WATER-Osage and Sac rivers, Big and Little Weaubleau, Bush, Coon, Little and Big Clear, Sim's creek and others flow through the county; the water supply is abundant the year around. 1 ROADS-Dirt, in fair order; plenty of material convenient to place them in first class condition; poll-tax, $2 to $3. TIMBER-Abundance of the different varieties of oak; also walnut, hickory, ash and maple; ample supply for home use. FUEL-Large supply of good coal, at $2.50 per ton; wood, $1.25 per cord. COST OF LAND-Varies from $10 to $50 per acre, according to location; timber, from $1.25 to $15 per acre. FARM LABOR-Supply, equal to demand; condition, good; wages, from $10 to $15 per month. PRINCIPAL CROPS-Corn, wheat, oats, hay, flax and fruits. Corn yields from 30 to 70 bushels; wheat, from 10 to 40 bushels; oats, 30 to 40 bushels per acre; no better county in the State for fruit-raising; "The Big Red Apple" is celebrated; large orchards are being planted each year. This is a superb stock county; for cattle, sheep and hogs it has no superior in America. SURPLUS PRODUCTS-Besides home consumption, the following products were shipped in 1894: SOCIAL AND GENERAL ADVANTAGES-Population, 18,058; unsurpassed educational advantages; there are 97 county school districts and six town districts well supplied with first-class teachers. Many good church buildings are scattered throughout the county. Pure water and an abundant supply with no swamps. The health of the county is very good. People are law-abiding. The honest newcomer is desired; first class immigration is welcomed. Among a large number of thriving towns is Osceola, the county seat. OSCEOLA-Population over 1200; situated on the right bank of the Osage river. It is beautifully laid out, high above the river, and is a very healthy place at all times of the year. It is on the Kansas City, Clinton & Springfield railroad. Good public schools, six churches, two flourishing banks, many handsome and well stocked stores. Streets and sidewalks in good condition, lighted by oil lamps. The popular fraternal orders have lodges. Fine lime works and gravet digging industries. A fine opening for flouring mills. Taxes-town, 5 cents; county, 45 cents; school, $1, and State 25 cents. Besides railroad towns the "inland" towns of Roscoe and Iconium are pleasant places to settle in. FACTS AND FIGURES-St. Clair county has 423,464 acres assessed at $2,303,505; her town lots are assessed at $342,585; personal property assessed at $1,018,138; total assessed value of property, $3,664,228. Assessed values are 35.58 per cent of real values; hence, actual wealth of county is estimated at $10,298,561. St. Clair county's personal property consists mainly of- 4,682 sheep, assessed at $1.03 per head; total... Number of schools operated in 1894. Number of teachers... Number of pupils... Amount spent for school.. Permanent school fund... $186,359 30,374 180,274 4,864 55,259 210,669 105 116 6,767 $29,167.12 ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY. Population, 19,109. Southeast; 60 miles south of St. Louis; traversed by St. Louis, I. M. & S. and M. R. & B. T. railroads. SOIL The mining properties are very extensive; more lead is shipped from St. Francois county than from any county in the State; shipment for 1894 amounted to over 38,000 tons; zinc is also found and mined. The bottom lands are rich black loam, and very productive. Black river and a number of creeks flow through the county and form a fine drainage system. The soil is good for general farming; grains, small fruits and vegetables yield abundantly. Cattle, sheep and hogs are raised and shipped each season. Through the county are to be found a number of thriving towns, among them Farmington, the county seat. FARMINGTON is situated a little way from the railroad, in the midst of a rolling country, conveniently reached by hacks which meet all incoming and outgoing trains. Farmington has more than doubled its population in the past ten years. It is a wide-awake town of over 1300 population; well graded streets, lighted by electricity, good hotels, stores well stocked with goods, and many churches, schools, newspapers, and a most hospitable and cultured society. The people welcome first class immigration, and for push and capital no county offers more advantages than does St. Francois