Economy.Elizabethtown, a town of Essex county, New Jersey, situated on a creek of Newark bay, was originally settled by emigrants from Connecticut. It has some good gardens, and supplies many agricultural products for the New York market. Population, four thousand one hundred and eighty-four.Exeter, a town of Rockingham county, New Hampshire, fourteen miles south-west from Portsmouth, is situated at the head of the navigation on Swamscot river, a branch of the Piscataqua. Formerly, ship-building was carried on here to a great extent, and the vessels were employed in the West Indian trade; at present, this business is much decreased, but several manufactories have been established. Here is a celebrated academy, incorporated in 1781. Population, two thousand nine hundred and eighty-five.Fayetteville, a village of Cumberland county, North Carolina, is situated at the head of uninterrupted boat navigation on Cape Fear river. In 1831, it was desolated by a destructive fire; but it is rapidly regaining its former flourishing condition. Population, four thousand two hundred and eighty-five.Frankfort, the metropolis of Kentucky, and chief town of Franklincounty, stands on the east bank of Kentucky river, sixty miles above its entrance into the Ohio. The river, which is here about one hundred yards wide, with bold limestone banks, forms a handsome curve, and waters the southern and western parts of the town. The bottoms on both sides of the river are very broad, but subject to inundation. Frankfort is about sixty-two miles from Louisville. Population, 1,917.Fredericksburg, a port of entry, and chief town of Spottsylvania county, Virginia, situated on the right bank of the Rappahanoc river, is a flourishing place. It stands at the head of tide water. Population, three thousand nine hundred and seventy-four.Fredericktown, in Frederick county, Maryland, is situated forty-seven miles from Baltimore, on the Pittsburg road, and is a flourishing place, carrying on considerable manufactures, and a brisk inland trade through a fertile and well-cultivated country. It is the second town in the state, and increases with rapidity. Population, five thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.Galena, a village in Illinois, the centre of a celebrated lead-mining district, from which it takes its name. It is situated on Fever river, five miles before it empties into the Mississippi.Gardiner, a flourishing town in Kennebec county, Maine, on the west bank of the Kennebec river. It has a considerable trade in lumber, and in manufactures of cotton and iron, and many very valuable mills. In this town is a Gothic church, built of granite, and considered the finest specimen of architecture in the state. Population, five thousand six hundred and forty-four.Church in Gardiner.Georgetown, city of the district of Columbia, and separated from Washingtononly by a small creek, is finely situated on a series of heights at a bend of the Potomac. It is well laid out, and contains some good private residences. The Catholic college is an ancient pile of building, with a large library, and some good paintings. The Chesapeak and Ohio canal passes through this town. Tobacco and flour are exported in considerable quantities. Population, seven thousand three hundred and thirteen.Gloucester, a seaport of Massachusetts, in Essex county, and on the peninsula of cape Ann, is one of the most considerable fishing towns in the country. The harbor, which is defended by a battery and forts, is accessible for large ships. This town suffered severely from fire a few years ago; but the damage has been nearly repaired. Population, six thousand three hundred and ninety-four.Hagerstown, in Washington county, Maryland, is a well-built and flourishing place, surrounded by a fertile country. It is a handsome town, and the houses are generally of stone or brick. Population, three thousand four hundred.Hallowell, in Kennebec county, Maine, is one of the most flourishing and wealthy towns in the state. The river is navigable to this place for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons. Hallowell granite is extensively quarried and wrought, and is much esteemed. The commerce of the place is considerable, confined chiefly to the lumber trade. Population, four thousand six hundred and fifty-five.Hanover, in Grafton county, New Hampshire, situated on the Connecticut, is a pleasant village, and the seat of Dartmouth college, which was established in 1771. It received its name from one of its principal benefactors, the earl of Dartmouth. This town is crossed from north to south by Moose mountain. Population, two thousand six hundred and thirteen.Dartmouth College.Harrisburg, the seat of government of the state of Pennsylvania, is in Dauphin county, and situated on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna, ninety-six miles from Philadelphia. It is regularly built, and has a handsome state house, and other public edifices. A bridge here crosses the Susquehanna. Population, six thousand and twenty.Hartford, city, the capital of Hartford county, and, jointly with New-Haven, the seat of government of Connecticut. It stands on the western bank of the Connecticut, at the head of sloop navigation. It is handsomely built, and contains many fine public edifices, among which are a Gothic church, much admired for its architecture; a state house, a deaf and dumb asylum, a retreat for the insane, and a seminary called Washington college. This institution was founded in 1826. Hartford enjoys a considerable commerce with Boston, New York, and the southern cities. The bookselling trade is carried on here extensively, and there is much inland traffic with the towns on the Connecticut, and in the neighborhood. On the opposite bank of the river is East Hartford, which is connected with the city by a bridge. The inhabitants point out to the stranger an ancient oak tree in the southern part of the city, which bears the name of the Charter Oak, and is interesting on account of its connection with our early history. Pop. twelve thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.Hartford, Conn.Haverhill, in Essex county, Massachusetts, on the Merrimack, twelve miles above Newburyport.Pop.four thousand three hundred and seventy-three. This is a pleasantly situated town, and has considerable ship-building and trade by the river. It was settled in 1640, and suffered much in the early Indian wars. In 1698, the Indians attacked and set fire to the town.Hudson, a city of New York, in Columbia county, with considerable manufacturing business. The streets are spacious, and cross each other at right angles, and the houses are supplied with water brought in pipes from a spring two miles distant. The trade is considerable, and vessels of the largest size can unload here. It is seated on an eminence, on the east side of Hudson river. It is twenty-eight miles south of Albany. Population, five thousand six hundred and seventy.Indianapolis, capital of Indiana, situated in Marion county, on the west bank of White river, in the centre of one of the most extensive and fertile bodies of land in the world, though recently settled, promises to be one of the largest towns between Cincinnati and the Mississippi. Thecountry about it is said byMr.Flint to be settling with unexampled rapidity. Population, two thousand six hundred and ninety-two.Jameston, an ancient town in James City county, Virginia, the first English settlement in the states, was established in 1608. It stands on an island in James river, thirty-two miles above its mouth. It is now in ruins, and almost desolate. Two or three old houses, the ruins of an old steeple, a church-yard, and faint traces of rude fortifications, are the only memorials of its former importance.Jefferson City, seat of justice for Cole county, Missouri, and capital of the state, is situated on the right bank of Missouri river, about nine miles above the mouth of the Osage. It is a new town, containing two hundred houses and twelve hundred inhabitants, and, after Little Rock in Arkansas, is the most western state capital of the United States.Kaskaskia, an ancient village of Illinois, and seat of justice for Randolph county, is situated on Kaskaskia river, eleven miles from its mouth. It was one of the earliest French settlements in the Mississippi, and once contained seven thousand inhabitants; it is now very much reduced, numbering only one thousand. The situation of this town is represented as very beautiful.Kennebunk, a town of York county, Maine, at the mouth of a river of the same name, has considerable lumber trade. The principal harbor is obstructed by a sandbar, and in 1820 an appropriation was made by Congress to build a pier at the mouth of the river. Population, two thousand three hundred and twenty-three.Knoxville, the chief town of East Tennessee, is situated one hundred and eighty miles from Nashville, on the north side of Holston river, where it is three hundred yards wide; on a beautiful spot of ground, twenty-two miles above the junction of the Holston with the Tennessee. The college of this town is one of the oldest seminaries in the state. Population, three thousand.Lancaster, a handsome town of Pennsylvania, and capital of a county of the same name. It is a pleasant and flourishing place, situate in a fertile and well-cultivated country, and contains a court house, a jail, two banks, and nine places of worship. A college was founded here in 1787; but the buildings are now appropriated to schools. Here are manufactures of guns and other hardware; and about a mile distant is a large cotton manufactory. The town has considerable trade, which increases with the surrounding country. It is seated near Conestoga creek, which runs into the Susquehanna, sixty-one miles west by north of Philadelphia. Population, eight thousand four hundred and nineteen.Lancaster, oldest town in Worcester county, Massachusetts, finely situated on both sides of the Nashua, has manufactories of combs and cotton, and an extensive engraving and stereotyping establishment. In beauty of scenery the neighborhood is surpassed by that of few towns in New England. Population, two thousand and thirteen.Lansinburg, a town of Rensselaer county, New York, is principally built on a single street parallel with the river. A high hill rises abruptly behind the town, on which is seen the celebrated diamond rock, emitting a brilliant lustre in the rays of the sun. Population, three thousand three hundred and thirty.Lexington, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, will ever bememorable in American history, for the early revolutionary struggles. The first battle was fought here between the British troops and the Americans on the nineteenth of April, 1775. A monument has been erected on the green at Lexington in commemoration of this event.Pop.1559.Lexington, capital of Fayette county, Kentucky, is the oldest town in the state, and was for many years the seat of government. It stands in a beautiful spot, on a branch of the Elkhorn river, in the centre of the richest tract in the state. The principal street is a mile and a quarter in length, spacious and well paved. The buildings are much superior in size and elegance to those of the other towns in the state, and may be compared to those of the Atlantic country. The Transylvania university is established here. The public inns are large and convenient. The town has manufactories of woolen, cotton, and paper. The general appearance of the town is neat, and the neighborhood is adorned with many handsome villas, and finely ornamented rural mansions. Population, six thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven.Litchfield, capital of Litchfield county, Connecticut, is situated on an elevated plain, in the midst of a fertile and hilly country. It contains numerous mills and manufactories. A law school was established here in 1782, by Judge Reeve, which has been for many years highly celebrated. Population, four thousand and thirty-eight.Little Rock, the seat of government of Arkansas territory, is situated on a high bluff on the south bank of the river Arkansas, and derives its name from the high masses of rock above it. It was laid out in 1820.Lockport, a town of Niagara county, New York, on the Erie canal. Here are the most remarkable works on the canal, consisting of ten locks, overcoming an ascent of sixty feet. Besides these, there is an excavation through the mountain ridge, for three miles, cut in the rock. The town is a place of considerable trade. Population, five thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.Louisville, a