The MANITOWOC RIVER, or "river of spirits," is the largest and principal stream in the county. It originates in two main branches called the north and south branches, which have their origin near the two extremities of Lake Winnebago, and unite at the west line of this county. It drains about four hundred square miles of surface, and is navigable four miles, to the foot of the rapids. From this point there is a series of rapids extending twelve miles, with an aggregate fall supposed to be about one hundred and forty feet. Above this point the current is gentle, and the stream is navigable for canoes to within a few miles of Lake Winnebago.

A canal has been proposed along this river to Lake Winnebago, for the purpose of bringing the trade of the country, lying in that vicinity, and west of it, to Manitowoc, instead of Green Bay. The distance is about forty miles, and the summit, according to the survey of Captain Cram, on the north branch, is eighty-five and a half feet above Lake Winnebago, and about two hundred and forty-five feet above Lake Michigan, requiring a lockage (should the summit be cut down seventeen and a half feet, to the level of the head marsh, in township twenty, range nineteen) of two hundred and twenty-eight feet on the east side, and sixty-eight feet on the west side of the summit; or thirtyseven locks, of eight feet lift, each within forty miles. It is supposed that an abundant supply of water can be commanded on the summit.

The EAST AND WEST TWIN RIVERS are two streams rising in Brown county, and running in a southerly direction nearly parallel with each other (of nearly equal size), and entering Lake Michigan six miles northeast from the mouth of Manitowoc. They unite their waters just before they enter the lake. The East Twin runs nearly its whole course almost exactly parallel with the lake shore-a circumstance observed in many other streams. Like the

other tributaries of Lake Michigan, they have rapids a few miles above their mouth.

The SHEBOYGAN RIVER runs through the southwest corner of this county, and the head waters of Memee creek occupy a portion of the south tier of townships. Calvin's creek, a small tributary of Lake Michigan, four miles south of Manitowoc, and Point creek, seven miles from Manitowoc, are all that have received distinct names. There are two large branches of the Manitowoc, from the north, not yet named.

Post-offices have been established at Manitowoc, Manitowoc Rapids, and Twin rivers.

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY.

The county of SHEBOYGAN is bounded on the north by Manitowoc county; east by Lake Michigan; south by Washington county; and west by Fond du Lac county, embracing townships thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, in ranges twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-three east of the fourth principal meridian. It is twenty-four miles long from north to south, and has an average width of twenty and one-fourth miles. The area is, therefore, five hundred and ten square miles, of which about fifteen are covered by the waters of the Sheboygan lake, occupying the northwest corner township. The length of the coast line is twenty-six and one-eighth miles. This county was set off from Brown, in 1836, and organized for county purposes, in 1839. For judicial purposes it is united with Fond du Lac county; but is to be fully organized in 1846. The population in 1840 was one hundred and thirty-three; and in 1843 it was two hundred and twenty-one, and it is now supposed to be twelve hundred.

There are no prairies or openings; the whole country being covered by dense forests. Among the trees are found pine, to a considerable extent, which is manufactured into

lumber at the Sheboygan Falls, near the mouth of the river, and shipped on Lake Michigan.

The SHEBOYGAN RIVER rises on the high grounds near the southern extremity of Lake Winnebago, in Fond du Lac county, and running through Sheboygan lake, makes a sudden bend to the north, into Manitowoc county, and then turning to the south east, enters Lake Michigan near the centre of Sheboygan county. The original Indian name of this river it is almost impossible for any white man to pronounce (Shawb-wa-way-gun), and its meaning is, "the river that comes out of the ground." Whether it has any part of its course under the ground, as is often the case in limestone countries, and as this name would seem to indicate, is not known. It drains about three hundred and eighty square miles of surface. At the crossing of the United States road, about six miles above the mouth, there is a rapid or fall, affording abundance of water power, which is already improved. A town has been commenced here called "Sheboygan Falls."

MULLET RIVER is a considerable branch of the Sheboygan, entering on the south side, one mile above the Falls, and ONION RIVER enters immediately at the Falls. This last has a southerly direction for some distance, to a place noted as the "Salt Licks," and then turns completely around and runs north. Whether these salt licks indicate the existence of salt water or springs in the vicinity, remains to be determined. The rocks found here, and throughout the county, are limestone, similar to that found throughout the eastern portion of the Territory. The MEMEE CREEK is another instance of that remarkable parallelism so often observed in the rivers and streams of Wisconsin. It rises in Manitowoc county, and runs south between the Sheboygan river and the lake shore, and nearly parallel with each. It enters the lake three miles north of Sheboygan, having made a sudden turn to the northeast a few miles above its junction. BLACK CREEK runs nearly its

whole course (about six miles) parallel with the lake shore, and only about half a mile from it. It enters the lake three miles south of Sheboygan.

In 1840, there were in this county 4 horses, 59 neat cattle, 83 swine, one grist-mill and two saw-mills; and the products of the preceding year were estimated to be 548 bushels of wheat, 985 of oats, 75 of buckwheat, 170 of Indian corn, and 1,808 of potatoes; 62 tons of hay, 910 pounds of maple sugar, 420 barrels of fish, and eight thousand five hundred dollars worth of lumber.

There are five small lakes in this county, that are named on the maps, and four others not named.

The town of SHEBOYGAN is situated on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Sheboygan river, and is the port at which the commercial business of this county is mostly done. The value of the business done at this point, as stated by Col. Abert, is as follows:

Since 1841, no statements of the amount of business

have been published. The town now contains about three hundred inhabitants, and will soon become one of the most important points on the lake shore in the Territory. A temporary pier has been built to accommodate the shipping; and a good road opened between this place and Fond du Lac, thirty-five miles, for which the sum of three thou

sand dollars was appropriated by the general government. This road not only connects Sheboygan with the fine farming region about Fond du Lac, but also with the navigation of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.

SHEBOYGAN FALLS is the name of a thriving village situated at the Falls of the Sheboygan river six miles above the mouth, which is rapidly increasing in population and business. Sheboygan Falls is fifty-one miles from Milwaukee, twenty-nine from Manitowoc Falls, and sixty-three from Green Bay. There are two post-offices in Sheboygan county-at Sheboygan, and Sheboygan Falls.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

This is a large county lying on Lake Michigan, between Milwaukee and Sheboygan counties, and bounded on the west by Dodge county. It extends from the south line of township nine to the north line of town twelve, and from the west line of range eighteen to the lake-being twentyfour miles wide from north to south, and twenty-seven miles average length; and having, consequently, an area of six hundred and forty-eight miles. The coast line in this county is twenty-five and three-eighth miles. It was set off from Milwaukee county in 1836, and organized for county purposes in 1840, and for judicial purposes in 1845. The first settlements in this county were commenced in 1836, and in 1838 the population was sixtyfour; in 1840, it had increased to three hundred and fortythree; and in 1842, to nine hundred and sixty-five-showing a rate of increase that will soon make this one of the most important counties.

Its present population is estimated at five thousand five hundred. Having but little direct connection with the lake navigation, and the whole county being covered with a forest of oak, maple, beech, basswood, &c., will in some measure prevent the rapid settlement that might under other circumstances be expected. But Washington county