448 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Tlie county contains upwards of 100,000 acres of improved land, which is 
being rapidly increased every year. The population is about 5,000, its area 
700,000 acres, part of which is rich prairie. The greater portion is heavily 
timbered with hard wood. The northern and eastern townships of the coun¬ 
ty contain vast quantities of valuable pine timber, and the lumber business 
is one of the chief features. The county is watered by numerous rivers, 
brooks and clear spring lakes, abounding with brook trout, and other fine 
fish. Wild meadows are numerous,.producing excellent hay,and grazing 
for cattle, sheep and horses,.which thrive and do well.. 
Lands is cheap and can be obtained for actual settlement upon easy terms. 
There is considerable government land for homesteads left, but it is being 
rapidly taken up. 
The St. Croix river, a navigable tributary of the Mississippi, bounds 
the county on the west, affording a means of transportation for the 
products of the county, connecting with the West Wisconsin Railroad at 
Hudson, thirty miles south .of Osceola the county seat, and with the St. Paul, 
Stillwater and Taylor’s Falls Railroad, and the Superior and Mississippi 
Railroad at Stillwater, Minnesota, 23 miles north of Osceola. 
There are thirteen postoffices, thirty-three school houses, five churches, 
eleven stores, six saw mills, three flouring mills, and a number of manu¬ 
facturing establishments in the county. 
There are ten organized towns, all in good financial condition, with a 
population of prosperous, industrious and intelligent people, the majority 
of whom come from the New England states, and believe in good schools 
and good morals. 
Water powers abound; that afforded by the Falls of St.Croix being one 
of the largest and best in the west. Osceola and St. Croix Falls are the 
chief villages. Good wagon roads run through the county in all directions', 
which are being constantly improved as the settlements prosper; and in a 
few years the county will be thickly populated, and under improvements. 
No section of the state affords better inducements for capitalists and 
home seekers, and tire fact that emigrants are fast coming in, proves con¬ 
clusively that the county is well adapted to agricultural pursuits. 
Railroads are wanted to develope northwestern Wisconsin, especially 
Polk county, and as valuable grants of lands are expected—in fact 
guaranteed by the general government—a few years will see this great 
want supplied. 
PORTAGE COUNTY. 
BY J. PHILLIPS OF STEVENS POINT. 
This is the most central county of the state, and although its resources 
are far from being fully developed, it already holds the first rank on the 
upper Wisconsin in regard to position, soil, climate and commercial advan- 
