New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-05
IOWA
Keckuk-Iss Advantage. aas Prospects.

On 81 elegant sectional map of Illinois, re-
Gently prbshedby Gotten Co.. and compiled from .As
United States Surveys, &c, SC. BY j. NJ Peck. John
Messenger and J. II. Msthewson, Kcokuk Is laid down
ncrsh Of is true positon while the rspds Of the Ms
,ssirpi River are made to terminate some eve mlcs
below T. and at sno,her town on the Illinois sls tbs
truth Is these rapids terminate at the upper edge u
Kcokuk: situate four miles shove.
This error committdin such high quarters, has In.
dueed me TO correct Is far possible the public mind.
and guide il into the channels Of truth in respce,
this growing little csy by pointing out IFS locality ana
abiding to some Il - sl5arcts
keokuk Is situated As fost OF the lower rsptds Of
the Mississippi lSc2 ies from, is source and ss the
head OF navigation that river or the larger class OF
steamers Il Is l.25l rtes froL, New-orleans, so5
miles from St. Louis and In lat Az 30 49, 10 stands
upon basis Of limestone ro-k Of the finest Qlslify a.
fordng nexhanstibe supplies OF the choicest building
material Ii communicates yrith ST. Louis by daily
line al splendid steamers and the hall shire town Of
the county.
Large sans of money were exI ended the pas, year n
grading and paving the streets ead leyce aud Ia tho
building OF squeducts. sewers, and culVef@.
During the past two years, there have bsen LSso
steamboat arrivals here 595 'h year. ard taking
the pas, three years together tie river has been open
at this point 3l2 days each year The townccntnstwo
steam nOufng mills which pack 5O,Oo barrels of Hour
per snnGm: three steam mills, capable OF cutting
l5OOO feet OF lumber per day; two extensive ioundus
market; between 80 and 20 wholesale and retail meF-
camille establishments several hotels, snt steam Terry
II colta.ns also the medical department OF the State
University, which has proiessorships and Is un
fceniy endowed BY the State There are published in
this place one monthly Temperance paper. :wo weekly
newspapers, aud one medical journal We have three
public schools supported six months in each gear out o.
the State Fund; three select schools three academies
hospital and six churches.
The following table will exhibit the increase Of popu
iafN he prour Of
amount of trade &c;
Population in istS 40; in iss7.....Ssss
Merehandise sold during the past year value. scco
No OF he's packed during past three years '.Se0o
Lumber sold exclusive OF thar priuoea oy 0NS a0e "A,
No Of brck made and sod during pas; year.. 100000
No OF and brick business houses shFee and four so
res nigh erected IN y
No q s. oiu, and forwarded to he
interior, exclusive ofthst Landed by the St Louis 49,.
Packets, pounds .iS"VV
All the ascending freight for the supply OF the towns
and country above us, on the Mississippi RIVER as weit
also the dcseendng freight has since June last been
tIanshpped over the Rapids by lighters drawn BY
horses and then reshipped on board "a steamboats, for
its destination.
The Locality of Keokuk at the confluence of the Des
Moines with the Mississippi River makes IL the depot
and entrepot of the fertile Valley OF the Des Monee'
which contains than half the population and as-
cultural wealth of Iowa and, commanding thus the en-
tire trade OF thst fertile extensive and popuous region.
which without artificial aduncts. amounted tho past
year to over s50O0.000 Il has procured the nsme ot
ard IL widely known the Gate OF Iowa"
The Lower Rapids" n, the foot Of which this town
situated eleven miles in length The Mississippi
River runs limestone bed and falls ~ feet In thai
distance A Company has been Incorporated % bdiid
canal around hcse rapids sufficient to pass the larger
csss of steamers and which will accumulate at ts foot
head of IL feet water. This IL estimated ny the aoo
engineer Col Samuel X Curtis IN his irs report 10 mo
Board to be sufficient for all the machinery that hui
man invention can locate within reach OF ts inence
Such an amount OF hydraulic power surrounded as u
by the most productive soil earth cannot tail 10 at
truct the attention of manufacturers everywhere and
establish at this point the greatest combination oil sk'
and energy.
