The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-11-13
la Sale County.

La Sale County.
We. copy the following excellent article on
Ia Sale Cpn4ty from Lowe & Co.'S Real Es.
fa@ 1o'sSdt' d rev publication, Just issued in
this city:seI"@sas a. t.f -.,,.ss -
One Of the richest and most populous sec.
tions Of country in Illinois. and scarcely sur.
PISSED by any territory Of similar size in the
entire west, is La Sale county. Il is the acc.
ond in size, wealth and population in the state
and contains within itself more permanent re-.
sourses Tor future growth and prosperity than
can DE FOUND elsewhere in any one county. IL
mas an abundance OF wood and rich pasture
land, distributed in fair proportion to its M
equalled farming country Among its larger
streams are the Illinois, Fox and Vermillion
rivers, with their splendid waters, powers at
many points along their several routes. Besides
these are number of smaller streams such as
Mission, Indian, Covel and Kickapoo creeks.
streams OF no insignificant length, and often
OF formidable proportion. @l5 ,A.e
The rapids in the Illinois river at Marseilles
afford water power Of great extent and i'm
portance. A dam at this point has been erect.
ed, and channel of half to three-qnarters of
mile long, dug from its head which can
supply water for fifty manufactures of various
sorts, even at the lowest stage of water. AL.
though but two years since its completion,
three paper mills, an extensive cotton factory,
q wall paper staining mill, dately burned
down but to be speedily rebuit,) a large ma
chine shop and two good Touring mills have
t,een erected along this water course, and Mar.
settles has suddenly sprung from sleepy vii
lage of one or two hundred people, into
manufacturing city of no little Importance.
At Ottawa, where the Fox empties itself in
IN thA Il Ia.
dam Is to be placed across the latter river
The city has issued bonds to the amount of
sixty thousand dollars, as bonus to the work,
and q prominent capitalist Of Ottawa, Hon.
w. II. W. Cushman, has accepted the same
and entered into a contract to erect the dam
Immediately. This will afford water power of
enormous proportions and already arrange.
ments have been made by several large east
ern companies to erect manufactures on q
most extensive scale. Ottawa, the county seat,
is located in the center Of the county, mainly
in most delightful valley, surrounded by
lofty bluffs commanding views Of most pic
turesque and enchanting scenery, and is q city
noted for its enterprise and political impor-
lance. Here are the Supreme Court House
and its splendid library the center Of vast and
inexhaustible coal beds, stretching around il
in every direction. II will be the crossing
point Of half dozen railroads. two are now
firmly established, the Chicago l. Rock Island,
leading direct to the great Pacific Union, one
OF the greatest roads in the world, running
from Chicago to San Francisco.
This road is already graded and track laid
south TO Streator, town IN the famous Yer
million coal fields, also in La Sale county,
and nOrthward q considerable distance up the
Fox River Valley, and it is expected the cara
will be running in very short time, q dis
lance of thirty miles either side of Ottawa.
Besides these road is projected TO Belvidere
and nOrthward to the pine forests OF Wisc0n-
sin, from Ottawa This city has several large
manufacturing establishments, such as Glass
Works, relegraphic Instrument Mandatory,
several Planning Mills, four Foundries and
Machine Shops, large Plow and Sickle Works,
Starch Factory, number of FIGURING Mills
&c, &c. The rivers at this point are spanned
by excellent bridges, one, that over the Fox
river being free.
The Illinois and Michigan canal also passes
through this place, and sidc-cut from the
main canal to the heart of the city, is supplied
by feeder from Fox river. This gives ample
water power for dozen different purposes,
and ut the same time affords splendid priv.
leges to boat and warehouse men for shipping
grain. The city contains many elegant
churches, fine private and public buildings.
is supplied with pure water by Cations water
works, and by an artesisn we'll, and lighted
with gas, and contains n population Of from
$4,000 to $1,000.
Besides the above city, this county has
within its borders the cities of Peru, La Sale
and Mendoza, each having to 1000 people.
The two former are the terminus Of nxviga-
ton on the Illinois river, and at the western
end Of the Illinois and Michigan canal, which
is now being deepened. 80 as to afford ship
navigation from Lake Michigan through the
Illinois river to- the Mississippi. and La Sale
is the crossing of the Illinois Central Railroad.
The coal fields, the water power, the rich
prairie and timber lands, the pure water every
where, the richness of the soil, the conven-
fence of good and reliable markets on every
hand, and quick and easy and cheap trans
portation east, west, north and south, make
this county one OF the most desirable In the
west, a. place for any sort Of business.
The soil is deep black loan, as general
thing, with here and there little sandy and
clayey spot, so that almost any sort Of crop
may be grown here that is produced in any
latitude. This is but brief and hurried
outline of some of the great natu ral resources
OF this county Soon we hope to give our
venflapa facts aul Nr,ur.-a Al ,vSnPe