALU Is considered more eli
Slblc than any other which can De selected on
the waters OF the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.
lhis toNn Is stuated Oh the first high, roll
hing, and commanding ground from the river
on sec. Q, IN town N. and range W. OF
the sd principal merlulan, adjoining and
north OF upper Alton, IN the county OF Niadl-
son, and state ut limos. There are no ponds
nor slaenant waters, the source OF SO much
disease IN THIS country, III tins town nor in lis
vicinity but 1t Is wed supplied with springs
OF pure water.
! Inc great road leading from the east
| throughout TINS State TO the Missouri Terrific
| ~, the Boon's Lick and Salt river countries,
| luns through TINS town and crosses the Msss-
| supp at the well known Smeitzer's ferry.
tins roau viii DC made to fork at this town,
and run also to Fountain ferry. al lower Alton.
These two ferrles are the only ones OF any
| Importance, that can ever be eSttb shed on
the Mss.ssl ppi between the Missouri and ilii-
| nos rhels. Inc great national read, running
RON The CITY OF " aSninStoh westwaraly, must
necessarily DC made 10 cross one or The other
Oh t.iese ieraes, when 1t shall be extended TO
! The Missouri ana 70 the rocky mountains. The
Important read leading from the south to the
n.hlary ANUS IN the Iork OF the Mississippi
ana ILLINOIS rivers, and 10 the aangamo country,
must, from the peculiar make OF the land,
either on the west or on the east Of this place,
r~n through this town.
| GOOD mechanics OF moral and industrious
haous, and respectable men of other occupa-
| tons, VIII receive liberal encouragement to
settle in this town.
1t may De considered extraordinary that a
new town, bearing new name, should be
laid out adjoining upper Alton, as this town is
well situated, and already contains more than
thirty families. II is from these considerations
that the town Of Saiu is laid out, and the lots
now offered for sale to actual settlers. No
clear and mdisputable title could heretofore
have been obtained for any lot in upper Alton;
the endorsements on the land were compli-
Gated and difficult. Under these circumstan-
ces, the people who bad settled in Alton
lcould not Prudently make Improvements, but
had become more and more convinced Of its
unusually healthy and commanding situation
tor great town, were unwilling to remove to
any other town or part of this state or country !;
therefore, the subscribers purchased the site
for the town of Salu, which has all the advan-
tages of Alton; and have given the new town
a new name, because Alton embraced upper
Il and lower Alton, two separate and distinct
sites for towns, situated more than one mile
apart from these considerations it was not
bought advisable to extend Alton to greater
limits; and, therefore, the subscribers have
named the new town SALu.
/ BENNETT MAXEY,
ERASTUS DROWN,
| ISAAC WATERS,
| ZACHARIAu ALLEN.