county. FACTS AND FIGURES-St. Francois county has 280,557 acres assessed at $1,582,960; her town lots are assessed at $316,575; personal property assessed at $707,595; total assessed value of property, $2,607,130. Assessed values are 34.49 per cent of real values; hence, actual wealth of county is estimated at $7,559,089. St. Francois county's personal property consists mainly of 3,436 horses, assessed at $20 20 per head; total... Number of schools operated in 1894. Number of teachers.. Number of pupils... Amount spent for school..... Permanent school fund.. $69,425 31,680 67,350 3,255 12,965 337,790 61 89 4,425 $27,180.86 15,404.84 STE. GENEVIEVE COUNTY. Population, 9883. On the western bank of the Mississippi river, some 50 miles below St. Louis. The Chester, St. Mary's & Perry ville railroad traverses the southeastern part of the county. SOIL-Hilly' timber land, with extensive tracts of bottom land along the Mississippi river, and the inland water courses. The former consists of sandy clay, well adapted for wheat growing, the latter alluvial, adapted to corn, garden truck and fruit-growing. Large deposits of brick and potters' clay, white sand, yellow and red sandstone, marble, amorphous and crystalized limestone. Of metals there are. found copper, lead, iron and zinc. WATER-The river Aux Vasse, the Isle and Bois, Saline an Establishment creeks, all tributaries of the Mississippi, and the latter itself, which borders the county on the east for some 30 miles, afford an ample water supply. Springs, wells and cisterns, furnish pure, clear drinking water. ROADS-A main gravel road leads from Ste. Genevieve to Farmington; the balance are plain country roads, kept in fair condition at very little cost; road tax being only 5 cents on the $100 valuation. TIMBER The numerous ridges are covered with an abundant growth of pine, oak, hickory, walnut and pecan. Lumber and wagon timber are shipped. FUEL-AS coal is not found in the county, wood is almost exclusively used, price, $2.50 per cord. COST OF LAND-Costs from $10 to $30 an acre. Pasture land, $10 to $15 an acre. FARM LABOR-Supply up to demand, wages, from $10 to $20 a month and board. PRINCIPAL CROPS-Wheat, the main commodity, matures in nine months, and yields from 20 to 45 bushels to an acre. Corn yields from 30 to 60 bushels and is fed to the stock. Other crops are hay, one to three tons to an acre; clover and fruit. St. Louis market is only 50 miles distant by water; steamboats running daily. SURPLUS PRODUCTS-The following tables shows the surplus product shipped out of Ste. Genevieve county in 1894: SOCIAL ADVANTAGES—One-half of the 9883 people living in Ste. Genevieve county are Germans, the other half is evenly made up of French, Creoles and Americans. The Catholic faith predominates. Of the ten churches in the county, five are Catholic, two Lutheran, one each of the Methodist, Baptist and Christian; besides there are 55 public schools and seven parochial schools. GENERAL ADVANTAGES-The low prices and undeveloped riches of the soil, the rich deposits of metals and minerals, afford a good many opportunities for enterprising new.comers. Fruit-growers and vegetable raisers will find the advantages of this county equalled no where in the State. Ste. Genevieve county is the oldest county in the State. There are mining resources awaiting capital for its development. The soil is very productive; water is found of good quality and in quantity; growth of all kinds of timber. The people are hospitable, God-fearing and industrious. There are hardly any criminals in the county, as the county jail is often without an occupant for a year at a time. STE. GENEVIEVE, the county seat, is situated on the bank of the Mississippi river; it has some 2200 inhabitants and is the oldest settlement in the State; its streets are broad and clean. The town does a flourishing business; in addition to a bank and some twelve stores, there are two flour mills, three lime kilns, one broom and one tobacco factory, one brewery and one creamery. There is a good opening for a canning factory, a pottery and glass factory. Of fraternal organizations the K. of P., C. K. of A., St. V. de Paul, are represented. Of churches the Catholic, Lutheran and Baptist, two public schools (one for colored children), one Catholic and one Lutheran parochial school. |