It is our intention to collect under this general head a few
miscellaneous descriptions, that could not have been properly placed
under any other division. The space that we can devote to this subject
is small, and it is impossible to enter into much detail. Among the
most admired and interesting natural curiosities of our country, are
the Pictured Rocks, of lake Superior, which have been described by an
intelligent traveller to whose observation we have been already largely
indebted.
‘The _Pictured Rocks_,’ says Mr. Schoolcraft, ‘are a series of lofty
bluffs, which continue for twelve miles along the shore, and present
some of the most sublime and commanding views in nature. We had been
told, by our Canadian guide, of the variety in the color and form of
these rocks, but were wholly unprepared to encounter the surprising
groups of overhanging precipices, towering walls, caverns, waterfalls,
and prostrate ruins, which are here mingled in the most wonderful
disorder, and burst upon the view in ever-varying and pleasing
succession. In order to convey any just idea of their magnificence,
it is necessary to premise, that this part of the shore consists
of a sandstone rock of a light gray color internally, and deposited
stratum super-stratum to the height of three hundred feet, rising in
a perpendicular wall from the water and extending from four to five
leagues in length.
Illustration: Pictured Rocks.
‘This rock is made up of coarse grains of sand, united by a
calcareous cement, and occasionally imbedding pebbles of quartz and
other water-worn fragments of rocks, but adhering with a feeble force,
and, where exposed to the weather, easily crushed between the fingers.
Externally, it presents a great variety of color, as black, red,
yellow, brown, and white, particularly along the most permanent parts
of the shore; but where masses have newly fallen, its color is a light
gray. This stupendous wall of rock, exposed to the fury of the waves,
which are driven up by every north wind across the whole width of lake
Superior, has been partially prostrated at several points, and worn out
into numerous bays and irregular indentations. All these front upon the
lake, in a line of aspiring promontories, which, at a distance, present
the terrible array of dilapidated battlements and desolate towers.
‘Among many striking features, two attracted particular
admiration,――the Cascade La Portaille, and the Doric Arch. The
cascade is situated about four miles beyond the commencement of the
range of bluffs, and in the centre of the most commanding part of it.
It consists of a handsome stream, which is precipitated about seventy
feet from the bluff into the lake at one leap. Its form is that of a
rainbow, rising from the lake, to the top of the precipice. We passed
near the point of its fall upon the surface of the lake, and could
have gone, unwetted, between it and the rocks, as it is thrown a
considerable distance into the lake.
‘The Doric Rock is an isolated mass of sandstone, consisting of
four natural pillars, supporting a stratum or entablature of the same
material, and presenting the appearance of a work of art. On the top
of this entablature rests a stratum of alluvial soil, covered with a
handsome growth of pine and spruce trees, some of which appear to be
fifty or sixty feet in height. To add to the factitious appearance of
the scene, that part of the entablature included between the pillars
is excavated in the form of a common arch, giving it very much the
appearance of a vaulted passage into the court yard of some massy pile
of antiquated buildings. A little to the west of this rock, the Miner’s
river enters the lake by a winding channel, overshadowed with trees,
and intersected by a succession of small rapids.’
_Mineralized Tree._――About half a mile from the village of Chitteningo,
in New York, a fossil or mineralized tree was some years ago discovered.
It lies at the base of the Conasewago mountains, within a few yards
of a branch of the Erie canal, which runs up to the village. The tree
appears to have been blown down or broken off; there are eight or
ten feet of stump remaining, with some part of the large end near the
root; the stump is about three feet in diameter, the bark, the fibrous
texture of the wood and two or three knots are very obvious; there is a
substance very much resembling veins disseminated through what seems to
have once been the sap vessels of the tree. The lower part of the root
is imbedded in the soil, where it probably once grew. Vast quantities
of mineralized wood, both in small and large masses, are scattered in
all directions around this stump; fragments which from their loose and
porous texture, seem to have been petrified, after the wood began to
decay. Indeed so numerous are these fragments, that almost every stone
in this vicinity appears to have been once a living plant.[58]
_The Devil’s Diving Hole._――About four miles below the falls of Niagara,
on the American side, is a very curious place called the Devil’s Diving
Hole, which is nearly one hundred feet deep; the edge of it is so very
near the road that they have taken the precaution to cut down some
trees, so as to form a kind of barricado, in order to prevent cattle or
strangers from falling into it. This hole, as it is called, is, more
properly speaking, the narrow extremity of a considerable ravine, which
has, at some remote period, been formed in the rock; it shelves off as
it descends towards the river, and is in length about two hundred yards
from the road to the river. The top is so overgrown with bushes that
a hasty view would induce many to suppose it to be really a hole; but
a closer examination soon leads their eye along the windings of its
courses, and discovers a very considerable breadth at no great distance.
A hemlock tree, firmly rooted at the bottom, stretches its top almost
to the surface, and is so conveniently fitted to the hole or opening,
that you have only to descend five or six feet, when its branches
afford you a safe and easy step-ladder quite to the bottom, where you
will find a copious spring of excellent water.
An occurrence is traditionally described as having taken place at
this spot during the French war, the circumstances of which were as
follows:――A British detachment, being pursued by a superior French
force, were so hemmed in that their retreat to the road was cut off,
and their escape effectually prevented by this ravine. Seeing their
situation irretrievable, they laid down their arms, and surrendered
themselves prisoners of war. Notwithstanding this surrender, the French
rushed upon them with charged bayonets and precipitated the whole party
down this precipice. Here they perished with the exception of a single
soldier, who was preserved by falling on some of his comrades.
_Natural Bridge._――This wonderful bridge is considered by many the
greatest natural curiosity in this country. It has never been described
so well as by Mr. Jefferson, and though his account of it has been so
frequently reprinted, we have thought best to adopt it.
‘The Natural Bridge, the most sublime of nature’s works, is on the
ascent of a hill, which seems to have been cloven through its length
by some great convulsion. The fissure just at the bridge is by some
admeasurements two hundred and seventy feet deep, by others only two
hundred and five. It is about forty-five feet wide at the bottom, and
ninety feet at the top: this of course determines the length of the
bridge and its height from the water. Its breadth in the middle is
about sixty feet, but more at the ends, and the thickness of the mass
at the summit of the arch, about forty feet. A part of this thickness
is constituted by a coat of earth, which gives growth to many large
trees. The residue, with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of
limestone.
‘The arch approaches the semi-elliptical form, but the larger axis
of the ellipsis, which would be the chord of the arch, is many times
longer than the transverse. Though the sides of this bridge are
provided, in some parts, with a parapet of fixed rocks, yet few men
have resolution to walk to them and look over into the abyss. You
involuntarily fall on your hands and feet, creep to the parapet, and
peep over it. Looking down from this height about a minute, gave me a
violent headache.
‘If the view from the top be painful and intolerable, that from below
is delightful in an equal extreme. It is impossible for the emotions
arising out of the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here, so
beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing, as it were,
up to heaven, the rapture of the spectator is really indescribable!
‘The fissure continuing narrow, deep, and straight for a considerable
distance above and below the bridge, opens a short but very pleasing
view of the North mountain on one side, and the Blue ridge on the other,
at the distance each of them of about five miles. This bridge is in the
county of Rockbridge, to which it has given name, and affords a public
and commodious passage over a valley, which cannot be crossed elsewhere
for a considerable distance. The stream passing under it is called
Cedar creek. It is a water of James river, and sufficient in the driest
seasons to turn a grist-mill, though its fountain is not more than two
miles above.’
The description which follows is from another writer. ‘As we stood
under this beautiful arch, we saw the place where visitors have often
taken the pains to engrave their names upon the rock. Here Washington
climbed up twenty-five feet and carved his own name, where it still
remains. Some wishing to immortalize their names have engraved them
deep and large, while others have tried to climb up and insert them
high in this book of fame.
‘A few years since, a young man, being ambitious to place his name
above all others, came very near losing his life in the attempt. After
much fatigue, he climbed up as high as possible, but found that the
person who had before occupied his place was taller than himself,
and consequently had placed his name above his reach. But he was
not thus to be discouraged. He opened a large jacknife, and in the
soft limestone began to cut places for his hands and feet. With much
patience and industry he worked his way upwards, and succeeded in
carving his name higher than the most ambitious had done before him.
‘He could now triumph; but his triumph was short, for he was placed in
such a situation that it was impossible to descend unless he fell upon
the ragged rocks beneath him. There was no house near, from which his
companions could get assistance. He could not remain in that condition,
and, what was worse, his friends were too much frightened to do any
thing for his relief. They looked upon him as already dead, expecting
every moment to see him precipitated upon the rocks below and dashed to
pieces. Not so with himself. He determined to ascend. Accordingly he
plied himself with his knife, cutting places for his hands and feet,
and gradually ascended with incredible labor. He exerted every muscle.
His life was at stake, and all the terrors of death rose before him. He
dared not look downwards lest his head should become dizzy, and perhaps
on this circumstance his life depended.
‘His companions stood at the top of the rock exhorting and encouraging
him. His strength was almost exhausted; but a bare possibility of
saving his life still remained, and hope, the last friend of the
distressed, had not yet forsaken him. His course upwards was rather
oblique, than perpendicular. His most critical moment had now arrived.
He had ascended considerably more than two hundred feet, and had still
further to rise, when he felt himself fast growing weak. He now made
his last effort and succeeded. He had cut his way not far from two
hundred and fifty feet from the water, in a course almost perpendicular;
and in a little less than two hours, his anxious companions reached him
a pole from the top, and drew him up. They received him with shouts of
joy; but he himself was completely exhausted. He immediately fainted
away on reaching the spot, and it was some time before he could be
recovered.
‘It was interesting to see the path up these awful rocks, and to follow
in imagination this bold youth as he thus saved his life. His name
stands far above all the rest, a monument of hardihood, of rashness,
and of folly.’
_Natural Stone Walls._――On the Missouri, at the distance of about one
hundred miles from the Great Falls, are the natural stone walls which
have thus been described by Lewis and Clarke:
‘We came to a high wall of black rock rising from the water’s edge
on the south, above the cliffs of the river: this continued about a
quarter of a mile, and was succeeded by a high open plain, till three
miles further a second wall, two hundred feet high, rose on the same
side. Three miles farther, another wall of the same kind, about two
hundred feet high and twelve thick, appeared to the north. These hills
and river cliffs exhibit a most extraordinary and romantic appearance.
They rise in most places nearly perpendicularly from the water to the
height of between two and three hundred feet, and are formed of very
white sandstone, so soft as to yield readily to the impression of the
water, in the upper part of which lie imbedded two or three horizontal
strata of white freestone insensible to the rain, and on the top is a
dark rich loam, which forms a gradually ascending plain, from a mile to
a mile and a half in extent, when the hills again rise abruptly to the
height of about three hundred feet more.
‘In trickling down the cliffs, the water has worn the soft sandstone
into a thousand grotesque figures, among which, with a little fancy,
may be discerned elegant ranges of freestone buildings, with columns
variously sculptured, and supporting long and elegant galleries, while
the parapets are adorned with statuary. On a nearer approach, they
represent every form of elegant ruins; columns, some with pedestals
and capitals entire, others mutilated and prostrate; and some rising
pyramidically over each other till they terminate in a sharp point.
These are varied by niches, alcoves, and the customary appearances
of desolated magnificence. The illusion is increased by the number of
martins that have built their globular nests in the niches, and hover
over these columns; as in our country they are accustomed to frequent
large stone structures.
‘As we advance, there seems no end to the visionary enchantment that
surrounds us. In the midst of this fantastic scenery are vast ranges of
walls, which seem the productions of art, so regular is the workmanship.
They rise perpendicularly from the river, sometimes to the height of
one hundred feet, varying in thickness from one to twelve feet, being
equally broad at the top as below. The stones of which they are formed,
are black, thick, and durable, and composed of a large portion of
earth, intermixed and cemented with a small quantity of sand, and a
considerable proportion of talc or quartz.
