Mitchell County-1856

MITCHELL

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/23/2009 at 17:30:28

Maquoketa Sentinel, November 27, 1856.

Mitchel l County

The inducements which this county offers to settlers have yet been properly brought to the public notice. Take it all in all, it is conceded by those well qualified to judge, to be the richest, in both its agricultural and mineral resources, of the counties in the northern portion of the State. There has been discovered coal equal in quality to any Western coal and although not generally known it is said to exist in large quantities. We have an immense quantity of timber which borders upon the Cedar River, from two to four miles in width and extends through the county. There are three townships not in market, and we doubt if in the State can be found better inducements for settlers. We set it at low figures compared with those of others when we estimate the value of these lands, two years from this time at $10 to $15 per acre. The Cedar Valley road has been surveyed through the county, and to secure the benefit of the late vote, it will necessarily run through a portion of the government land and it will be completed in less than two years we have but little doubt. The settlements are rapidly filling up, the population of the county being now about 3000; but a little over two years since the first cabin was built. The principal towns are Osage, (and although a paper published at Mitchell, ignores our existence, we are alive and well with about 800 inhabitants) Mitchell, St. Ansgar and Eureka.- Osage Democrat.