A New Yorker, David Thomas gave the second detailed description of Madison when he visited in the summer of 1816. He also made detailed observations in his brief notes about the countryside. Travels through the western country in the summer of 1816 : including notices of the natural history, antiquity es, topography, agriculture, commerce and manufactures ; with a map of the Wabash country, now settling. Thomas, David, 1776-1859 NOTES First edition. Howes, U.S.-iana, T 162. Title page, p. 50-153, p. 270-307. Scanned from original version published: Auburn [N.Y.] : Printed by David Rumsey.
Half a mile east of Indian Kentucky, we saw stones of the gun flint kind, in the road. The surface is chalking, orange, or red. These form between the limestone, a regular stratum which spreads over a large tract of country. Like the strata in Washington county, it is visible in both sides of every little valley that we crossed. The texture is excellement; and these give fire with the steel equal to the imported flints; but the cracks, or lines of division, are numerous. Though these stones are siliceous, the singularity of their situation, induced the celebrate Saussure to ask, if calcareous earth, in any circumstances, can be transmuted into flint? Certainly not; but silex in solution appears to displace a large* portion of that earth, and to combine with the residue so silenty as even in many cases to preserve the original form+ of the stone. In vegetable petrifactions this earth is so accurately in situated, that the sap vessels remain visible; and even the coloring matter of the wood, as we observe in the Irish home.
Notwithstanding its hardness, much of this earth is annually held in solution to supply the needs of vegetation, and profession Davy has even shown that the hollow stalked grasses derive firmness from this essential ingredient.
As we approached the banks of Indian Kentucky, hearing shrill screams over our heads, we looked up and first saw the parroquet. These birds, which are about the size of wild pigeons, are sometimes seen on the Miami.
This Creek now scarcely flows, though it has a channel wide enough for a heavy mill stream. Indeed, most of those through this country are very shallow,--bottomed on horizontal lime rock; and in some places, this stone has been whirled up by the water into heaps. The cavities thus formed are now ponds. It is remarkable that where horizontal rocks lie near the surface, the streams diminish greatly in drowths, whether these are calcareous or aluminous.
The north-west side of the Ohio was a wilderness after the adjacent parts of Virignia and Kentucky were settled; and the streams of these states were consequently named before many of the opposite side were known to the white people. To such creeks, with the word Indian prefixed, the appellation of the southern branches are transferred; and thus we have Indian Short Creek; Indian Wheeling, and Indian Kentucky; which denote that Virginia Short Creek, Virginia Wheeling, and Kentucky River, join the Ohio in those respective neighborhoods.
On ascending the hill from this creek, we traveled several miles on a winding ridge, in many places only about the width of a turnpike, with gulphs on each side awfully profound. I estimate these hills at 500 or 600 feet above the Ohio River; and on all parts below the limestone strata, which appears on their sides, the soil is extremely fertile. [This country, in general, is wretchedly cultivated; very little wheat appears, and corn constitutes the staff of life. But even this is greatly neglected, and wherever moderate marks of industry were observed, we felt pleasure from the novelty. We have never before seen to much difference in the growth of corn; some being scarcely six inches high, and some four or five feet.
On the hill side, which bounds the flats on the Ohio above Madison, I saw for the first time, a horse stripping bark. I had long since understood that such practices prevailed in new parts of our south-western states, where these animals receive no food from their owners in winter; but we think it remarkable that bark should be preferred to grass. The nettle tree (Celtis occidentalis) here called hack-berry, which grows in abundance over all these hills, is the favorite, thought sugar-maple and some others do not escape. He had stripped the butt to the height of three feet.
We had not seen the Ohio since we left Rising Sun, until we arrived on these flats, though we chiefly kept within a few miles. Vevay, noted for its vineyards and Swiss inhabitants, is situate on the banks of the river, but our road led to the right. This morning, the sun shone faintly through the thickening veil of clouds, and soon disappeared. Moderate rain without wind succeeded; and having traveled through it a long time, just before sunset as the sky was brightening in the west, we arrived at Madison, wet and fatigued. Here we met the members of the Convention, who had come from the eastern part of the state, now on their return home. Corydon, the seat of government, is 40 miles below this village, which place they left this morning.
7 mo. 1—Madison is the set of justice for Jefferson county. It is situate on an upper flat of the Ohio, and back, a few hundred yards, from the river. It consists of sixty or seventy houses, the principal number of which appear new. Indeed the larger part of the improvements which we have seen in this territory is of very recent date. Many of these houses are small and of hewn logs.
The jail is about twelve feet square, of the same materials, and, in aspect as well as in strength, forms a great contrast to those gloomy piles which older communities have erected in their own defense. With surprise we had also remarked one of similar appearance at Boone Court-house in Kentucky; and though these buildings neither shine much in topographical description, nor add to the beauty of these villages, yet posterity, from such specimens will learn from interest the simplicity of new founded empires; for in a few years these will be only remembered.
From the great number of small houses, and an apparent regularity in the streets, the aspect of this village is not imposing. With these impressions, my companion asked one of the convention how long this little town had been laid out. Whether the dignity of the ex-member was offended by such approach—or whether he thought this country undervalued—I leave for his biographers to determine; but assuming all of the majesty of repulsive greatness, he exclaimed, “I hope you don’t’ call this a little town.” It is true my friend had seen some cities, if not characters rather greater, but we think this is a thriving place, and from its situation on the river, will rapidly augment in wealth and population.