‘These stones are almost invariably regular parallelopipeds of unequal
sizes in the wall, but equally deep, and laid regularly in ranges over
each other like bricks, each breaking and covering the interstice of
the two on which it rests. But though the perpendicular interstice is
destroyed, the horizontal one extends entirely through the work. The
stones, too, are proportioned to the thickness of the wall in which
they are employed, being largest in the thickest walls. The thinner
walls are composed of a single depth of the parallelopiped, while
the thicker ones consist of two or more depths. These walls pass the
river at several places, rising from the water’s edge much above the
sandstone bluffs, which they seem to penetrate; thence they cross in
a straight line, on either side of the river, the plains over which
they tower to the height of from ten to seventy feet, until they lose
themselves in the second range of hills. Sometimes they run parallel in
several ranges near each other; sometimes intersect each other at right
angles, and have the appearance of walls of ancient houses or gardens.’
PART II.
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER I.――POLITICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS.
UNITED STATES. The territory of the United States extends from
twenty-five to fifty-four degrees north latitude, and from sixty-six
degrees forty-nine minutes to one hundred and twenty-five degrees west
longitude; comprising one million eight hundred and thirty-two thousand
three hundred and fifteen square miles. It is bounded north by Russia
and British America; east by the Atlantic and British America; south
by the Atlantic, the gulf and territory of Mexico, and west by Mexico,
Texas, and the Pacific ocean. This extent of country is divided into
twenty-six states, six territories, and the district of Columbia.
The states are familiarly classed under the Eastern or New England,
the Middle, the Southern, and the Western states. The first division
comprehends Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and Connecticut; the second, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware and Maryland; the third, Virginia, North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana; the fourth, Tennessee,
Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas and Missouri.
The territories are Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana,
and Oregon. There are no territorial governments in the Missouri and
Oregon territories. The whole extent of inhabited country includes more
than eight hundred thousand square miles; and the whole population is
seventeen million sixty-eight thousand one hundred and twelve.
I. NEW ENGLAND STATES.
_Maine._――This state is bounded north and north-west by Lower Canada;
east by New Brunswick; west by New Hampshire, and south by the Atlantic
ocean. The north-eastern boundary is yet in dispute. Maine is divided
into 18 counties.[59] The towns are about four hundred in number;
Augusta is the capital. The other principal towns are Portland,
Brunswick, Bath, Wiscasset, Bangor, Castine, Hallowell, York, Saco,
Kennebunk, Eastport, Machias, Belfast, Gardiner, and Waterville.
The chief rivers are the Saco, Penobscot, Androscoggin, Kennebec,
Walloostook and Allagash, head streams of the St. John, and the
St. Croix. Among the mountains are Bald, Ebeeme, Spencer and Katahdin.
The lakes are Moosehead, Umbagog, Chesuncook, and Sebago. Mount Desert
is the largest of the islands with which the coast is strewn. The bays
are Portland, Passamaquoddy, Casco and Penobscot. Population, five
hundred and one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.
_New Hampshire_ is situated between forty-two degrees forty-one
minutes and forty-five degrees eleven minutes north latitude, and
between seventy degrees forty minutes, and seventy-two degrees
twenty-three minutes west longitude. It is bounded on the north by
Lower Canada; south by Massachusetts; east by Maine and the Atlantic
ocean, and west by Connecticut river, which separates it from Vermont.
Its extreme length from north to south, is one hundred and sixty-eight
miles; and its greatest breadth from east to west, ninety miles;
containing an area of nine thousand four hundred and ninety-one miles.
This state is divided into ten counties. Portsmouth is the largest town,
but Concord is the seat of government. The number of towns in the state
is two hundred and 33, and besides those mentioned the principal are
Dover, Exeter, Amherst, Hanover and Haverhill. The chief rivers are the
Connecticut, Merrimac, and Piscataqua; the mountains are the Monadnock,
Sunapee, Kearsarge, Carr’s, and Moosehillock. The White mountains
are the most elevated in this state, and the highest east of the
Mississippi. The lakes are Winnipiseogee, Squam, Ossipee, Newfound,
Spafford’s, and Connecticut; Umbagog lies partly in this state, and
partly in Maine. The population by the last census was two hundred
eighty-four thousand five hundred and seventy-four.
_Vermont_ is bounded on the west by lake Champlain and New York; south
by Massachusetts; east by the Connecticut river, and north by Lower
Canada. It is situated between forty-two degrees forty-four minutes,
and forty-five degrees north latitude; and between seventy-one degrees
thirty-three minutes, and seventy-three degrees twenty-six minutes
west longitude. It is one hundred and fifty-seven miles in length;
its breadth is ninety miles on the north line, and forty on the south.
It is divided into thirteen counties, and two hundred and forty-five
towns. None of the towns are very large. Montpelier is the seat
of government. Among the chief towns are Middlebury, Bennington,
Montpelier, Brattleboro’, Burlington, and Windsor. The rivers, all of
which are small, are Lamoille, Onion, Otter, White, and Missisque;
the west bank of the Connecticut forms the eastern boundary of the
state. The mountains are Ascutney, Killington’s Peak, Camel’s Rump, and
Mansfield, peaks of the Green mountains. The population in 1840 was two
hundred and ninety-one thousand nine hundred and forty-eight.
_Massachusetts_ is bounded east by the Atlantic; west by New York;
north by Vermont and New Hampshire, and south by Connecticut, Rhode
Island and the Atlantic. It lies between forty-one degrees fifteen
minutes and forty-two degrees fifty-four minutes north latitude; and
between sixty-nine degrees fifty-four minutes and seventy-three degrees
thirty minutes west longitude. It is one hundred and eighty miles long
from east to west; and ninety-six miles broad from north to south. Its
area includes seven thousand and eight hundred square miles. The rivers
are Connecticut, Merrimac, Charles, Concord, Blackstone, Miller’s,
Chickopee, Deerfield, Westfield and Housatonic. The mountains are
Saddle mountain, Tagkannuc, Holyoke, Tom and Wachuset. This state
is divided into fourteen counties and three hundred and seven towns.
Boston is the capital. Salem and New Bedford are next in size and
importance; Lowell, Taunton, Springfield, and Waltham are extensively
engaged in manufactures; Nantucket, Newburyport, Plymouth and
Marblehead are fishing and commercial ports. Worcester, Northampton,
and Pittsfield are pleasant inland towns. The population in 1840 was
seven hundred and thirty-seven thousand six hundred and ninety-nine.
_Connecticut_ is bounded north by Massachusetts; east by Rhode Island;
south by Long Island sound, and west by New York. It lies between
forty-one degrees and forty-two degrees two minutes north latitude; and
between seventy-one degrees twenty minutes and seventy-three degrees
fifteen minutes west longitude. Its length is eighty-eight miles, and
its average breadth about fifty-three; its area is four thousand eight
hundred and twenty-eight miles. It is divided into eight counties.
Hartford, New Haven, Middletown, New London, Norwich and Bridgeport are
incorporated cities; Danbury, Guilford, Killingworth, Newtown, Stamford,
Stonington and Waterbury are boroughs. Hartford and New Haven are the
seats of the state government; and the legislature holds its sessions
alternately at the two places. The principal rivers are the Connecticut,
Housatonic, Thames, Farmington and Naugatuck. The greatest elevations
are a continuation of the Green mountains. The population of this state
is three hundred and ten thousand and fifteen.
_Rhode Island_ is bounded west by Connecticut; south by the Atlantic
ocean; north and east by Massachusetts. It lies between forty-one
and forty-two degrees north latitude; and between seventy-one degrees
eight minutes and seventy-one degrees fifty-two minutes west longitude.
The average length of the state from north to south is about forty-two
miles; its mean breadth about twenty-nine miles; its whole area,
including Narraganset bay, comprises one thousand one hundred and
twenty-five miles. It contains five counties, and thirty-one towns.
Providence is the capital, and in population and wealth the second
town in New England. Newport, Bristol, Pawtucket and Warwick are the
other chief towns. Pawtucket is the only river of any importance; the
Pawtuxet is also the seat of a number of manufactories. The islands are
Rhode Island, Conanicut, Prudence and Block. Narraganset bay extends
more than thirty miles into the state. The population is one hundred
and eight thousand eight hundred and thirty.
II. MIDDLE STATES.
_New York_ is bounded east by Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut;
north by lake Ontario and the river St. Lawrence; west by Pennsylvania,
lake Erie and Niagara river; south by New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Its length is three hundred and forty, its breadth three hundred and
four miles; and, including Long island, it contains forty-six thousand
and eighty-five square miles. It is comprised between forty degrees
thirty minutes and forty-five degrees north latitude; and between
seventy-three degrees and seventy-nine degrees fifty-five minutes west
longitude. It is divided into eight districts, which are subdivided
into fifty-six counties. There are seven hundred and sixty-two towns
and cities. The population is 2,428,921. New York city is the largest
in the western world; Albany is the seat of government, and the second
city in the state. Brooklyn, Troy, Hudson, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh,
Catskill, Plattsburgh, Rochester and Buffalo are all important towns.
The mountains are the Peruvian, Catskill and Shawangunk. The Hudson,
Mohawk, Gennessee, Black, Oswegatchie and Susquehannah are the chief
rivers. The lakes are Ontario, Champlain, George, Oneida, Skeneateles,
Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Crooked, Canandaigua, and Chatauque. The
islands are Long, Shelter, Grand and Manhattan. The bay of New York is
the only large harbor; there are several harbors on lake Ontario.
_New Jersey_ is bounded north by New York and the Atlantic; south by
the Atlantic; west by Delaware and Pennsylvania. Its length is one
hundred and sixty-three, its breadth fifty-two miles; its area in
square miles is seven thousand four hundred and ninety. It lies between
thirty-eight degrees seventeen minutes and forty-one degrees twenty-one
minutes north latitude; and seventy-five degrees thirty minutes and
seventy-three degrees fifty-three minutes west longitude. The state
is divided into fourteen counties. Trenton is the seat of government.
The other principal towns are Newark, Paterson, Hackensack, Morristown,
Newton, Perth Amboy, Belvidere and Elizabethtown. The chief rivers
are Second, Hackensack, Passaic and Raritan. Raritan bay is a spacious
estuary, on the eastern coast, affording ready access at all seasons to
Perth Amboy, the chief seaport town of the state. The population of New
Jersey is three hundred and seventy-three thousand three hundred and
six.
_Pennsylvania_ is bounded on the north by New York, and the north-west
by lake Erie; on the east by the river Delaware which divides it from
New York and New Jersey; on the south by Virginia, Maryland and a small
portion of Delaware; on the west by Virginia and Ohio. It lies between
thirty-nine degrees forty-three minutes and forty-two degrees north
latitude; and between seventy-four degrees and eighty degrees forty
minutes west longitude. It is divided into the eastern and the western
districts; containing fifty-two counties, and six hundred and fifty-one
townships. The population of the state is one million seven hundred
and twenty-four thousand and thirty-three. Harrisburg is the seat of
government. Philadelphia is the chief city, and the second in the union.
Pittsburg, Reading, Lancaster, Easton and Bethlehem are large towns.
The rivers of this state are the Delaware, Susquehanna, Tioga and
Monongahela. The mountains are the South, Kittatiny, Sideling, Ragged,
Great Warrior, East Wills, Alleghany, Laurel and Chesnut ridges.
_Delaware_ is bounded south and west by Maryland; east by the ocean
and Delaware river and bay, and north by Pennsylvania. Its greatest
width is twenty-three miles, and its length ninety-two miles; it is
the smallest state in the union with the exception of Rhode Island.
It is comprised within thirty-eight degrees twenty-nine minutes and
thirty-nine degrees forty-seven minutes north latitude; and within
seventy-four degrees fifty-six minutes and seventy-five degrees forty
minutes west longitude. Delaware is divided into three counties, which
are subdivided into twenty-four hundreds. Dover is the capital; the
other principal towns are Wilmington and Newcastle. Brandywine and
Christiana creeks are the only streams; Delaware bay forms a large part
of the eastern boundary. The population is seventy-eight thousand and
eighty-five.
_Maryland_ is bounded south and west by Virginia; east by Delaware and
the ocean; north by Pennsylvania. It is divided into nineteen counties.
Annapolis is the seat of government. Baltimore is the third commercial
city in the union; the other important towns are Fredericktown and
Hagerstown. The rivers are the Potomac, Susquehanna, Patapsco, Severn
and Patuxent. The northern half of Chesapeak bay is comprised in this
state, including many small islands. Maryland lies between thirty-eight
degrees and thirty-nine degrees forty-four minutes north latitude;
and between seventy-five degrees ten minutes and seventy-nine degrees
twenty minutes west longitude. It contains thirteen thousand nine
hundred and fifty square miles. Its population is four hundred and
sixty-nine thousand two hundred and thirty-two.