city of Jefferson county, Kentucky, on a plain elevated about seventy feet above the level of the Ohio, opposite to the rapids or falls, is a handsome town, and the largest in the state. Eight broad and straight streets run parallel with the river, and command a pleasant view of the opposite shore. They are paved with blocks of limestone; the houses are built chiefly of brick. This is the most commercial city of the west, commanding the trade of a great extent of country. Manufactures are yet in their infancy. The Louisville and Portland canal passes through this town, round the falls; it is about two miles in length, and cut through a limestone rock. It admits the passage of the largest steamboats, and thus opens a line of free navigation from Pittsburg to the sea. This canal was finished in 1831. It has been estimated that seventy-five thousand travellers pass through Louisville annually. The resident population is twenty-one thousand two hundred and ten.Lowell, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, situated at the junction of the Concord and Merrimack rivers, is celebrated for its extensive manufacturing establishments, and for its rapid increase. It was incorporated in 1826. In 1831, the quantity of cotton manufactured here was estimated at five million one hundred thousand pounds. The water power is held and managed by a company possessing a great amount of real estate, and a capital of six hundred thousand dollars. A rail-roadfrom Boston to Lowell is in rapid progress. The two largest companies are the Merrimack, with a capital of a million and a half; and the Lawrence, with a capital of one million two hundred thousand dollars. Population twenty thousand nine hundred and eighty-one.Lynchburg, a town of Columbia county, Virginia, is one of the most flourishing and commercial towns in the state. It has several tobacco warehouses and factories, cotton and woolen manufactories, and in the vicinity are extensive flour mills. The surrounding country is rugged and mountainous. Lynchburg was established in 1786. Population, four thousand six hundred and twenty-six.Lynn, a town of Essex county, Massachusetts, is noted for its extensive manufacture of shoes. About a million and a half pair of women’s shoes are made here every year. There is a mineral spring in this town, with a hotel in its neighborhood. Population, nine thousand and seventy five.Machias, on the bay of that name, in Washington county, Maine, consists of two villages, one at the falls at the east branch of Machias river, and the other at the falls of the west branch, six and a half miles apart, each containing a post office. The village at the east falls is at the head of the tide, two miles above the junction of the branches, and contains various mills. The village at the west falls, contains the court house, jail, and various mills; there are many saw mills in this town, which cut upwards of ten million feet of boards in a year. The tonnage of the shipping in 1827 amounted to five thousand two hundred and thirty-six; much of this is employed in the transportation of plaster from the British territory adjacent to Passamaquoddy bay. Population, one thousand three hundred and fifty-one.Marblehead, a town of Essex county, Massachusetts, situated on a peninsula projecting into Massachusetts bay. It is compactly, though irregularly built; it was settled soon after Salem, and has been very flourishing and opulent. It suffered severely during the revolution and the last war. In the fishing business it has greatly excelled all other towns in the United States. Population in 1810, five thousand eight hundred; in 1840, five thousand five hundred and thirty-nine.Marietta, in Washington county, Ohio, is finely situated near the mouth of Muskingum river, in the centre of a fertile neighborhood. It was one of the earliest settlements of the state; but it has suffered severely from sickness and inundations of the river. Ship-building was formerly carried on here, but has been discontinued. The inhabitants are noted for industry and sobriety. Population, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen.Maysville, in Mason county, Kentucky, on the Ohio, stands on a narrow bottom below the mouth of Limestone creek, and has considerable trade and manufactures. It is the principal commercial depot for the north-east portions of the state. It is a very busy and flourishing town. Population, two thousand seven hundred and forty.Middlebury, in Addison county, Vermont, situated on Otter creek, has a college, two academies, several churches, and manufactures of cotton, iron, and marble. A quarry of fine marble was discovered here in 1804, and is now wrought for a variety of purposes. Population, three thousand one hundred and sixty-two.Middletown, a city of Middlesex county, Connecticut, on the west bank of the Connecticut river, and thirty-four miles from its mouth, is a pleasant place, and has considerable trade and manufactures. In 1816, it owned a larger shipping than any other town in the state. In the neighborhood is a lead mine, which was wrought during the war. A college, under the name of the Wesleyan University, was opened in this city in 1831. Population, seven thousand two hundred and ten.Milledgeville, capital of Baldwin county, Georgia, and metropolis of the state, is situated on the west bank of the Oconee, eighty-seven miles south-west of Augusta. It is a depot of cotton for the Savannah and Darien markets. It contains several public buildings, and has four weekly papers. Population two thousand and ninety-five.Mobile, a city of Mobile county, Alabama, on the west side of Mobile river, at its entrance into the bay. When this town came into the possession of the United States, in 1813, it contained about three hundred inhabitants; it now numbers twelve thousand seven hundred. It is pleasantly situated on a spot elevated above the overflow of the river; but the adjacent country is a marsh or a forest. Fire and the yellow fever have committed great ravages here; but trade has increased rapidly, and in the cotton business Mobile is inferior only to Charleston and New Orleans.Montpelier, shire town of Washington county, Vermont, and seat of government, is situated on the north bank of Onion river, about ten miles north-east of the centre of the state, and is a great thoroughfare for travellers. It was incorporated in 1818, contains a number of public buildings and good seats for manufactories. Population, 3,725.Nantucket, a town of Massachusetts, of the same extent with the island and county of that name, contains seven houses of public worship, two banks, and two insurance offices. It was formerly called Sherburne. The trade suffered greatly during the late war and the revolution, but has since been more flourishing. There are extensive spermaceti works here. Education is well attended to, and the people, who are chiefly Friends or Quakers, are generally moral and industrious. Population, nine thousand five hundred and twelve.Nashville, capital of Davidson county, and seat of government of Tennessee, is regularly built, pleasantly situated on the south side of Cumberland river, and is much the largest town in the state. It is a rich and flourishing place. Steamboats from New Orleans ascend the river to this point. The state penitentiary, a fine stone building, is here erected. The University of Nashville was incorporated in 1806, and is now in a very prosperous condition.Pop.eight thousand one hundred and thirty-three.Natchez, a city of Mississippi, and much the largest town of the state, stands on a bluff, upwards of one hundred and fifty feet above the surface of the river. The houses have an air of neatness, though few are distinguished for elegance or size. To enable the inhabitants to enjoy the evening air, almost every house has a piazza and balcony. The soil of the adjoining country is rich, and vegetation of most kinds attains to uncommon luxuriance; the gardens are ornamented with orange trees, figs plums, peaches, and grape-vines. Natchez is the principal town in this region for the shipment of cotton to New Orleans, and at the business seasons the streets are almost barricadoed with bales. In this place is the Planters’ bank, with a capital of three millions.The reputation of Natchez in regard to morals seems to be rather at a discount. The lower town is said to have a worse character than any place on the river; and, particularly in the spring, to present a congregation of the most abandoned and desperate. The following picture by a recent traveller is probably overcharged: ‘In the evening, a steamer stops at Natchez to land or take in goods, the passengers observe several houses lighted up, and hear the sounds of fiddles and merriment, and they run up to see what is going on; they find men and women dancing, gambling and drinking; the bell of the steamboat rings to announce that she is about to continue her voyage, the lights in the houses of entertainment are immediately extinguished, and the passengers run out, afraid of being too late for the boat, and run down toward the landing; ropes are drawn across the road, the passengers fall heels over head, a number of stout ruffians throw themselves upon them, and strip them of their money and watches, and they get on board in doleful plight, and of course never see or hear more of their plunderers!’ Population, 4,826.Natchitoches, commonly pronounced Nackitosh, a town of Louisiana, is beautifully situated on the south-west bank of Red river, at the head of steamboat navigation. The trade between Louisiana and the Mexican states centres here, and it must eventually become a place of great size and importance. This town was established more than a hundred years ago, and its population is a mixture of Americans, French, Spaniards, and Indians.New Albany, in Floyd county, Indiana, is an industrious and flourishing village, with a ship-yard for building steamboats. During the summer, many steamboats are laid up here to be repaired. Population, four thousand two hundred and twenty-six.Newark, capital of Essex county, New Jersey, is handsomely built, and finely situated on the west side of Passaic river. It is one of the most beautiful towns in the country. It has extensive manufactures of shoes, leather, coaches, and cabinet work. Morris canal passes through this town. Population, seventeen thousand two hundred and ninety-two.New Bedford, port of entry in Bristol county, Massachusetts, stands on an arm of Buzzard’s bay, about fifty-two miles south of Boston. ‘We entered New Bedford,’ says a recent tourist, ‘through Fairhaven, by way of the ferry. From Fairhaven the town shows to better effect than from any other point. A stranger, perhaps, might be surprised at the great apparent extent of New Bedford as seen from this place. Passing through the villa of Fairhaven (a place of no inconsiderable size by the by,) it opens before him, with its spires, its shipping and buildings, like a beautiful panoramic painting of some great city. It appears much larger, however, than it is. Its population is 12,585. Its commerce is principally in the whale fishery, employing one hundred and fifty whale ships. The “county road” displays many elegant mansions, the dwellings of some of the more wealthy inhabitants. New Bedford is considered a very wealthy place, and the inhabitants active and enterprising. A large proportion of them are Quakers.’Newbern, in Craven county, North Carolina, was once the capital, and is still the largest town of the state. It is situated on the Neuse, thirty miles above its entrance into Pamlico sound. The river is navigable tothis place, and its commerce is considerable. Population, three thousand six hundred and ninety.New Brunswick, a city of New Jersey, partly in Middlesex and partly in Somerset county, on the south-west side of Raritan river, is built on a low but healthy situation, and has considerable trade. Besides the other public institutions usually found in towns of similar size, this has a theological seminary, and a college; both established by the Dutch Reformed Church. Population, eight thousand seven hundred and eight.Newburgh, a port of entry in Orange county, New York, is a well-built village, pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Hudson, commanding a delightful view of the river and the highlands. The principal streets are paved. A considerable amount of shipping is owned in this village; agriculture and manufactures are also extremely flourishing. Population, five thousand six hundred and sixty-two.Newburgh.Newburyport, in