Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-01-20
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Internal Improvements in Illinois,
There is no state in. the Union, we may
venture TO affirm, without fear of contra
diction, in which improvements are ma
king, or contemplated to be made, by the
means of railroads and canals, that so
great and beneficial effects will be felt
and produced, as those projected and in
progress of completion by the State of
Illinois. In fact, so extended and mag
niGcent are these proposed improvements
that the first impression generally is, they
never will be made. Such, we confess,
was our opinion until recently. Our at
tention has been called to the subject by
the announcement that the Fund Com
missioners Of Illinois have Just effected
a loan of several millions of dollars, up
on the credit of the State, which, we un-
dcrstand will ensure the immediate COM
mencement and rapid completion of the
whole system Of internal improvements
as authorised by law, copy of which
we have before us. II embraces up
wards of twelve hundred miles of rail-
roads and turnpikes, and large amount
also appropriated 10 improve the naviga
ton of the Illinois, Wabash and kaska.
kia rivers. 1
No state in the Union, as we have be-
fore remarked, possesses greater natural
and local advantages for being improved
and rendered prosperous by railroads
and canals, than Illinois. To illustrate
which, we will give brief outline ofthe
railroads authorised to be constructed
and which are now being surveyed, and
portion under contract The princi-
pal and most important rail road is that
which runs through the centre of ILL
nois, and aptly called the back bone of
the State. 1t commences at Cairo, Ia
town Incorporated last winter as the
"Cairo City,) at the junction Of the
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and
passes through Vandalia, Shelby
vile, Decatur, Bloomington, crossing
the Illinois and Michigan canal at or
near Peru; thence through Savannah
and terminating at Galena making
distance of upwards Of four hundred and
fifty miles, running through the heart of
one of the finest agricultural countries
iL the world, to the mineral regions in
the "far west" From this central rail
road, branch or cross rail roads will be
constructed 10 the following towns on
the Mississippi river, viz: st. Louis, via
BeIviIle, Alton, Quincy and Warsaw;
and on the Wabash river to the state
line of Indiana towns, viz: Lafay-
cite, Terrehaute, Mount Carmel; and
on the Ohio river to Shawnee Town.
These rail roads, thus extending from or
crossing the central rail road, will, in
their course, pass through the following
already located towns, within the state,
viz. Edwardsville, Carlisle, Salem, Fair
, field, Albion, Lebanon, Nashville, Pinck-
neysville, Frankfort, Equality, Colum-
bus, Mt. Starting, Menedosia, Jackson-
vile, Springfield, Sy ydney, Danville, Hill
borough, Charlestown, Paris, Peoria,
Canton, Macomb, Carthage, Upper AL
ton. Belville, Mackinaw, fremont, and
Pekin, from which it will be seen that
nearly every town Of Importance in the
state, will be commercially rail road with
the "central rail roady The great ad-
vantages are, that this central rail road
commences at.the confluence ofthe Ohio
and Mississippi rivers, point accessa-