III. SOUTHERN STATES.
_Virginia_ is bounded south by North Carolina and Tennessee; north
by Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland; east by Maryland and the Atlantic;
and west by Ohio and Kentucky. It lies between thirty-six degrees
forty minutes and forty degrees forty-three minutes north latitude; and
seventy-five degrees twenty-five minutes and eighty-three degrees forty
minutes west longitude. Its mean length from east to west is three
hundred and fifty-five miles; its mean breadth from north to south
is one hundred and eighty-five miles. It is divided into one hundred
and sixteen counties, fifty of which are situated on the west, and
sixty-six on the east of the Blue ridge. Richmond is the capital.
The other principal towns are Norfolk, Petersburg, Fredericksburg,
Lynchburg, Wheeling, Winchester, Shepardstown, Staunton, Martensburg,
Lexington, Fincastle, Williamsburg and Charlottesville. The chief
rivers are the Potomac, Shenandoah, Rappahanock, York and James; these
empty into the Chesapeak bay, and other streams intersect different
portions of the country. The mountains are ranges of the Apalachian
chain; the Alleghany ridge is continued from Pennsylvania; the other
ridges are Greenbriar, North mountain, Broad mountain, Back Bone,
Jackson river mountain, Iron mountain and Great Flat Top. The highest
summits are the Peaks of Otter in the Alleghany ridge. The population
of Virginia is one million two hundred and thirty-nine thousand seven
hundred and ninety-seven.
_North Carolina_ is bounded west by Tennessee; south by South Carolina
and the ocean; east by the ocean; and north by Virginia. It contains
forty-three thousand and eight hundred square miles; extending from
thirty-three degrees fifty minutes to thirty-six degrees thirty
minutes north latitude; and seventy-five degrees forty-five minutes
to eighty-four degrees west longitude. It is divided into sixty-seven
counties. Raleigh is the seat of government; Newbern is the largest
town. The other towns of importance are Fayetteville and Wilmington.
The rivers are the Roanoke, Chowan, Pamlico, Cape Fear and Yadkin; the
mountains, Iron, Bald and Smoky. The sounds are Albemarle and Pamlico;
the coast is skirted by small islands. The population is seven hundred
and fifty-three thousand four hundred and nineteen.
_South Carolina_ is bounded south and west by Georgia; east by the
Atlantic, and north by North Carolina. It is two hundred miles long
and one hundred and twenty-five broad; lying between thirty-two degrees
and thirty-five degrees eight minutes north latitude; and seventy-eight
degrees twenty-four minutes and eighty-three degrees thirty minutes
west longitude. It contains thirty thousand and eighty square miles;
and is divided into twenty-nine districts. Charleston is the chief
city and great commercial port; it was formerly the seat of government.
Columbia is now the capital. Georgetown, Beaufort and Camden are the
other principal towns. The rivers are the Great Pedee, Santee, Edisto
and Savannah. The population of South Carolina is five hundred and
ninety-four thousand three hundred and ninety-eight.
_Georgia_ is bounded west by Alabama; south by Florida; east by South
Carolina and the Atlantic; north by North Carolina and Tennessee. It
extends from thirty degrees thirty minutes to thirty-five degrees north
latitude; and from eighty degrees fifty minutes to eighty-six degrees
six minutes west longitude; its length is two hundred and seventy,
and its breadth two hundred and fifty miles. It is divided into
ninety-three counties. Savannah is the largest town; Milledgeville
is the seat of government. Augusta and Macon are the other principal
towns. The chief rivers are the Savannah, Oakmulgee, Oconee, St. Mary’s,
Alatahama and Chatahoochee. The mountains are the peaks of the southern
extremity of the Blue ridge, and the Lookout mountain. Georgia is
bordered by ranges of small islands. The population, exclusive of
Indians, is six hundred and ninety-one thousand three hundred and
ninety-two.
_Alabama_ is bounded on the south by Florida and the gulf of Mexico;
west by Mississippi; east by Georgia, and north by Tennessee. It lies
between thirty degrees twelve minutes and thirty-five degrees north
latitude; and eighty-five degrees and eighty-eight degrees thirty
minutes west longitude. Its breadth is one hundred and sixty, and its
length two hundred and eighty miles; the whole area including forty-six
thousand square miles. This state is divided into forty-six counties.
Tuscaloosa is the seat of government. Mobile is the great commercial
depot, and the only town of consequence. Among the other towns are
Blakely, St. Stephens’ and Cahawba. In the northern part of this
state is the western extremity of the Apalachian mountains, consisting
chiefly of limestone rocks. Alabama is the longest river; this unites
with the Tombeckbee, and takes the name of Mobile. The population of
Alabama, not including Indians, is five hundred and ninety thousand
seven hundred and fifty-six.
_Mississippi_ is bounded south by Louisiana; west by Louisiana and the
state of Arkansas; north by Tennessee, and east by Alabama. Its breadth
is one hundred and fifty, and its length three hundred and thirty-five
miles; it contains forty-five thousand seven hundred and sixty square
miles. It lies between thirty degrees ten minutes and thirty-five
degrees north latitude; between eighty degrees thirty minutes and
eighty-one degrees thirty-five minutes west longitude. It is divided
into forty-three counties. Natchez is the only large town in the state.
Jackson is the seat of government. Monticello, Warrenton and Vicksburgh
are considerable places. The rivers that water this state are the
Tombeckbee, Pascagoula, Pearl, Yazoo and Big Black. The Mississippi
washes the western limit. The population is three hundred and
seventy-five thousand six hundred and fifty-one.
_Louisiana_ is bounded east by Mississippi, and the gulf of Mexico;
west by Texas; south by the gulf, and north by the state of Arkansas
and Mississippi. It is divided into the Eastern and Western districts;
which are subdivided into thirty-three parishes. New Orleans is
the seat of government, and the commercial mart of all the western
country. Donaldsonville, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Point Coupee,
Alexandria and Natchitoches are considerable places. The rivers are
the Mississippi, Red, Washita, and Sabine. The lakes are Maurepas,
Pontchartrain, and Borgne. The Chandeleur islands are mere heaps of
sand; Barataria has been of some note as a resort for pirates. The
population of Louisiana is three hundred and fifty-two thousand four
hundred and twenty-two.
IV. WESTERN STATES.
_Tennessee_ is bounded south by Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi; west
by the river Mississippi, separating it from Missouri and Arkansas;
east by North Carolina, and north by Kentucky. Its breadth is one
hundred and four, and its length is about four hundred and thirty miles;
its area is forty thousand square miles. It lies between thirty-five
and thirty-six degrees thirty-six minutes north latitude; and between
eighty-one degrees thirty minutes and ninety degrees ten minutes west
longitude. It is divided into East and West Tennessee; the former
has twenty-two counties, and the latter forty. Nashville is the seat
of government, and the largest town. Knoxville, Murfreesborough and
Memphis are growing settlements. The mountains are the Laurel, Stone,
Yellow, Iron, Bald and Unaka, peaks of a continued chain; Welling’s
and Copper Ridge, Church, Powell’s and Bay’s mountains are in the
north-east. The Cumberland Ridge intersects the state, running from
north-east to south-west. The rivers are the Tennessee, Cumberland,
Obian, Forked Deer, Big Hatchee and Wolf. The population of Tennessee
is eight hundred and twenty-nine thousand two hundred and ten.
_Kentucky_ is bounded west by Missouri and Illinois; east by Virginia;
south by Tennessee; north by Indiana and Ohio. Its length is three
hundred miles, its mean breadth one hundred and fifty; its area
includes about forty thousand square miles. It lies between thirty-six
degrees thirty minutes and thirty-nine degrees ten minutes north
latitude; and between eighty-one degrees fifty minutes and eighty-nine
degrees twenty minutes west longitude. It is divided into eighty-four
counties. Frankfort is the seat of government. Lexington, Louisville,
Maysville, Washington, Paris, Georgetown and Versailles are the chief
towns. The rivers that water this state are the Ohio, Mississippi,
Cumberland, Tennessee, Licking, Kentucky, Green and Big Sandy. The
population is seven hundred and eighty thousand two hundred and
ninety-seven.
_Ohio_ is bounded north by the state of Michigan and lake Erie; east
by Pennsylvania: south-east by the Ohio river, which separates it
from Virginia, and west by Indiana. Its length is two hundred and ten
miles, its mean breadth two hundred; its area includes forty thousand
square miles. It lies between thirty-eight degrees thirty minutes and
forty-one degrees nineteen minutes north latitude; and between eighty
degrees thirty-five minutes and eighty-four degrees forty-seven minutes
west longitude. It is divided into seventy-four counties. Cincinnati
is the largest city; Columbus is the seat of government. Zanesville,
Steubenville, Chilicothe, Dayton, Marietta and Circleville are
flourishing towns. The chief rivers are the Ohio, Muskingum, Scioto,
Great Miami, Little Miami, Maumee, Sandusky and Cuyahoga. The
population one million five hundred and ten thousand four hundred and
sixty-seven.
_Indiana_ is bounded north by the lake and state of Michigan; south
by the Ohio, which divides it from Kentucky; east by Ohio, and west
by Illinois. Its breadth is one hundred and fifty, and its length
two hundred and fifty miles. It lies between thirty-seven degrees
forty-seven minutes and forty-one degrees fifty minutes north latitude;
and eighty-four degrees forty-two minutes and eighty-seven degrees
forty-nine minutes west longitude. It is divided into eighty-five
counties. Indianapolis is the seat of government. Vincennes, New Albany,
Jeffersonville, Vevay, and Madison are flourishing settlements. The
rivers that water this state are the Ohio, Wabash, White Water and
Tippecanoe. The population is six hundred and eighty-five thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
_Illinois_ is bounded north by Wisconsin, east by Lake Michigan
and Indiana, south by Kentucky, and west by Missouri and Iowa. It
extends from 37° to 42° 37′ north latitude, and from 87° 17′ to 81° 15′
west longitude. It is 380 miles in length, and 160 in mean breadth,
and contains 59,000 square miles. It is divided into 87 counties.
Springfield is the seat of government. Chicago, situated on Lake
Michigan, at the mouth of the river Chicago, which forms a fine harbor
and connects with the Illinois and Mississippi rivers by canal, offers
great advantages for trade. Alton, on the Mississippi river, enjoys
advantages only second to Chicago. Quincy, Galena, Peoria, Kaskaskia,
Jackson, Cairo, and Shawneetown, are also thriving places. Nauvoo, the
city of the Mormons, is in the western part of this State. The rivers
are the Mississippi, Illinois, Rock, Kaskaskia, and Little Wabash.
Population, according to the last census, 476,183.
_Missouri_ is bounded south by Arkansas; east by Illinois, Kentucky and
Tennessee; west by Missouri territory and north by Iowa. It contains
about sixty thousand square miles; its length being two hundred and
seventy, and its breadth two hundred and twenty miles. Its limits are
between thirty-six degrees and forty degrees thirty minutes north
latitude; and between eighty-nine degrees and ninety-four degrees ten
minutes west longitude. It is divided into fifty-one counties. The city
of Jefferson, which has been laid out within a few years, is the seat
of government. St. Louis is the largest town. Potosi, St. Genevieve and
Herculaneum are flourishing towns. The chief elevations are the Ozark
and Iron mountains. The rivers are the Mississippi, Missouri, Osage,
Gasconade, Maramec, St. Francis, White, Black, Currant, Grand and
Chariton. The population is three hundred and eighty-one thousand one
hundred and two.
_State of Arkansas._――Arkansas lies in a very compact form between
Louisiana and Missouri, having Zennepee and Mississippi on the east,
and the western territory of Mexico on the west. It is 240 miles in
length; 250 in breadth; and has an area of 54,500 square miles. The
centre of the state is broken and hilly, and the western portion is
even mountainous. In general it is covered with a heavy timber. The
western part is level and marshy.
Arkansas formed a part of Louisiana, and afterward of Missouri
territory, till 1819, when it became a territorial government, and
in 1836 an independent state. It is divided into 34 counties; and its
capital, Little Rock, is a small town. The population is 95,642.
