written, to base it substantially upon the testimony of many other persons, such as farmers, merchants, physicians, clergymen, &c., who have been long residents of the State, and whose personal experience is of much weight. In the course of my journey through the State, I accordingly made it one of my principal aims to cultivate the acquaintance of such persons, and to procure their impartial statements and opinions as to the existing state of things in Illinois. Among numerous others, who have very much favored me in this respect, I feel myself under particular obligations to Governor J. A. MATTESON, Lieutenant-Governor G. KERNER, and FRANCIS A. HOFFMANN, Esq. In making my further acknowledgments, it is but an act of justice to mention the following-named gentlemen, through whose kind letters and valuable written communications I have been enabled to make up a great part of the matter of this book, viz.:

F. J. Arenz, Esq., Arenzville, Cass co.

I. A. Arenz, Esq., Beardstown, Cass co.
S. A. Armstrong, Esq., Morris, Grundy co.
I. Atkinson, Esq., Pekin.
Edgar Babcock, Esq., Metamora, Woodford co,
R. G. Bailey, Esq., Mt. Carroll, Carroll co.
Wm. M. Bean, Esq., Metropolis, Massac co.
Edw. Bebb, Esq., Fountaindale, Winnebago co.
L. M. Beels, Esq., Belvidere, Boone co.
A. Berlin, Esq., Granville, Putnam co.

Jas. Biddlecom, Esq., Waukegan, Lake co.

Chs. Biel, Esq., Somonauk, De Kalb co.

Dr. Fred. Bock, Waterloo, Monroe co.

D. Bonar, Esq., Cambridge, Henry co.
A. K. Bosworth, Esq., Greenup, Cumberland co.
G. W. Bowyer, Esq., Pontiac, Livingston co.
Rev. C. A. Brauer, Addison, Du Page co.
Fred. Brendel, M. D., Peoria.

A. B. Briscoe, Esq., Marshall, Clark co.
James N. Brown, Esq., late President of the
State Agricultural Society Island Grove,
Sangamon co.

F. Bumann, Esq., Bunkerhill, Macoupin co.
Geo. Bunsen, Esq., Belleville.

Ph. Burk, Esq., Hardin, Calhoun co.
Z. Cadley, Esq., Knoxville, Knox co.
Thos. H. Campbell, Esq., Auditor of the State,
Springfield.

J, J. Cole, Esq., Oswego, Kendall co.
A. Collins, Esq., Hadley, Will co,
Dan. Converse, Esq., Waterloo, Monroe co.
T. R. Courtney, Esq., Ottawa, La Salle co.
F. E. Cummings, Esq., Lincoln, Logan co.
C. Dairly, Esq., Caledonia, Pulaski co.
F. S. Day, Esq., Peru.

Rosw. Dow, Esq., Sycamore, De Kalb co.
M. M. Dudley Esq., Naperville, Du Page co.

Wm. Eddy, Esq., Hennepin, Putnam co.
W. D. Edwards, Esq., Lacon, Marshall co.
John McElvain, Esq., McLeansboro, Hamilton

Co.

N. D. Elwood, Esq., Joliet.

Theo. Engelmann, Esq., Belleville.
Steph. Feussner, Esq., St. Clair co.
Edw. Forcht, Esq., Concord.

Henry Funk, Esq., Stout's Grove, McLean co.
H. W. Good, Esq., Vandalia, Fayette co.
R. S. Graham, Esq., Carmi, White co.
John McGraw, Esq., Clinton, De Witt co.
J. G. Hall, Esq., Shawneetown, Gallatin co.
Edson Harkness, Esq., Southport, Peoria co.
Wm. II. Haskell, Esq., Canton, Fulton co.
Jul. Heinrich, Esq., Peru.

John Hertel, Esq., Rock Island.
G. F. Hilgard, jr., Esq., Belleville.
John Hinton, Esq., Taylorville, Christian co.
C. Hofmann, M. D., Pekin.

F. A. Hoffmann, M.D., Beardstown.
Mich. Hogle, Esq., Middleport, Iroquois co.
Rev. F. W. Holls, Centreville, St. Clair co.
Rev. Hoppe, Belleville.

Jos. C. Howell, Esq., Carlinville, Macoupin_co.
James S. Johnston, Esq., Mt. Carmel, Wabash

co.

I. S. Irwin, Esq., Mt. Sterling, Brown co.
M. Kleinhenz, Esq., Henry, Marshall co.
E. M. Lamb, Esq., Woodstock, McHenry co.
J. A. M. Laurie, Esq., Urbana, Champaign co.
Wm. Leighton, Esq., Winchester, Scott co.
L. B. Leisenbee, Esq., Thebes, Alexander co.
Geo. W. Lowder, Esq., Jerseyville, Jersey co.
Jas. G. Madden, Esq., Monmouth, Warren co.
Jas. S. Martin, Esq., Salem, Marion co.

N. W. Matheny, Esq., Springfield.

W. L. Mayr, Esq., Albion, Edwards co.
Henry Menke, Esq., Beardstown.
Chas. Molitor, Esq., Springbay, Woodford co.
Henry T. Mudd, Esq., Pittsfield, Pike co.
Chrs. W. Murtfeldt, Esq., Oregon, Ogle co.
Messrs. Casp. & Hy. Oertley, Princeville, Peo-
ria co.

