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CLINTON COUNTY.
Clinton County was formed from Washington and a portion of Bond, in December, 1824.
It is hounded north by Bond; east by Marion; south by Washington; and west by St. Clair, and a corner of Madison.
It is thirty miles long, and eighteen miles wide-containing about fourteen townships, or 504 square miles.
It is watered by the Kaskaskia river, which passes through it, and its tributaries-.Crooked, Shoal, and Sugar creeks;
and is about equally proportioned into timber and prairie.
Much of the land. in this and the adjacent counties is not equal in quality to that further north. This is true
especially of the prairies. The soil is thinner, the, surface is less undulating, and farmers are subjected to
greater inconvenience from wet seasons.
The timber, where it abounds, is generally of a good quality.
Clinton county belongs to the second judicial circuit, and sends one member to the house of representatives, and,
with Marion, one to the senate.
Population about 3,000.
The seat of justice is Carlyle.
COLES COUNTY.
Coles County was organised, in 1830, from Clark and Edgar counties.
It lies in the eastern part of the state, and is bounded north by Champaign; east by Edgar and Clark; south by
Jasper, and a corner of Effingham; and west by Shelby and Macon counties. It is forty-eight miles long, from north
to south; and twenty-six miles wide on a medium;-containing about 1,248 square miles.
The Kaskaskia river passes through four townships in its northwestern part; the Ernbarras runs its whole length,
with several branches; and the heads of the Little Wabash afford fine mill streams, and settlements, in its southwestern
portion.
This county contains much excellent land, equal in quality to the country on the Illinois river.
The northern, and a tract through the middle portions of the county are prairies of considerable extent; bat the
other parts are duly proportioned into timber and prairie.
The timber is similar to the borders of the Kaskaskia; and much of the prairie land is moderately undulating, The
southeastern part is rather wet or broken.
The streams are not large; they generally run over a bed of sand, and afford many good mill seats.
Most of the settlements are of recent formation, but its agricultural productions soon must exceed those of any
other county near the Wabash, and will find their way to that river for market.
It belongs to the fourth judicial circuit, and sends two members to the house of representatives, and, with Clark,
one to the senate.
The population is equal to 5800.
Pork, beef, cattle, and horses, will be the staple productions.
The seat of justice is Charleston.
COOK COUNTY.
Cook Counly was organised January 15th, 1831, and is bounded north by McHenry county, east by lake Michigan;
south by Will county; and west by La Salle. It is about 42 miles long and 36 miles wide, but irregularly shaped
on its eastern and southeastern sides. It has about 1330 square miles.
It is watered by the Des Plaines, the north and south branches of the Chicago, the Du Page, Hickory creek, and
some smaller streams.
Its surface is tolerably level, of a rich soil, with large prairies, and the timber in groves. There is a fine
body of timber on the north fork of the Chicago, and along the lake shore.
This county, and those adjacent, differ in several respects from the country below. The small streams run perennially,
over rocky and gravelly beds through the prairies. The timber is not confined to the banks of the streams, but
exists in groves and strips, often on the di viding ridges between the water courses. The summers are comparatively
cooler, and the winters longer and more severe.
Cook county is rapidly settling, chiefly by emigrants from the northern states; and will be both a stock and grain
growing region. Its market will be through the lakes to New York and Canada.
This county belongs to the seventh judicial circuit, and sends one senator and three representatives to the legislature.
The seat of justice is Chicago.
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
Crawford County was formed, in 1816, and lies north of Lawrence, east of Jasper, south of Clark, and west of
the Wabash river, that separates it from Indiana.
It is twenty two miles long, and twenty miles broad, containing 426 square miles.
Racoon, Hutson, Sugar, and La Motte creeks, are small streams, that rise in this county, and run east into the
Wabash; its western border is watered by branches of the Embarras.
La Motte prairie is a level and rich tract, admirably adapted to the growth of corn. Its exports are similar to
those of other counties along the Wabash, consisting chiefly of corn, beef, pork, and cattle.
Crawford county with Jasper sends one member to the house of representatives, and with Lawrence, one to the senate.
It is attached to the fourth judicial circuit.
The seat of justice is Palestine.
EDGAR COUNTY.
Edgar County was formed from Clark, in 1823, and is bounded north by Vermilion; east, by the state of Indiana;
south by Clark; and west by Coles county.
It is twenty-seven miles long, from north to south; and twenty-five miles wide, from east to west-containing eighteen
townships, or about 648 square miles.
Edgar county is watered by Big Clear, and Brulette's creeks, which are small streams, and enter the Wabash. Little
Embarras heads in the western and southwestern parts of this county, and runs southwest into Coles.
The south and east sides of this county are well timbered with all the varieties found on the eastern side of the
state, including poplar.
The soil in general is rich, adapted to the various productions of this state. Pork and beef-especially the former-are
its chief exports, which find a ready market at Terre Haute and Clinton, Indiana.
It belongs to the fourth judicial circuit, and sends two members to the house of representatives, and one to the
senate.
The seat of justice is Paris.
EDWARDS COUNTY.
Edwards County was organised from Gallatin, in 1814. It lies on the Little Wabash river, and has Lawrence county
on the north; Wabash county east; White County south; and Wayne county west.
it is twenty-two miles long, from north to south; and an average width of eleven miles-containing about 183 square
Miles, proportionably divided into timber and prairie. It is the smallest county in the state.
The prairies are small, high, undulating, and bounded by heavy timber. The English settlement formed by Messrs.
Birbeck and Flowers is in this county.
Edwards county is watered by the Little Wabash river which runs along and near its western border; and the Bon
Pas, which fowis its eastern boundary, and their branches.
its prairies are Boltenhouse, Burnt, Long, Bon Pus, Village, Bush and Mills, in all of which are flourishing settlements.
A settlement of about 60 families is in the timbered country, in the south end of this county.
Edwards county is attached to the fourth judicial circuit; sends one member to the house of representatives, and,
with Wabash and Wayne, one member to the senate. The seat of justice is Albion.
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