﻿nCHIOAK. 



MIOHIQAN. 



•nla, batwMO L«ke Ilnroo ond Lake Hicbigao, ilopai from the higher 

 OMitrml tntct with a very gridxtal dcaoant to the wet t, but more rapidly 

 tomrdi Lake Huron. On the cout of Lake Uichigan the cliffs, or 

 Uafft, are frequently 100 and oeeauonally 200 to 250 feet high. A 



C; portion of the northern part of tkia peniniuln ia prairie-lanil. 

 ihorea of both the great lakaa are poor and eanily, and along the 

 •hore of Lake Michigan there are lanay eminencos, formed near the 

 mouths of the numerous (mall rivers which join the lake by the 

 action of their current against the swell of the lake. 



The northern peninsuu is more raried in aspect and grander in its 

 picturesque featurea. On the eastern side it rises in low hilU from the 

 lakes to a more elevated tableland. Westward the country is broken 

 by high hills with intervening plains, and is in port occupied by a 

 portion of the Porcupine Mountains, which form the dividing range 

 of the waters which fall into lakes Superior and Michigan. The 

 highest summits of this range are said to attain an elevation of nearly 

 2000 feet Along the northern coast, from the Pictured llocks west- 

 ward, there are bare bold rocks and sandy plains ; and the country for 

 some distance inland being wild and dreary, it has been called the 

 Siberia of Michigan, By far the larger remaining part of the penin- 

 sula consists of vast forests of white and yellow pines, birch, oak, 

 ••pen, hemlock, and spruce trees, with ash and elm along the rivers, 

 and the sngar-maple in the southern parts. There are however also 

 wide and bare sandy plains. 



As the rivers of both peninsulas descend from the table-land to 

 the great lakes, they have but a short course. The principal rivers 

 of the southern peninsula arc the Detroit, St. Clair, Grand, and 

 Saginaw, which flow into Lake Huron ; and the St Joseph's, Oraiid 

 XaakegOD, and Kalamazoo, which flow into Lake Michigan. On the 

 table-land they run slowly, but on the declivity their course is accele- 

 rated and interrupted by rapida The most important are St Joseph's 

 River and Saginaw. St Joseph's falls into Lake Michigan, not far 

 from its southern extremity, after a winding course of about 2£0 

 miles. It has a sand-bar at its mouth ; but is navigable for keel-boats 

 to Lookport, 150 miles. The Saginaw ia formed by a great number of 

 branches, which descend from the table-land to the depression in which 

 it flows, and which may be considered as a prolongation of Saginaw 

 Bay. Some of these branchrs flow SO miles befure Uiey unite. After 

 their union the river takes the name of Saginaw, and ia navigable for 

 boats to its mouth, a distance of 30 miles. The rivers St Clair and 

 Detroit, as well as the lakes of Superior, Michigan, Huron, St Clair, 

 •od Erie, are noticed under Canada. The chief rivers of the northern 

 peninsala are the Montreal, Great Iron, Ontonagon, Huron, and 

 St John's, which fall into Lake Superior; and the Manistee and 

 Monomouie, which flow into Lake Michigan; but there are also 

 numerous smaller rapid streams, which are of great value for agricul- 

 tural and mechanical purposes. Beside* the great lakes, which almost 

 •urround the state, the whole interior of both peninsulas contains a 

 Tei7 laijie number of small Ukes, varying in size up to 1000 acrex, 

 nnerally of considerable depth, and abounding in fish, while their 

 •hore* and surface are the resort of numerous waterfowl 



There ia no canal in the state, but one or two of considerable 

 Importance have been for some time projected. 



