Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-06-15
CORRESPONDENCE.
HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENT
BERWICK. Ill. June 6. 1894.

will have some room for a few more notes
about the Sucker State, 1 will give you a
few lines. Beside being so prominently
good agriculturally, there is much of his
torical and industrial interest within a
radius of few miles.
Not far across the Illinois river, to the
south east of us, is jacksonville, which
has been called "The Athens of the West. )
In 1929 the Illinois college, the Oldest in
the state, was founded there.
The Sangamon is the largest tributary
of the Illinois, and on tributary OF the
former, near Lincoln, is large farm
owned by an English lord, who rents it
to tenants in the English style.
and the memorials kept there are well
worth visit, and his home is much as
he left it, and is open to visitors. The
capitol cost, S5, 100000 and contains inter-
esting museums. The dome stands 800
feet high. Watch making is the princi-
pal industry of the town. The factory,
with its out buildings, cover 16 acres;
eight hundred men are employed and
they turn out four hundred watches a
day. There are thirteen productive coal
shafts in the vicinity.
East of there, forty miles, is De-
catur, in the center of the coal fields, two
coal shafts being within the city limits.
II is noted as the birth place of the G.. A.
R. Post No. /. 1t was organized there
April 6, 1866. Among the industries,
two important ones are the manufacture
of check-rowers ian appliance for the
corn planters, by which the dropping is
regulated), and hog-ringer, and Decatur
supplies the world with them. This city,
which was named after Com. Stephen
Decatur, occupies the geographical CEN
ter of the State.
Following up stream to near its source,
we come, in the midst of the broom-corn
region, to Champaign, the site of the
State University.
Peoria, "the whiskey city," is particu-
arly noted for its corn market, its brew
cries and distileries. 1t pays Uncle Sam
more revenue on distilled spirits than
any other city in the United States. 1t
is situated near the foot of Peoria Lake,
which is some 20 miles by II to miles
in size. The city occupies the site of the
old French fort, Creme Ceur (broken
hearted), which was built by La Sale in
1880, as the pioneer of white settlements
in Illinois.
Following up the river to the big bend
we come to the town of Hennepin, which,
the ante-bellum days was station on the
under ground railroad. In the days be-
fore the advent of steam, it was an i'm
portant trading post, and was visited by
Webster, Van Buren, and other celebri-
ties. Just above the town the Hennepin
canal connects with the river
Near by is La Sale the terminus of the
Illinois & Michigan canal, and here we
find the largest zinc works in America.
The ore is shipped in by rail from Miss
ouri and Kentucky.
A mile below is the twin city of Peru,
settled mostly by Germans, while the
former city has mostly Irish.
Just across the river from the twin cit
les is the mouth of another tributary, the
Vermilion River, and near the latter are
Bailey's Falls, about forty feet high, and
Deer Park, made famous by Indian hun
tiers. There is only one passage to it,
the walls in other places being forty to
seventy-five feet high.
Not far across the Illinois river to the
north is Buffalo Rock, another locality
that owes it's fame to the old time Indian
hunters; there they decoyed the buffalo
onto pTomontory and then drove them
into the river where they were drowned.
There too are Lovers Leap and Starved
story of the latter is that the last remnant
of the Illinois Indian tribe was beaten
in battle on the prairie by the combin-
ed forces of Ottawas, Shawnees, Kicka-
poos and Miamis. They retired to this
bluff by the river where they thought
they would be able to defeat their assail-
ants. Here they were besieged for fifteen
days and finally persisted of starvation in
sight of abundant water $50 feet below,
and from their retreat they could witness
the destruction of their village and their
crops. THE haven which they sought
thus became their tomb and monument"
In 1862 La Sale built Fort st. Louis on
the summit of the rock. A company,
who own the rock and thirty-six acres of
adjoining land, are fitting it up for sum-
mer resort with hotel and cottages. From
a tower which surmounts the summit one
can get grand view. From this tower
floats an American flag, and an electric
car line will soon connect it with South
Ottawa. There is an abundaet supply
of artesian water there.
On the plain just north of the river OPP
posite Starved Rock was the big Indian
village of Kaskakia, which was first Wis
tied by Father Marquette in 1854, and
there he established the first Indian mis-
sion in the state, still continuing the In
dian name, and within three or four years
it was moved to the present site of Kas-
kaskia near Chester. Utica occupies the
site of the old Kaskaskia.
The first discovery of coal in America
was made at Ottawa by Father Hennepin
in 1893. He speaks of it in his diary and
locates mine along the bluff near the
union of Fox River with the Illinois.
Following up Fox River we find Elgin,
noted for its watches. The factory en-
ploys 5000 or 1000 persons, and turns out
400 or 500 watches day. There are also
cheese and milk condensing factories
which run special trains to Chicago.
The last place will mention is j oliet,
at which place the Illinois & Michigan
. canal crosses the Illinois river. Here is
one of the largest penitentiaries built for
time of peace. The largest wire mill in
the state and steel rail plant, producing
5000 tons of rails weekly, are. located here.
The Joliet quarries are noted for build
ing stone.
The canal is SO miles long, chartered in
1886, and cost $6,400,00O. The Indians
granted land from the river to the lake
in 1916 for the purpose of the canal.
In our travels up the Illinois River we
have met with the names of most of the
early French explorers.
Yours truly, G. E. BRECKENRIDGE.