The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-06-20
RESOURCES OF
THIS COUNTY
Written Of in interesting Manner
By Cairo Lady.
HAS THIRTEEN TOWNS
MRS, WIN. NJ. BUTLER WRITES
BITS OF HISTORY AND
TELLS OF CouNTYS
RESOURCES.

The following is a contribution TO
the Thebes Record from Mrs. WIN. N.
Butler:
Alexander county in the state Of
Illinois, was not named for the emil
nent statesman Alexander Hamilton,
as one might suppose. The honor
was bestowed upon man long sinca
forgotten, but who figured in the bus
iness and political affairs of this sec
tion OF the country when what is
known as Alexander county was d
part OF Union county together with
the present Pulaski county.
William NJ Alexander an agent OF
tho proprletors of the land company.
was a physician of considerable emf.
nence and representative Of the dis
trict in the legislature in 1890 from
Pope county. 68A
lie was one of the founders Of the
town of America, the second town
laid out within the present county,
but then known as Union county lllr
nois had just been received into the
union and the legislature set off AL
exander county under An act form
ing the detached part Of Union coun-
ty into a separate county approved
March /, 1919 The county thus
formed embraced greater portion OF
Pulaski county and contained then
500 inhabitants The first coloniSts
were the Athertons and the first com
missioners' meeting was called at
the house of Aaron Atherton. Alex
ander county Ii the most southern
point of the state OF Illinois. and is
bounded on the north by Union and
Pulaski counties. on the cast by Pu-
laski county, separated by Mill crelk
and Cache river, and Kentucky sepf
arated by the Ohio river on the south
by Missouri separated by the Missis-
sippi river The greatest length OF
the county is four townships. or twen-
ty-four miles the greatest width two
and three-fourths townships, or
eighteen or twenty miles.
More than onehalf of the surface
of the county is hilly and the north
east and northeastern part quite alb
lupt and rocky These hills are
continuation of spur OF the Ozark
mountains The soil is light loan
underlain with yellow clay, which
washes readily. The largest and most
fertile farms are in the northern sec
tions--the McClures, at Wheatland,
and the Milers, on Beaver Ridge be-
tween Olive Branch and Willard
land between Unity and Olive Branch
or Sandy Ridge being adaptable for
watermelon raising All the staple
products of the state are grown 10
Alexander county Horseshoe lake II
the largest lake within tle
county. II Is oblong, about
one mile wide, shallow, often dry and
iubiect to cultivation II surrounds
an island farm of about 10000 acres
The outlet Of the lake Il Lake creek
implying into Cache river. Its inlet
is Black creek, having It's source in
Black Cypress swamp. between Olive
Branch aud Goose Island.
The first land of the county entered
was between Santa Fe and Goose Is-
land. It was laid of at right angles
with the river before the county was
sectionized and is known as Spanish
Claim" The streams within the eouu-
y. which add so much 10 the bounty
II harvest and so much TO the desti-
'uiinu of the floods. are seven or eight
mall creeks having their sources in
;prings in the hills aud draining their
fertile sides-Cloar Sexton's. Coop
ar's Horse. Olive Branch and Rich
and slough are the largest The hills
md lowlands once covered with mer-
,hantabla timber. have been cleared
o that the forestry IS now rather
cant. hut trees ia large variety are
'ound oaks. Gins, ash. walnut,
1ickocy. beech. gum. cypress. syca-
more. blackberry, Wild cherry, locust.
,otton wood. willow. birch. cucumber.
hickory. beech. gum. cypress. syca-
lecan and on some small bills red CO
lar A vegetation Of smaller growth.
,awpaw. hazelnut. elbowhrush. wild
.rape. black and red haws. wild plum.
.edbud. dogvood. sumac and persim-
non. is abundant Much arabic but
,nulled land IS to be found covered
,ith underground due to the enforce
uent nf the stock law
Minerals in considerable variety
re found and aome quarriei in the
ounty We have SILICA mines near
fcClure and Elco. Gold and silver
ave been found in the rocks No
aeulte Is quarried from the hills
ear Elco. several Thousand carload
es year
idthographic stone from which
iecss sufficiently large enough TO be
sed in making life size Autographs.