SOLON ROBINSON, 1847 79 



Henry Wells, Sheriff; H. D. Palmer, Associate judge & 

 one vacancy & Hervey Ball, probate judge. D. K. Petti- 

 bone, Clerk, Joseph Jackson, County Auditor, Major All- 

 man, Recorder, Wm. C. Farrington, Treasurer, Alex Mc- 

 Donald, Assessor, S. T. Green, H. S. Pelton & Robt. Wil- 

 kinson, County Comrs. 



There are 15 Justices of the Peace in the County, some 

 of whom do not have a dozen cases a year, while the num- 

 ber upon the docket supposed to be much the largest of 

 any one in the county; from April 1st, 1846 to Apl. 1 '47 

 number only one hundred — among which there is only 

 one judgment & fine for a breach of the peace. Our jail 

 has been tenantless for years. 



There are only two open & notorious drinking shops in 

 the county, though the vile body & soul destroying poison, 

 is peddled out by seme half dozen road side tavern keep- 

 ers & at two stores in the county ; one of the owners of 

 which however has lately met with such a change of 

 heart as we hope will induce him to quit the wicked trafic, 

 particularly filling the pint bottles of notorious drunk- 

 ards. 



The county seat is the only village in Lake County. It 

 contains about 30 families — 2 churches building — 2 

 stores, 1 tavern — 2 convenient public offices — 1 school 

 house — and the usual quota of mechanics, as carpenters, 

 mason, wagon-makers, blacksmiths, tailors, shoemakers, 

 4 doctors & 3 preachers. 



The town is located upon a piece of gently modulating 

 prairie along the eastern border of a grove of oak & 

 hickory, which together with the growing shade trees 

 that have been planted & a goodly number of fruit trees, 

 gives the town in summer a cool and pleasant appear- 

 ance. And when seen in a clear morning as you approach 

 from the North East, where the view extends six or seven 

 miles across the prairie the view is such as I have never 

 seen exceeded. 



I have a few remarks upon the face of the country, to 

 show its general appearance & quality of soil & capability 

 of sustaining a dense population, and then I will close. 