W. W. Oglesby, Esq., Decatur, Macon co.
J. N. Onstot, Esq., Havana, Macon co.
James F. Oulton, Esq., Monticello, Pratt co.
S. G. Paddock, Esq., Princeton, Bureau co.
J. N. Pearce, Esq., Vienna, Johnson co.
James M. Perry, Esq., Kankakee.
John W. Pyatt, Esq., Pinkneyville, Perry co.
John Ranney, Esq., Keithsburgh, Mercer co.
S. W. Raymond, Esq., Ottawa.

Jos. Reinhard, Esq., Granville, Putnam co.
C. Reuske, Esq., Petersburg, Menard co.
Const. Rilliet, Esq., Highland, Madison co.
B. Roberts, Esq., Shelbyville, Shelby co.
Wm. Ross, Esq., Pittsfield, Pike co.
Benj. Sammons, Esq., Hillsboro, Montgomery

co.

T. Sears, Esq., Oregon, Ogle co.

Rev. A. Selle, Crete, Will co.

A. Shaw, Esq., Lawrenceville, Lawrence co.
J. C. Short, Esq., Danville, Vermillion co.
James G. Soulard, Esq., Maple Lawn, Jo Da-
viess co.

Thos. McSoy, Esq., Ewington, Effingham co
Rev. S. Spies, Mascoutah, St. Clair co.
Dan. Stahl, M. D., Quincy.

I. Trautham, Esq., Macomb, McDonough co.
John Trousdale, Esq., Fairfield, Wayne co.
J. B. Turner, Esq., Elizabethtown, Hardin co.
Isaac Underhill, Esq., Peoria.

Pet. Unzicker, Esq., Groveland, Tazewell co.
A. Vetterhoeffer, Esq., Washington, Tazewell co.
P. H. Walker, Esq., Rushville, Schuyler co.
R. A. Warfield, Esq., Raleigh, Saline co.
Dr. Welsch, Mascoutah.

Alb. Weinberger, Esq., Whitefield township,
Marshall co.

F. Wenzel, M. D., Belleville.

John H. White, Esq., Marion, Williamson co.
Jas. Wightman, Esq., Carlyle, Clinton co.
J. Winn, Esq. Toulon, Stark co.
Dr. J. G. Zeller, Springbay, Woodford co.

I am, also, under particular obligations to DR. FRED. BRENDEL, of Peoria, for the drawings and delineations, which he had the kindness to furnish me, and which will be found appended to this book. They consist of three maps, viz. : —

1. A Prairie and Wood Map.

2. A Geological Map.

3. A Population Map.

Peck's Gazetteer of Illinois.

Illinois in 1837.

These maps, I am confident, the reader will find to form a very excellent and valuable supplement to the work.

The literary resources of which I made use, are—

Brown's History of Illinois.
Ford's History of Illinois.

Reynold's My own Times.

Reynold's Pioneer History of Illinois.

Reynold's Sketches.

-together with many newspapers, printed in the State, which the publishers had the kindness to send regularly to me.*

It was a part of my original intention to append to this work a complete Gazetteer of the whole State; but, for the want of room, I am compelled, very much to my regret, to desist from doing so. The very valuable material which I had collected for this purpose, and which I have now in my possession, I will, however, reserve, and prepare for the publication of a Gazetteer at some future period.

May this book meet a kind approbation, and benevolent criticism, and prove as welcome and useful to the citizens of Illinois as to new settlers. THE AUTHOR.

NEW YORK, December the 25th, 1856,

It being my intention to follow up, in future editions of this work, the progressive history and development of Illinois, and as I consider its newspapers as furnishing the best resources for this purpose, the publishers of newspapers in Illinois will great!y oblige me by sending me their papers regularly. If directed, "Gerhard's German Reporter, New York," they will cer tainly come to my hands.

IN THE PLACE OF AN

INTRODUCTION.

"THE brilliant destiny of Illinois is now fairly beginning to unfold, and to be read in the speed with which she is bounding forward upon the highway to prosperity and greatness. Earth holds not, upon all its broad surface, a more fertile and favored land than this, our own beautiful Prairie State. What a mighty aggregation of natural advantages do we behold within her borders! In the very centre of the great Mississippi Valley, and in the heart of the Confederacy, she is embraced by magnificent lakes and rivers. With a soil of unsurpassed richness, resting upon a bed of coal sufficient to "keep the hearthstone of the world bright for a thousand centuries"; with a climate genial and healthful; with a level contour of surface, inviting the construction of great works of internal improvement; abounding in mineral resources; destined to be the crossing for the grand lines of oceanic intercommunication, connecting the extreme sections of the Union- those lines which must become the highways of nations, over which will pass the products of every clime, and a great moving human tide, in one unceasing flow; blessed with all these advantages, nothing is wanting further to constitute the elements of physical greatness. We have an ample guarantee, in the character of her population, that her unbounded natural resources will receive

a speedy development. The heavy debt, from the contemplation of which so many shrank back appalled, now presses no more heavily upon her energies, than the curtain of morning mist that rests upon the bosom of her prairies. Her whole population are excited to unwonted activity by the brilliancy of the future; and, from every quarter, emigrants throng to her fertile plains. Inhabited by an honorable people, who kept her escutcheon free from the deep stain of repudiation, in the terrible ordeal of temptation through which she passed — inhabited by a generous people, who, although weighed down with onerous burdens, cheerfully submitted to additional taxation, to provide asylums for the stricken and unfortunate inhabited by a brave people, whose valor upon the field has illuminated some of the brightest pages of the Republic's history, and heard of wherever the "birds of fame have flown."

(From an Oration, delivered by ROBERT BELL, Esq., at Fairfield, Illinois.)