58 GEOLOGY OF ILLINOIS. 



but will also become sources of profit to tlieir cultivators and sources of 

 exquisite pleasure to those who delight in using healthful, invigorating, 

 pure wines. The soil of this county, as of all these northern counties, 

 also produces and ripens in great perfection, the currant, gooseberry, 

 strawberry, raspberry, and other garden fruits. 



The county is reasonably, well watered with streams, which flow in 

 various directions over its surface. Of these, the Pecatonica, river is 

 the largest and most important. It enters the county about seven miles 

 from its northwest corner, flows in a course a little south of east to Free- 

 port, bends round to the westward at this latter place, and enters the 

 county of Winnebago, not far from the center of its western boundary 

 line. Its waters are turbid, and muddy as the "Yellow Tiber;" its 

 course is serpentine and crooked beyond comparison, winding and 

 doubling upon itself in the most capricious manner; its current slow 

 flowing, treacherous and silent, notwithstanding the general difference 

 in level between the northern and southern portions of the county, af- 

 fording few water powers, and they of limited fall, but heavy and con- 

 stant in their action. This is pre-eminently true of the six feet fall at 

 Freeport, but hardly so true of the power at Martin's mill, just across 

 the northern line of the county. Indeed, so far as a description of the 

 stream is concerned, the dispute as to the Indian significance of the 

 name Pecatonica "muddy water" and "crooked stream" might be 

 well reconciled by adopting both meanings, and applying them with 

 much truth to this tortuous body of flowing mud. Along portions of 

 its course, its oozy banks and stagnant waters might breed miasms and 

 fevers, were its influences not counteracted by the general healthfulness 

 and salubrity of the climate of Northern Illinois. Yellow creek enters 

 the county almost at the center of its western boundary line, and flows 

 into the Pecatouica two or three miles below and east of Freeport, its 

 general course being a little south of east. Its waters have a yellowish, 

 somewhat creamy color, and are slow flowing like the Pecatonica. The 

 color of its waters is derived from the Cincinnati shales, along its banks, 

 which dissolve and mingle with the water like yellow cream with muddy 

 coffee. Its course is not so crooked as the stream with which we are 

 comparing it. It wanders about in long undulating curves, instead of 

 short, abrupt doublings. It affords few water powers, and they of limi- 

 ted extent. Cedar and Richland creeks rise almost entirely within the 

 county towards its northern and central parts, flow southward, mingle 

 their waters together within a few miles of the Pecatonica, and empty 

 into the latter stream a few miles above Freeport. Both these streams 

 afford light, but rather constant water powers. The mills of the Hon. 

 JOHN H. A.DDAMS are located upon the former, at the romantic little 

 village of Cedarville ; the Sciota mills are located upon the latter, after 