_State of Michigan._――This state consists of two peninsulas, separated
by the waters of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The southern division
has Lake Michigan on the west, and Lake Huron, the Detroit river, the
river and Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie on the east. It is 280 miles
in length, and about 190 in breadth in the southern part, and has an
area of 36,000 square miles. The southern peninsula is between lakes
Michigan and Huron on the south, St. Mary’s river on the east, and Lake
Superior on the North――Montreal river on the west. It is 300 miles long,
and varies in width from 100 to a few miles. Its area is about 20,000
square miles. In fertility the state is not surpassed perhaps in the
world. The northern peninsula has been imperfectly explored, but seems
to be far more hilly than the southern. Lake Michigan is 360 miles long
and has an area of near 26,000 square miles. Some settlements were made
here by the French in the 17th century; and Detroit was an important
trading post at an early period. Michigan passed into English hands
in 1763, and was afterward part of the north-western Territory. It was
made a distinct Territory in 1805, and in 1836 was received into the
Union. Population 212,267.
In 1835 the population of Detroit was estimated at 8,000. It was
beseiged in 1763 by Pontiac a celebrated Ottawa chief. In 1812 it was
surrendered by Hull to the British.
Fort Gratiot is a military post of the United States, at the outlet of
Lake Huron. There is another on the island of Michilimackinac.
_Missouri Territory_ is nine hundred miles in length, and eight
hundred in breadth. It is bounded north by the British possessions;
east by the Iowa territory, Illinois and Missouri; south and south-west
by the territories of the Mexican republic; west by the Rocky mountains.
It lies between thirty-four and forty-nine degrees north latitude; and
ninety and one hundred and twelve degrees west longitude; its area is
estimated at four hundred and seventy thousand square miles. The United
States have two military posts in this territory. The mountains of
this territory are ranges of the Rocky mountains. The rivers are the
Missouri, Rivière de Corbeau, St. Peter’s, Cannon, Ioway, Yellowstone,
La Platte, Kansas, Osage, Runningwater, Arkansas, Negracka, and Grand
Saline. This territory is inhabited by various Indian tribes, whose
numbers are not known.
_Oregon Territory_ is a vast country, whose southern boundary is on
the forty-second parallel to the Pacific; our north-west boundary is
in dispute with Russia; our division from the British possessions is in
the forty-ninth parallel. The Pacific is its western limit; Indiana and
Missouri territories form its eastern. It lies between forty-one and
forty-nine degrees north latitude, and between one hundred and seven
and one hundred and thirty west longitude; it contains about three
hundred thousand square miles. The Rocky mountains, and the unnamed
chain between this range and the Pacific, present great elevations.
The chief rivers are the Oregon and its tributaries. This region is
claimed by the United States on the ground of priority of discovery and
occupation. A settlement called Astoria was formed in 1811 at the mouth
of Oregon or Columbia river, by a number of American citizens. The
number of Indian inhabitants is 140,000.
_Florida Territory_ is bounded north by Georgia and Alabama; south
and west by the gulf of Mexico, and east by the Atlantic. It extends
from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees north latitude; and from eighty
degrees thirty minutes to eighty-seven degrees twenty minutes west
longitude; its length is three hundred and fifty, and its breadth
one hundred and fifty miles. Its area includes about fifty thousand
square miles. It is divided into fifteen counties. St. Augustine
is the largest town; the other considerable places are Pensacola
and Tallahassee. The rivers are the St. Mary’s, St. John’s, and
Appalachicola. The population is fifty-four thousand two hundred and
seven.
_Wisconsin Territory._――This tract stretches from Lake Michigan to
the Mississippi river, and from the northern boundary of Illinois to
British America. It is a lofty table land, and contains the richest
lead deposites in the world. The land is rich and of easy cultivation.
It was erected into a territory in 1836. It is a portion of the tract
known as the Black Hawk purchase, ceded to the United States by the
Sacs and Foxes in 1832.――Population, thirty thousand seven hundred and
fifty-two.
_Iowa Territory._――This is a tract situated between the Mississippi
and Missouri rivers, and reaches from Missouri to British America. This
territory, as to soil and surface, resembles that of Wisconsin. It also
contains rich lead deposites, and was a part of the Black Hawk purchase.
It was erected into a territory in 1837. Population, forty-three
thousand and thirty-five.
_The Western or Indian Territory._――This region, which has been
denominated in official papers the Western Territory, extends from
Red river on the south, to the Running Water river and the north fork
of the Platte on the north. Its greatest width is 600 miles; and its
greatest breadth the same; with an area of 200,000 square miles. It is
an extensive region, set aside by the federal government as a permanent
home for the Indian tribes. It is truly to be hoped that this original
intention of the United States may be carried out in full, both for
the honor of our country, and the improvement and happiness of the rude
races that may thus pitch their tents in a land they may call their own.
It is a noble region, watered by noble rivers; of which the Arkansas
is the chief. It appears by the report of the commissioners on Indian
affairs in 1834, that a considerable portion of the land is as good as
is found in any of the western states.
_The District of Columbia_ is a territory ten miles square, under the
immediate government of Congress. It is divided into two counties and
three cities. The cities are Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown.
This district lies on both sides of the Potomac, one hundred and twenty
miles from its mouth, and was ceded to the general government in 1790,
by Virginia and Maryland, within whose territory it was situated. The
capital at Washington, from which American geographers often compute
their meridian, is in thirty-eight degrees fifty-three minutes north
latitude, and seventy-seven degrees one minute and forty-eight seconds
west longitude from Greenwich. Population 43,712.
CHAPTER II.――CITIES AND TOWNS.
_Albany_ is the seat of government for the state of New York, and is
situated on the west side of Hudson’s river, one hundred and forty-four
miles from the city of New York, to which it is next in rank. This
city is unrivalled for situation, being nearly at the head of sloop
navigation, on one of the noblest rivers in the world. It enjoys a pure
air, and is the natural emporium of the increasing trade of a large
extent of country west and north. In the old part of the town, the
streets are very narrow, and the houses mean, being all built in the
Dutch taste, with the gable end towards the street, and ornamented, or
rather disfigured, on the top with large iron weathercocks; but in that
part which has been more recently erected, the streets are commodious,
and many of the houses are handsome.
Illustration: Albany.
The Capitol stands on an elevation at the end of the main street, and
presents a fine appearance. It is a fine stone edifice, with an Ionic
portico in front, supported by columns thirty-three feet in height. The
public square adjacent is adorned with beautiful walks and avenues.
The Farmers’ and Mechanics’ bank and the Albany bank, both at the foot
of State street, are both of white marble, and are handsome buildings.
There are about sixteen churches in this city. Albany has received more
permanent and evident advantages from the canals than any other place
in the state. Since 1825, the population has increased from fifteen
thousand nine hundred and seventy-one to 33,627. The first settlement
at Albany was made about 1614, when a stockade was built on a spot just
below the steam-boat dock. The charter of the city was granted in 1686,
a few months before that of New York. The city and township are a mile
in breadth, and extend thirteen miles along the river. The neighborhood
of Albany abounds in pleasant villages.
_Alexandria_ is a city and port of entry in the district of Columbia,
on the west bank of the Potomac, six miles below Washington. It is
a place of some business and resort during the session of Congress,
and contains some fine buildings. Of late, Alexandria has not much
increased, notwithstanding it enjoys good commercial advantages. This
city is regularly built, and has good streets, well paved and clean.
The trade is chiefly in flour. Population about eight thousand four
hundred and sixty-two.
_Amherst_ is a town of Hampshire county, Massachusetts, ninety-one
miles west of Boston. It is the seat of a college which was
incorporated in 1821, with the title of Amherst College. This seminary
has professors and tutors. Amherst is the seat also of an academy,
and a school called the Mount Pleasant Institution. Population, two
thousand four hundred and fifteen.
Illustration: Amherst College.
_Annapolis_, the capital of Anne Arundel county, and the seat of the
government of Maryland, is situated at the mouth of the Severn river,
about two miles from its entrance into Chesapeak bay, thirty miles
south of Baltimore, and forty north-east of the city of Washington.
It is a place of little note in the commercial world; but being in
a pleasant situation, and commanding a beautiful prospect of the
Chesapeak, and the shore on the other side of the bay, it is a very
pleasant residence. The houses are built of brick, and for the most
part large and elegant, denoting great wealth. The state house is one
of the most superb structures in the United States. Here is the seat
of the University of Maryland. Population two thousand six hundred and
twenty-three.
_Augusta_, capital of Maine, stands on the west branch of the Kennebec
river, two miles above Hallowell. It is a pleasant town, and contains
some neat public buildings. The new state house is built of granite,
and is a very handsome edifice. It contains a spacious hall for the
house of representatives, and two smaller ones for the senate and the
council. On the side of the river opposite to the state house is the
United States Arsenal, consisting of about a dozen buildings of stone,
some of which are large and handsome. This place has considerable trade,
and the river below is navigable for vessels of one hundred tons.
Population 5,314.
_Augusta_, capital of the state of Georgia, stands on the south-west
bank of the river Savannah, about one hundred and forty miles from the
sea. It is regularly built of brick upon a level spot, and surrounded
by a fertile country. It has a good trade in cotton, and other
productions of the interior. Population, six thousand three hundred
and forty-one.
_Baltimore_ is a large city, standing on the north side of the
river Patapsco, in Maryland. The basin on which it stands has only five
or six feet water at high tide, so that the city can be approached only
by small vessels. For large ships, the harbor is at some distance, at
a place called Fell’s point, where wharves have been built, along side
which vessels of six hundred tons burden can lie with perfect safety.
Numbers of persons have been induced to settle on this point on account
of the shipping; and regular streets have been laid out, with a large
market-place. But though these buildings, generally speaking, are
considered as part of Baltimore, yet they are a mile distant from the
other part of the town.
The city is the chief commercial mart for the country upon Chesapeak
bay and its waters. It is finely situated, and regularly built, in
great part of brick; the public buildings and monuments indicate great
enterprise and opulence.
Baltimore was laid out in 1729, on an area of sixty acres, purchased at
forty shillings per acre, and partly paid for in tobacco at a penny a
pound. Its progress was slow and unpromising; and in 1752 it contained
but twenty-five houses. With its population of more than eighty
thousand, it may now be considered the third or fourth city in the
union. According to its re-charter in 1816, Baltimore now includes
ten thousand acres, and contains a lunatic asylum, three theatres,
an exchange, a public library, and forty-five churches.
The Cathedral is built after the Ionic order, on a plan drawn by
the celebrated architect Latrobe. Its width is one hundred and
seventy-seven, its length one hundred and ninety, and its height
to the summit of the cross surmounting the dome, is one hundred and
twenty-seven feet. It contains several fine paintings, and the largest
organ in the United States. The Merchants’ Exchange, built by private
subscription for the accommodation of the citizens, is a spacious and
splendid edifice.
The Battle Monument is an elegant marble structure, fifty-five feet
high, erected in memory of those who fell in defence of the city on
the twelfth and thirteenth of September, 1814. The Washington Monument
is built of white marble, on an elevation in the north part of the
city; it is one hundred and sixty-three feet high, and on its summit
is placed a colossal statue of Washington. This monument is embellished
with bas-reliefs, and other decorations.
Illustration: Battle Monument, Baltimore.
Baltimore is the greatest flour market in the United States. In its
immediate neighborhood, are above sixty flour mills, a single one of
which has produced thirty-two thousand barrels in a year. Within the
same compass are numerous manufactories of cotton, cloth, powder, paper,
iron, glass, steam engines, and other articles. The Baltimore and Ohio
rail-road extends a distance of three hundred miles, from this city to
the Ohio river at Pittsburgh. The Baltimore and Susquehanna rail-road
is to extend seventy-six miles to York in Pennsylvania. The Chesapeak
and Ohio canal, of the proposed length of three hundred and forty-one
miles was commenced in 1828. The population of Baltimore is one hundred
and two thousand three hundred and thirteen.[60]
_Bangor_ is a flourishing town of Penobscot county, Maine, situated
thirty-five miles above Castine. It is built upon the banks of the
rivers Kenduskeag and Penobscot. The increase of this town within a few
years has been very surprising. Building-lots near the centre of the
town, that in 1832 were held at three hundred dollars, are now valued
at eight hundred or a thousand. Woodlands at three, four, or five
miles distance, that were then sold at five, seven, or ten dollars the
acre, are now selling from twenty to fifty. Rents and all marketable
commodities are proportionably high.
