Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-01-22
SA LII.

! NXyHEN it is considered that the Mississippi
! w river is bounded on the east by alffvial
| land from four to seven miles i'll 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, a dis
lance of eighty or one hundred miles, and has
no where in this distance permanent or rocky
| shore, but overlooking the country in 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
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 irresistibly led to the opinion that the town
of Alton is situated on a commanding and i'm
| portant site there being no where else onthe
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 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 ap-
preciated.
The surrounding country equals, in rich
ness of soil and agricultural advantages, the
most fertile portion of the western country.
| 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 Nandalia, the seat of govern
ment. The Mississippi is at this point fifteen
miles nearer that town than any other navga-
BILE water of the state, excepting the Kaskas-
kia river, which is navigable to Vandalia only
two or three months in a 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 uneven, interspersed
| with hills and sink holes. Therefore the site
for the town of SALU is considered more eli
| gble 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 rom the river
on sec. s, in town S N. and range W. OF
| the Sd principal meridian, adjoining aud
| north of upper Alton, in the county of Madi-
| son, and state of Illinois. There are no ponds
| nor stagDant waters, the source of so much
disease in this country, in this town nor in its
vicinity but it is well supplied with springs
| of pure water.
The great road leading from the east
| throughout this state to the Missouri Terrific
ry, the Boon's Lick and Salt river countries,
| - I. Al