SOLON ROBINSON, 1847 67 



taken by Mr. Pelton is still in operation. The route from 

 Michigan City to Peoria was let to be carried in four 

 horse post coaches, but never put in operation. The mail 

 now carried by Mr. Wells from City West to West Creek 

 is a remnant of this route. It is worthy of remark that 

 when I was appointed Post-Master here, there was not 

 another office in all the county west of La Porte to Joliet 

 & Chicago. 



The summer of 1838 was one of severe drouth & great 

 sickness & probably more deaths in proportion to the 

 population than in any other year up to this time, since 

 the commencement of the settlement. So great was the 

 drouth in the fall that the muskrats were driven out of 

 their usual haunts & frequently burnt out by the fall 

 fires running over the marshes, and were found wan- 

 dering about in search of water. One of them came into 

 my house but never so much as asked for a drink of whis- 

 key, but made his way through & went directly where 

 "the old oaken bucket, the moss covered bucket" con- 

 tained a more natural beverage for a thirsty muskrat, 

 and I was obliged to cover the well to keep them out. I 

 saw many places where the autumn fires burnt off all the 

 sod, and hundreds of the houses of these animals were of 

 course burnt up. Much damage was done to fences and 

 crops — The old adage that "Winter never sets in till the 

 swamps are filled in" failed this year, for 



During the continuance of the drouth, winter com- 

 menced. I remember that snow fell some inches deep 

 during the October court, and the ground frose up direct- 

 ly after & in it lots of small potatoes. 



A large addition was made this year to the German 

 Settlement. The Baptist church at Cedar Lake was or- 

 ganised, and preaching pretty frequent by Elder French 

 and Elder Witherel & Deacon Warriner. 



In November of this year. Judge Clarke & myself 

 proved out our pre-emption rights & got a title to the 

 land where Crown Point is located. A number of others 

 also in dif erent parts of the County did likewise. Before 