‘Bangor,’ says a correspondent of the Portland Advertiser, ‘has
much the appearance of a hundred villages springing up on the
non-slave-holding side of the Ohio, with this difference, that the
buildings there are chiefly of wood, cheaply built, and hastily thrown
up; and here they are fine blocks of brick with granite fronts, or
handsome white houses that would do credit to any estate in Virginia or
Carolina. I do not remember seeing what can be called a miserable house
in Bangor. The Exchange is a building that would do credit to many of
our large cities. The churches are numerous, and often elegantly built.
Already they are numerous enough for a city; and it is such a spectacle
that distinguishes New England; for no where, not even in the middle
states, are such churches, and so numerous to be seen, as any village
in New England of any size can exhibit.’
The water power in this vicinity is said to be superior to that of
any town in the United States. Its present great source of wealth is
the lumber business, which has been carried on to a very great extent.
Thirty years ago, Bangor was a wilderness; according to the last census,
its population was eight thousand six hundred and twenty-seven.
_Bath_, a town of Maine, on the west side of the Kennebec, twelve miles
from the sea, is at the head of the winter navigation; is pleasantly
situated, and has great advantages for commerce. Ship-building is
carried on here to a large extent; and in 1827 the value of the
shipping of Bath was a million of dollars. This town is almost isolated
by some of the numerous arms of the sea which penetrate that part of
the coast. Population, five thousand one hundred and forty-one.
_Baton Rouge_, a beautiful village on the eastern bank of the
Mississippi, one hundred and fifty miles above New Orleans, is the
capital of a parish of the same name in the eastern district of
Louisiana. It is a small town, situated on the last bluff that is
seen on descending the river, and about thirty or forty feet above
its highest overflow. The village is tolerably compact, and the United
States’ barracks are built in a very handsome style. ‘The town itself,’
says Mr. Flint, ‘especially in the months when the greatest verdure
prevails, when seen from a steam-boat in the river, rising with such
a fine swell from the banks, and with its singularly shaped French
and Spanish houses, and its green square, looks like a finely painted
landscape.’ Population, two thousand eight hundred and sixty.
_Beaufort_, principal town of Beaufort district, South Carolina,
situated on the western bank of Port Royal river, is a pleasant and
healthy place, containing a college, three churches, and seven thousand
six hundred and eighty-seven inhabitants. Its harbour is spacious.
_Belfast_, the capital of Waldo county, Maine, has a fine situation and
good harbor, and is a flourishing town. It is twelve miles north-west
of Castine, from which it is separated by Penobscot river. Its coasting
trade is very considerable. Population, four thousand one hundred and
ninety four.
_Bennington_ is the chief town of the county of the same name in
Vermont. It is situated at the foot of the Green mountains, near the
south-west corner of the state. It has several manufactories, and a
marble quarry, and is celebrated for two victories of General Stark,
over the British, in 1777. It is the largest and oldest town in the
state, having been chartered by Governor Wentworth in 1749, and first
settled by the Separatists under Robinson in 1761. Population, two
thousand six hundred and seventy-one.
_Bethlehem_, in Albany county, New York, includes much rich alluvial
land near Hudson river, inhabited by descendants of early Dutch
settlers. It contains several caverns. Population, 3209.
_Bethlehem_, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, is situated on a
fine acclivity rising from the Lehigh river. It was founded in 1741
by the United Brethren, or Moravians, under Count Zinzendorf. The same
order still retain the ownership, and have established here a seminary
of considerable note for female education. The houses are neat and
substantial. There is but one place of public worship, in which service
is performed in English and German. The situation of this village is
remarkably picturesque and romantic. There are ten other towns of this
name in the United States. Population, two thousand nine hundred and
eighty-nine.
_Beverly_, town in Essex county, Massachusetts, is a seaport, and
connected with Salem by a bridge. It was formerly a part of Salem. It
is pleasantly situated, and is largely engaged in the fisheries and in
commerce. Population, four thousand six hundred and eighty-six.
_Blakely_ is a seaport of Baldwin county, Alabama, on the Tensa, a
branch of the Mobile. It was founded in 1816, and is a flourishing
place. Its situation is healthy, and it has a commodious harbor.
_Boston_, the capital of Massachusetts, and the chief city of New
England, is situated at the head of Massachusetts bay, on a peninsula
of an uneven surface, about a mile in width, and nearly three miles
long. Its original Indian name was Shawmut, and it was afterwards
called Trimountain; its present name was given in honor of the Rev.
John Cotton, one of its earliest pastors, who emigrated from Boston in
Lincolnshire, England. In the older parts of the city, the streets are
crooked, narrow, and intricate; laid out with no reference to beauty or
order. The more recent streets are wider, straight, and regular; with
edifices of great elegance and large dimensions. The avenues leading
into the adjacent country are the natural isthmus which connects the
city with Roxbury, the mill dam, six bridges and three rail-roads.
There is also a ferry between Boston and Chelsea, with steamboats for
the conveyance of foot passengers and carriages. Of the bridges, four
are thrown over Charles river, connecting the capital with Cambridge
and Charlestown, and two unite it with South Boston.
The harbor has been before described. It is dotted with numerous
islands, and affords ample accommodation for a fleet of five hundred
sail. The approach to the city from the sea is highly picturesque
and beautiful. The wharves and piers are ample, covered with spacious
stores of brick and granite, and presenting as great conveniences for
the transaction of business as are to be found in the world.
The local divisions of Boston are into North Boston, West Boston,
South End, and South Boston. To these we may now add East Boston,
comprehending what was formerly called Noddle’s Island, a tract of
about six hundred acres, purchased by a company in 1832 for the purpose
of extending the city in that direction. The Common is a beautiful
promenade at the west end of the city, containing an extent of nearly
fifty acres, agreeably varied by small eminences, the most prominent of
which still exhibits the vestiges of a fortification thrown up by the
British soldiers during the revolution. A little north of this mound
is a small sheet of fresh water. This spacious green is surrounded by
malls, lined with magnificent elms. On three sides are rows of fine
private dwelling-houses, including some of the most elegant mansions
in the city.
On an eminence overlooking the common stands the State House; a
conspicuous and striking edifice, the view from whose dome is most
interesting and extensive. The broad harbor with its green and
picturesque islands, the adjacent country covered by pleasant villages,
and with a pleasing alternation of hill and valley, interspersed with
orchards and woodland――and at its base, the avenues of a crowded and
busy city, form a combination of beauty that cannot fail to delight
every beholder. Beyond the islands of the bay, the eye stretches
eastward to the waters of the ocean; and to the north lies Charlestown
with the navy-yard, and the monument erecting and soon to be completed
on Bunker hill. To the west is a view of Cambridge, with the various
edifices attached to the university. The state house was erected about
thirty-eight years since. It is of an oblong form, one hundred and
seventy-three feet front, and sixty-one deep; a dome thirty-five feet
in height and fifty-two feet diameter, surmounts the edifice, and
the whole terminates with a circular lantern twenty-five feet high.
The basement story is ornamented with rows of Doric pillars; in an
open chamber projected from the north centre of this story is placed
Chantry’s noble statue of Washington. This building contains the usual
accommodation for the various offices of state, besides the senate
chamber, council chamber and representatives’ hall.
Faneuil Hall is famous in American annals. It is a building of good
proportions, and convenient size, though of no great architectural
pretensions; its history is sacred to the spirit of eloquence, courage
and patriotism. The building has a cupola which presents a good view
of the harbor; the great hall is nearly eighty feet square, and about
twenty-eight feet high. It is decorated with an original full length
painting of Washington, by Stuart, and another of the same size by
Colonel Sargent, representing Mr. Faneuil, the noble donor of the
edifice. Faneuil Hall Market is situated to the east of Faneuil hall.
It is a splendid building of granite, five hundred and thirty-five
feet and nine inches in length. The basement story is occupied by
market stalls; on the second floor is a spacious hall, used for
public assemblies and caucuses, called Quincy Hall, in honor of the
distinguished gentleman in whose mayoralty the edifice was projected
and built.
The City Hall, formerly known as the old state house, was built in
nearly its present form in the year 1747. It stands at the head of
State street, and on the line of Washington street, the principal
avenue of the city. In this building are the post office, the marine
news room, and the merchants’ exchange; from this there is a winding
stair-case leading to the hall of the common council, and that of the
mayor and aldermen together with various public offices connected with
the city administration. Other public buildings, of great beauty to the
city, are the old U. S. Branch Bank, and the Masonic Temple. The latter
building fronts on the common; it is of the Gothic order.
Illustration: City Hall.
Illustration: King’s Chapel.
One of the most interesting of the churches of the city is that
known as the King’s Chapel. Its exterior is plain, and in appearance
it is unfinished being built entirely of unhammered stone. It was
first opened for divine service in 1754. The tower is ornamented
by a colonnade of large wooden pillars, and the whole presents the
appearance of massy grandeur suited to distinguish in former days the
place of worship for the public functionaries. In the interior, the
governor’s pew was formerly distinguished above the rest, but was taken
down a few years since. The style of architecture is of the Corinthian
order. There are several monumental marbles, which add to the interest
with which the church is visited. It is now the only house in which
the old fashion of square pews is retained. Brattle street church is
interesting from historical associations. Governors Hancock and Bowdoin
were liberal benefactors of this society. The name of the former was
inscribed on one of the rustic quoins at the south-west corner of the
building. The British soldiery defaced it, and the stone remains in the
condition in which they left it. A similar inscription, unmutilated,
appears on one of the rustic quoins at the south-west corner of the
tower; and on one in the north-west corner, the name of Dr. John
Greenleaf appears, who, with Gov. Bowdoin, advanced the money for
refitting the church, it having been improved as a barrack, during
the siege. A shot, which was sent from the American army at Cambridge,
struck the tower on the night preceding the evacuation of the town.
It was picked up and preserved, and is now fastened in the spot where
it struck. General Gage’s head quarters were in the house opposite.
Trinity church in Summer street is a beautiful granite edifice, built
in 1829. It is one of the chief architectural ornaments of the city;
and for beauty of proportion, strength and solidity, is perhaps
unsurpassed in this country. The number of worshipping assemblies in
this city is between fifty and sixty.
Illustration: Trinity Church.
The places of public amusement in Boston are not numerous, nor
remarkably well patronized. The Tremont theatre affords the only
dramatic entertainment that is much resorted to by strangers and
people of fashion. It is a handsome building, with a front of Quincy
and Hallowell granite. This front is in imitation of the Ionic order,
with four pilasters and two antœs, one on each angle, supporting an
entablature and pediment, and elevated on a basement seventeen feet.
The Warren theatre is a minor establishment, and is much frequented.
The New England Museum attracts numerous visitors.
Of the hotels of Boston, we can only particularly mention the Tremont
House, a splendid building, in the pleasantest quarter of the city,
and esteemed the best house in the country. ‘Most gratifying is it to a
traveller in the United States,’ says a recent tourist, ‘when, sick to
death of the discomforts of the road, he finds himself fairly housed in
the Tremont hotel. The establishment is on a large scale, and admirably
conducted.’ This stinted approbation is one of the few tokens of
satisfaction that Mr. Hamilton gives in his unsparing though witty
and entertaining volumes; it is not the less acceptable, because it
is extorted.
Illustration: Tremont House.
In the year 1841, there were thirty-one banks in the city, which
employed a capital of twenty millions one hundred thousand dollars.
The increase, of course, has been in proportion to the increasing
enterprise and prosperity of the city. The oldest is the Massachusetts’
bank, which was incorporated in 1785. There are twenty-four insurance
companies, with an aggregate capital of seven millions and a quarter.
The charitable institutions of the city are numerous. Of these, one
of the most important is the Institution for the Education of the
Blind, recently established under very favorable circumstances. Besides
this are the Asylum for Indigent Boys, the Female Asylum, Charitable
Mechanic Association, Prison Discipline Society, and many others. The
Massachusetts General Hospital is situated in the west part of the town;
it has been pronounced the finest building in the state. The Quarantine
Hospital is situated on Rainsford island, in the harbor, and about six
miles from the city.
The number of periodicals issued in this city is above seventy,
inclusive of dailies and annuals. The first paper published in the
country was the Boston News Letter, commenced in 1704, and continued
for nearly seventy-two years. The oldest surviving journal established
since the revolution is the Columbian Centinel, which was commenced
in 1784.
