_My Dear Friend_,
In some of my first letters I gave you an account of the first
settlement of this country. The perturbed state of that period, and
the savage state of the country, which was one entire wilderness,
made the objects of the first emigrants that of security and
sustenance, which produced the scheme of several families living
together in what were called Stations.
As the country gained strength the Stations began to break up and
their inhabitants to spread themselves and settle upon their estates.
But the embarrassment they were in for most of the conveniences of
life, did not admit of their building any other houses but those of
logs and of opening fields in the most expeditious way for planting
the Indian corn; the only grain which was cultivated at that time.
The log house is very soon erected, and in consequence of the
friendly disposition which exists among those hospitable people,
every neighbor flew to the assistance of each other upon occasions of
emergencies.
The next object was to open land to cultivation. The fertility of the
soil amply repays the laborer for his toil; for if the large trees
are not very numerous, and a large proportion of them sugar maple, it
is very likely that from this imperfect cultivation, that the ground
will yield from 50 to 60 bushels of corn to the acre. The second
crop will be more ample; and as the shade is removed by cutting the
timber away, a great part of the land will produce from seventy to
one hundred bushels of corn from an acre.
The cattle and hogs will find sufficient food in the woods. The
horses want no provender the greater part of the year except cane and
wild clover. The garden with little attention, produces him all the
culinary roots and vegetables necessary for his table.
In three or four years his flock of cattle and sheep will prove
sufficient to supply him with both beef and mutton. By the fourth
year, provided he is industrious, he may have his plantation in
sufficient good order to build a better house.
Such has been the progress of the settlement of this country, from
dirty Stations or forts, that it has expanded into fertile fields,
blushing orchards, pleasant gardens, neat and commodious houses,
mining villages and trading towns.
A taste for the decorum of the table was soon cultivated; the
pleasures of gardening were considered not only as useful but
amusing. These improvements in the comforts of living and manners
awakened a sense of ambition to instruct their youth in useful and
accomplished arts.
The distance from Philadelphia by land is between seven and eight
hundred miles, and upwards of five hundred from Richmond. The
roads and accommodations are tolerably good to the borders of the
wilderness; through which it is hardly possible for a carriage to
pass, great part of the way being over high and steep hills, upon
the banks of rivers and along defiles which in some places seem to
threaten you at every step with danger.
The wilderness which was formerly two hundred miles through without a
single habitation, is reduced from the settlement of Powel's Valley
to nearly one half that distance; and it is to be expected that in a
few years more the remainder of the distance will afford settlements
for the accommodation of people traveling that route.
Upon the arrival of emigrants in the country they generally take a
view of that part which it is their object to settle in and according
to their circumstances fix upon such a situation as may appear
eligible for their business. The greater proportion are husbandmen.
(From A Topographical Description of the Western Territory of
America, by Gilbert Imlay, New York, 1793.)