CHAPTER XII. 



MARSHALL AND PUTNAM COUNTIES. 



Marshall county is bounded on the north by Bureau and Putnam coun- 

 ties, on the east by La Salle and Livingston counties, on the south by 

 Woodford and Peoria counties, and on the west by Stark county. It is 

 twenty-four miles long from east to west, and fifteen miles broad at its 

 broadest part from north to south, and contains, as near as I could es- 

 inate, about three hundred and fifty square miles of land. The Illinois 

 river runs through this county from north to south, bearing towards 

 the west. On the east side of the river are the towns of Evans, Eoberts, 

 Hopewell, Bennington, Belle Plain, Richland, and Lacon all full towns 

 except Evans and Lacon, which are fractional ; and on the west of the 

 river are Saratoga, La Prairk, Steuben, Whitefield, and Henry, all full 

 towns except Henry and the next one south, which are fractional. 



The only streams of importance, besides the Illinois river, are Crow 

 creek Sandy creek, Mud creek, Spring creek, and Hickory creek. Crow 

 creek flows across the southern tier of towns near their southern limits, 

 east of the Illinois river. Sandy creek flows across the northern tier of 

 towns on the same side of the river. The other three are small streams 

 in that part of the county west of the river. The general surface of the 

 county is similar to that of Putnam county. First, there is the Illinois 

 river, with its broad and varying bottom; second, there are the bluff 

 ranges on either side of the stream, with the accompanying strips of 

 rough barren land, being the transition lands between the bluffs and 

 upland prairies ; and third, there is the level, upland prarie land, a few 

 miles away from the bluff ranges on either side. The entire eastern 

 end of the county, embracing almost four entire townships, is level, 

 rather flat prairie land, with a few undulations and gentle swells. This 

 resembles the country of the Grand Prairie in flatness and other char- 

 acteristics, and is almost devoid of geological interest. The western 

 end of the county, embracing about three townships, is also prairie, but 

 is more rolling and dryer than that on the eastern side of river. This 

 is the prevailing characteristic or difference between prairies east and 