In 1854 the total length of completed railways in Michigan exceeded 

 600 miles. The main lines are two very important transverse roads — 

 one, oiled the Central, extending from Detroit, by New Buffalo, to 

 Chicago, in Illinois ; the other, caiUed the Southern Michigan, extend- 

 ing bom Monroe to Chicago : both belong to the southern portion of 

 the (oathem peninsula, lliese lines have an immense traffic, as they 

 form the readiest communication between the Northern Atlantic states 

 and the Misaiasippi, and are in connection by means of branch-lines 

 and lake-eteamen with the neighbouring states and Canada. There 

 ■rs sevsral short lines in operation in the state, and others are 

 eoBuneoeed or projected 



Gtoloff, Mi9€ralom, dec — The rocks of Michigan belong principally 

 to the primitive and pahoozoio formationa Of the northern peninsula, 

 the middle and south-western portions are occupied almost entirely by 

 •raptive and metamorphic rocks, and they occur through the ceutre 

 of tae eastern district Granite rocks occur widely ; and iu proximity 

 "•^ ^«P are homblend, felspars, taloose and chloritic schists, and 

 •tMr ■Mtamorpbic rooks. Granite bonlden, often of immense sixe, 

 "•J^** '[jUi in many parts of the state. South of the granite and 

 mwaaa bads is a series of Lower Silurian rocks, consisting of Potsdam 

 MiMnns, what is termed by American geologists the lower sandstone, 

 ndUos UmeatoiMa, well marked by the characteristic fossils. The 

 »*** °£n™n » skirted southward by a narrow belt of Upper Silurian 

 •tejtj^ooodtatlM «rf the gray or cliff limestone and sandstone. The 

 ■"•*■•" P***"*"" peninsula, bordering Lake Superior, is occupied 

 *y roeks of the Hew Ked-Sandstone formation, or, aa some geologists 

 •Msrt, of Potolam or Old Rsd-Sandston* The straU oonmst of beds 

 of rwl-ooloared sandstone, with their intervening beds of clays, resting 

 on thick brds of conglomerates, occasionally capped with masses of 

 b^tie trap ; sod eveijwbere in ooniunction with or intersect^] by 

 ridi Teios aad drkM of copper-trap, J|»er, fibrous gypsum, Ac The 

 ; " ** * J*""""*""" •" *"• •<w"'era peninsula ai« of the Devonian 

 fomstion, which ooenpias a wide am iu the extreme north, and small 

 SMMS in the sonth, south-east, and southwest It is composed of 

 "cos group of strata, ooataiaiog ytrj fossiliferous Unestone beds of • 



light-gray colour, often whitish." The remainder, forming the main 

 portion of this peninsula, consists of Carboniferous strata ; the Lower 

 Carboniferous, or mountain limestone rocks, occupying, except where 

 they bear upon the Devonian, the outer area ; and the Upper 

 Carboniferous, or ooal-measurea, the entire centre of the peninsula. 



Michigan is extremely rich in minerals, though in this respect her 

 resources have soaroely begun to be developed. According to the 

 United States Geologists, who were especially deputed by the federal 

 government to examine these districts, the beds of iron in the northern 

 peninsula " are on a scale of such magnitude, and the ore is of such 

 purity , , . and there are such immense forests covering the surface 

 suitable for charcoal . . . that this iron region may be pronotmced 

 the most valuable and extensive in the world, for the manufacturing 

 of the finer varieties of wrought-iron and steel . . . The iron-ore 

 occurs in a metamorphic formation bounded by two granite beds, one 

 on the north and the other on the south, and it is prolonged westerly 

 beyond the Michiganig River. This formation consists of homblend, 

 talcose and chlorite shttes, with associated beds of homblend and fel- 

 spar racks, evidently trappeon in their origin. The ore consists mainly 

 of the specular or {>croxide of iron, with an admixture of the fine- 

 grained magnetic. In some instances the whole ridge, or knob, appears 

 to consist of one mass of pure ore. ... In others the ore ia mixed 

 with seams of quarts or jasper, which renders it less valuable." 