Essex county, Massachusetts, at the mouth of the Merrimack, is remarkable for the beauty of its situation, and the regularity of its streets. It stands upon a gentle declivity sloping down to the river, the streets are generally straight and at right angles, and the town lies along the bank of the river for about a mile. The principal streets pass through the whole width of the town, from the summit of the declivity to the river. The buildings are generally handsome, and the streets clean. Few towns in the United States surpass Newburyport in beauty. It was desolated by a fire, which broke out on the night of May 31, 1811, and destroyed nearly three hundred buildings. The place has never recovered from the effects of this calamity; at the present day, the traveller is struck with the view of a wide heap of grass-grown ruins, in the heart of a populous town.The harbor of this place is good, but obstructed at the entrance by a dangerous bar; attempts are now making to improve it by a break-water on the south side of the channel. The mercantile enterprise of the place has latterly been diverted from commerce to the fisheries. Ship-buildingis carried on to a considerable extent, and a manufactory of hosiery has been established in the place. This town has seven churches, two banks, two insurance offices, and two newspapers. A handsome chain bridge crosses the river from the centre of the town. The celebrated preacher, George Whitefield, died in this town in 1760, and is now entombed in the Presbyterian church in Federal street, where an elegant monument has been erected recently to his memory. Population, seven thousand one hundred and twenty-four.New Castle, seat of justice of the county of the same name, in Delaware, and formerly capital of the state. The village extends lengthwise along the Delaware river, on a rising plain, and is tolerably compact and well built. It once enjoyed considerable trade. Population two thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven.New Harmony, or Harmony, a town in Posey county, in the south-western part of Indiana, on the Wabash, formerly the seat of the Harmonists, under the German, Rapp, and more recently of the followers of Owen, of Lanark. The former establishment was removed to Economy, and the latter abandoned.New Haven, a city and seaport of Connecticut, in New Haven county, lies at the head of a bay that runs out of Long Island Sound, and is situated on a beautiful plain, bordered on the north by bold and perpendicular eminences. It is regularly laid out and consists of two parts, the old and new town. The old town is divided into squares of different extents. The public buildings of the city are handsome and well situated. The state house is a fine edifice, on the model of the Parthenon. Several of the churches have a commanding appearance; two of them are of Gothic architecture, and built of stone. Private dwelling-houses are mostly of wood, handsome and convenient. The public square and principal streets are finely ornamented with trees; and beautiful gardens attached to many of the residences, give the town a rural and delightful appearance.New Haven.The harbor of New Haven is shallow, and gradually filling with mud,but it is well defended from winds, and the maritime commerce of the port is greater than that of any other town in Connecticut. Its interior trade is assisted by the Farmington canal. Packets and steamboats ply regularly and frequently between this port and New York. The Indian name of this town was Quinipiack. It was first settled by the English in 1638, and was the capital of the colony of New Haven, which remained distinct from that of Connecticut till 1665. The state legislature meets here and at Hartford alternately. Yale College, one of the most distinguished literary institutions in America, is established in this city; connected with this are a theological, a medical, and a law school. Many academies and smaller seminaries are also established here. Population, fourteen thousand three hundred and ninety.New London, a city of New London county, Connecticut, in the south-eastern part of the state, has a fine harbor near the mouth of the Thames. It is irregularly built, principally at the foot of a hill facing the east. There are many pleasant sites in the higher parts of the town, and several of the buildings are handsome; but the general appearance of the place is not flourishing. The neighboring region is rocky and sterile, and there are no great channels of communication with the interior. The recent attention of the merchants to the whale fisheries has given a considerable impulse to the place, and promises to restore it to its former importance as a commercial city. Fort Trumbull is situated at the south of the town, and to the east, on the opposite side of the river, are the remains of Fort Griswold, which, during the revolution, was the scene of a well-remembered and fearful tragedy. Population, five thousand five hundred and twenty-eight.New Madrid, now an insignificant village, though historically interesting, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, eighty-one miles below the mouth of the Ohio. This town was founded in 1787, and was intended to become a great commercial city, and the emporium of the vast tract of fertile country watered by the Mississippi, the Missouri, and their branches. It was indeed happily situated for the purpose; but the river has swept away the ground on which it was originally placed, and the earthquakes of 1812 have sunk the remainder of the bluff below high-water mark. It is impossible to visit this spot, knowing any thing of its history, and not be struck with the air of desolation it now breathes. There was a fine lake in the rear of the town, on the banks of which public walks and plantations of trees were planned for the accommodation of its inhabitants; this is now a heap of sand. As the earthquakes are occasionally recurring in this neighborhood, even to the present time, people have been cautious in respect to settling here; but as they are becoming more assured, New Madrid is gradually emerging from her prostration.New Orleans, the capital of the state of Louisiana, is situated directly on the east bank of the Mississippi, one hundred and five miles from the mouth of the river. In the year 1717, this city was founded; and at that period, there were not, perhaps, five hundred white inhabitants in the whole valley of the Mississippi. In the beginning of 1788, the town contained one thousand one hundred houses, built of wood; in March of that year, by a fire, the number of houses was reduced in five hours to two hundred. It has been rebuilt principally of brick, which is of so soft a nature, that the buildings are plastered on the outside with a thick coat of mortar, andthen painted or whitewashed. Several warehouses with stone fronts have been recently erected. The city is regularly laid out, and the streets are generally forty feet wide, crossing each other at right angles. The public buildings are generally elegant, commodious and expensive. There are few churches. The Catholic cathedral is a noble edifice, ninety feet by one hundred and twenty, with four towers. ThePlace des armesis a beautiful green, which serves as a parade. Most of the houses in the suburbs have fine gardens, ornamented with orange groves. The general style of living is luxurious, and the private dwellings are elegantly furnished. The markets are plentifully supplied with the necessaries of life, and the luxuries of every country; but provisions are dear.New Orleans will become to the United States the great emporium of commerce and wealth, if, by the draining of the marshy country in the neighborhood, it ever becomes a healthy city. The more we contemplate the present and prospective resourses of New Orleans, the more must we be convinced of its future greatness. Being built in the form of a crescent, the curve of the river constitutes a safe and commodious harbor. Defended on one side by the river, and on the other by a swamp that no effort can penetrate, the city can only be approached through a defile three quarters of a mile wide.New Orleans is gradually becoming more purely American in all its characteristics; but many of its inhabitants are of French and Spanish descent, and the French language is more commonly spoken than the English. The charitable institutions of the city are highly creditable. Education is not so much attended to as in other parts of the country; but great improvements have been made in this respect within a few years. The police is efficient, and scenes of disorder rarely occur.This city is the grand commercial metropolis of the Mississippi valley. The tributaries of the great river on which it stands afford an extent of more than twenty thousand miles, already navigated by steamboats, and passing through the richest soil and the pleasantest climates. Steamboats are departing and arriving every hour, and fifty or sixty are often seen in the harbor at one time; while many hundreds of flat boats are seen at the levee, laden with the various productions of the great valley.Measures have been adopted by the state legislature to have the neighboring country well explored, for the purpose of draining, raising, and improvingit.64The streets of the city have been paved, and gutters are washed by waterfrom the river.Pop.one hundred and two thousand one hundred and ninety three. New Orleans will probably become the largest city of America.Newport, a seaport and semi-metropolis of Rhode Island, is pleasantly situated on the south-west end of the island of Rhode Island, thirty milessouth of Providence. During the summer months it is a place of fashionable resort, being celebrated for the salubrity of its climate. It formerly possessed considerable commerce, and contained more than nine thousand inhabitants; but during the revolution, it was a long time occupied by the enemy, and suffered severely. The principal street is a mile in length; the houses have an antique appearance. The harbor is very safe, sufficientlyspacious for a whole fleet, and defended by three forts. Newport was first settled in 1638. A large stone mill is still standing here, which was erected before the date of the earliest records. Population, eight thousand three hundred and thirty-three.Asylum at Newport.New York.New York, the largest and most populous city in the United States, lies in the state of that name, at the head of New York bay, about sixteen miles from the Atlantic ocean. Manhattan island, on which the city stands, and which is formed by the Hudson, the Hærlem, and East rivers, with the bay on the south, is fifteen miles in length, and from two to three in breadth. On the south-west point of the island, overlooking the bay, is a fine public promenade, of from five to six hundred yards in length, and one hundred and fifty in breadth, prettily laid out in walks, and planted with trees. In the evenings it is generally crowded with citizens, who assemble to derive the benefit from a pleasant breeze off the water, or listen to a band that frequently plays in the Castle garden, which is connected with the walk by a wooden bridge. The former promenade is called the Battery, from having, in the olden times of the Dutch settlers, or during the revolutionary war, mounted a few guns; and the Castle garden, in a similar manner, possessed no garden, nor could it ever have possessed one, being a modern stone fort, with twenty-eight embrasures, built upon a solid rock, which appeared but a short distance above the water. This being an unprofitable kind of investment of funds, has been let by the corporation to a publican, who has converted it to a much more profitable use charging sixpence for admission, and giving a ticket, so that the visitor may enjoy a stroll upon the upper platform of the fort, admire the view, and then call for a glass of liquor at the bar. The battery, nevertheless, is the most pleasant promenade in New York, and excels any thing else of the kind in America. Governor’s island, about three quarters of a mile distant in the bay, has a large stone circular fort, with three tiers ofembrasures, and is calculated for more than one hundred guns at its western extremity.Castle Garden and Battery.Of the public buildings of New York, the City Hall, containing the supreme court, mayor’s court, and various public offices, situated in the park, a fine and handsome square, is the most remarkable; and being fronted with white marble, has a beautiful effect when seen through the trees in the park. The building is upwards of two hundred feet in length, with a dome and tower surmounted by a statue of justice. The Merchants’ Exchange, in Wall street, is a fine edifice, of the same material as the front of the City Hall. The basement story is occupied by the post-office, and above it the Exchange, eighty-five feet in length, fifty-five in width, and forty-five in height to the dome, from which it is lighted. The greater proportion of the other buildings in the street, are insurance offices, banks, and exchange offices.