CHAPTEE XII. 



MONTGOMEEY COUNTY. 



This comity is bounded on the north by Christian, on the east by 

 Christian, Shelby and Fayette, on the south by Fayette, Bond and 

 Madison, and on the west by Macoupin. Its superficial area is 19£ 

 townships or 702 square miles. 



Topography. — On Eamsey creek the hills are low and the country 

 gently undulating ; Dear Nokomis there are several mounds, with long, 

 gentle depressions between, stretching off into rich plains. Westwardly, 

 across the country, through townships 10, 11 and 12 N., the country is for 

 the most part rather flat. Near the East Fork of Shoal creek the hills 

 are generally low, becoming higher as we descend the stream ; in the 

 south part of T. 8 X"., they are 40 to 50 feet high. On Shoal creek and 

 Middle Fork the hills are 40 to 50 feet high, and rise by long, gentle 

 ascents. 



On the West Fork of Shoal creek the country is generally broken 

 for a few miles from the stream, and the hills are 60 to 70 feet high. 

 Near Lake Fork the hills are not very high. In the south half of the 

 county between the main streams there are occasional mounds, often a 

 mile or more across their base and about 50 feet above the adjacent plain, 

 with which they are connected by a long descent. 



Timber and Prairie. — Probably a little less than two-thirds of the 

 area of this county is prairie. The northern part is mostly prairie ; the 

 southern has a large proportion of timber. Sear Hurricane creek there 

 are post oak flats, changing to low white oak hills near the creek. At the 

 edge of the prairie the growth is mostly laurel oak, sumach, hazel, plum, 

 etc. Near Eamsey creek the upland growth consists of white oak, 

 black oak, post oak, laurel oak, hazel and sassafras. The East Fork 

 hills have mostly pin oak, black oak and post oak, changing near the 

 prairies to laurel oak, black oak and hazel. Shoal creek hills have 

 mostly white oak, black oak, sassafras and hickory, changing to poorer 

 flats, with post oak, black jack and black hickory, often extending to 



