The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1868-03-19

! CEDAR COUNTY.
| A Few Items Of Interest to Persons
about Locating in Iowa.
Editors Advertiser. The following ac-
count Of our county may not be wholly
devoid of interest to the readers of your
paper. Hence it is submitted to you for
publication.
Cedar county Is one of the eastern
counties of the State, there being only
one between 1t and the great Father Of
Waters which separates this State from
the great State of Illinois; while, on a
north and south line, its location is
nearly central, with a latitude of 42'
north, aud longitude Of 91o west. Its
territory is "a miles square, and, conse-
quently, contains $40 square miles em-
bracing S6s, ,84O acres of land, and furn-
ishing some of the most desirable loca-
tions in the State. In 1867 its assessed
valuation was about $1,000. 900. and Its
population 16, 900; 1865 finds it increased
in both these particulars.
Formerly, the county was divided in
to sixteen congressional townships of
six miles square each, and there are still
this number of townships for political
and other purposes, although awkward
ly shaped-each of which is furnished
with its corps of officers according to
the prevailing custom of county organi-
zations for western States.
The natural advantages Of the county
are good, both as it regards its climate,
soil, and its commercial facilities. AS
to the former, its location is such that
while it escapes much Of the extreme
cold of the north, it also avoids much Of
the burning heat and the long-continu-
cd drouth of the south thus rendering
1t, in point of climate, unsurpassed by
any other location in the west. As to
its soil, that is various; in some locali-
ties it is thin, but never poor; in others
it is deep, and for richness, will not
compare unfavorab'y with the rich allu-
vial bottom lands Of more southern
States. In proof Of this, we have only
to refer to the ample crops of wheat,
corn, and oats, that have been realized
within our own knowledge. OF the
former, forty bushels to the acre have
been reached, while, our own farm,
with nothing extra in tillage has pro-
duced eighty bushels of corn and seven
ty Of oats to the acre.
And, as for its commercial advanta-
ges, while many localities are greatly
inferior to 1t, but few are equal, and
still smaller number, in the State, sur
pass it. Before the day of railroads, it
was within easy reach of ports on the
Mississippi river, where it found ready
ana ample mark eta for ali sc "a -~.-rl>.~
products. Those markets still remain,
the "iron horse" which, with its rat
Ting train, comes laundering along
through the county from its eastern to
its western boundary as it passes along
OH its way to the Rocky Mountains
Two roads thus reach us, and, along
their iron track, and at convenient dis
tances from each other, are numerous
depots and warehous, where all the cat
tie, hogs, beef, pork, wheat, corn, oats,
and barley, raised by our thousand
thrifty farmers find ready sale. Nor
Is this all-two other roads, coming up
from the south, are in contemplation,
both of which, when completed, are to
run through this county. One Of them
is to pass through Upton, our county
site, and is now graded as far as to its
junction with the G. & n. w. road in
the north part of the county. The ell
suing season is expected to see it in
running order. The other, we are told,
is to come up from st. Louis in its
mighty effort to connect itself with st.
Paul and the vast numbering regions
beyond. 1t is to pass through the south
western part of this county, on its way
to Cedar Rapids and the place named
above. We were in that part of our
county, few weeks since, and found
the leading men sanguine of its success.
We trust it will be built and that speed
ily, for we conceive that every road
built, as it opens new avenues of trade
or renders old ones more easy of access,
gives an additional value to every farm
and every piece Of land reached or pass
ed through by that road. Hence we
wish success to every railroad enter
prise.
But we have spoken of commercial
facilities, advantages for trade. There
are other advantages, which man,
seeking o location for home, will not
wish us to loose sight Of or forget
Cedar county has them. On the north
east is the Wabessipinicon, and, in the
southwest, the Cedar, rivers, like the
Connecticut and the Penobsc0t Of New
England, which, with the numerous
creeks running into them, furnish am
pie drainage for all the surplus waters Of
the county. Hence there are no waste
marsh lands to poison the air with their
malarious exhalations-a point Of great
importance to the newcomer. These
river branches or creeks as they are
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