The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-03-18
FOX RIVER VALLEY RAILROAD.
From Ottawa 20 Aurora.


From Ottawa to Aurora.
Nearly two weeks ago, very e.rly one morn.
ing, We secured scat in the morning passange.
train, on the road above alluded to, on voyage of
discovery, this being our first opportunity to ex.
plors the great rich section which lies 10 the
northeast Of Ottawa, and which. luntil the COM
pletion of this road, had been almost literally "a
terra incegnita :" to the people of this city.
Starting 1t 500 A. n. as We did, and the morn.
ing being also cloddy, it was not until we had
passed much Of the most beautiful and moro
romantic scenery Astounding along the Fox river
before we could distinctly see the varied lowell.
ness of rocky bluffs, gently slopng hill.sides,
deep ravines and messy glens, through the midst
Of which the railroad winds its course. After
leaving the level ground whereon Ottawa stands
the road runs on q winding way, along the west.
ern bank of the romantic Fox river, to Sheri.
dan. The dim light of dawn revealed the un.
certain outlines of a rocky, broken, irregular
wall, running in perpendicular lines upward so
feet or more from the waters edge. On the west
side the banks are sloping the road gradually
rising to the level of the prairie beyond, now
cutting through clay or rock, or riding over
trestle work, in one instance 60 feet above the
bottom of ravine, over which it is carried on
this kind of bridge. The scenery above Day.
ton either side of the road is extremely romantic
for several miles, especially near Indian creek
where there are little glens, steep, overhanging
rocks, stones piled up like the battlements Of
towers, great amphitheaters among the rocks, dug
out by irresistible floods, leaving great rocks
here and there rearing their ragged forms above
the level surrounding them; little caves in
miniature, and even the stream, winding its way
among tiny islands, bubblng out of little lodges
of rocks, dancing over petite cascades or ripping
down ounningly dwarfed rapids, all carved out
of the solid rocks if in imitation of the grand.
er triumphs Of nature along the st. Lawrence,
tho Hudson, or the great Mississippi. Along
here for miles, at almost any point between
Dayton and Sheridan. could be found delightful
places for pic mics, and to De il 70 b. appre.
ciated and ct once to be voted the most popular
pic mic grounds in the world, for people OF Otta.
va and Aurora. Passing Indian creek we cross
= strip ct timber opening and little prairie and
arrive at
SERENA,
The sauciest and newest town we found on the
road. Its fifteen or twenty buildings are all
bran new, and NEST Of them stand with III.
northwest or rear corner TO the railroad, in a
sort OF independent way, as if they didn't owe
the railroad = cent We felt that had We asked
Serena denizen about the railroad, he would
hav ayo1o IL.
is q road somewhere in my back yard! :" Serena
ha. a new store building, in which Dan Mason,
OF Mission, aud = man whose name we can't
write, At random, and which none Of our readers
could pronounce il it were, are partners in the
dry goods and general business. Abe Arm
strong owns the land and the houses. We believe,
except one OK two. He says be will make live
town there or spoil a quarter section of land
From this point the road runs hortheriy over a
fine prairie, and at distance of 1 miles we thun.
der over the bridge at
SHERIDAN,
TweLty.one miles from Ottawa. The Fox river
is crossed here IN bridge, over eleven hundred
feet long, trestle work included. Tho track is
placed the top of the braces, and AS no timbers
visible At the sides of the cars, lookn, down.
ward % feet upon the water below, ~ at the
rocky bank not higher than the track the pas.
leap from one side of the river t., the other
Sheridan ia on tho north and east side of the
river. II Ia town Of some age, has a church
several shops, stores, hotel, &c, and shows the
evidence OF new life since the railroad brought
it i'll connection with the outer world. Dashiny
on five miles further we reach
WELLINGTON,
An old town in the ne,ghborhood of Newark
This place is named after the excellent mills
and mill power at this point The town is in
the edge OF the timber on the river, and has q
really pretty place for town. The building Is
are generally old, and the town has a gone to.
seed air, which it il rapidly shaking off as the
railroad Is infusing new life and enterprise
in it. Four miles onward through the woods
and we run into the beautiful and Furnishing
city of
YORKvILLE,
The county seat of Kendall county This little
place has 800 or 600 people, and fine water power,
some good buildings. far better looking Court
House than that to which We point with 10
little pride at Ottawa. Yorkville is u fine place,
and has good prospects of being live and growing
town for great many years to come Three
miles more to the northeast and We find
oswEGO,
village much like Yorkville, but to our taste
in prettier location Here is another Court
House, the scene OF county seat war wears ago.
and now monument of the departed county
seat honoring its rival Yorkville 1t has
about the same number Of people as the latter,
and is pretty town. Two miles further on and
We ratified over the bridge at
MONTGOMERY,
A lively place at the present junction of the
Fox River and the G. B. & @. roads. This vii