Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1858-04-22
BUCHANAN COUNTY.

ton of the State. and is the third from the Mis-
sisslppi directly west from Dubuque. Indepen-
denee and Quasqucton, its principal towns, are
about IS miles west of the city of Dubuque, in
latitude 42l5 :, or about that of Albany and
Buffalo. The county is four townships square,
and contains an area of three hundred and six
ty-cight thousand, six hundred and forty acres.
SOIL.
The soil is generally rich black loan, with
good clay spbsoil. There is but little of the
Iuicksand subsoil which is met with in many
parts of the State, and which admits of rapid
leaehing out of the surface soil as soon as it is
broken up. 1t is immensely productive, and
adapted to grazing, shcep-nising, and to the
growth of cereals Of all kinds There are no
swamps or marshes in the county and all the
land is capable Of the highest cultivation.
wATER.
The county is exceedingly well watered, hav.
ing within its limits some eight distinct streams,
with numerous small branches The most prom
inent of these is the Wapsipinicon River, which
passes diagonally through the county from north
west to southeast. This river rises near the
northern border of our State, and certainly
Mississippi. Being fed by innumerable springs,
and flowing over sandy or pebbly bed, its
waters are cool, clear and silvery. Its decina-
ton is very considerable, furnishing number of
unsurpassed water powers, at convenient dis
tances. Its banks, never bluffy, (at least, not in
t1is ptxylo
preclude an overflow of the adjoining lands,
even at the highest stage of water, and being al
most entirely an outcroping of rock, cannot be
washed, insuring an easy and cheap improve
ment of its mill privileges. The cast branch of
this river joins the main stream in the north
western portion of this county and near the con
fuence receives the accession of the waters of
Birch creek. Otter Creek, rising in Fayette
county, and draining the northern and western
portion of Buchanan. is a never-failing stream,
and furnishes good water power. Pine Creek
possesses the same characteristics, and, together
with Buffalo Creek the second stream in size in
the county, drains the central and eastern town
ships, contributing to swell the size and volume
of the Wapsipinieon. The southeastern portion
of the county is drained by Spring, Lime and
Bear creeks, which empty their waters into the
Cedar, which river also crosses the extreme
southwestern corner of the county. 1t will thus
be seen that the county is unusually well watered
in oil directions, furnishing this convenience in
every part for thepurposes of grazing. Besides,
most excellent water is obtained anywhere at
depth of from ten to twenty-five feet. = t.. H..
Those acquainted with the characteristics of
this region, will correctly infer, from the above
exhibit of the water surface of the county, that
the extent of its timber is proportionately great
inasnnuch as in this region timber is almost ex-
clusively confined to the borders of rivers and
streams. This county certainly possesses more
than the usual proportion of woodland, a recon-
mendation of no little moment in prairie coun-
try. Throughout the whole length of the eoun-
ty, along the borders of the Wapsipinieon, there
is belt Of timber, from half mile to six miles
in width, with an average, probably, of over
a mile This timber consists, principally, of
oak, Eastwood, ash, maple and blackwalnut, and
is, to a large extent, suitable for building pur-
poses. In the vicinity of Quasqueton, Indcpen-
denee and Fairbank, the timber is very album
dant, at each of which PLACES mills are in oper-
alton, capable Of supplying much increased To-
cal demand for lumhcr. The belt of timber
bordering the east branch of the Wapsipinicon;
and extending into Fayette and Bremen coun-
ties, is very large and very fine one. Buffalo
Grove in the northeastern, and Greely's Grove,
in the northern part of the county. are both ex-
tensive and valuable bodies of timber That
bordering on the Wapsipinieon River and Pine
creek, in the centre of the county, is much the
largest body, covering an area of about 30 900
acres, and lies contiguous to both Quasqueton
and Independence. Below Quasqueton, and
extending south into Linn county, is another
fine body, called Spring Grove. Buffalo Creek,
in the eastern section of the county is also skirt
ed with timber Of good size and quality, as are
also Spring, Lime and Bear Greeks in the south
west, where We find Spcncer's Grove. The area
of the timber land in the county is fifty-one
thousand, two hundred acres, or about one acre
Of timber to every seven of prairie, proportion
which but few counties in the state can show
The price Of lumber at Quasqueton is from SIS
to $50 per thousand, for oak, Eastwood, DC and
from $35 to SIS for pine which will be reduced
to about sos when the Dubuque and Pacific
Railroad is completed within the county. which
will be in the summer or fall of 1858. Fire
wood is sold in Quasqueton, delivered, ut SO per
cord.
The county is well supplied with mills, both
Saw and FIGURING. At Fairbank there are two
saw mills-one driven by water, and one by
steani-and Touring mill On Otter Creek
there is good water saw mill On the Wapsi-
pinicon, ut Littleton, there is a splendid water
power, giving motion to two excellent saw mills
At Independence there is a saw and grist mill
run by water, and steam saw and lath mill
Some three or four miles below Independence,
on the Wapsipinicou, there is a st ram saw mill,
lately erected, and running constantly. On
Pine Greek there are two saw mills, with good
power. At Quasqucton there is one Of the best
and most easily improved wat powers in the
country. 1t is improved TO the extent of two saw
and two Touring mills there is also, at this
point, steam saw mill AT Spring Grove, on
the Wapsrinicon, there il also a water saw