 Copper-ore is also found in extraordinary extent and richness. Point 

 Kewenaw is the centre of the copper region, which is said to extend 

 for 185 miles with a width of from 1 to 6 miles. Both iron- and 

 copper-mines are being worked, but, owing to the thinness of the 

 population and the want of shipping on Lake Superior, only very 

 imperfectly. Veins of silver occur on Point Kewenaw. ludicatjoos 

 of both bituminous and anthracitic coal are found in the carboniferous 

 region of the southern peninsula. Barytes, strontium, and gypsum 

 occur in the great mineral region of the northern peninsula. 'There 

 are in various parts both saline and sulphureous springs. Granite and 

 vai ious kinds of limestones and sandstones, affording excellent building 

 stones, abound ; and numerous quarries are in full work. Limestone 

 and marl for burning abound, as do also beds of marly clay suitabln 

 for the manufacture of pottery, and fine sands for the manufacture of 

 ghiss and porcelain. 



Climate, Soil, Produeliont. — The climate of this country is severe in 

 both peninsulas, though most so in the nortbeni. The winter gene- 

 rally begins in the middle of Kovember, and lasts to the middle of 

 March. The ice on the riven and borders of the lakes is strong 

 enough to admit travelling on sledges. The summers are nerer ho^ 

 but subject to considerable changes. In the hottest days the ther* 

 mometer rises to 70% but in the evening and morning it is as low as 

 46°. The climate is rather dry, and the quantity of snow which falls 

 not considerable. 



A very Urge portion of the northern peninsula appears to be ill 

 adapted fur agricultural operatioiUL Besides the extensive sandy 

 plains, there are immense forests, covering by far the larger part of 

 tho peninsula. Millions of acres are at present covered with pines. 

 The southem side of this peninsula is however more genial in climate, 

 and better fitted for the farmer. Much of it appears to be available 

 for the growth of wheat, oats, the grasses, and esculent plants ; though 

 not for maize. Vast tracts in this port are covered with the sugar- 

 maple, and more thinly with white and red oak, beech, and spruce. 

 The soil of the southern peninsula is considerably varied, but much 

 more fitted fur agricultural purposes, and appropriate manures are 

 readily obtainable. It is pretty extensively and carefully cultivated. 

 Both maiiO) and wheat flourish here ; and the other grains, especially 

 oats, fruit, potatoes, and other vegetables, are also largely grown and 

 succeed well. The country along the Strait of Detroit is famous fur 

 its orcbai-ds, which the French settlers planted, and which are ex- 

 tensive and well managed. A great quantity of cider is made, and 

 much of it is exported. Some flax, hops, and tobacco are grown. 

 Maple sugar is very largely prepared. Around the lakes of the table- 

 land, and near the mouths of some rivers, large tracts are covered 

 with wild rice {Zitania aqMotiea), on which immense flocks of water- 

 fowl, of various speoies, feed. We have already spoken of the almost 

 unbounded resources which the forests afford for the development of 

 the lumber trade. 



Domestic animals are r&pidly increasing iu numbers in the state. 

 Hoises, cattle, sheep, and swine are numerous, and wool is becoming 

 an important article of trade. Tho lakes and rivers abound in fish, 

 and the lake fisheries promise to beooine a rery considerable branch of 

 the industry of the state. 



Michigan has as yet scarcely any manuCscturea, Of 108,978 males 

 above the age of 16 in the state iu 1860, there were 65,815 returned 

 aa employed in agriculture, and 22,375 in commerce, trade manufac- 

 tures, mechanic artu, and mining. The principal manufacturing 

 establishments are iron-works : there are also woollen-factories, ttn- 

 ncries, and numerous flour- and saw-mills. The oopper-mines in 1850 

 employed 706 hands, 



■The state has little direct foreign commerce, ond that is with tho 

 adjoining British provinces, but tho lake commerce is very large oud 

 oonstantly increasing; in 1850 tho commerce on Lake Michigan 

 unonnted to nearly twenty-five million dollars. 



Divmviu, Ttnmi, <(e,— Michigan is divided into 43 counties, but 



