ridges, there are some extensive marshes, which once, próbably, formed the bottom of a large lake. Other portions of Jefferson county are more gently rolling, or level. There is much excellent farming land in this county, especially along the rivers; and Rock river valley maintains here the high reputation which it so deservedly has further south. The geographical position of this county, lying in the direct route between Milwaukee, the principal port on Lake Michigan, and the capital of the Territory, is believed to afford it some advantages; and with all her other advantages and sources of wealth, we cannot but anticipate the time when Jefferson will be known as one of the principal counties. The inhabitants are industrious, enterprising and public-spirited; as is evinced by the fact that, in one year, six bridges were built across Rock river and its main branch. The statistics collected in 1840, show 100 horses, 1,045 neat cattle, 32 sheep, 1,763 hogs, 1 store, and 4 saw-mills. The products of 1839 were, 6,647 bushels of wheat, 406 of barley, 4,465 of oats, 186 of rye, 118 of buckwheat, 15,192 of Indian corn, 14,410 of potatoes, 1,820 tons of hay, 13,050 pounds of maple sugar, and fifteen thousand seven hundred and eighty dollars worth of lumber. The village of Aztalan is situated on the west bank of the West Branch, on the United States road leading from Milwaukee to the Mississippi, by way of Madison-distant from Milwaukee about fifty miles, and from Madison thirty. It is very prettily situated, on the sloping bank of the river, immediately above the "ancient city" from which it derives its name. This ancient artificial earthwork, consists of an oblong enclosure, about five hundred and fifty yards in length, and two hundred and seventy-five yards in breadth, lying along the bank of the river. The walls are twenty-three feet wide at the base, and four or five feet high, having (except on the river side) an exterior semicircular enlargement, or buttress, and a corresponding interior recess every twenty seven yards. In some parts of the wall, and especially in the buttresses, the earth of which it is composed appears to have been mixed with straw, and burned in such manner as to resemble slightly burnt brick. There is no evidence that this substance was ever moulded into regular form. Within this enclosure are several remarkable mounds and excavations, and an unusual number of mounds (many of them very large) are found in the immediate vicinity, indicating that this spot was once occupied by a very numerous population, which continued to reside here for a great length of time. The place described as the "termination of a sewer about three feet below the surface, and arched with stone," appears to be not a regular arch, nor even a sewer. It is remarked, that we have yet no evidence that the ancient inhabitants of this continent were acquainted with the nature and properties of an arch. Aztalan, according to Humboldt, is the ancient name of the country from which the people of Mexico called Azteeks, emigrated; and this is described as lying far to the north. Hence a little fancy only is necessary to locate this country in Wisconsin, and at the place where the ancient works appear to be most extensive and interesting. These works were first explored, and a description of them published in 1836, by N. F. Hyer, Esq... JEFFERSON is situated on the east side of the river, a short distance above the junction of the West Branch, and contains a tavern, store, mechanic's shop, and numerous dwellings. A dam has been constructed across the river, causing a valuable water power, on which a saw-mill has been erected. The western termination of the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal, as located, is a short distance above this village. The village of Watertown is situated on Rock river, near the great bend, and at the foot of Johnson's rapids, where a dam across the river creates one of the most valuable water privileges in the country. The improvements are on both sides of the river, which is from two hundred to four hundred feet wide, and bordered by steep banks of limestone rock. The descent on these rapids is twenty-four and one-fourth feet; and the dam creates a head of about nine and a half feet. The population of Watertown is about five hundred, and no town in this part of the territory is improving more rapidly than this. FORT ATKINSON is a thriving village, situated on both sides of Rock river, at the north part of this town, and immediately below the mouth of Bark river. It is understood that a temporary fort was erected here during the Black Hawk war; hence the name. LAKE MILLS is the name of a village commenced on the east side of Rock Lake. Mills have been erected here, the water power being created by raising the surface of the lake. There are two large and ten small lakes in Jefferson county; LAKE KOSHKONONG being the largest. This lake may