438 
WISCONSIN STATE AGMCULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
The Montello river, a large mill stream, empties into tlie Fox at tliis place, 
and furnishes power for one-lialf mile of machinery, which is not one- 
fourth part improved. The inhabitants are made up of one-tliird Amer¬ 
icans, one-tliird Germans, and one-third Irish. A large majority of the set¬ 
tlers came in poor, and are now in good circumstances, some of them 
getting rich. Land is worth from five to fifteen dollars an acre; and there 
can yet be found good chances for several hundred families to make good 
homes, with a very little money. In less than three years we expect to 
have from one to three railroads running into or through Marquette county, 
which with the ship canal along the channel of the Fox river, will give 
Marquette county transportation and market facilities, not excelled by any 
county in the state. 
The people in this county are healthy and happy, and others who come 
amongst us to live, will be made to enjoy all the blessings we have enu¬ 
merated. 
MONROE COUNTY. 
BY D. MCBRIDE, SPARTA. 
Monroe county was organized as a county in 1854, and at its first election 
cast less than one hundred votes. By the late census of 1870, it appears 
that there are now twenty-one organized towns in the county, containing a 
population of 16,552. It has 402,070 acres of improved lands, the appraised 
value of which, on the assessment roll, is $1,783,524. The appraised value 
of its village lots and houses is $853,659. The following table shows the 
quantity and value of personal property: 
Articles. Value. 
3,767 horses owned.... . $205,412 
12,265 neat cattle.•. 192, 377 
146 mules, asses, etc. 9,257 
13,134 sheep. 17,271 
7,175 swine.<. 22,969 
2, 650 wagons, carriages, buggies, etc. 67,650 
Bank stock owned in the county. 52,180 
Merchants and manufacturers stock. 224, 416 
All other personal property. 188, 945 
Its soil is varied; a large portion of it of a sandy character, the balance 
loam and clay. The half west of the dividing ridge is composed of ranges 
of bluffs and valleys; the valleys are exceedingly rich and productive, pro¬ 
ducing the best spring and winter wheat in the state, while it also produces 
excellent grass, clover, etc. Dairying is now attracting the attention of 
many farmers in the county, and several cheese factories have gone into 
successful operation during the past year. The price of improved land va¬ 
ries from $15 to $50 per acre. All the valleys are well supplied with beau- 