Boston is celebrated for her public schools, and the great efforts
which have been made by her citizens in the cause of education. The
expenditures for these institutions, during the year ending August,
1833, amounted to over seventy thousand dollars. Social libraries are
numerous. The Boston Athenæum was established in 1806, and contains
above twenty-eight thousand volumes. Though accessible only to men of
fortune, as the price of a share is three hundred dollars, it is still
a useful institution. Annual subscribers are admitted at ten dollars.
This noble establishment is situated in Pearl street, in a fine
building, for the half of which the proprietors were indebted to the
munificence of the late James Perkins, Esq. Attached to the Athenæum is
a gallery of the fine arts, in which is held an annual exhibition that
has hitherto been the source of a considerable income. The American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Massachusetts Historical Society,
are highly respectable institutions which have issued numerous volumes
of great value, and possess considerable libraries. On the whole, the
libraries of Boston are neither so large nor so generally accessible as
might be expected from the wealth and liberality of her citizens.
Middlesex canal unites the water communication between Boston and
the Merrimack river, at the bend in Chelmsford; the company for its
construction was incorporated in 1793. The toll has amounted some years
to about twenty-five thousand dollars. Rail-roads are now complete,
connecting this city with Providence, Worcester, Lowell, Springfield
and Salem. The marine rail-way, which affords facilities for the repair
of large vessels, has been in successful operation since 1826. One
of the greatest improvements of late years has been the building of
Mercantile wharf, which ranges in front of the harbor, between City
wharf and Lewis’s wharf. It has made access to the northern extremity
of the city very convenient from the central parts, and has led to
great improvements.
Since 1822, when the city was incorporated, Boston has been governed by
a mayor, eight aldermen, and a common council of forty-eight members,
chosen annually. With the town of Chelsea, it constitutes the county of
Suffolk, and sends one representative to Congress. As a commercial city,
it holds a second rank among the seaports of the United States. There
are many manufactures in the city, and much wealth of the citizens is
invested in the manufactories of Waltham, Lowell, and other towns.
Population, ninety-three thousand three hundred and eighty-three.[61]
_Bordentown_, a town of New Jersey, in Burlington county, standing
on a steep sand bank on the west side of the Delaware, is chiefly
remarkable for the villa of Joseph Bonaparte, ex-king of Spain. This
is a long white building, with two low square towers at the ends, and
a shot-tower near it by the river. Pop. three thousand four hundred and
thirty-four.
_Brattleboro_ is a pleasant village, in Windham county, Vermont,
on the Connecticut. It is situated on an elevated plain above the
river; at the bridge over the stream are several manufactories, the
chief of which are of paper and machinery, which are made here in
large quantities. The situation of the village is quite romantic and
picturesque. Population, two thousand and six hundred and twenty-four.
_Bridgeport_, in Fairfield county on Long Island sound, maintains an
active intercourse with New York by means of sloops and steamboats, and
furnishes that city with a great amount of produce. The harbor is shoal,
but with a good channel; the town is pleasant and thriving. Population
four thousand five hundred and seventy.
_Brighton_, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, is celebrated
for its annual cattle show and fair which has been held here ever
since the revolution. Vast numbers of cattle for the Boston market
are brought here from all quarters of the country. The soil is good,
and well cultivated. Population, one thousand four hundred and five.
_Bristol_, a thriving town, situated on Narragansett bay, about half
way between Providence and Newport, is distinguished for its pleasant
situation, healthful climate, rich soil, and a commodious, safe harbor.
This town suffered greatly during the revolutionary war, a great part
of it having been destroyed by the British; but it is now in a very
flourishing state, and has a good shipping trade: onions in great
quantities, and a variety of provisions and garden roots, are raised
here for exportation. Mount Hope, celebrated in the early history of
New England as the residence of king Philip, is within the limits of
Bristol; it is a cone-shaped hill, with a pointed summit, and exhibits
a charming prospect. Population, three thousand four hundred and ninety.
_Brooklyn_, a large town on Long Island, separated from the city of New
York by the narrow channel of East river. It is properly a suburb of
that city, and is a place of great business. It is regularly built, and
contains many fine houses, the residence of merchants from the city.
The United States navy yard is in the east quarter, upon a bay called
the Wallabout. Near this town a bloody and disastrous battle was fought
with the British in 1776. The town stands on an eminence, and commands
fine views of the city and bay. A constant intercourse is kept up with
New York by steamboats. It is the third town in the state in regard to
its population, which amounts to 36,221.
_Brookville_ is pleasantly situated in the forks of Whitewater, and is
the seat of justice of Franklin county, Illinois. It was laid out in
the year 1811; but no improvements were made until the succeeding year,
and then but partially, owing to the unsettled state of the frontiers;
its vicinity to the Indian boundary being about fifteen miles. The late
war completely checked the emigration to this country, and consequently
the town ceased to improve; since that period, it has improved and been
noted for the enterprise of its citizens. It is now, however, decaying.
It contains about a hundred houses.
_Brunswick_ is a town of Cumberland county, Maine, situated on the
south side of Androscoggin river, twenty-six miles north-east of
Portland. The river has many falls at this place, on which are situated
numerous mills, and manufactories of cotton and woollen. It is chiefly
distinguished as the seat of Bowdoin college, which was established
here in 1794. This institution is partly supported by funds bequeathed
by governor Bowdoin, of Massachusetts, from whom the college takes its
name. Population of Brunswick, four thousand two hundred and fifty-nine.
_Buffalo_, delightfully situated near the margin of lake Erie, three
hundred and twenty-seven miles from Albany, and twenty-two from the
falls of Niagara, is a place of considerable importance, and the
emporium of the lake commerce. The principal streets are from sixty-six
to one hundred feet wide; these are intersected by others of equal
width, and as many of the houses are of brick, two and three stories
high, they make a neat and handsome appearance. Buffalo, standing
on the great road leading from Albany to Ohio, possesses natural
advantages for trade, equal to any internal place in the United States.
Its harbor is singularly fitted for the two kinds of navigation that
are here brought together, the entrance from the lake being sheltered
by the point on which the light-house is erected, and the two small
rivers which here unite their waters affording every convenience
for landing and re-shipping goods; a number of basins and lateral
canals communicate with the great canal. This harbor is thronged with
steamboats and every kind of water craft; it is one of the most busy
and bustling places in the country.
‘In Buffalo,’ says a recent writer, ‘the miserable descendants of
the Iroquois or Six Nations may constantly be seen in the streets.
The Senecas have three villages within nine miles. If any man wishes
to observe the effect of an intercourse between whites and Indians,
let him go to Buffalo. There he may see red men, reeling drunk in the
streets, begging in the most abject manner for liquor, and the women
in the lowest stage of moral and physical degradation. They are in
some measure civilized, some of them having adopted the costume of the
whites, and living by the cultivation of the soil. Should they continue
to reside in their present dwelling-place, it is to be hoped that the
change will be complete. When the chase will no longer afford them a
subsistence; when they are completely hemmed in by the whites, they
must of necessity have recourse to agriculture for the means of living,
and knowledge must be the attendant of industry――but as long as they
are able to live, no matter how wretchedly, in idleness, they will not
work, and will continue to retrograde.’ Population, eighteen thousand
three hundred and fifty-six.
_Burlington_, in Chittenden county, Vermont, on lake Champlain, is
a flourishing and commercial town. It is situated on the declivity
of a hill, commanding an extensive view of the lake, and a beautiful
prospect of the town. It is the seat of the university of Vermont, and
of several manufactories. Its commerce is considerable. Population,
four thousand two hundred and seventy-one.
_Burlington City_ stands on the banks of the Delaware, eighteen
miles north-east from Philadelphia. The main streets are conveniently
spacious, and mostly ornamented with rows of trees in the fronts of the
houses, which are regularly arranged. The river opposite the town is
about a mile wide, and under shelter of two islands, affords a safe and
convenient harbor; but, though well situated for trade, Burlington is
too near the opulent city of Philadelphia to admit of any considerable
increase of foreign commerce. Population, two thousand six hundred and
seventy.
_Cahokia_, in St. Clair county, Illinois, is situated on a small stream,
about one mile east of the Mississippi, and five miles below St. Louis.
It is pleasantly situated, and is inhabited chiefly by French people.
This town contains a post-office and a Roman catholic chapel, and is
the seat of justice for the county.
_Cambridge_, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, lies west of
Boston, was settled in 1631. It is a fine village, containing many very
pleasant residences, and is divided into three distinct portions. East
Cambridge is a suburb of Boston, with which it is connected by Cragie’s
bridge; it is flourishing, and has some glass and iron manufactories.
Old Cambridge is about three miles from the city, and is the seat
of Harvard college, the oldest and richest university in the United
States; this institution is fully described in another portion of the
volume. In the western part lies Fresh Pond, a fine sheet of water,
much resorted to in summer by citizens of the neighboring towns. In
the south-westerly part is a beautiful hilly grove called Mount Auburn,
recently devoted to the purposes of a cemetery, and forming one of the
most beautiful burial places in the world.[62] The first printing-press
in America was set up here, and was used by Stephen Day, who printed
the _Freeman’s Oath_. During the siege of Boston, in 1776, the American
army encamped here, and vestiges of some of their intrenchments still
remain in the neighborhood. Population, eight thousand one hundred and
twenty-seven.
Illustration: Harvard University.
_Camden_, in Kershaw district, South Carolina, on the Wateree, is
the seat of justice for the district. It is chiefly celebrated for the
battles fought in its vicinity during the revolutionary war. Population,
one thousand. A flourishing town of the same name in Oneida county,
New York, has a population of about two thousand.
_Canandaigua_, capital of Ontario county, New York, on the outlet
of the lake of the same name, is one of the pleasantest towns in the
country. The principal street runs along the ridge of a hill, which
rises from the north end of the lake, for the distance of a mile; it
is handsomely planted with trees, and the houses, which are generally
painted white with green blinds, present a very neat appearance. In
the centre of the town is a large square; the neighborhood abounds with
pleasant gardens. Population, five thousand six hundred and fifty-two.
_Castine_, a town of Maine, built on a promontory at the head
of Penobscot bay, is placed in a commanding situation, and has an
excellent harbor. It was taken by the British during the last war,
but was restored in 1815. Population one thousand one hundred and
eighty-eight.
_Catskill_, principal town of Greene county, New York, is situated on
the west bank of the Hudson river, nearly opposite the city of Hudson,
and thirty-one miles south of Albany. It exhibits gentle elevations in
the neighborhood, and the soil is generally good; it is well watered,
has fine meadows, and good mill sites. Population, 5,339.
_Charleston_, the chief city of South Carolina, stands upon a piece
of land projecting into the bay, at the confluence of the Ashley and
Cooper rivers, and has a deep and safe harbor. Ships drawing twenty
feet of water pass the bar. The city is regularly built; the fine
houses are very large, many of them inclosed like the great hotels in
Paris, and all of them covered with verandas, and situated in gardens
neatly dressed, and in summer and fall, not only adorned with the
finest evergreen shrubs, but with a great variety of beautiful roses,
jonquils, and other flowers. On the other hand, many of the streets
are dirty and unpaved, and the houses in some parts of the town have
a filthy appearance. The churches and public buildings are handsome,
especially St. Michael’s church, with its steeple one hundred and
sixty-eight feet high. The post office is a large, handsome building.
Most of the finest buildings here were erected previously to the
revolution. There are many charitable institutions, among which the
Orphan Asylum stands in the first rank.
The society of Charleston is refined, intelligent and hospitable. The
commerce of the place consists chiefly in the export of rice and cotton.
On account of its level character, the city is liable to occasional
inundation; but it is, nevertheless, a fine commercial mart, and highly
prosperous, exhibiting most of the institutions which mark a liberal
and opulent community. This city is celebrated in the history of the
revolution. Population, twenty-nine thousand two hundred and sixty-one.
_Charlestown_, in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, is an irregular town,
containing some fine situations. Here are the United States navy yard,
and the finest dry-dock in the country; the Massachusetts state prison,
an insane hospital, and the Ursuline convent. This town was burnt in
1775, by the British troops. On the eminence of Bunker Hill, a splendid
monument of granite has been for some time in an unfinished state;
but there is every hope of its immediate completion. Population ten
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
_Chilicothe_, in Ross county, Ohio, formerly the seat of the state
government, is situated on the west bank of the Scioto, on a beautiful
and extensive plain. It is laid out on a large scale, with a great
number of out-lots attached to it. The plan is regular; the streets
cross each other at right angles, and every square is divided into four
parts. In the vicinity are several mills and manufactories, and the
Grand canal is cut through the town. The town was laid out in 1796,
on the site of an old Indian village. Population, three thousand nine
hundred and seventy-seven.
