CHAPTER XX. 



MERCER COUNTY. 



Mercer county lies on the northwestern border of the State, and embraces a 

 little more than fifteen townships, or about five hundred and fifty square miles. 

 It is bounded, on the north, by Rock Island county; on the east, by Henry 

 and Knox ; on the south, by Warren and Henderson ; and on the west, by the 

 Mississippi river. The fourth principal meridian passes along its eastern bor- 

 der, and it embraces townships 13, 14, and 15 north, of ranges 1, 2, 3, 4 and a 

 part of 5 and 6 west. 



It is intersected from east to west, through the northern portion, by Ed- 

 wards river, which, near the western border, changes its course, and, running 

 in a southwesterly direction, empties into the Mississippi about a mile and a- 

 half below New Boston. A few miles south of the Edwards is Pope creek, 

 which passes through the county in the same direction, and enters the Missis- 

 sippi at Keithsburg. In addition to these, there are in the northwest, Eliza 

 creek, which empties into Swan lake, and Camp creek, a tributary of the Ed- 

 wards ; while in the northeast are Parker's run and another Camp creek, also 

 branches of the Edwards. South of these is North Pope, a tributary of Pope 

 creek, and in the southeast are North Henderson and Duck creeks. These, 

 together with some smaller streams, furnish an abundant supply of water. 



A large portion of this county is prairie, while along the borders of the 

 streams are the so-called " barrens." The soil of the prairie is usually a deep 

 black or chocolate colored loam, with a yellow or dark brown clay subsoil. The 

 soil of the barrens is similar to that of the prairie, only lighter colored and of 

 less depth, while along the upper part of the slope it is of a light brown or yel- 

 lowish color, owing to the character of Ihe subsoil, which comes near the sur- 

 face. In some portions of the barrens, there is but a thin covering of soil, and 

 in these places it is quite light colored, showing that but little humus is present. 



