Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-05-19
Written for the Marshall Co. Republican,
Marshall Con1ty.--Its Early History.
BY wAnsEx TAYLOR.
CHATTER VIII.

TO do the subject Justice, still L may sue
cce,l i'll bringing forward some facts that
will be Of importance to my rea lers.
Marshall County is bounded on the north |
by the County of ST. Joseph. on the east
by the Counties of St. Joseph AMI Elkhat
ON the south by the County of Fulton. ami
west by the County of Stark. 1t is II
miles square. consequently it has an area
Of AL square miles. and 2S2 .240 square
acres. Its population though not acsu-
rately known, is estimated at about 3D.
600.
The greater part Of the County has a
level surface. though much of it Is rolling,
AMI small portions near tn, western border
may be termed billy. The Michigan road
passes through it from north to south, di
vidins it into two unequal parts that on
the cas-, being about Ii AMI that on the
west ahout miles in with, The eastern
part is almost entirely heavy linibercd
country. while the western is principally
covered with oak openings, though inter-
spersel with bolies of heavy timber some
of which are of considerable size In diff
ferent parts of the County there are mas b.
es of greater or less extent.
DlvusroNs.- Marshall Co1nfy i divi-
'lcl into nine Townships. Polk. North.
German. West. Center. Bourbon. Union.
Green anil Tippecanoe. The first three
are in the northern. the second three in the
mi,lilc. all the last three in the southern
part of the County. These Townships,
though Averaging seven miles square. are
not precisely alike in area, some of them
bring little above that size AMI others be-
ing little un,ler 1T.
SoII.-The heavy tin5cTel laniis pos
sess soil of great fertility. To the east
anil southeast Of Plymouth in particular.
there i as rich AMI ealtiful sion as can
probably lie foun in the western country.
This trayt is about twelve miles in length
hv six or seven in with, the most Of which
j. thickly settled anil dotted with rapidly
enlarging improvements. In other parts
of the timherel country there are smaller
tracts equally a goo as that which has
/ Just been described. Some of the heavy
/ timberel lands are naturally wet, bat the
most Of these can lie drained anil rendered
valuable. The oak openings n general
thing are rather inferior in fertility to the
li"avv timbercl country. but the most of
the lanlS of this variety produce good
crops when properly cultivated. Their
soil is evidently better AMI more durable
/ than n stranger woald at first sight suppose.
We know of fields where this Kind of soil
prevails which after twenty years Of Guilt
walton still pro luce COOL yield of the diff
fe-cnt kinls of gain. OF the oak open
ings. lanls which in a state of nature are
thinlv covered wit Burr Oak timber, are
considered the best. These posscss soil
scarcely inferior to the test timbered llamls
or even tn the prairies. In Union Town
ship. about 10 miles in south-wcsterly
d 'rection from Plymouth, is tract of this
description embracing several sections
With Is commonly callel the Burr Oak
Flats This is as rich and beautiful To-
clliiy a. a reasonable person coull desire.
A few lots of this tract were purchased by
actual settlers but the greater part Of 10 was
bid off by persons who resided in Virginia.
anil this remained for SONS time after the
sale in state of nature. Finally it was
bongh, of the original owners and the most
of il is now improved On these Flats re-
sides our friend John III. Voris who is sup
posed 10 be the most extensive farmer in
the Comfy. Mr.. Voris owns about 500
acres Of land. OF which 500 or more are
under cultivation.
+ SraEAMs.-The Tippecanoc River runs
through the south eastern part of the coun-
|. ty anil passes; into Fulton. 1t is, clear,
beautiful stream anil in this part of its
course is 40 or 30 yards in width. On
this stream. at TiPpecanoetown. there, is a
good FIGURING Mill. The heal waters Of
Yellow River ARISEN St. Joseph Elkhut
and kosciusilo Counties. From the neigh
borhool Of Bremen. mar the north-ca tern
c,rncr Of this County. this river pursues a
soutsl-westcrly direction to the vicinity, OF
the Wolf Creek Mills. then turning to the
west it continues to run nearly in that di-
lcction until it joins the Kankakec about
g miles west from Plymouth. It's average
width is about 30 yarls, and though ralSl
in places. it has generally gentle curr,nt
and deep channel In time. of high
water RATS of considerable size might dcs-
ccnd from Plymouth, aud for some distance
above it to the Kapkakee. were it not for
the Drift wood, which in some places would
be great obstruction. There is at PIES
emit but one Mill upon. this stream, the
FIGURING Mill at Plymouth. though for
merly there were several Saw Mills Hpon
it, which arc not now in operation. AT
what IS commonly called Cobb's Mill site.
10 miles southwest from Plymouth, there
is a good. unimproved water power. the
best, perhaps, that Yellow River Affords
As this " alter privilege is in the immediate
vicinity of the Burr Oak Flats where large
quantities of grain are raised, the erection
of FIouring Mill at that point. besides
condneing to the public good would IN
doubtedly be profitable Investment of
capital
Pine Greek waters the northeastern part
of the County and passing into St. Joseph
Joins the Kankakee sbout three miles above
Lemons bridge. On it, within this Coun-
ty. are two Saw Mills. Wolf Creek. ri.
L r - r.