The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-18
RAISED IN THE VALLEY.
MARSEILLES AND HER
ADVANTAGES AS A
MFG CENTER.
The Finest Water Power on the
illinois River. The Mar
settles Mfg. Co.-Coal and
Clay Interestsand Sol
i'll Business
Houses.


been sung by press aud public for half a
century, surrounded by bluffs of rare beau
~, with the Illinois river sweeping noise'
lsssly at her feet the pretty little town OF
Marseilles lays claim to beauty, health and
advantages far In advance of many towns OF
twice or threefold her size. Born In this
picturesque and delightful situation, she Is
within only q few moments journey from
Ottawa, and 9 little over two hours distant
from tho great city Of Chicago, being sepa
rated from the former by seven miles Of
fertile farming lands, the greater portion Of
whose products come to her doors, and con
nected with the latter by seventy five miles
of river, canal and railroad track. II WAS
in 1886 that the nucleus Of the now thriving
village was attracted to it's site, through the
building of the Illinois & Michigan canal,
"A few temporary board shanties, and the
evolution to brick stores and substantial
and handsome residences has been steady
and unfailing in its onward march. AT FIRST
half mile above where now stands the
postoffice, the village was considered quite a
town, but years soon changed the general
aspect Of things, and live men and. active
measures placed manufactures whore the
croak of the bull.frog had sounded in the
marsh below the canal, and spanned the
brilliant Illinois with handsome and sub
stsntial structure, where the ferry boat had
been wont to ply.
But it was left to other hands TO develop
the magnificent resources lying within her
grasp, and in 1910 stock company with
Lowell Kimball, Hon. Gordon 8. Hubbard,
Hon. James Woodwork, later mayor Of
Chicago and NJ. G., with other men of brains
and solid financial standing, was organized
to develop and utilize the grand water
power which they recognized as destined to
be the lever to move manufacturing enter
prises in the direction of the - shoestring
town." The capital stock was limited to
100000, and in tie spring Of 40 work
was commenced npon the great dam across
the river, and among other important indus
tries magnificent grist mill, the largest in
the west at that date was soon in operation
Things went along swimmingly for couple
Of years, and Marseilles and her enterprise
were the talk of the surrounding territory
But Gil silver lined clouds have other than
brilliant faces, for in 1912 the great grist
mill burned to the ground, and in its ashes
seemed to lie the broken hopes Of Marseilles
and her enterprise, while the gloom was
rendered even more impenetrable by the
sweeping away Of the great dam. It was a
calamity Of great magnitude in the affairs Of
the village, and many years elapsed before
she again attempted to utilize her immense
water power But things we're not destined
to lie in dormant state forever, and bust
ness received new impetus in the summer
Of 1867 when her hardy sons had returned
from the strife and boom of battle the Land
Il Water Power Co was organized and the
present dam, $50 feet long between the
heavy bulkheads and 81 feet high, was
placed in position, having the effect Of set
ting the water back about twenty miles, and
giving power steady and as even rs could
he desired--in fact, the best in the state
When the dam was completed large basin,
several hundred feet in diameter, was dug
out, and from II power race, about thirty
feet wide and nearly half n mile in length
was dug to depth of fifteen feet, giving
power practically unlimited
Among her fuel aud raw mat rial produc-
tons arc an abundance OF coal, clay and
wood, easy of access and first elias in quail
ity. Her coal underlies the entire town
aud surrounding territory, although it has
not been tapped in any other location than
the present mine, above the old town, where
the shaft of Watkins & Lowe raises large
quantity every year West of the village
are immense clay fields, extending to the
Iva IiNCI Ut OtIhWhi anu Tue mines u nhlI
mile west of the limits turn out an excellent
quality of brick and tile clay, which is
found underneath the coal in stratum six
feet in thickness. An excellent quality of
building stone is found in paying quantity,
while lumber, lying dormant in the forest
state, lines the great bluffs for miles.
Coupled with her natural advantages,
Marseilles is one of the most desirable res.
idence places in the whole Illinois Valley.
Within its bounds peace and quiet reign
supreme. No unseem!y brawls, no drunken
and blear.eyed blackguards infest her street
corners, and when it is stated that the soil
tary policeman has nearly nothing to engage
his attention, except to watch peddlers the
subject Of peace is exhausted. Hsr streets
are lined with waving trees, under whose
shade the summers blighting heat loses its
vocation, and elegant residences in lovely
grounds are rather the rule than the excep-
ton. Her principal residence streets. Bluff
and Clark, and the elegant bluffs above, can.
not be duplicated outside Of the valley, for