southern points of the Grand Prairie are formed in Jackson county, and extend in a north-eastern course, varying in width from one to twelve miles, through Perry, Washington, Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Effingham, Coles, Champaign, and Iroquois counties, where it becomes connected with the prairies that project eastward from the Illinois River. A large arm lies in Marion county, between the waters of Crooked creek and the east fork of the Kaskaskia River, where the Vincennes road passes through. This part alone is frequently called the Grand Prairie.

For agricultural purposes, Illinois is unsurpassed by any state in the Union. In some of her river bottoms the rich soil is 25 feet deep. The great American bottom, lying on the Mississippi, 80 miles in length, is of exceeding fertility, and has been cultivated for 100 years without apparent deterioration. Illinois is the greatest corn producing state in the Union; its yield in 1860 was estimated at 100,000,000 of bushels, and the average yield per acre at over 50 bushels.

Illinois is rich in minerals. In the north-west part of the state vast beds of lead ore abound. Bituminous coal is found in almost every county, and may be often obtained without excavation. Iron ore is found in many localities, and copper, zinc, etc. There are salt springs in the southern part of the state from which salt is manufactured, and also medicinal springs in various places. Illinois is most favorably situated for internal commerce. By means of the great rivers on her borders, Lake Michigan at the north-east, and by her magnificent system of railroads, she has great facilities for communication in every direction. Population, in 1810, was 12,282; in 1830, 157,445; in 1850, 851,470; in 1860, 1,691,238.

CHICAGO, the most populous commercial city of the north-west, is on the western side of Lake Michigan, about 30 miles northward from its south end, at the mouth of Chicago River, on the margin of a prairie of several miles in width. It is 928 miles from New York, 278 from Detroit, 180 from Galena, 285 from St. Louis, 300 from Cincinnati, and 183 from Springfield. Population, in 1840, 4,853; in 1850, 29,963; and in 1860, 109,420.

The following sketch of the history of Chicago is given in a recent publication:

The first explorers of Lake Michigan, the first white men to pitch their tents on the Chicago prairie, and to haul up their boats upon its river banks and lake shore, were the French Jesuit missionaries and fur traders, under the guidance of Nicholas Perrot, who was also acting as the agent of the government in the west. This was in the latter part of the year 1669. At that time this territory was in the possession of the Miami tribe of Indians, but subsequently the Pottawatomies crowded back the Miamis, and became the sole possessors, until the year 1795, when they became parties to the treaty with Wayne, by which a tract of land six miles square at the mouth of the Chicago River, was ceded to the United States-the first extinction of Indian title to the land on which Chicago is built. For nearly a hundred years during the time of the French possession, and after its cession to the English, Chicago has little mention in history.

During this time it is only known from incidental circumstances, that in those dark days of French possession, there was a fort near the mouth of the river, that there were Indian villages near the Calumet and on the Des Plaines, that here were the roving grounds of the Pottawatomies, and that from the head waters of the Illinois to the Chicago River, was the common portage for the trade and transit of the goods and furs between the Indians and the traders, and that the shipping point was from the port at Chicago. The few white men who were there,

were there not for the purpose of making settlements, but simply to carry on a trade with the Indians, the gain from which must have been of no inconsiderable amount. They were men of limited education, and could not have been expected to have any accounts of their adventures. This state of things existed until the close of the general western Indian war, soon after the termination of the war of the revolution. During this war the intrigue of the English was constantly exciting the Indians to warfare, to such a degree that, after peace was declared between

Fort Dearborn is seen in the central part, on a slightly elevated point, on the south side of Chicago River, near the lake shore shown in front.

the old and the new country, a general war of the Indians against the United States broke out. This war continued until 1795, when, after having been severely punished by Gen. Wavne, the chiefs of the several tribes assembled, by his invitation, at Greenville, Ohio, and there effected a treaty of peace, thus closing the war of the west. In this treaty numerous small tracts of land were ceded by the Indians to the states, and among them was one described as "one piece of land six miles square, at the mouth of Chicajo (Chicago) River, emptying into the southwest end of Lake Michigan, where a fort formerly stood.'

