CHAPTEE IX. 



WHITESIDE COUNTY. 



The geology and physical geography of AVhiteside county are of a most 

 interesting character. 



The county is bounded on the north by Carroll county j on the east by 

 Lee county, except the north-east corner, which is touched by Ogle coun- 

 ty ; on the south by parts of Bureau and McHenry counties; and on the 

 west by Book Island county, the Mississippi river, and the Marais d'Ogee 

 slough. It is twenty-four miles long from north to south, and about 

 thirty -two miles wide from east to west. It contains sixteen full town- 

 ships, and four parts of townships on the western side. The number of 

 square miles or sections of land embraced in all these is about six hun- 

 dred and seventy^ x. 



The surface of the country is greatly diversified. The northern, north- 

 eastern, eastern, central, and south-eastern parts are chiefly composed 

 of high, level, rich prairie laud, as well adapted for agricultural purposes 

 as any of our north-western prairie lands. That part south of Bock 

 river, except a strip west of Prophetstown ; that part along the Marais 

 d'Ogee slough on the w T est and south-west; the region of the Cat-tail 

 slough, opening above into the broad Mississippi botton, and below into 

 the Bock creek bottoms these parts are level, low, and characterized 

 by marshy, swampy, grass covered sloughs and boggy and broad ex- 

 panses of wet lands. In some of the western townships sand prairies of 

 hungry, poor soil exist. The same may also be seen along portions of 

 Bock river. 



Along the western bluffs, and through the township of Ustick, the sur- 

 face is rough and covered with oak barrens. An alluvial band of heavy 

 timber fringes the lower part of Bock river. The high prairies are di- 

 versified with a number of beautiful groves. Among these, Genesee 

 grove, Union grove. Bound grove, and Kingsley's grove are the most 

 conspicuous. Bock creek, Elkhorn creek, and Buffalo creek have more 

 or less timber, thinly scattered along their devious windings. The 

 county, however, is rather scantily supplied with timber, 



The principal streams are Bock river, Otter, Bock, Elkhorn, Buffalo, 

 and Sugar creeks, and some few smaller tributaries of these. 



