Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-03-14
SAIU.

cAIt.
| HTHEE it is consdered that the Mississippi
| w river is founded on the east by alluvial
land from four to seven miles in width, begin
ming at the moth of the Kaskaskia river, and
extending to two miles above the junction OF
| the Missouri riTer with the Mississippi, dis
lance of eightyor one hundred miles, and has
no where in thi, distance permanent or rocky
shore, but oyeraowing the country i'll unusually
! high freshets;- and when it is considered that,
| from the termination of this alluvial land, at
which place the town of Alton is situated, to
the mouth of the Illinois river, the shore of the
! Mississippi is perpendicular rock from 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 for a
| town and when it is also considered that the
eastern bank Of the Illinois river for some dis
tancc, 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 irresistibly led to the opinion that the town
| of Alton is situated 'on commanding and i'm.
portant site there being no where else on the
eastern banks of the Mississippi and Illinois
rivers, for more than three hundred miles, a
good situation for a town. This opinion is
drawn from the advantages this place may re-
ceive from the navigation of those rivers. Let
us look forward only a 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 great
and commercial town, will be more fully APP
preciated.
The surrounding country equals, in rich
ness of soil and agricultural advantages, the
mn Mi Of ha (
In addition to the foregoing considerations,
free stone, lime stone, and stone coal, abound
in great abundance in the neighborhood of
this place. And by reference to the actual
survey of this state, Alton is found to be nearly
due west from Vandalia, the seat of govern
ment. The Mississippi is at this point fifteen
miles nearer that town than any other naviga-
Bile water OF the state, excepting the Kaskas-
kia river, which is nayigable to VandaGa only
two or three months in year.
But even here, although the bank is rocky,
the river easy of access, and there is good boat
landing and harbor, the land is for more than
one mile back, broken and une ven, interspersed
with hills and sink holes. Therefore the site
for the town of SALU is considered more eli
gible than any other which can be selected on
the waters Of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.
This town is situated on the first high, roll
ling, and commanding ground from the river
| on sec. E, in town 5 n. and range W. of
the Sd principal meridian, adjoining and
| north of upper Alton, in the county of Madi-
son, and state Of Illinois. There arc no ponds
| nor stagnant waters, the source Of SO much
disease in this country, i'll this town nor in its
| vicinity; but it is well supplied With springs
of pure water.
The great road leading from the east
I hrr 1r1,N H.
| ry, the Boon's Lick and Salt river countries.
runs through this town and crosses The Msss-
| sippi ut the we'll known Smeitzcr's ferry
This road will be made to fork at this town,
and run also to Fountain ferry, at lower Alton.
| These two ferries are the only ones of any
| importance, that can ever he established on
| the Mississippi between the Missouri and Hi
! nols rivers. The great national road, running
| from the City Of Washington westwardly, must
| necessarily be made to cross one or the othor
of these ferries, when it shall be extended to
the Missouri and to the rocky mountains. The
important road leading from the south to the
military lands in the fork of the Nississ;ppi
and Illinois rivers, and to the Sangano country,
| must, from the peculiar make of the land,
either on the west Or on the east of this place,
run through this town.
Good mechanics Of moral and industrious
| habits, and respectable men of other occlpa-
tons, will receive liberal encouragement to
settle in this town.
| 1t may be considered extraordinary that a
new town, bearing a new name, should be
laid out adjoining upper Alton, as this town is
well situated, and already contains more than
thirty families. 1t is from these considerations
| that the town Of Salu is laid out, and the lots
| now offered for sale to actual settlers. No
| clear and indisputable title could heretofore
have been obtained for any lot in upperAlton 4;
the embarrassmcnts on the land were compl-
, Gated and difficult. Under these circunstan.
| ces, the people who had settled in Alton
could not prudenty make improvements, but
had become more and more convinced of its
unusually healthy and commanding situation
for 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 Sllu, which has all the advan-
tages of Alton and have given the new town
a new nalne,5 because Alton embraced upper
and lower Altos, two separate and distinct
sites for towns, situated more than one mile
apart; from these considerations it was not
thought advisable to extend Alton to greater
limits and, therefore, the subscribers have
named the new town SALU.
BENNETT MAXEY,
ERASTUS BROWN,
ISAAC WATERS,
ZACHAPIAU ALIEN