This may be called the first "land sale," and which has been the precursor to a business which has entailed to its participants independence and wealth. But little time passed before the proprietors thought best to enter upon active possession, and in 1804 a fort was built upon the spot by government. This fort remained until the year 1816, when it was destroyed by the Indians, at the time of the massacre. This fort was called Fort Dearborn, a name which it retained during its existence. Its location was upon a slightly elevated point on the south side of the river, near the lake shore, and commanded a good view of the lake, the prairie extending to the south, the belt of timber along the south branch and the north branch, and the white sand hills to the north and south, which had for so many years been the sport of the lake winds. Up to the time of the erection of this fort, no white man had made here his home, the Pottawatomie Indians having undisputed sway. After the establishment of the garrison, there gathered here a few families of French Canadians and half-breeds, none of whom possessed more than ordinary intelligence.

The only link in the chain of civilization which admits of identity, existed in the Kinzie family, who came here to reside in 1804, the same year in which the fort was built. John Kinzie, then an Indian trader in the St. Joseph country, Michigan, in that year became the first permanent white resident of Chicago, and to him is due the honor of establishing many of the improvements which have made Chicago what it is. For nearly twenty years he was, with the exception of the military, the only white inhabitant of northern Illinois. During the years from 1804 to 1820, the lake trade was carried on by a small sail vessel, coming in in the

287 fall and spring, bringing the season's supply of goods and stores for the fort, and taking away the stock of furs and peltries which had accumulated. Mr. Kinzie pursued the business of fur trading until the breaking out of hostilities with the Indians, which resulted in the massacre of 1812. The friendly feelings which had been cultivated between himself and the Indians, preserved himself and family from the fate which befell his neighbors of the fort. Removing for a time, in 1816 he returned to Chicago, and reopened the trade with the Indians, residing there until the time of his death, in 1828.

It was a saying with the Indians that "the first white man who settled there was a negro," by which was meant Jean Baptiste Point-au-Sable, who, in 1796, built the first house in Chicago, which he afterward sold to Le Mai, who subsequently sold it to Mr. Kinzie. In 1812 there were but five houses outside of the fort, all of which, with the exception of that owned by Mr. Kinzie, were destroyed at the time of the massacre. In August, 1816, a treaty was concluded by commissioners appointed by the government, with the various Indian tribes, by which the country between Chicago and the waters of the Illinois River was ceded to the United States on the 4th of July.

In the same year, the troops again returned to their former locality, and a new fort was erected, under the direction of Capt. Hezekiah Bradley, then commander. It stood upon the same ground as the former one, and remained until the summer of 1856, when it was demolished to make room for the increasing amount of business. The reoccupancy of the fort by the troops continued until May, 1823, after which time it was occupied by the Indian agent, and used for the temporary accommodation of families of residents recently arrived. On the 10th of August, 1828, the fort was again occupied by a company of volunteers, and afterward by two companies of regular troops, under the command of Major Fowle and Captain Scott. These last remained until May, 1831, when the fort was given in charge of George W. Dole, as agent for the government.

On the breaking out of the Black Hawk war, in 1832, it was reoccupied by a detachment under Gen. Scott, until the removal of the Indians, in 1836, and, until near the time of its demolition, was held by the government for the occasional use of its army officers, engineers and agents connected with the public works. From 1816 to 1830, Chicago had gained the number of twelve or fifteen houses, with a population of less than one hundred. In 1818, the public square, where now stands the court house, was a pond, on whose banks the Indians had trapped the muskrat, and where the first settlers hunted ducks. This pond had an outlet in a "slough," as it was then called, which passed over the present site of the Tremont House, entering the river at the end of State-street. Along the shores of the river the wild onion was found in great abundance, to which the Indians gave the name Chi-ka-jo, and from which the city doubtless derived its name. In the autumn of 1829, the town of Chicago was laid out, which is the part now known on the maps as the "original town.'

The site of Chicago is low, being but about five feet above the lake, but sufficiently elevated to prevent inundation. "The general direction of the lake shore here, is north and south. The water, except at the mouth of the river, is shoal, and vessels missing the entrance ground, go to pieces in a storm, within 100 rods of the shore. The harbor of Chicago is the river, and nothing more. It is a short, deep, sluggish stream, creeping through the black, fat mud of the prairie, and in some places would hardly be thought worthy of a name; but it makes itself wonderfully useful here. Outside of its mouth a vessel has no protection, nor are there any piers or wharves. The mouth of the river has been docked and dredged out, to afford a more easy entrance; but, after you are once in, it narrows to a mere canal, from 50 to 75 yards in width. The general course of the river, for about three fourths of a mile, is at right angles with the lake shore, and this portion is what is known as the Chicago River. It here divides, or, more properly, two branches unite to form it, coming from opposite directions, and at nearly

right angles to the main stream. These are called, respectively, the 'North Branch and the South Branch,' and are each navigable for some four miles, giving, in the aggregate, a river front of some 15 or 16 miles, capable of being increased by canals and slips, some of which have already been constructed. Into the South Branch' comes the Illinois canal, extending from this point 100 miles to Lasalle, on the Illinois River, forming water communication between the lakes and the Mississippi. For the want of a map, take the letter H; call the upright column on the right hand the lake shore; let the cross-bar represent Chicago River, the left hand column will stand for the two branches, and you have a plan of the water lines of the city of Chicago, which will answer very well for all purposes of general description.