‘The churches in New York,’ says Lieutenant Coke, ‘are handsomer edifices than those in the southern cities I visited, and contain some interesting monuments.St.Paul’s, in the park, is one of the finest in the states. In the interior, there is a tablet in the chancel to Sir Robert Temple, baronet, the first consul general to the United States from England, who died in the city; and one to the wife of the British governor of New Jersey, who died during the revolution, from distress of mind; being separated from her husband by the events of the time. In the yard, also, there is a large Egyptian obelisk of a single block of white marble, thirty-two feet in height, erected to Thomas A. Emmett, an eminent counsellor at lawand brother of the Irish orator who suffered during the rebellion. When I visited New York again, some months afterwards, one front of it was embellished with an emblematical representation of his fortunes. Though it was in an unfinished state, and the canvass had not been removed from before the scaffolding, I could catch a glimpse of the representation of a hand, with a wreath or bracelet of shamrock round the wrist, clasping one with a similar ornament of stars, and the eagle of America sheltering the unstrung harp of Ireland.Mr.Emmett had emigrated to the states, and settled in New York, where he had acquired considerable reputation many years previous to his death. There is also another monument near it, under the portico of the church, to General Montgomery, who fell in the unsuccessful attack upon Quebec in 1775. This monument was erected previously to the declaration of independence by the congress; and in 1818, when his remains were removed from Quebec to New York, and interred atSt.Paul’s, another tablet was added, recording the event; though at the time, great doubts were entertained whether they actually were the general’s remains which were exhumed. The matter was, however, subsequently set at rest beyond a doubt, by the publication of a certificate drawn up by the person who had actually buried the general in the first instance, and who was then living in Quebec, at a very advanced age, being the only survivor of the army which served under Wolfe.Merchants’ Exchange.‘There is a very handsome monument, near the centre of the church-yard, erected by Kean, of Drury Lane theatre, to Cooke, the actor. Trinitychurch, which is also in Broadway, was the oldest in the city, having been originally built in 1696, but destroyed by fire eighty years afterwards, although from the circumstance of a monument in the church-yard, of 1691, it appears it was used as a burial-ground some time previously. Though not containing much above an acre of ground, by a moderate calculation, not fewer than two hundred thousand bodies have been buried in it. Of late years there have been no burials, and weeping willows with various trees have been planted, which in time will make it ornamental to the city. In one corner are the ruins of a monument, erected but sixteen years since to Captain Lawrence, of the American navy, who fell defending his ship, the Chesapeak, against Sir P. Broke, in the Shannon. His body was taken to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and buried there with all the honors of war, the pall being the American ensign supported by six of the senior captains in the royal navy, then in the harbor. But the Americans immediately after sent a vessel with a flag of truce to apply for the removal of the body, which being granted, it was re-buried in Trinity church-yard, and the present monument, no lasting memorial of his country’s grief, erected upon the spot. It is a most shabby economical structure, built of brick, and faced with white marble. The column, of the Corinthian order, is broken short, with part of the capital lying at the base of the pedestal, emblematic of his premature death. Owing to the summit being exposed to the weather, the rain has gained admittance into the interior of the brick work, and has given the column a considerable inclination to one side. Some of the marble front also, with two sides of that of the pedestal, have fallen down and exposed the shabby interior.Surely, such a man deserved a monument of more durablematerials.’65Among the most splendid public buildings is the Masonic hall, a Gothic edifice, in Broadway, fifty feet wide, and seventy feet high; it is composed of the eastern gray granite. Of collegiate institutions, Columbia college is the oldest in New York. It is finely situated on a square ornamented with majestic trees; and the standard of classical education here is very high. This institution possesses an estate valued at four hundred thousand dollars. In 1831, the University of New York was chartered; it is projected on the broad and liberal plan of the continental universities, and promises to be of great utility. Schools of all kinds are numerous; bible and missionary societies are numerous and well endowed. Literary and scientific institutions flourish. The most ancient of these is the Society Library, founded in 1754, and containing upwards of twenty-three thousand volumes. The Historical society was incorporated in 1809, and has collected a vast number of important documents in relation to the country in general, and particularly to New York. The Lyceum for Natural History, the Clinton Hall association, and the Mercantile Library association, are flourishing and useful institutions.Masonic Hall.The Academy of Arts was chartered in 1808. It has two exhibitions annually. The library consists of books of views, designs and drawings, relating chiefly to antique subjects. Among the presidents of this institution have been Edward Livingston, De Witt Clinton, and John Trumbull. The National Academy was founded in 1826, and, with a few exceptions,is altogether composed of artists. Of the dramatic entertainments of the city, we can say but little. The Park theatre is the place of most fashionable resort; it is a spacious edifice, adjoining the park. It is eighty feet long, and one hundred and sixty-five feet deep. The Bowery theatre is well attended. An opera house has been recently built.The number of insurance offices in this city is upwards of forty. In 1827, the total of banking capital amounted to about sixteen millions of dollars. Several new banks have been since chartered, and this amount has been much increased. For its advantage of inland and external commerce, no city in the United States can be compared with New York. The number of vessels that arrived here from foreign parts during the first eight months of the year 1833, was thirteen hundred and forty-five, and the number of passengers was over thirty-two thousand. In 1832, the number of arrivals from foreign parts during the whole year, was one thousand eight hundred and ten; in 1829, it was thirteen hundred and four, being forty-one less in the whole year than during the first eight months of 1833.The population of New York in 1697, was four thousand three hundred and two; in 1756, thirteen thousand and forty; in 1790, thirty-three thousand and thirty-one; in 1800, sixty thousand four hundred and eighty-nine; in 1810, ninety-six thousand three hundred and seventy-three; in 1820, one hundred and twenty-three thousand seven hundred and six; in 1825, one hundred and sixty-six thousand and eighty-six; and in 1830, two hundred and seven thousand and twenty-one. Its present population is three hundred and thirteen thousand six hundred and twenty-nine.Norfolk, the commercial capital of Virginia, is situated on the east side of Elizabeth river, immediately below the junction of its two main branches, and eight miles above Hampton roads. The town lies low, and is in some places marshy, though the principal streets are well paved. Among the public buildings are a theatre, three banks, an academy, marine hospital, athenæum, and six churches. The harbor, which is capacious and safe, is defended by several forts. One is on Craney island, near the mouth of Elizabeth river. There are also fortifications at Hampton roads; the principal of which, Fort Calhoun, is not yet completed. Population, ten thousand five hundred and seventy-three.Northamptonis a post and shire town of Hampshire county, Massachusetts, on the west bank of Connecticut river, and ninety-five miles from Boston. Its population in 1840 was three thousand six hundred and seventy-two. It is built chiefly on two broad streets, in which are situated the churches and county buildings. This town is very beautiful, consisting of a number of villas of various sizes, and of pleasing, though irregular architecture, seeming to vie with each other in the taste and elegance of their external decorations. There is primitive white limestone in the vicinity, and much of the pavement and steps are of white marble. The trees in the neighborhood of the town are single spreading trees, principally elms, and of considerable age; the roads are wide, and the footpaths are excellent everywhere. Northampton is surrounded by rising grounds; but mount Holyoke, situated on the opposite side of the Connecticut river, is the hill which all strangers ascend, for the sake of the extensive and beautiful prospect from its summit. The valley that lies at its base, contains the most extensive and beautiful plain in New England, well cultivatedand populous. The spires of thirty churches are seen from the top of mount Holyoke, and in a clear day the hills of New Haven are distinctly visible. Round Hill school, in this town, is an institution of some note, somewhat on the plan of a German gymnasium. There are two banks here, woolen manufactories, an insurance office, and a printing office; the public houses are good, and the town is somewhat a place of summer resort.Norwich, a city of New London county, Connecticut, situated at the head of navigation on Thames river, contains three compact settlements; of which Chelsea Landing, situate at the point of land between the Shetucket and Yantic rivers, is the principal. Its location is peculiarly romantic; and it is a place of much enterprise and business. What is called the town is two miles north-west of Chelsea, containing the court house, and some other public buildings; and the third settlement is Bean Hill, in the western part of Norwich. The city contains a bank, four or five churches, and several manufacturing establishments. The Yantic falls, one mile from Chelsea, are beautiful, and afford facilities for mills and manufactories. From a rock seventy or eighty feet in height, which overhangs the stream, tradition says a number of Narragansetts once precipitated themselves when pursued by the Mohegans.On an elevated bank, north of what is called the cove, and near the Yantic falls, is the burying-ground of the royal family of the Mohegans, commonly called ‘the burying-ground of the Uncasses.’ Many of their graves are still designated by coarse stones; on some of which are English inscriptions. Uncas was buried here, and many of his descendants; but his family is now nearly extinct. There are one or two living who claim a kindred, but who have very little of the magnanimity or valor for which he was so conspicuous. Population of Norwich, seven thousand two hundred and thirty-nine.Pawtucket, a town of Bristol county, Massachusetts, four miles north-east of Providence, Rhode Island. It is finely situated on the falls of Pawtucket river, near the Blackstone canal, and is one of the most extensive manufacturing places in the union. It contains numerous cotton factories, and shops for machinery, and other purposes. Population, two thousand one hundred and eighty-four.Pensacola, the capital of West Florida, and naval station of the United States, is situated on the north-west shore of the bay of the same name. It was founded by a Spanish officer in 1699, and is built in the form of a parallelogram, nearly a mile in length. The harbor is safe and commodious, and the anchorage is good, though toward shore the water is generally shallow. It is regarded as a comparatively healthy place. Population, about two thousand.Petersburg, a borough and port of entry, in Dinwiddie county, Virginia, on the south bank of the Appomatox. The river is navigable to this point for vessels of one hundred tons. In 1815, three hundred buildings were destroyed by fire. It has since been rebuilt of brick, and the new houses are generally three stories in height; it is of the first class of towns in Virginia, and presents an appearance of enterprise and wealth. Population, eleven thousand one hundred and thirty-six.Philadelphia, the second city in size and population in the United States, is situated in a county of the same name, five miles above the junction ofthe Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, and, by the course of the river, about one hundred and twenty miles distant from the Atlantic ocean. It was founded by William Penn, in 1682, and was originally laid out in the shape of a parallelogram, two miles in length by one in breadth. The city now extends from the lower part of Southwark to the upper part of Kensington, about four miles, and from one river to the other. For municipal purposes, the legislature has, from time to time, established corporate governments in different parts of the suburbs, so that Philadelphia is divided into the following districts: the corporations of the city of Philadelphia, of the Northern Liberties, Kensington, Spring Garden, Southwark, and Moyamensing. The municipal government of the city proper is vested in a mayor, a recorder, fifteen aldermen, and a select and common council, besides subordinate executive officers.‘Philadelphia, the reverse of Lisbon,’ says a recent English traveller, ‘at first presents no beauties; no domes or turrets rise in the air to break the uniform stiff roof-line of the private dwellings; and, if I remember right, the only buildings which show their lofty heads above the rest, are the state house, Christ church, (both built prior to the revolution,) a presbyterian meeting-house, and a shot tower. The city, therefore, when viewed from the water, and at a distance, presents any thing but a picturesque appearance. It is somewhat singular, too, that there should be such a scarcity of spires, and conspicuous buildings, there being no fewer than ninety places of worship, besides hospitals, and charitable institutions in great numbers. In place, too, of noble piers and quays of solid masonry, which we might reasonably expect to find in a city containing near one hundred and forty-thousand inhabitants, and holding the second rank in commercial importance in North America, there are but some shabby wharves and piers of rough piles of timber, jutting out in unequal lengths and shapes, from one end to the other of the river front; and these, again, are backed by large piles of wooden warehouses, and mean-looking stores. On the narrow space between them and the water, are hundreds of negro porters, working at vast heaps of iron bars, barrels of flour, cotton bags, and all the various merchandise imported or exported, singing, in their strange broken English tone of voice, some absurd chorus.‘Fifty paces hence, the stranger enters the city, which possesses an interior almost unrivalled in the world. On walking through the fine broad streets, with rows of locust or other trees, which, planted on the edge of the causeway, form a most delightful shade, and take away the glare of the brick buildings, he is struck immediately with the air of simplicity, yet strength and durability which all the public edifices possess, while the private dwellings, with their neat white marble steps and window sills, bespeak wealth and respectability. The neatness too, of the dress of every individual, with the total absence of those lazy and dirty vagabonds who ever infest our towns, and loiter about the corners of all the public streets, passing insolent remarks upon every well-dressed man, or even unattended female, impress a foreigner with a most pleasing and favorable idea of an American city.‘The river in front of the town is about a mile wide, but the channel is considerably contracted by an island, which extends nearly the full length of the town, and, consequently renders the navigation more intricate. It is prettily planted with trees, and a ship has been run ashore at one endand converted into a tavern, a house being raised upon the upper deck. It was quite a gala day, numerous steam vessels and rowing boats proceeding up the stream to Kensington (part of the suburbs,) and we arrived just in time to see a large ship, of six hundred tons burthen, glide gracefully from the stocks.‘I now commenced visiting all the public institutions. Of charitable societies the number is amazing; probably no city in the world, of the same population, possesses an equal number. It may be truly said, that it deserves its name of “Philadelphia;” there are upwards of thirty humane institutions and societies for the relief of the poor and orphans, besides above one hundred and fifty mutual benefit societies, on the principle of the English clubs; being associations of tradesmen and artisans for the support of each other in sickness, each member contributing monthly or weekly a small sum to the general fund. Of the public institutions, the “Pennsylvania Hospital” is on the most extensive scale. It is situated in a central part of the city, near Washington square, and was founded eighty-two years since, Benjamin Franklin being its greatest promoter. It contains an excellent library of about seven thousand volumes; and it is calculated that about fourteen hundred patients are annually admitted into it, of which number three fifths are paupers; the remainder paying for the advantages they derive from the institution. The building occupies an immense extent of ground, and on three sides of it an open space is left for a free circulation of air; the west end of the building is a ward for insane patients, of whom there are generally more than one hundred. The necessary funds for the support of the hospital are derived from the interest of its capital stock, and from the exhibition of West’s splendid painting of Christ healing the sick, which produces about five hundred dollars per annum and is exhibited in a building on the northern side of the hospital square.’The United States bank is a splendid edifice, built on the plan of the Parthenon at Athens. Its length is one hundred and sixty-one, and its breadth eighty-seven feet. The main entrance is from Chesnut street, bya flight of six marble steps, extending along the whole front of the portico, which is supported by fluted columns four and a half feet in diameter. In the centre of the building is the banking room, which is eighty-one feet long, and forty-eight feet wide. The whole body of the edifice is arched in a bomb-proof manner, from the cellar to the roof, which is covered with copper. The New Bank of Pennsylvania is an extensive and elegant edifice of marble of the Ionic order, and constructed after the model of the ancient temple of the Muses, on the Ilyssus. There are at present seventeen banking houses within the city and the incorporated districts, with an aggregate capital of more than twenty millions of dollars.The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is one of the most conspicuous edifices in the city. The association was established in April, 1820, and was incorporated in the following year. Philadelphia now contains about one hundred churches, few of which are distinguished for size, extent, or architectural beauty.
Economy.
Economy.
Elizabethtown, a town of Essex county, New Jersey, situated on a creek of Newark bay, was originally settled by emigrants from Connecticut. It has some good gardens, and supplies many agricultural products for the New York market. Population, four thousand one hundred and eighty-four.
Exeter, a town of Rockingham county, New Hampshire, fourteen miles south-west from Portsmouth, is situated at the head of the navigation on Swamscot river, a branch of the Piscataqua. Formerly, ship-building was carried on here to a great extent, and the vessels were employed in the West Indian trade; at present, this business is much decreased, but several manufactories have been established. Here is a celebrated academy, incorporated in 1781. Population, two thousand nine hundred and eighty-five.
Fayetteville, a village of Cumberland county, North Carolina, is situated at the head of uninterrupted boat navigation on Cape Fear river. In 1831, it was desolated by a destructive fire; but it is rapidly regaining its former flourishing condition. Population, four thousand two hundred and eighty-five.
Frankfort, the metropolis of Kentucky, and chief town of Franklincounty, stands on the east bank of Kentucky river, sixty miles above its entrance into the Ohio. The river, which is here about one hundred yards wide, with bold limestone banks, forms a handsome curve, and waters the southern and western parts of the town. The bottoms on both sides of the river are very broad, but subject to inundation. Frankfort is about sixty-two miles from Louisville. Population, 1,917.
Fredericksburg, a port of entry, and chief town of Spottsylvania county, Virginia, situated on the right bank of the Rappahanoc river, is a flourishing place. It stands at the head of tide water. Population, three thousand nine hundred and seventy-four.
Fredericktown, in Frederick county, Maryland, is situated forty-seven miles from Baltimore, on the Pittsburg road, and is a flourishing place, carrying on considerable manufactures, and a brisk inland trade through a fertile and well-cultivated country. It is the second town in the state, and increases with rapidity. Population, five thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Galena, a village in Illinois, the centre of a celebrated lead-mining district, from which it takes its name. It is situated on Fever river, five miles before it empties into the Mississippi.
Gardiner, a flourishing town in Kennebec county, Maine, on the west bank of the Kennebec river. It has a considerable trade in lumber, and in manufactures of cotton and iron, and many very valuable mills. In this town is a Gothic church, built of granite, and considered the finest specimen of architecture in the state. Population, five thousand six hundred and forty-four.
Church in Gardiner.
Church in Gardiner.
Georgetown, city of the district of Columbia, and separated from Washingtononly by a small creek, is finely situated on a series of heights at a bend of the Potomac. It is well laid out, and contains some good private residences. The Catholic college is an ancient pile of building, with a large library, and some good paintings. The Chesapeak and Ohio canal passes through this town. Tobacco and flour are exported in considerable quantities. Population, seven thousand three hundred and thirteen.
Gloucester, a seaport of Massachusetts, in Essex county, and on the peninsula of cape Ann, is one of the most considerable fishing towns in the country. The harbor, which is defended by a battery and forts, is accessible for large ships. This town suffered severely from fire a few years ago; but the damage has been nearly repaired. Population, six thousand three hundred and ninety-four.
Hagerstown, in Washington county, Maryland, is a well-built and flourishing place, surrounded by a fertile country. It is a handsome town, and the houses are generally of stone or brick. Population, three thousand four hundred.
Hallowell, in Kennebec county, Maine, is one of the most flourishing and wealthy towns in the state. The river is navigable to this place for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons. Hallowell granite is extensively quarried and wrought, and is much esteemed. The commerce of the place is considerable, confined chiefly to the lumber trade. Population, four thousand six hundred and fifty-five.
Hanover, in Grafton county, New Hampshire, situated on the Connecticut, is a pleasant village, and the seat of Dartmouth college, which was established in 1771. It received its name from one of its principal benefactors, the earl of Dartmouth. This town is crossed from north to south by Moose mountain. Population, two thousand six hundred and thirteen.
Dartmouth College.
Dartmouth College.
Harrisburg, the seat of government of the state of Pennsylvania, is in Dauphin county, and situated on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna, ninety-six miles from Philadelphia. It is regularly built, and has a handsome state house, and other public edifices. A bridge here crosses the Susquehanna. Population, six thousand and twenty.