II il mportant 20 mention that this town Is included
In the tract Of acres Of land which was reserves
by the Treaty OF l524 with the Sac and Fox ndiens Tor
the of the hafbreeds Of that tribe In lisa thesa
lands by act of Congress were granted to and vested
In the hsltbreeds, deriving under me treaty IA loti
the whole matter judicsly aud fully adudicated
and the entire tract partoned to held soycratyb by
the respective owners
The litigation growing out OF this adjustment Of tho
title has by throwing doubt AID uncertainty upon things
had the effect rGnsenty to cripple and reard the growth
aud thrift OF the place up t. two or three years since
That litigation has now been carried through all the
Courts of the State both Common Law and ChanccTy,
and the title settled forever
Confluence in the security and future repose Of things
has been completely established and this young cyof
only about years growth IL steadily advancing TO-
ward that commercial importance to which It's manifest
local advantages and ts obvious clements OF prosperity
warrants II to aspire.
Nor do ia enterprising inhabitants fail TO ovince duo
appreciation OF the value and importance OF Internal lo
prOyements of every character but are pushing thsm
forward with commendabie zeal and energy.
Plank Road which will next summer be completed
10 birmingham 90 miles In tho interior, h In of
IL miles being already completed.
The Improvement of the Dee MOines fiyer 10 extend
200 miles rom This point In progress with fair pros
Keokuk IS not destitute either of lair prospects In re
spect 10 RaiyOdds The Michigan Ceairal Railroad
Co" extending their road from Chicago south
ery To Quincy H. ON the Mississippi rAer, under tho
noine Of the Military Tract Road.' They have
peted Juliet, and contracted TO hnish IL 10 Gales
burg BY September nsxt and to Quincy liz terminus By
the following June
Upon the completion of this Military Tract Road
there gap OF only about twenty miles 10 I'LL up upon
a traek-eraded and bridged soma years since by tho
state Of llinos-n order to connect Keokuk with both
Detroit and Toledo the west end OF Lake Eue, and
with Cincinnati and Philadelphia and the other Atlantic
cties, soon as Chicago connects with the dido and
Then again from Beliountain, (O) believe there 10
already connection east BY Railroad with Cincinnati.
&C. From Beltountain west 10 Indiana
pos Railroad will be opened for travel the coming
Spring Thence 70 Terrehaute, Railroad Is now In ope
rGtion-thence to Springfield, Ils, survey has been
made md the work commenced-,henoe TO Naples ON
ire Illinois river Railroad Is hnshed and in operation
thence 10 Clayton-he road 10 under cODtrsct-thence
Quincy the Mississippi river the road Is ready tor
the rails Upon the completion Of thD road there u
gap OF lees than 10 miles, along high Prire ridge,
destitute Of streams 10 MI up, In order 70 connect
Keokuk with Cincinnati Philadelphia aud other Atlantic
cities.
Our legislature now In sesslon, recently memorial
iced Congress for appropriation u land for aroad
running up the Desmoines valley from keokak tosoms
pO.nt eatt Of the DesmMnes river thence 10 the Ms
sour and have yet 20 doubt but that tho
,ppropriston Will be made by the present Congress
now what are the Inducements for Cspifaiss and
Railroad Companies east, TO- extend their projects o
Keokuk answer that one among many otGef reasons
isthas with the exception Of Davenport over 100 mies
north OF this place. and point about 100 miles south
80 4 Ia uIly practicable point
a bridge across the Mississippi
Tie river az tbs place over bed OF sold rock,
be,ween bluffs 10 feet hi that approach within
mile and no feet Of each other measuring from tho
ions OF the two bluffs The blad the western bank,
The mel rum rests upon Ledge OF Inn estone
rising nearly perpendicular from its margin 60 feet,
CAPPED By sandstone ledge xe feet IN thickness Thx
hundred teetfron the foot a tins biu and be-
~ cen IL end the blg on the Illinois SIDE 10 island
rsng 10 feet above the waters edge which Is 100 feet
in width This kland IL separated from the Illinois