_Cincinnati_, the largest town in Ohio, is handsomely built, and
surrounded by a range of fine wooded hills, which command a beautiful
prospect. The plain on which it is situated occupies about four square
miles; the height of the rising ground above the alluvial plain is
about fifty feet. The population is much mixed, being composed of
emigrants from all parts of the union, and most of the countries of
Europe. Its progressive increase has been most wonderful. In 1813,
Cincinnati numbered about four thousand inhabitants; in 1820, ten
thousand; in 1840, forty-six thousand three hundred and eighty-two.
It has extensive flour and sawmills, worked by steam, and various
manufactures. The public buildings are twenty-four churches, the
College Athenæum, Medical College, Mechanics’ Institute, four market
houses, a theatre, two museums, a famous and tasteless bazaar, a bank
for the United States branch, court house, and other edifices. The
charitable and religious associations are numerous. There are sixteen
periodical publications. There are three city insurance companies, and
two branches of companies at Hartford, Connecticut. Water is furnished
for the inhabitants from the Ohio river, and is distributed over town
at an average expense of eight dollars for a family.
Vast remains of ancient fortifications, embankments, stone walls,
earthen mounds, the latter containing rude stone coffins filled with
human bones, have been discovered within the precincts of this town;
and many curious articles dug up, composed of jasper, rock crystal,
cannel-coal, copper, sculptural representations on different substances,
altogether tending to prove that this country was formerly inhabited by
a race of men very different from the present American Indians.
_Circleville_, the seat of justice of Pickaway county, Ohio, is
situated on the Pickaway bottom, about half a mile east of the Scioto.
Its site is two mounds of earth, one circular, and the other square,
containing about twenty acres. In the centre of the town is a small
vacant circle. From this focus the streets diverge in regular radii.
The growth of this town has been owing to the wealth of the surrounding
plantations. Population, two thousand three hundred and twenty-nine.
_Columbia_, the capital city of South Carolina, is situated on the
Congaree, one hundred and ten miles north-north-west of Charleston. It
is the seat of the college of the state. The town is regularly built,
and occupies an elevated plain gently sloping on every side. Population,
four thousand two hundred ninety-five. There are eleven other towns
called Columbia in the United States.
_Columbus_, the metropolis of the state of Ohio, is situated on the
east bank of the Scioto, on an elevated plain of several hundred acres.
It is situated near the middle of Franklin county, and within twenty
miles of the centre of the state, in a fine fertile country. It was
founded in 1812, in the midst of a thick forest. It contains a state
house, court house, penitentiary, a classical seminary, three churches,
and an asylum for the deaf and dumb. Population, six thousand and
forty-eight.
_Concord_, a town of Merrimack county, New Hampshire, is the capital
of the state. It is pleasantly situated on both sides of the Merrimack,
along which spread some rich intervals. The chief village is on the
west side, and forms a street two miles in length. It contains a state
house and a state prison, both of granite. It was first settled in 1724,
and twenty years afterwards suffered severely from the Indians. By the
river and Middlesex canal, Concord has a boat navigation to Boston; and
it is a place of considerable trade. Population, four thousand eight
hundred and ninety-eight.
_Concord_, a village of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, is celebrated
as the place of meeting of the first provincial congress in 1774, and
the first opposition to the British arms. Population, one thousand
eight hundred.[63]
_Covington_, a town of Genesee county, New York, has a soil of ordinary
quality, well watered. Population, two thousand four hundred and
thirty-eight.
_Dayton_, chief town of Montgomery county, Ohio, is situated on
the left bank of Great Miami river, near the point where it is met by
the canal. It is a flourishing place, with many mills and factories.
Population six thousand and sixty-seven.
_Detroit_, the capital of Michigan territory, is situated on the bank
of the river of the same name. During the French jurisdiction, it was
the farthest post on the lakes except Macinac. Since 1815, this town
has rapidly improved; before, it was small and of no importance except
in a military view. It is famous for the siege here sustained by Major
Gladwyn against the united tribes of Indians under Pontiac, and for its
surrender to the British forces in the year 1812, by General Hull. The
ground plan of the city of Detroit is laid out like that of Washington,
and the buildings are very much scattered. The jail, state house, and
two churches, constitute the chief public buildings. The Erie canal has
done much to increase the prosperity of this town, and the Ohio canal
will give it an additional impulse. Population nine thousand one
hundred and two.
The streets of Detroit are generally crowded with Indians of one tribe
or other, who collect here to sell their skins; at night, all those
who are not admitted into private houses, and remain there quietly,
are turned out of the town, and the gates shut upon them. The French
inhabitants employed upon the lakes and rivers are very dexterous
watermen, and will navigate a small bark in a rough sea with incredible
skill. They have nothing like enterprise in business, and are very fond
of music, dancing, and smoking tobacco; the women have generally lively
and expressive countenances.
The fort stands on a low ridge, in the rear of the town, at the
distance of about two hundred yards. From the summit of this ridge,
the country gradually subsides to a low swampy plain, from five to nine
miles across, covered with thick groves of young timber. Beyond this
plain commences a surface moderately hilly.
_Dover_, a town of Kent county, Delaware, and capital of the state. It
is handsomely laid out and built on a small stream that runs into the
Delaware. The houses are mostly of brick, and in the centre of the town
is a spacious square surrounded by the public buildings. Population,
3790.
_Dover_, a town of Strafford county, New Hampshire, is situated on
the falls of the Cocheco, a stream running into the Piscataqua. The
falls have several pitches, one of which is forty feet perpendicular,
affording a vast water power, which has been applied to manufacturing
purposes. This town was settled in 1623, and is the oldest in the state.
The greater part of the timber exported from New Hampshire is brought
to Dover. Population, five thousand four hundred and fifty-eight.
_Easton_, a town of Northampton county, Pennsylvania, situated on the
Delaware, at the mouth of the Lehigh, is a handsome town, regularly
laid out with a large square in the centre. The union of three canals
at this point, gives it vast facilities for trade. The scenery of the
neighborhood is remarkably picturesque. The town is laid out at right
angles. Population, five thousand five hundred and ten.
_Eastport_, a town of Washington county, Maine, and the most
eastern point of the United States. It is situated on Moose island in
Passamaquoddy bay, and is favorably situated for an extensive traffic
up the Passamaquoddy and the other rivers falling into the bay of Fundy.
The principal business is afforded by the fisheries and the lumber
trade. Population, two thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
_Economy_, a beautiful village of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, on the
Ohio, a few miles below Pittsburg. It is inhabited solely by the sect
of Harmonists, under the celebrated Rapp. The village is regularly
built, and the streets are laid out at right angles. Industry is
the characteristic of the inhabitants, who are of German origin. The
property purports to be held in common, though it has been stated that
the legal tenure of it is in the hands of the principal. The grape is
extensively cultivated here; a thriving trade is carried on with the
neighboring country, and the establishment is in a thriving condition.
Population, 1283.
Illustration: Economy.
_Elizabethtown_, a town of Essex county, New Jersey, situated on
a creek of Newark bay, was originally settled by emigrants from
Connecticut. It has some good gardens, and supplies many agricultural
products for the New York market. Population, four thousand one hundred
and eighty-four.
_Exeter_, a town of Rockingham county, New Hampshire, fourteen miles
south-west from Portsmouth, is situated at the head of the navigation
on Swamscot river, a branch of the Piscataqua. Formerly, ship-building
was carried on here to a great extent, and the vessels were employed
in the West Indian trade; at present, this business is much decreased,
but several manufactories have been established. Here is a celebrated
academy, incorporated in 1781. Population, two thousand nine hundred
and eighty-five.
_Fayetteville_, a village of Cumberland county, North Carolina, is
situated at the head of uninterrupted boat navigation on Cape Fear
river. In 1831, it was desolated by a destructive fire; but it is
rapidly regaining its former flourishing condition. Population, four
thousand two hundred and eighty-five.
_Frankfort_, the metropolis of Kentucky, and chief town of Franklin
county, stands on the east bank of Kentucky river, sixty miles above
its entrance into the Ohio. The river, which is here about one hundred
yards wide, with bold limestone banks, forms a handsome curve, and
waters the southern and western parts of the town. The bottoms on both
sides of the river are very broad, but subject to inundation. Frankfort
is about sixty-two miles from Louisville. Population, 1,917.
_Fredericksburg_, a port of entry, and chief town of Spottsylvania
county, Virginia, situated on the right bank of the Rappahanoc river,
is a flourishing place. It stands at the head of tide water. Population,
three thousand nine hundred and seventy-four.
_Fredericktown_, in Frederick county, Maryland, is situated forty-seven
miles from Baltimore, on the Pittsburg road, and is a flourishing place,
carrying on considerable manufactures, and a brisk inland trade through
a fertile and well-cultivated country. It is the second town in the
state, and increases with rapidity. Population, five thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
_Galena_, a village in Illinois, the centre of a celebrated lead-mining
district, from which it takes its name. It is situated on Fever river,
five miles before it empties into the Mississippi.
_Gardiner_, a flourishing town in Kennebec county, Maine, on the west
bank of the Kennebec river. It has a considerable trade in lumber, and
in manufactures of cotton and iron, and many very valuable mills. In
this town is a Gothic church, built of granite, and considered the
finest specimen of architecture in the state. Population, five thousand
six hundred and forty-four.
Illustration: Church in Gardiner.
_Georgetown_, city of the district of Columbia, and separated from
Washington only by a small creek, is finely situated on a series of
heights at a bend of the Potomac. It is well laid out, and contains
some good private residences. The Catholic college is an ancient
pile of building, with a large library, and some good paintings. The
Chesapeak and Ohio canal passes through this town. Tobacco and flour
are exported in considerable quantities. Population, seven thousand
three hundred and thirteen.
_Gloucester_, a seaport of Massachusetts, in Essex county, and on the
peninsula of cape Ann, is one of the most considerable fishing towns
in the country. The harbor, which is defended by a battery and forts,
is accessible for large ships. This town suffered severely from fire a
few years ago; but the damage has been nearly repaired. Population, six
thousand three hundred and ninety-four.
_Hagerstown_, in Washington county, Maryland, is a well-built and
flourishing place, surrounded by a fertile country. It is a handsome
town, and the houses are generally of stone or brick. Population, three
thousand four hundred.
_Hallowell_, in Kennebec county, Maine, is one of the most flourishing
and wealthy towns in the state. The river is navigable to this place
for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons. Hallowell granite is
extensively quarried and wrought, and is much esteemed. The commerce
of the place is considerable, confined chiefly to the lumber trade.
Population, four thousand six hundred and fifty-five.
_Hanover_, in Grafton county, New Hampshire, situated on the
Connecticut, is a pleasant village, and the seat of Dartmouth college,
which was established in 1771. It received its name from one of its
principal benefactors, the earl of Dartmouth. This town is crossed from
north to south by Moose mountain. Population, two thousand six hundred
and thirteen.
Illustration: Dartmouth College.
_Harrisburg_, the seat of government of the state of Pennsylvania, is
in Dauphin county, and situated on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna,
ninety-six miles from Philadelphia. It is regularly built, and has a
handsome state house, and other public edifices. A bridge here crosses
the Susquehanna. Population, six thousand and twenty.
_Hartford_, city, the capital of Hartford county, and, jointly with
New-Haven, the seat of government of Connecticut. It stands on the
western bank of the Connecticut, at the head of sloop navigation. It is
handsomely built, and contains many fine public edifices, among which
are a Gothic church, much admired for its architecture; a state house,
a deaf and dumb asylum, a retreat for the insane, and a seminary called
Washington college. This institution was founded in 1826. Hartford
enjoys a considerable commerce with Boston, New York, and the southern
cities. The bookselling trade is carried on here extensively, and there
is much inland traffic with the towns on the Connecticut, and in the
neighborhood. On the opposite bank of the river is East Hartford, which
is connected with the city by a bridge. The inhabitants point out to
the stranger an ancient oak tree in the southern part of the city,
which bears the name of the Charter Oak, and is interesting on account
of its connection with our early history. Pop. twelve thousand seven
hundred and ninety-three.
Illustration: Hartford, Conn.