Hartford, city, the capital of Hartford county, and, jointly with New-Haven, the seat of government of Connecticut. It stands on the western bank of the Connecticut, at the head of sloop navigation. It is handsomely built, and contains many fine public edifices, among which are a Gothic church, much admired for its architecture; a state house, a deaf and dumb asylum, a retreat for the insane, and a seminary called Washington college. This institution was founded in 1826. Hartford enjoys a considerable commerce with Boston, New York, and the southern cities. The bookselling trade is carried on here extensively, and there is much inland traffic with the towns on the Connecticut, and in the neighborhood. On the opposite bank of the river is East Hartford, which is connected with the city by a bridge. The inhabitants point out to the stranger an ancient oak tree in the southern part of the city, which bears the name of the Charter Oak, and is interesting on account of its connection with our early history. Pop. twelve thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.
Hartford, Conn.
Hartford, Conn.
Haverhill, in Essex county, Massachusetts, on the Merrimack, twelve miles above Newburyport.Pop.four thousand three hundred and seventy-three. This is a pleasantly situated town, and has considerable ship-building and trade by the river. It was settled in 1640, and suffered much in the early Indian wars. In 1698, the Indians attacked and set fire to the town.
Hudson, a city of New York, in Columbia county, with considerable manufacturing business. The streets are spacious, and cross each other at right angles, and the houses are supplied with water brought in pipes from a spring two miles distant. The trade is considerable, and vessels of the largest size can unload here. It is seated on an eminence, on the east side of Hudson river. It is twenty-eight miles south of Albany. Population, five thousand six hundred and seventy.
Indianapolis, capital of Indiana, situated in Marion county, on the west bank of White river, in the centre of one of the most extensive and fertile bodies of land in the world, though recently settled, promises to be one of the largest towns between Cincinnati and the Mississippi. Thecountry about it is said byMr.Flint to be settling with unexampled rapidity. Population, two thousand six hundred and ninety-two.
Jameston, an ancient town in James City county, Virginia, the first English settlement in the states, was established in 1608. It stands on an island in James river, thirty-two miles above its mouth. It is now in ruins, and almost desolate. Two or three old houses, the ruins of an old steeple, a church-yard, and faint traces of rude fortifications, are the only memorials of its former importance.
Jefferson City, seat of justice for Cole county, Missouri, and capital of the state, is situated on the right bank of Missouri river, about nine miles above the mouth of the Osage. It is a new town, containing two hundred houses and twelve hundred inhabitants, and, after Little Rock in Arkansas, is the most western state capital of the United States.
Kaskaskia, an ancient village of Illinois, and seat of justice for Randolph county, is situated on Kaskaskia river, eleven miles from its mouth. It was one of the earliest French settlements in the Mississippi, and once contained seven thousand inhabitants; it is now very much reduced, numbering only one thousand. The situation of this town is represented as very beautiful.
Kennebunk, a town of York county, Maine, at the mouth of a river of the same name, has considerable lumber trade. The principal harbor is obstructed by a sandbar, and in 1820 an appropriation was made by Congress to build a pier at the mouth of the river. Population, two thousand three hundred and twenty-three.
Knoxville, the chief town of East Tennessee, is situated one hundred and eighty miles from Nashville, on the north side of Holston river, where it is three hundred yards wide; on a beautiful spot of ground, twenty-two miles above the junction of the Holston with the Tennessee. The college of this town is one of the oldest seminaries in the state. Population, three thousand.
Lancaster, a handsome town of Pennsylvania, and capital of a county of the same name. It is a pleasant and flourishing place, situate in a fertile and well-cultivated country, and contains a court house, a jail, two banks, and nine places of worship. A college was founded here in 1787; but the buildings are now appropriated to schools. Here are manufactures of guns and other hardware; and about a mile distant is a large cotton manufactory. The town has considerable trade, which increases with the surrounding country. It is seated near Conestoga creek, which runs into the Susquehanna, sixty-one miles west by north of Philadelphia. Population, eight thousand four hundred and nineteen.
Lancaster, oldest town in Worcester county, Massachusetts, finely situated on both sides of the Nashua, has manufactories of combs and cotton, and an extensive engraving and stereotyping establishment. In beauty of scenery the neighborhood is surpassed by that of few towns in New England. Population, two thousand and thirteen.
Lansinburg, a town of Rensselaer county, New York, is principally built on a single street parallel with the river. A high hill rises abruptly behind the town, on which is seen the celebrated diamond rock, emitting a brilliant lustre in the rays of the sun. Population, three thousand three hundred and thirty.
Lexington, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, will ever bememorable in American history, for the early revolutionary struggles. The first battle was fought here between the British troops and the Americans on the nineteenth of April, 1775. A monument has been erected on the green at Lexington in commemoration of this event.Pop.1559.
Lexington, capital of Fayette county, Kentucky, is the oldest town in the state, and was for many years the seat of government. It stands in a beautiful spot, on a branch of the Elkhorn river, in the centre of the richest tract in the state. The principal street is a mile and a quarter in length, spacious and well paved. The buildings are much superior in size and elegance to those of the other towns in the state, and may be compared to those of the Atlantic country. The Transylvania university is established here. The public inns are large and convenient. The town has manufactories of woolen, cotton, and paper. The general appearance of the town is neat, and the neighborhood is adorned with many handsome villas, and finely ornamented rural mansions. Population, six thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven.
Litchfield, capital of Litchfield county, Connecticut, is situated on an elevated plain, in the midst of a fertile and hilly country. It contains numerous mills and manufactories. A law school was established here in 1782, by Judge Reeve, which has been for many years highly celebrated. Population, four thousand and thirty-eight.
Little Rock, the seat of government of Arkansas territory, is situated on a high bluff on the south bank of the river Arkansas, and derives its name from the high masses of rock above it. It was laid out in 1820.
Lockport, a town of Niagara county, New York, on the Erie canal. Here are the most remarkable works on the canal, consisting of ten locks, overcoming an ascent of sixty feet. Besides these, there is an excavation through the mountain ridge, for three miles, cut in the rock. The town is a place of considerable trade. Population, five thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Louisville, a city of Jefferson county, Kentucky, on a plain elevated about seventy feet above the level of the Ohio, opposite to the rapids or falls, is a handsome town, and the largest in the state. Eight broad and straight streets run parallel with the river, and command a pleasant view of the opposite shore. They are paved with blocks of limestone; the houses are built chiefly of brick. This is the most commercial city of the west, commanding the trade of a great extent of country. Manufactures are yet in their infancy. The Louisville and Portland canal passes through this town, round the falls; it is about two miles in length, and cut through a limestone rock. It admits the passage of the largest steamboats, and thus opens a line of free navigation from Pittsburg to the sea. This canal was finished in 1831. It has been estimated that seventy-five thousand travellers pass through Louisville annually. The resident population is twenty-one thousand two hundred and ten.
Lowell, a town of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, situated at the junction of the Concord and Merrimack rivers, is celebrated for its extensive manufacturing establishments, and for its rapid increase. It was incorporated in 1826. In 1831, the quantity of cotton manufactured here was estimated at five million one hundred thousand pounds. The water power is held and managed by a company possessing a great amount of real estate, and a capital of six hundred thousand dollars. A rail-roadfrom Boston to Lowell is in rapid progress. The two largest companies are the Merrimack, with a capital of a million and a half; and the Lawrence, with a capital of one million two hundred thousand dollars. Population twenty thousand nine hundred and eighty-one.
Lynchburg, a town of Columbia county, Virginia, is one of the most flourishing and commercial towns in the state. It has several tobacco warehouses and factories, cotton and woolen manufactories, and in the vicinity are extensive flour mills. The surrounding country is rugged and mountainous. Lynchburg was established in 1786. Population, four thousand six hundred and twenty-six.
Lynn, a town of Essex county, Massachusetts, is noted for its extensive manufacture of shoes. About a million and a half pair of women’s shoes are made here every year. There is a mineral spring in this town, with a hotel in its neighborhood. Population, nine thousand and seventy five.
Machias, on the bay of that name, in Washington county, Maine, consists of two villages, one at the falls at the east branch of Machias river, and the other at the falls of the west branch, six and a half miles apart, each containing a post office. The village at the east falls is at the head of the tide, two miles above the junction of the branches, and contains various mills. The village at the west falls, contains the court house, jail, and various mills; there are many saw mills in this town, which cut upwards of ten million feet of boards in a year. The tonnage of the shipping in 1827 amounted to five thousand two hundred and thirty-six; much of this is employed in the transportation of plaster from the British territory adjacent to Passamaquoddy bay. Population, one thousand three hundred and fifty-one.
Marblehead, a town of Essex county, Massachusetts, situated on a peninsula projecting into Massachusetts bay. It is compactly, though irregularly built; it was settled soon after Salem, and has been very flourishing and opulent. It suffered severely during the revolution and the last war. In the fishing business it has greatly excelled all other towns in the United States. Population in 1810, five thousand eight hundred; in 1840, five thousand five hundred and thirty-nine.
Marietta, in Washington county, Ohio, is finely situated near the mouth of Muskingum river, in the centre of a fertile neighborhood. It was one of the earliest settlements of the state; but it has suffered severely from sickness and inundations of the river. Ship-building was formerly carried on here, but has been discontinued. The inhabitants are noted for industry and sobriety. Population, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen.
Maysville, in Mason county, Kentucky, on the Ohio, stands on a narrow bottom below the mouth of Limestone creek, and has considerable trade and manufactures. It is the principal commercial depot for the north-east portions of the state. It is a very busy and flourishing town. Population, two thousand seven hundred and forty.
Middlebury, in Addison county, Vermont, situated on Otter creek, has a college, two academies, several churches, and manufactures of cotton, iron, and marble. A quarry of fine marble was discovered here in 1804, and is now wrought for a variety of purposes. Population, three thousand one hundred and sixty-two.
Middletown, a city of Middlesex county, Connecticut, on the west bank of the Connecticut river, and thirty-four miles from its mouth, is a pleasant place, and has considerable trade and manufactures. In 1816, it owned a larger shipping than any other town in the state. In the neighborhood is a lead mine, which was wrought during the war. A college, under the name of the Wesleyan University, was opened in this city in 1831. Population, seven thousand two hundred and ten.
