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Jones County is situated in the eastern part of the State, bounded on the north by Delaware and Dubuque Counties, on the east by Jackson and Clinton Counties, on the south by Cedar and on the west by Linn County, and comprises an area of sixteen Congressional Townships.
The surface is undulating, with numerous slight elevations or low, conical hills, the valleys extending in every direction. There is considerable timber along the streams, and at sundry places are found groves of oak, maple, walnut, ash and cottonwood on the prairies. The soil is fertile, and produces wheat, corn, oats and potatoes abundantly; the climate is decidedly healthful, and the whole county is well watered by the Maquoketa and Wapsipinicon Rivers, which traverse it in a southeasterly direction, and are fed by numerous tributaries. Good orchards of apples, cherries and wild plums are abundant, and other fruits are liberally produced in all parts of the county. Grapes, especially, are abundantly produced at small expense, and are destined to become an important product. The people are chiefly engaged in agriculture and stock-raising, and considerable attention is given to the dairy business, the products of the latter having largely increased during the last four or five years. A goodly number of cheese-factories and creameries are in a flourishing condition, and considerable attention is paid to the raising of fine horses and blooded stock.
Coal is not to be found, but the quarries of building-stone are the best in the State, fully equal in quality to the celebrated building-stone at Joliet, Ill., and much more easily obtained. Lead has been discovered in small quantities in the eastern part of the county, but not in sufficient quantities to pay for working.
The general productiveness of the county is equal to any portion of the State. The inhabitants are mostly Americans, and are an industrious and frugal people.
The first settlers located at Bowen's Prairie and at Monticello in 1836, in Fairview and Clay Townships in 1837 and at Anamosa in 1838. Wyoming, Rome, Jackson, Wayne, etc., were settled at about the same time, and some of them before 1838.
The facts herein recorded have been obtained from the old settlers themselves, from papers published in the county and from the county records. |
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