CHAPTER XXIII. 



WOODFORD COUNTY. 



Woodford county is bounded, on the north, by Marshall and LaSalle coun- 

 ties; on the east, by Livingston and McLean ; on the south, by McLean and 

 Tazewell ; and on the west, by the Illinois river. It is quite irregular in out- 

 line, and comprises a little over fifteen townships, or about five hundred and 

 fifty-six square miles. 



The most important stream in the county is the Mackinaw river, which in- 

 tersects the southern part from northeast to southwest. To this, Panther and 

 Walnut creeks are tributary, the former rising in township 27, range 2 east, 

 and the latter in township 27, range 1 west. The two forks unite in the south- 

 ern part of township 27, range 1 east, and, running a little to the west of 

 south, enter the Mackinaw in the southeastern part of township 26, range 1 

 west. Walnut creek rises in township 27, range 2 west, and empties into the 

 Mackinaw about four miles below the mouth of Panther creek. In the north- 

 western part of the county, are Richland and Partridge creeks, which rise, re- 

 spectively, in townships 28 and 27, range 2 west, and empty into the Illinois 

 in township 28, range 3 west. Only the southern and western portions of the 

 county are even comparatively well watered by these streams, and there are but 

 few springs within its limits. Good wells may generally be obtained at a depth 

 of from fifteen to fifty feet, but in some cases much difficulty is experienced in 

 finding water even at the latter depth. 



The larger part of the county is prairie, and the surface is, for the most part, 

 gently rolling. In the southern portion of the county the surface becomes more 

 broken and hilly, and the prairies of much less extent, while in the western 

 part, along the Illinois bluffs, and for some distance back, there is little or no 

 prairie land, and the country is quite broken and intersected by deep ravines. 



The soil of the prairies is a black loam, usually from one to three feet deep, 

 and sometimes even more, with a yellow or brown clay subsoil. Timber origi- 

 nally skirted, for the most part, the ridges along the water courses, and along 

 their summits and steep slopes, the subsoil conies near the surface, and the soil 

 is usually of a lighter color. Much of the timber has been cut away since the 



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