Milledgeville, capital of Baldwin county, Georgia, and metropolis of the state, is situated on the west bank of the Oconee, eighty-seven miles south-west of Augusta. It is a depot of cotton for the Savannah and Darien markets. It contains several public buildings, and has four weekly papers. Population two thousand and ninety-five.
Mobile, a city of Mobile county, Alabama, on the west side of Mobile river, at its entrance into the bay. When this town came into the possession of the United States, in 1813, it contained about three hundred inhabitants; it now numbers twelve thousand seven hundred. It is pleasantly situated on a spot elevated above the overflow of the river; but the adjacent country is a marsh or a forest. Fire and the yellow fever have committed great ravages here; but trade has increased rapidly, and in the cotton business Mobile is inferior only to Charleston and New Orleans.
Montpelier, shire town of Washington county, Vermont, and seat of government, is situated on the north bank of Onion river, about ten miles north-east of the centre of the state, and is a great thoroughfare for travellers. It was incorporated in 1818, contains a number of public buildings and good seats for manufactories. Population, 3,725.
Nantucket, a town of Massachusetts, of the same extent with the island and county of that name, contains seven houses of public worship, two banks, and two insurance offices. It was formerly called Sherburne. The trade suffered greatly during the late war and the revolution, but has since been more flourishing. There are extensive spermaceti works here. Education is well attended to, and the people, who are chiefly Friends or Quakers, are generally moral and industrious. Population, nine thousand five hundred and twelve.
Nashville, capital of Davidson county, and seat of government of Tennessee, is regularly built, pleasantly situated on the south side of Cumberland river, and is much the largest town in the state. It is a rich and flourishing place. Steamboats from New Orleans ascend the river to this point. The state penitentiary, a fine stone building, is here erected. The University of Nashville was incorporated in 1806, and is now in a very prosperous condition.Pop.eight thousand one hundred and thirty-three.
Natchez, a city of Mississippi, and much the largest town of the state, stands on a bluff, upwards of one hundred and fifty feet above the surface of the river. The houses have an air of neatness, though few are distinguished for elegance or size. To enable the inhabitants to enjoy the evening air, almost every house has a piazza and balcony. The soil of the adjoining country is rich, and vegetation of most kinds attains to uncommon luxuriance; the gardens are ornamented with orange trees, figs plums, peaches, and grape-vines. Natchez is the principal town in this region for the shipment of cotton to New Orleans, and at the business seasons the streets are almost barricadoed with bales. In this place is the Planters’ bank, with a capital of three millions.
The reputation of Natchez in regard to morals seems to be rather at a discount. The lower town is said to have a worse character than any place on the river; and, particularly in the spring, to present a congregation of the most abandoned and desperate. The following picture by a recent traveller is probably overcharged: ‘In the evening, a steamer stops at Natchez to land or take in goods, the passengers observe several houses lighted up, and hear the sounds of fiddles and merriment, and they run up to see what is going on; they find men and women dancing, gambling and drinking; the bell of the steamboat rings to announce that she is about to continue her voyage, the lights in the houses of entertainment are immediately extinguished, and the passengers run out, afraid of being too late for the boat, and run down toward the landing; ropes are drawn across the road, the passengers fall heels over head, a number of stout ruffians throw themselves upon them, and strip them of their money and watches, and they get on board in doleful plight, and of course never see or hear more of their plunderers!’ Population, 4,826.
Natchitoches, commonly pronounced Nackitosh, a town of Louisiana, is beautifully situated on the south-west bank of Red river, at the head of steamboat navigation. The trade between Louisiana and the Mexican states centres here, and it must eventually become a place of great size and importance. This town was established more than a hundred years ago, and its population is a mixture of Americans, French, Spaniards, and Indians.
New Albany, in Floyd county, Indiana, is an industrious and flourishing village, with a ship-yard for building steamboats. During the summer, many steamboats are laid up here to be repaired. Population, four thousand two hundred and twenty-six.
Newark, capital of Essex county, New Jersey, is handsomely built, and finely situated on the west side of Passaic river. It is one of the most beautiful towns in the country. It has extensive manufactures of shoes, leather, coaches, and cabinet work. Morris canal passes through this town. Population, seventeen thousand two hundred and ninety-two.
New Bedford, port of entry in Bristol county, Massachusetts, stands on an arm of Buzzard’s bay, about fifty-two miles south of Boston. ‘We entered New Bedford,’ says a recent tourist, ‘through Fairhaven, by way of the ferry. From Fairhaven the town shows to better effect than from any other point. A stranger, perhaps, might be surprised at the great apparent extent of New Bedford as seen from this place. Passing through the villa of Fairhaven (a place of no inconsiderable size by the by,) it opens before him, with its spires, its shipping and buildings, like a beautiful panoramic painting of some great city. It appears much larger, however, than it is. Its population is 12,585. Its commerce is principally in the whale fishery, employing one hundred and fifty whale ships. The “county road” displays many elegant mansions, the dwellings of some of the more wealthy inhabitants. New Bedford is considered a very wealthy place, and the inhabitants active and enterprising. A large proportion of them are Quakers.’
Newbern, in Craven county, North Carolina, was once the capital, and is still the largest town of the state. It is situated on the Neuse, thirty miles above its entrance into Pamlico sound. The river is navigable tothis place, and its commerce is considerable. Population, three thousand six hundred and ninety.
New Brunswick, a city of New Jersey, partly in Middlesex and partly in Somerset county, on the south-west side of Raritan river, is built on a low but healthy situation, and has considerable trade. Besides the other public institutions usually found in towns of similar size, this has a theological seminary, and a college; both established by the Dutch Reformed Church. Population, eight thousand seven hundred and eight.
Newburgh, a port of entry in Orange county, New York, is a well-built village, pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Hudson, commanding a delightful view of the river and the highlands. The principal streets are paved. A considerable amount of shipping is owned in this village; agriculture and manufactures are also extremely flourishing. Population, five thousand six hundred and sixty-two.
Newburgh.
Newburgh.
Newburyport, in Essex county, Massachusetts, at the mouth of the Merrimack, is remarkable for the beauty of its situation, and the regularity of its streets. It stands upon a gentle declivity sloping down to the river, the streets are generally straight and at right angles, and the town lies along the bank of the river for about a mile. The principal streets pass through the whole width of the town, from the summit of the declivity to the river. The buildings are generally handsome, and the streets clean. Few towns in the United States surpass Newburyport in beauty. It was desolated by a fire, which broke out on the night of May 31, 1811, and destroyed nearly three hundred buildings. The place has never recovered from the effects of this calamity; at the present day, the traveller is struck with the view of a wide heap of grass-grown ruins, in the heart of a populous town.
The harbor of this place is good, but obstructed at the entrance by a dangerous bar; attempts are now making to improve it by a break-water on the south side of the channel. The mercantile enterprise of the place has latterly been diverted from commerce to the fisheries. Ship-buildingis carried on to a considerable extent, and a manufactory of hosiery has been established in the place. This town has seven churches, two banks, two insurance offices, and two newspapers. A handsome chain bridge crosses the river from the centre of the town. The celebrated preacher, George Whitefield, died in this town in 1760, and is now entombed in the Presbyterian church in Federal street, where an elegant monument has been erected recently to his memory. Population, seven thousand one hundred and twenty-four.
New Castle, seat of justice of the county of the same name, in Delaware, and formerly capital of the state. The village extends lengthwise along the Delaware river, on a rising plain, and is tolerably compact and well built. It once enjoyed considerable trade. Population two thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven.
New Harmony, or Harmony, a town in Posey county, in the south-western part of Indiana, on the Wabash, formerly the seat of the Harmonists, under the German, Rapp, and more recently of the followers of Owen, of Lanark. The former establishment was removed to Economy, and the latter abandoned.
New Haven, a city and seaport of Connecticut, in New Haven county, lies at the head of a bay that runs out of Long Island Sound, and is situated on a beautiful plain, bordered on the north by bold and perpendicular eminences. It is regularly laid out and consists of two parts, the old and new town. The old town is divided into squares of different extents. The public buildings of the city are handsome and well situated. The state house is a fine edifice, on the model of the Parthenon. Several of the churches have a commanding appearance; two of them are of Gothic architecture, and built of stone. Private dwelling-houses are mostly of wood, handsome and convenient. The public square and principal streets are finely ornamented with trees; and beautiful gardens attached to many of the residences, give the town a rural and delightful appearance.
New Haven.
New Haven.
The harbor of New Haven is shallow, and gradually filling with mud,but it is well defended from winds, and the maritime commerce of the port is greater than that of any other town in Connecticut. Its interior trade is assisted by the Farmington canal. Packets and steamboats ply regularly and frequently between this port and New York. The Indian name of this town was Quinipiack. It was first settled by the English in 1638, and was the capital of the colony of New Haven, which remained distinct from that of Connecticut till 1665. The state legislature meets here and at Hartford alternately. Yale College, one of the most distinguished literary institutions in America, is established in this city; connected with this are a theological, a medical, and a law school. Many academies and smaller seminaries are also established here. Population, fourteen thousand three hundred and ninety.
New London, a city of New London county, Connecticut, in the south-eastern part of the state, has a fine harbor near the mouth of the Thames. It is irregularly built, principally at the foot of a hill facing the east. There are many pleasant sites in the higher parts of the town, and several of the buildings are handsome; but the general appearance of the place is not flourishing. The neighboring region is rocky and sterile, and there are no great channels of communication with the interior. The recent attention of the merchants to the whale fisheries has given a considerable impulse to the place, and promises to restore it to its former importance as a commercial city. Fort Trumbull is situated at the south of the town, and to the east, on the opposite side of the river, are the remains of Fort Griswold, which, during the revolution, was the scene of a well-remembered and fearful tragedy. Population, five thousand five hundred and twenty-eight.
