The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-09-19
Correspondence of the Gate City.l
TAYLOR County, Iowa,

TAYLOR County, Iowa,
Sept. 10, 1857.
MxssRs. EpIroRs - Having noticed brie
editorial in the columns Of your journal IL
relation to our county, itoccurred to me tina
a more general description Of the county ant
Of our town might be of interest to you
readers, and perhaps the means Of directing
the attention Of emigrants to one OF the mos
beautiful and fertile regions Of the West.
Tho soil in Taylor county differs but littl
in appearance from most other portions O.
the State. 1t is perhaps shade darker thar
in the eastern portion, and generally though
1 to be more productive. The surface Of thu
country is mostly rolling prairie, sloping sc
gently toward the ravines and woodland thai
nearly every quarter section in the county
will make good farm. We have no dser
gorges or high bluffs. The entire surface il
Just rolling enough to be well drained and
convenient for farming purposes.
There are seven beautiful streams running
through our county in southeasterly direc-
ton. Along the margin Of these streams 10
strip Of timber from one-fourth Of mile
to mile wide, which affords good supply
OF fencing and building material for the in
tervening strips Of prairie. These streams,
with their numerous lateral branches running
from east to west, and supplied by springs,
afford an abundance of stock water, while
never-failing supply Of well water, pure, soft
and cold can be obtained by digging from
twelve to thirty feet.
The main divides rise to height Of about
one hundred feet. The traveller on reaching
their submits sees before him landscape OF
such beauty and attraction as is rarely met
with In prairie country. Alternate strips
Of woodland and prairie stretch away to the
north and south as far as the eye can reach,
while in every direction the numerous dwell
lings OF the farmers, surrounded by aocks
and herds, fills up the picture and gives it an
air of life and beauty and MS though nature
had designed that nothing should be left I'M
done that could add to the utility or a,trac.
ton of the country, she has filled thsbanks
OF the streams with an abundance OF lime
rock, and left not n single lake, or marsh, or
swamp to till the Dir with their miasmatic
vapors. We are consequently free from
those intermittent diseases which 80 often
prove the scourge OF new country in the
West.
II is now little more than three years
since the writer entered the first tract OF
land which was entered in the county. We
have now between FIVE thousand and six
thousand inhabitants, and the land is nearly
all entered; few pieces yet remain vacant,
which can be secured by pre-cmptors. The
prices of prairie land varies from $3.50 per
acre to $40, depending on the location tim
Der from $40 to $40.
Bedford, the county seat Of Taylor county,
is located on an elevated plateau or second
bottom, 100 fee. above the river. The ground
around the town rises in circular form on
all sides, like kind Of amphitheatre. In
this circular area there are numerous promi-
nent points overlooking the town which at
ford the most beautiful sites for suburban
cottages, that have ever seen. The first
permanent improvements in the town was
commenced about two years ago. We now
have between five hundred and six hundred
inhabitants mostly from Pennsylvania and
Indiana--and Of very enterprising charac-
ter. The houses are mostly built Of wood,
painted white, and present very neat and
comfortable appearance. We have two
steam saw mills in our town and saw mill
driven by water-power, six dry goods stores,
an extensive cabinet shop with a steam en-
CINE in it, two shoe shops, two blacksmith
shops, and goodly number Of lawyers Of
fees, Doctors Offices, &C., DC. There are
several kinds Of mechanics which We are
much in need Of. For instance, there is no
harness maker or gold smith within sixty FIVE
miles Of us. A good Touring mill is also
much needed here, and would certainly be a
paying business. No person need hesitate
about investing money in Bedford.
The Railroad line which is now being sur
yeyed by the Nebraska and South Iowa r.
r. Company passes through our town, and the
engineer reports good and practicable
route. Active measures are also being taken
to secure the construction of railroad from
St. Joseph, NO., to Fl. Des Moines, Iowa,
which will pass up the valley and consequent
ly through our town. With such adyanta.
gcs AS these surrounding us, who can doubt
that nm enterprisng people like ours will soon
build up town of considerable note.
T.. HoUeK.