_Haverhill_, in Essex county, Massachusetts, on the Merrimack,
twelve miles above Newburyport. Pop. four thousand three hundred and
seventy-three. This is a pleasantly situated town, and has considerable
ship-building and trade by the river. It was settled in 1640, and
suffered much in the early Indian wars. In 1698, the Indians attacked
and set fire to the town.
_Hudson_, a city of New York, in Columbia county, with considerable
manufacturing business. The streets are spacious, and cross each other
at right angles, and the houses are supplied with water brought in
pipes from a spring two miles distant. The trade is considerable,
and vessels of the largest size can unload here. It is seated on an
eminence, on the east side of Hudson river. It is twenty-eight miles
south of Albany. Population, five thousand six hundred and seventy.
_Indianapolis_, capital of Indiana, situated in Marion county, on the
west bank of White river, in the centre of one of the most extensive
and fertile bodies of land in the world, though recently settled,
promises to be one of the largest towns between Cincinnati and the
Mississippi. The country about it is said by Mr. Flint to be settling
with unexampled rapidity. Population, two thousand six hundred and
ninety-two.
_Jameston_, an ancient town in James City county, Virginia, the first
English settlement in the states, was established in 1608. It stands on
an island in James river, thirty-two miles above its mouth. It is now
in ruins, and almost desolate. Two or three old houses, the ruins of
an old steeple, a church-yard, and faint traces of rude fortifications,
are the only memorials of its former importance.
_Jefferson City_, seat of justice for Cole county, Missouri, and
capital of the state, is situated on the right bank of Missouri river,
about nine miles above the mouth of the Osage. It is a new town,
containing two hundred houses and twelve hundred inhabitants, and,
after Little Rock in Arkansas, is the most western state capital of
the United States.
_Kaskaskia_, an ancient village of Illinois, and seat of justice for
Randolph county, is situated on Kaskaskia river, eleven miles from its
mouth. It was one of the earliest French settlements in the Mississippi,
and once contained seven thousand inhabitants; it is now very much
reduced, numbering only one thousand. The situation of this town is
represented as very beautiful.
_Kennebunk_, a town of York county, Maine, at the mouth of a river
of the same name, has considerable lumber trade. The principal harbor
is obstructed by a sandbar, and in 1820 an appropriation was made by
Congress to build a pier at the mouth of the river. Population, two
thousand three hundred and twenty-three.
_Knoxville_, the chief town of East Tennessee, is situated one hundred
and eighty miles from Nashville, on the north side of Holston river,
where it is three hundred yards wide; on a beautiful spot of ground,
twenty-two miles above the junction of the Holston with the Tennessee.
The college of this town is one of the oldest seminaries in the state.
Population, three thousand.
_Lancaster_, a handsome town of Pennsylvania, and capital of a county
of the same name. It is a pleasant and flourishing place, situate in
a fertile and well-cultivated country, and contains a court house,
a jail, two banks, and nine places of worship. A college was founded
here in 1787; but the buildings are now appropriated to schools. Here
are manufactures of guns and other hardware; and about a mile distant
is a large cotton manufactory. The town has considerable trade, which
increases with the surrounding country. It is seated near Conestoga
creek, which runs into the Susquehanna, sixty-one miles west by north
of Philadelphia. Population, eight thousand four hundred and nineteen.
_Lancaster_, oldest town in Worcester county, Massachusetts, finely
situated on both sides of the Nashua, has manufactories of combs and
cotton, and an extensive engraving and stereotyping establishment. In
beauty of scenery the neighborhood is surpassed by that of few towns in
New England. Population, two thousand and thirteen.
_Lansinburg_, a town of Rensselaer county, New York, is principally
built on a single street parallel with the river. A high hill rises
abruptly behind the town, on which is seen the celebrated diamond rock,
emitting a brilliant lustre in the rays of the sun. Population, three
thousand three hundred and thirty.
_Lexington_, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, will ever be
memorable in American history, for the early revolutionary struggles.
The first battle was fought here between the British troops and the
Americans on the nineteenth of April, 1775. A monument has been erected
on the green at Lexington in commemoration of this event. Pop. 1559.
_Lexington_, capital of Fayette county, Kentucky, is the oldest town
in the state, and was for many years the seat of government. It stands
in a beautiful spot, on a branch of the Elkhorn river, in the centre
of the richest tract in the state. The principal street is a mile and
a quarter in length, spacious and well paved. The buildings are much
superior in size and elegance to those of the other towns in the state,
and may be compared to those of the Atlantic country. The Transylvania
university is established here. The public inns are large and
convenient. The town has manufactories of woolen, cotton, and paper.
The general appearance of the town is neat, and the neighborhood is
adorned with many handsome villas, and finely ornamented rural mansions.
Population, six thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven.
_Litchfield_, capital of Litchfield county, Connecticut, is situated
on an elevated plain, in the midst of a fertile and hilly country. It
contains numerous mills and manufactories. A law school was established
here in 1782, by Judge Reeve, which has been for many years highly
celebrated. Population, four thousand and thirty-eight.
_Little Rock_, the seat of government of Arkansas territory, is
situated on a high bluff on the south bank of the river Arkansas, and
derives its name from the high masses of rock above it. It was laid out
in 1820.
_Lockport_, a town of Niagara county, New York, on the Erie canal.
Here are the most remarkable works on the canal, consisting of ten
locks, overcoming an ascent of sixty feet. Besides these, there is an
excavation through the mountain ridge, for three miles, cut in the rock.
The town is a place of considerable trade. Population, five thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.
_Louisville_, a city of Jefferson county, Kentucky, on a plain
elevated about seventy feet above the level of the Ohio, opposite
to the rapids or falls, is a handsome town, and the largest in the
state. Eight broad and straight streets run parallel with the river,
and command a pleasant view of the opposite shore. They are paved
with blocks of limestone; the houses are built chiefly of brick. This
is the most commercial city of the west, commanding the trade of a
great extent of country. Manufactures are yet in their infancy. The
Louisville and Portland canal passes through this town, round the falls;
it is about two miles in length, and cut through a limestone rock. It
admits the passage of the largest steamboats, and thus opens a line of
free navigation from Pittsburg to the sea. This canal was finished in
1831. It has been estimated that seventy-five thousand travellers pass
through Louisville annually. The resident population is twenty-one
thousand two hundred and ten.
_Lowell_, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, situated at the
junction of the Concord and Merrimack rivers, is celebrated for its
extensive manufacturing establishments, and for its rapid increase. It
was incorporated in 1826. In 1831, the quantity of cotton manufactured
here was estimated at five million one hundred thousand pounds. The
water power is held and managed by a company possessing a great amount
of real estate, and a capital of six hundred thousand dollars. A
rail-road from Boston to Lowell is in rapid progress. The two largest
companies are the Merrimack, with a capital of a million and a half;
and the Lawrence, with a capital of one million two hundred thousand
dollars. Population twenty thousand nine hundred and eighty-one.
_Lynchburg_, a town of Columbia county, Virginia, is one of the most
flourishing and commercial towns in the state. It has several tobacco
warehouses and factories, cotton and woolen manufactories, and in the
vicinity are extensive flour mills. The surrounding country is rugged
and mountainous. Lynchburg was established in 1786. Population, four
thousand six hundred and twenty-six.
_Lynn_, a town of Essex county, Massachusetts, is noted for its
extensive manufacture of shoes. About a million and a half pair of
women’s shoes are made here every year. There is a mineral spring in
this town, with a hotel in its neighborhood. Population, nine thousand
and seventy five.
_Machias_, on the bay of that name, in Washington county, Maine,
consists of two villages, one at the falls at the east branch of
Machias river, and the other at the falls of the west branch, six and
a half miles apart, each containing a post office. The village at the
east falls is at the head of the tide, two miles above the junction
of the branches, and contains various mills. The village at the west
falls, contains the court house, jail, and various mills; there are
many saw mills in this town, which cut upwards of ten million feet
of boards in a year. The tonnage of the shipping in 1827 amounted to
five thousand two hundred and thirty-six; much of this is employed in
the transportation of plaster from the British territory adjacent to
Passamaquoddy bay. Population, one thousand three hundred and fifty-one.
_Marblehead_, a town of Essex county, Massachusetts, situated on a
peninsula projecting into Massachusetts bay. It is compactly, though
irregularly built; it was settled soon after Salem, and has been very
flourishing and opulent. It suffered severely during the revolution and
the last war. In the fishing business it has greatly excelled all other
towns in the United States. Population in 1810, five thousand eight
hundred; in 1840, five thousand five hundred and thirty-nine.
_Marietta_, in Washington county, Ohio, is finely situated near the
mouth of Muskingum river, in the centre of a fertile neighborhood. It
was one of the earliest settlements of the state; but it has suffered
severely from sickness and inundations of the river. Ship-building was
formerly carried on here, but has been discontinued. The inhabitants
are noted for industry and sobriety. Population, one thousand eight
hundred and fourteen.
_Maysville_, in Mason county, Kentucky, on the Ohio, stands on a
narrow bottom below the mouth of Limestone creek, and has considerable
trade and manufactures. It is the principal commercial depot for the
north-east portions of the state. It is a very busy and flourishing
town. Population, two thousand seven hundred and forty.
_Middlebury_, in Addison county, Vermont, situated on Otter creek,
has a college, two academies, several churches, and manufactures of
cotton, iron, and marble. A quarry of fine marble was discovered here
in 1804, and is now wrought for a variety of purposes. Population,
three thousand one hundred and sixty-two.
_Middletown_, a city of Middlesex county, Connecticut, on the west
bank of the Connecticut river, and thirty-four miles from its mouth,
is a pleasant place, and has considerable trade and manufactures. In
1816, it owned a larger shipping than any other town in the state. In
the neighborhood is a lead mine, which was wrought during the war. A
college, under the name of the Wesleyan University, was opened in this
city in 1831. Population, seven thousand two hundred and ten.
_Milledgeville_, capital of Baldwin county, Georgia, and metropolis of
the state, is situated on the west bank of the Oconee, eighty-seven
miles south-west of Augusta. It is a depot of cotton for the Savannah
and Darien markets. It contains several public buildings, and has four
weekly papers. Population two thousand and ninety-five.
_Mobile_, a city of Mobile county, Alabama, on the west side of
Mobile river, at its entrance into the bay. When this town came into
the possession of the United States, in 1813, it contained about three
hundred inhabitants; it now numbers twelve thousand seven hundred. It
is pleasantly situated on a spot elevated above the overflow of the
river; but the adjacent country is a marsh or a forest. Fire and the
yellow fever have committed great ravages here; but trade has increased
rapidly, and in the cotton business Mobile is inferior only to
Charleston and New Orleans.
_Montpelier_, shire town of Washington county, Vermont, and seat
of government, is situated on the north bank of Onion river, about
ten miles north-east of the centre of the state, and is a great
thoroughfare for travellers. It was incorporated in 1818, contains
a number of public buildings and good seats for manufactories.
Population, 3,725.
_Nantucket_, a town of Massachusetts, of the same extent with the
island and county of that name, contains seven houses of public worship,
two banks, and two insurance offices. It was formerly called Sherburne.
The trade suffered greatly during the late war and the revolution, but
has since been more flourishing. There are extensive spermaceti works
here. Education is well attended to, and the people, who are chiefly
Friends or Quakers, are generally moral and industrious. Population,
nine thousand five hundred and twelve.
_Nashville_, capital of Davidson county, and seat of government of
Tennessee, is regularly built, pleasantly situated on the south side
of Cumberland river, and is much the largest town in the state. It is
a rich and flourishing place. Steamboats from New Orleans ascend the
river to this point. The state penitentiary, a fine stone building, is
here erected. The University of Nashville was incorporated in 1806, and
is now in a very prosperous condition. Pop. eight thousand one hundred
and thirty-three.
_Natchez_, a city of Mississippi, and much the largest town of the
state, stands on a bluff, upwards of one hundred and fifty feet above
the surface of the river. The houses have an air of neatness, though
few are distinguished for elegance or size. To enable the inhabitants
to enjoy the evening air, almost every house has a piazza and balcony.
The soil of the adjoining country is rich, and vegetation of most kinds
attains to uncommon luxuriance; the gardens are ornamented with orange
trees, figs plums, peaches, and grape-vines. Natchez is the principal
town in this region for the shipment of cotton to New Orleans, and at
the business seasons the streets are almost barricadoed with bales. In
this place is the Planters’ bank, with a capital of three millions.