The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-02-26

Ou 1nole4 Creeks IN the nortn patS OF the
county, another horrible tragedy was enacted at
the commencement of the Indian war of 1882
On the Goth Of May Of that year. fifteen persons
belonging to the families Of Messrs. Hail. Daviess
and Pittigrev were barbarously aassacssd BY
the Indians. Two young ladies, Misses Hall.
were taken prisoners and afterwards returned.
and two young Lads made their escape. Tho
bodies Of men. women and children were shock.
ingly multilated, the houses of settlers burned,
their furniture destroyed and their cattle killed
all in daylight and within twenty miles of .
large force of militia. This was done by tho
Indians under the infamous Black Hawk A
portion of that band were exterminated during
that season by the combined forces of United
States troops and Illinois militia, and the re.
mainder dispersed over the plains west Of the
Mississippi.
Many other incidents might be related, but
our time and space will not permit.
The county is watered by the Illinois river
and its tributaries, the Big and Little vermil.
lion. Fox and Au Sable rivers; also by Mason,
Indian and Rock creeks. The streams run gen.
orally on a bed of sand or lime stone rock, and
have but little alluvial bottom lands which give
to the country an excellent drainage.
Prior to the location of Ottawa at this point,
and indeed prior to the admission of Illinois as
state, white men had their homes here and in
many localities around us,-tempted no doubt
by the fertility ct the SOIL and more probably by
the abundance of game that roamed the vast
prairies and found their homes in the forests.
Adventurous white men, scorning the ties of
civilization and of older settled portions of the
country, had here made their home, temporarily,
perhaps, still it was their home. Indeed, their
eyes toasted on a goodly prospect. Timber and
prairie, water, profuse heritage, plentiful game,
pleasant temperature These were attractions
that would tempt any one from the older settled
portions of the country. and should they tire Of
the broad, open aud unbrokeu prairies they could,
tisn to one more rugged and hilly, or to the
timbered portions that were at hand. Indeed,
the great diversity of country displayed in our
| state was an attraction to the new conner that no
other state could offer.
The population of the county in 1885 was 4754,
and the value of real estate was so small that the
valuation not given at all in the statistics of
that early cay. Now the county has the greatest
amount of wealth, and the largest population of
any county in the state, except Cook, the v.lu.
alton of real estate now reaching over tmenty
million dollars, and an increase of population in
proportion. We can point to that with feeling
Of pride. As we stop fos moment to reflect
eko
Think of it, reader Cities, villages, towns and
halnlets, cultivated fields and farms where a brief
half century ago and less nought existed but the
verdure of the prairies and wood lands and their
denizens, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. Does
| it not seem like the tales of Arabian Nights, or
the Authorization of mind diseased !!
| In connection with this sketch Of the county,
it seems necessary to dwell at more or less
| length on
IT'S RESOURCES.
You may ask, ''what kind of country is it ?"
That question is not hard to answer It is
beautiful country, adapted to all the require.
ments of agriculture and manufactures. The
richness of the soil is notorious. All the cereals
are produced, such wheat oats, corn, rye bar.
ley, and in fact, all the products tina: are indi-
ginous to this latitude, and there is not csun.
try on the broad face of the earth so we'll adapt.
ed to all the wants of its inhabitants Aside
from its grain producing capacity, the stock in.
terest is by no means inconsiderable, as large
number of hogs and cattle annually find mar.
ket in the east, from this county.
We have gone beyond the space intended for
this part of our work, and will now turn our at.
tention to that gem of La Sale county,
OTTAWA.
The first growth of the town commenced on
the south side Of the river But on surveying
and locating the canal on the north side, the town
soon commenced its career there. The original
| plat run as far north as the north side of the
Court House Square. In the year 1892 the
state, owning q section of the land where
the principal part of the town stands, laid it
off into town lots, and it became known as the
States addition to Ottawa.
Many are still among US who we'll remember
the early history of the town, and it is very in.
teresting, indeed, to listen to their accounts of
early experience and observations of this fair re-
gon which has so recently been reclaimed to
civilization, and converted from the camping
ground of the savage to a beautiful city of over
ten thousand inhabitants. Here, where were
fought the fierce battles of the red man, and
decisive victories were won by the tomahawk and
scalpng knife and where, beneath many an old