CHEROKEE COUNTY. 287 



CHAPTER XI. 



CHEROKEE COUNTY.* 



BY JOSEPH B. WALKER. 



The area of this county is 1008 square miles, lying between north latitude 

 31° 25'— 32° 7' and west longitude 94° 52'— 95° 25'. 



Acreage. — The number of acres is 645,120. The number of acres in field 

 cultivation in 1888 was 95,197, or 14.75 per cent. Fruit and garden 2335 

 acres. 



DRAINAGE. 



This county is watered and drained in the north central portion by the 

 West Fork of the Angelina River and its tributaries; on the southeast by 

 the Angelina River and its western tributaries, Beaver Creek, Mud Creek, 

 Roark's Creek, and their tributary branches. The Neches River forms the 

 western and southern boundary. The tributaries of the Neches within the 

 limits of the county are Owl Creek, Copes Creek, Gum Creek, One Arm 

 Creek, Bull Creek, Bean's Creek, Bowles Creek, Larrison's Creek, Devil's 

 Creek, and their tributary branches. 



SURFACE. 



The surface of this county consists of elevated plains, ridges, hills, rolling 

 upland, and valleys. The elevated plains form a watershed, dividing the 

 waters of the Angelina River from the waters of the Neches River, and ex- 

 tend from Larissa in a southeasterly direction, including Jacksonville, Rusk, 

 Alto, to the middle of the southeastern boundary of the county. 



SOILS. 



The soil on the elevated plains and summits of ridges and hills is sandy 

 and easily cultivated. 



The hillside soil is marly, mixed with sand from the summit soil and dis- 

 integrated aluminous iron ore. 



The valley soil is a mixture of the finer washings of the upper soils and or- 

 ganic matter. 



About one-half the area of the county has been estimated as susceptible of 

 cultivation. 



* Xo i E. — The general features and distribution of the ores of this county were so fully de- 

 scribed by Dr. R. A. F. Penrose, Jr., in the First Annual Report (pp. 31, 67, etc.), that the 

 following is only intended as supplemental to his work. • 



