510 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



dows and door frames, very substantial, and is in the 

 form of a cross, with equal length wings, and I should 

 judge about 120 feet through the center and 60 feet 

 across the wings. The lower room is paved and was all 

 in one room until lately one wing has been walled off, 

 and is used as a lecture room and library &c, belonging 

 to the "Working Men's Institute." Owing to prevailing 

 sickness, Rapp's community became dissatisfied with the 

 location, and in 1824 sold out to Robert Owen; whose at- 

 tempt and failure to form a community is well known. 

 He sold a part of his purchase to Wm. Maclun, 1 since 

 dead. Mr. Maclun's brother and three of Mr. Owen's 

 sons reside here upon portions of the property ; the most 

 of it having been sold out "in lots to suit purchasers." 

 There is nothing remaining here of the community sys- 

 tem. Rapp is, I believe, still living among his associates 

 at Economy, on the Ohio, below Pittsburgh, whither they 

 went from Harmony, and where they have grown exceed- 

 ingly wealthy, or rather increased the great wealth that 

 they took from here. For if I recollect aright, Mr. Owen 

 paid them about a quarter of a million of dollars. 



The land hereabouts is very fertile, though back from 

 the river it is quite broken and seems to be underlaid 

 with a very rich bed of marl that crops out in many of 

 the ravines, and may be resorted to in time for fertilizing 

 the surface. 



Well, well, here I am upon the fourth page — quite 

 enough for me, unless it were better. 



This boat is crowded with passengers. There is 3% 

 feet of water at French Island bar and about the same at 



'William Maclure, born October 27, 1763, in Ayr, Scotland; died 

 March 23, 1840. Pioneer geologist and patron of science and edu- 

 cation. Became a citizen of the United States in 1803. President, 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1817. Became in- 

 terested in Owen's projected community at New Harmony, Indi- 

 ana. Purchased land and persuaded other scientific men to ac- 

 company him to New Harmony. Founded New Harmony Working 

 Men's Institute in 1838. Died in Mexico. See sketch in Diction- 

 ary of American Biography, 12:135-37. 