be considered as an expansion of Rock river; eight miles long, two and five-eighths miles average width, occupying an area of twenty-one sections or square miles, and having a periphery, measuring all the sinuosities of the shore, of twenty-eight and three-fourths miles. Immediately at the entrance of the lake, there is a rapid current extending six hundred feet into the lake, with only from two to three feet depth of water. Through the remainder of the lake, on the usual channel or track for boats and rafts, the water is from four to twelve feet deep. ROCK LAKE is two miles and three quarters long, one mile and a quarter wide, and covers an area of sixteen hundred and fifty-three acres, or a little over two and a half sections. Its name is derived from the unusual number of rocks along the shore, thrown up by the expansion of ice in winter, into a ridge, in many places several feet in height. It discharges its waters through a small stream in a northeasterly direction in the west branch. The shores of this lake are high, and present a beautiful prospect to the eye. RIPLEY LAKE, in Oakland, occupies parts of sections five, six and seven; is a mile and a half long, and occupies an area of four hundred and ninety-three acres. The coast line around it, is four miles and three-eighths. RED CEDAR LAKE lies one mile south of Ripley lake; one and a fourth miles long, five and a fourth around; has a very irregular form, and covers an area of five hundred and nine acres. It discharges its waters into Lake Koshkonong. CRANBERRY LAKE is in sections twenty-two, twentythree, and twenty-seven, in township seven, and range sixteen; about which an abundance of cranberries were found when surveying the canal through this region. Jefferson county is peculiarly favored as it regards rivers. Rock RIVER runs in every direction in passing through it— entering at the northeast corner, and leaving it at the southwest corner; and the WEST BRANCH, or Crawfish, almost equal in size to Rock river itself, runs more than half way through the county before it unites with the main river. The OCONOMEWoc, a considerable stream, the outlet of a series of small lakes in Milwaukee county, runs nearly through the town of Union, and then unites with Rock river. JOHNSON'S CREEK is a small stream, affording water sufficient to propel a saw-mill, at a point on the United States road. The KOSHKONONG CREEK runs near the west line of the county, partly in this and partly in Dane counties. The SCUPERNONG and WHITEWATER are two important branches of BARK river; and Bark river is here a considerable stream, affording water power. The Indian name of this river is Onakick, or " Peel-bark" river. It rises in Washington county, and passing through the northwest part of Milwaukee county, enters Rock river at Fort Atkinson, six miles above Lake Koshkonong. A part of its course is through some extensive marshes, where it is occasionally lost in the tall grass. Its source is on very elevated ground, so that it may be used in supplying the summit level of a canal across the country in this direction. The CRAWFISH, or West Branch of Rock river, rises near the northwest corner of Dodge county, where it receives the waters of Fox lake, and runs directly south, being confined almost exclusively to one range of townships (range fourteen). "In ascending this branch from its mouth, at Jefferson," says Capt. Cram, in his report, "the minimum depth of water for six miles, is believed to be not less than four feet in low stages. About one and a half miles above Aztalan there is a rapid of about two and a half feet fall in half a mile. On this rapid, during the lowest stages of water, the depth is not over ten inches. Above this rapid the stream is tranquil, and has a depth of five feet for about ten miles; above which there occurs a series of rapids with only about ten inches of water for half a mile. There is an abundance of water in the Crawfish for all purposes of navigation, and there is no doubt of its being susceptible of being improved within moderate limits of expense." Post-offices have been established at the fifteen following places in Jefferson county: Aztalan, Cold Spring, Fort Atkinson, Littleton, Union Centre, Watertown, Farmington, Jefferson, Koshkonong, Oakland, Palmyra, Pamelia Four Corners, and Bark-River. The town system is adopted, and the county is divided into ten towns as follows: KOSHKONG-township five, in ranges thirteen and fourteen. teen. SULLIVAN-township five, and south half of six in range sixteen. OAKLAND-townships six, in range thirteen. JEFFERSON--township six, in range fourteen, and the north half of six in ranges fifteen and sixteen. LAKE MILLS-townships seven and eight, in range thirteen. AZTALAN-townships seven and west half of eight, in range four teen. WATERTOWN-townships seven and eight, in range fifteen, and the east half of eight in fourteen. CONCORD-township seven, in range sixteen. |