Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-06-03
NO.. l..
From, the Wes:cfa Pioneer.

n From the Ues!cfa Pioneer.
S HEAD OF Bro Woops,2
: - Kane county, ilt,ois, March Id, 1887
I BEAR SIR :--f Our favor of January %, was re.
ceived some time after it was written. i, conse.
iucnce OF absence from home, and ohe avoc atoms,
IL mas not been convenient to answer it till nov.
The Fox river rises a considerable distance in
hs interior OF isconsn territory, enters the state
ofl'linois in nearly southerly directions, and con-
linuss the same for about fifty miles, TO the foot
{ OF Big woods; from thence it takes south-wes-
tern course, and, in places bears nearly west
ana again SOUTHWEST until it falls into the Illi-
nols river, at Ottawa, having ranged about nine
ty miles i'll this state.
lnpassins up Fox river from Indian creek. YOU
meet, LIST, somonauk creek; I'd, Rock creek; Sd,
Blackberry creek. These, with the first named,
areseveralty small mill streams, rise near the wa
tiers of the Kishwaukee that falls into Rock river
and each have saw mills ia operation GO
neral course is from moth to south, running nearly
parallel to each other, from about ITO 10 miles a.
part, and are from 90 to 80 miles in length, and
tall into Fox river OH the northwest side. They
are usually skrted with pleasant groves of timber,
occasionally interpreted with bafrens only. A
large proportion of the countryis rich prairie, with
considerable deficiency i'll the amount of timber.
Ihare IS, for the most par, contiguous settlements
on these streams, and i'll some places they areauits
compact and pleasant.
About three miles above the mouth of Backbsr-
ry, asmall mill stream, called Morgan creek, rises
iii Au Sable grove, and falls into Fox river from
the east. About five miles further up on the same
side, comes in tho Wabonsie creek, the foot the
Big Woods, rising principally in the ssWoods"
About eight miles higher up, and on the west side,
Mill creek enters, near the mouth of.which, there
isa saw mill. From thence fot 20 miles up, no
stream worthy of note, enters Fox river. Then
comes in from the west, the outlet Of Chrystal lake,
and higher up from the Wisconsin territory, the
outlet Of Geneva lake, from the west, and some
handsome mill streams, from the east.
The main Fox river, for about 20 miles III this
state, and 80 miles in the territory, passes through
several small lakes and is navigabls for fiat steam
boats.
The Big Woods is the largest body Of timber, iii
the state They lie Oh the east side, and adoin-
ing Fox river, and are about ID miles in length
and from two to four miles wide, containing about
80 sections of good timbered land. This tract,
provided surveys were runs would lie mostly in
township 30 and 80 north, range 8 east from the
third principal meridian. ltstimber consists chief
y ofwhite, black, yellow, and bur oaks, sugar ma
pls, lynn or bass wood, black and white walnut or
buucrnu, hickory, ash Of various species, poplar,
iron wood, &c. The soil is generalya dark san
dy loan, sometimes clay; generally a little undu-
lating, but sometimes quite level. The "Big
Woods" is thckly settled on all sdes and the four
mile prairie, between that and Du Page river, is
all claimed and considerably settled, is the
try opposite, betwxt Fox river, and Blackberry
creek, west.
The 'Littlc Woods,'' is a tract of timber about
four miles north Of Big Woods, also, OH the cast
side adjoining Fox river, divided from Big Woods,
by gap fprairie, interspersed in places with lit
tie groves of small timber and barrans-It is about
half the size of the latte, lis timber and SOIL sm-
lar, and is surrounded with compact settlements.
This may well be considered prairie country
of dark rich soil, though not as sandy rs in the
region Of Rock river, Or in Michigan. From tho
preponderance of prairie, they are only named or
called atsr the rivers, mill streams and groves of
which, they are interspersed through the country,
besides those skirting the principal water codrses.
Tho whole range Of Fox river in this state, 10
WITHIN few miles Of its mouth is u.,surveyed land,
and for nearly the whole distance is tckly settled.
Towns and villages are sprnging up as If by magic.
Commencing at the south end of Kane county,
al the mouth of Blackberry creek, they call their
new village Yorkvis. The Fox river there, isto
be damned and saw mill and grist milirontrac.-
ed to be butthi season. Oppositethc Big Woods,
dams are thrown Fox river in five places, and
saw mills erected. Al the prairie in the Gods"
three miles above the s.Foot," this Galena stage
ford, is the pleasant village Of Aurora. A Hour
ing IN i'll s here importation. Lowell, atthe dead"
of Big Woods, and Charleston, at the "FOot', OF
l. tile Woods, are growing business places;--have
saw mills on Fox river, and foaring mills goingup
NJ the present season. Geneva is OH the west bank
of Fox river, and nearly equidistant from Lowell
and Charleston, is pleasant place, and the cous-s
" seat of this county Atthe "Haad'' OF Litegs 2
Woods, and five miles farther up, IS the new WI.
lage fElgn Here is dam, and 1iills are build-
iny. Eight miles further, is FIGURING mill, nearly
ready 10 run. Ga the whole, Fox river is one Of
tho best il not the best stream in the state Tor ex-
4ensiyc hydraulic operations. 1t can easily be rss-
desed naygable by slack-water, aoounds WITH sx-
ceenl quarries of limestone for building purposes,
and beds of coal have already been dlscovereo
! :5,. aha ,asi liza