The view is from the north. The material is of blue lime stone, from Lockport, New York. On the left is the Mechanic's Institute Hall.

The three divisions thus formed are called, respectively, North Side,' 'South Side,'' West Side.' In this narrow, muddy river, lie the heart and strength of Chicago. Dry this up, and Chicago would dry up with it, mean and dirty as it looks. From the mouth of the St. Joseph River, in Michigan, round to Milwaukie, in the state of Wisconsin, a distance, by the lake shore, of more than 250 miles, Chicago is the only place where 20 vessels can be loaded or unloaded, or find shelter in a storm. A glance at the map, then, will show that it is the only accessible port-and hence the commercial center of a vast territory, measuring thousands of square miles of the richest agricultural country in the world. On this fact, and not on the present actual value, are really based those fabulous prices of corner lots and wharf improvements, which have sometimes provoked the sneers of the skeptic."

Chicago is regularly laid out with streets crossing at right angles, and is adorned with many magnificent buildings of brick and stone, public and

private, comparing well with any city in this country or any other. The shore of the lake and northern parts of the city, are occupied with the finest of residences. Some of the most remarkable public buildings are, the Court House, the Merchants Exchange, the Marine Hospital, the Medical College, the Second Presbyterian Church, etc. Burch's and Wadsworth's blocks, on Lake-street, are rows of iron front stores, that, in extent and beauty, have no equal in any business houses in any city of Europe.

A very elegant building material has recently been brought into use. It is found in great abundance about 20 miles from the city, on the line of the Illinois canal. "It is a compact lime-stone, of a pale yellow shade, somewhat lighter than the celebrated Caen stone of France, now so fashionable in New York. The grain is so fine that the fracture, or cut surface, resembles that of chalk in texture. It is durable, is easily wrought, and the color is peculiarly pleasing and grateful to the eye. There is another stone of similar texture, of the color of freshly fractured slate, or of the mark made on a slate by a pencil; but it is not so beautiful as the kind before mentioned. It soils readily, and has, at a short distance, the effect of a dirty white. There are also other architectural stones in considerable abundance and variety; but none of great beauty or importance have come under our observation. The Presbyterian Church on Wabash Avenue, is built of a blue, bituminous lime-stone, the pitchy matter of which has exuded and run down the sides, giving the building the appearance of having a partial coat of tar. The general impression it produces, is that of great antiquity; and if this idea could be preserved and harmonized by the early pointed gothic, and a good growth of ivy, the effect would be very fine.'

Until 1856, most of the streets of Chicago were planked, and the buildings then erected were generally without cellars. As a consequence, in the spring of the year, the ground asserted its original character of swamp. The planks actually floated, and as the heavy wagons passed along, the muddy water gushed out on every side. Since 1856, such a grade has been established, that when finished, will raise the entire city from two to five feet. "There is, with almost every block of buildings, a change of grade, sometimes of one foot, sometimes of three feet, sometimes of five. These ascents or descents are made by steps, or by short, steep, inclined planes of boards, with or without cleats or cross pieces, to prevent slipping, according to the fancy of the adjoining proprietor who erects them. The profile of a Chicago sidewalk would resemble the profile of the Erie canal, where the locks are most plenty. It is one continual succession of ups and downs. The reason of this diversity is, that it was found necessary, at an early period in the history of the place, to raise the grade of the streets. It was afterward found necessary to raise the grade still higher, and again still higher-as each building is erected, its foundation and the sidewalk adjoining have been made to correspond to the grade then last established, and so it will not happen until the city is entirely rebuilt, that the proper grade will be uniformly attained. In the mean time, the present state of things will repress undue curiosity in the streets, and keep fire-engines off the sidewalks, which is a great point gained."

The process of raising of the houses and stores, in Chicago, is one of great interest, literally, a method of digging a great city out of the mud. "Buildings of brick or stone, 150 feet by 200, and five stories high, are raised up several feet by a system of screws, without a crack or the displacement of a single thing. A hotel contracts to be lifted up. In a short time 2,000