New Madrid, now an insignificant village, though historically interesting, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, eighty-one miles below the mouth of the Ohio. This town was founded in 1787, and was intended to become a great commercial city, and the emporium of the vast tract of fertile country watered by the Mississippi, the Missouri, and their branches. It was indeed happily situated for the purpose; but the river has swept away the ground on which it was originally placed, and the earthquakes of 1812 have sunk the remainder of the bluff below high-water mark. It is impossible to visit this spot, knowing any thing of its history, and not be struck with the air of desolation it now breathes. There was a fine lake in the rear of the town, on the banks of which public walks and plantations of trees were planned for the accommodation of its inhabitants; this is now a heap of sand. As the earthquakes are occasionally recurring in this neighborhood, even to the present time, people have been cautious in respect to settling here; but as they are becoming more assured, New Madrid is gradually emerging from her prostration.
New Orleans, the capital of the state of Louisiana, is situated directly on the east bank of the Mississippi, one hundred and five miles from the mouth of the river. In the year 1717, this city was founded; and at that period, there were not, perhaps, five hundred white inhabitants in the whole valley of the Mississippi. In the beginning of 1788, the town contained one thousand one hundred houses, built of wood; in March of that year, by a fire, the number of houses was reduced in five hours to two hundred. It has been rebuilt principally of brick, which is of so soft a nature, that the buildings are plastered on the outside with a thick coat of mortar, andthen painted or whitewashed. Several warehouses with stone fronts have been recently erected. The city is regularly laid out, and the streets are generally forty feet wide, crossing each other at right angles. The public buildings are generally elegant, commodious and expensive. There are few churches. The Catholic cathedral is a noble edifice, ninety feet by one hundred and twenty, with four towers. ThePlace des armesis a beautiful green, which serves as a parade. Most of the houses in the suburbs have fine gardens, ornamented with orange groves. The general style of living is luxurious, and the private dwellings are elegantly furnished. The markets are plentifully supplied with the necessaries of life, and the luxuries of every country; but provisions are dear.
New Orleans will become to the United States the great emporium of commerce and wealth, if, by the draining of the marshy country in the neighborhood, it ever becomes a healthy city. The more we contemplate the present and prospective resourses of New Orleans, the more must we be convinced of its future greatness. Being built in the form of a crescent, the curve of the river constitutes a safe and commodious harbor. Defended on one side by the river, and on the other by a swamp that no effort can penetrate, the city can only be approached through a defile three quarters of a mile wide.
New Orleans is gradually becoming more purely American in all its characteristics; but many of its inhabitants are of French and Spanish descent, and the French language is more commonly spoken than the English. The charitable institutions of the city are highly creditable. Education is not so much attended to as in other parts of the country; but great improvements have been made in this respect within a few years. The police is efficient, and scenes of disorder rarely occur.
This city is the grand commercial metropolis of the Mississippi valley. The tributaries of the great river on which it stands afford an extent of more than twenty thousand miles, already navigated by steamboats, and passing through the richest soil and the pleasantest climates. Steamboats are departing and arriving every hour, and fifty or sixty are often seen in the harbor at one time; while many hundreds of flat boats are seen at the levee, laden with the various productions of the great valley.Measures have been adopted by the state legislature to have the neighboring country well explored, for the purpose of draining, raising, and improvingit.64The streets of the city have been paved, and gutters are washed by waterfrom the river.Pop.one hundred and two thousand one hundred and ninety three. New Orleans will probably become the largest city of America.
Newport, a seaport and semi-metropolis of Rhode Island, is pleasantly situated on the south-west end of the island of Rhode Island, thirty milessouth of Providence. During the summer months it is a place of fashionable resort, being celebrated for the salubrity of its climate. It formerly possessed considerable commerce, and contained more than nine thousand inhabitants; but during the revolution, it was a long time occupied by the enemy, and suffered severely. The principal street is a mile in length; the houses have an antique appearance. The harbor is very safe, sufficientlyspacious for a whole fleet, and defended by three forts. Newport was first settled in 1638. A large stone mill is still standing here, which was erected before the date of the earliest records. Population, eight thousand three hundred and thirty-three.
Asylum at Newport.
Asylum at Newport.
New York.
New York.
New York, the largest and most populous city in the United States, lies in the state of that name, at the head of New York bay, about sixteen miles from the Atlantic ocean. Manhattan island, on which the city stands, and which is formed by the Hudson, the Hærlem, and East rivers, with the bay on the south, is fifteen miles in length, and from two to three in breadth. On the south-west point of the island, overlooking the bay, is a fine public promenade, of from five to six hundred yards in length, and one hundred and fifty in breadth, prettily laid out in walks, and planted with trees. In the evenings it is generally crowded with citizens, who assemble to derive the benefit from a pleasant breeze off the water, or listen to a band that frequently plays in the Castle garden, which is connected with the walk by a wooden bridge. The former promenade is called the Battery, from having, in the olden times of the Dutch settlers, or during the revolutionary war, mounted a few guns; and the Castle garden, in a similar manner, possessed no garden, nor could it ever have possessed one, being a modern stone fort, with twenty-eight embrasures, built upon a solid rock, which appeared but a short distance above the water. This being an unprofitable kind of investment of funds, has been let by the corporation to a publican, who has converted it to a much more profitable use charging sixpence for admission, and giving a ticket, so that the visitor may enjoy a stroll upon the upper platform of the fort, admire the view, and then call for a glass of liquor at the bar. The battery, nevertheless, is the most pleasant promenade in New York, and excels any thing else of the kind in America. Governor’s island, about three quarters of a mile distant in the bay, has a large stone circular fort, with three tiers ofembrasures, and is calculated for more than one hundred guns at its western extremity.
Castle Garden and Battery.
Castle Garden and Battery.
Of the public buildings of New York, the City Hall, containing the supreme court, mayor’s court, and various public offices, situated in the park, a fine and handsome square, is the most remarkable; and being fronted with white marble, has a beautiful effect when seen through the trees in the park. The building is upwards of two hundred feet in length, with a dome and tower surmounted by a statue of justice. The Merchants’ Exchange, in Wall street, is a fine edifice, of the same material as the front of the City Hall. The basement story is occupied by the post-office, and above it the Exchange, eighty-five feet in length, fifty-five in width, and forty-five in height to the dome, from which it is lighted. The greater proportion of the other buildings in the street, are insurance offices, banks, and exchange offices.
‘The churches in New York,’ says Lieutenant Coke, ‘are handsomer edifices than those in the southern cities I visited, and contain some interesting monuments.St.Paul’s, in the park, is one of the finest in the states. In the interior, there is a tablet in the chancel to Sir Robert Temple, baronet, the first consul general to the United States from England, who died in the city; and one to the wife of the British governor of New Jersey, who died during the revolution, from distress of mind; being separated from her husband by the events of the time. In the yard, also, there is a large Egyptian obelisk of a single block of white marble, thirty-two feet in height, erected to Thomas A. Emmett, an eminent counsellor at lawand brother of the Irish orator who suffered during the rebellion. When I visited New York again, some months afterwards, one front of it was embellished with an emblematical representation of his fortunes. Though it was in an unfinished state, and the canvass had not been removed from before the scaffolding, I could catch a glimpse of the representation of a hand, with a wreath or bracelet of shamrock round the wrist, clasping one with a similar ornament of stars, and the eagle of America sheltering the unstrung harp of Ireland.Mr.Emmett had emigrated to the states, and settled in New York, where he had acquired considerable reputation many years previous to his death. There is also another monument near it, under the portico of the church, to General Montgomery, who fell in the unsuccessful attack upon Quebec in 1775. This monument was erected previously to the declaration of independence by the congress; and in 1818, when his remains were removed from Quebec to New York, and interred atSt.Paul’s, another tablet was added, recording the event; though at the time, great doubts were entertained whether they actually were the general’s remains which were exhumed. The matter was, however, subsequently set at rest beyond a doubt, by the publication of a certificate drawn up by the person who had actually buried the general in the first instance, and who was then living in Quebec, at a very advanced age, being the only survivor of the army which served under Wolfe.
Merchants’ Exchange.
Merchants’ Exchange.
‘There is a very handsome monument, near the centre of the church-yard, erected by Kean, of Drury Lane theatre, to Cooke, the actor. Trinitychurch, which is also in Broadway, was the oldest in the city, having been originally built in 1696, but destroyed by fire eighty years afterwards, although from the circumstance of a monument in the church-yard, of 1691, it appears it was used as a burial-ground some time previously. Though not containing much above an acre of ground, by a moderate calculation, not fewer than two hundred thousand bodies have been buried in it. Of late years there have been no burials, and weeping willows with various trees have been planted, which in time will make it ornamental to the city. In one corner are the ruins of a monument, erected but sixteen years since to Captain Lawrence, of the American navy, who fell defending his ship, the Chesapeak, against Sir P. Broke, in the Shannon. His body was taken to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and buried there with all the honors of war, the pall being the American ensign supported by six of the senior captains in the royal navy, then in the harbor. But the Americans immediately after sent a vessel with a flag of truce to apply for the removal of the body, which being granted, it was re-buried in Trinity church-yard, and the present monument, no lasting memorial of his country’s grief, erected upon the spot. It is a most shabby economical structure, built of brick, and faced with white marble. The column, of the Corinthian order, is broken short, with part of the capital lying at the base of the pedestal, emblematic of his premature death. Owing to the summit being exposed to the weather, the rain has gained admittance into the interior of the brick work, and has given the column a considerable inclination to one side. Some of the marble front also, with two sides of that of the pedestal, have fallen down and exposed the shabby interior.Surely, such a man deserved a monument of more durablematerials.’65
Among the most splendid public buildings is the Masonic hall, a Gothic edifice, in Broadway, fifty feet wide, and seventy feet high; it is composed of the eastern gray granite. Of collegiate institutions, Columbia college is the oldest in New York. It is finely situated on a square ornamented with majestic trees; and the standard of classical education here is very high. This institution possesses an estate valued at four hundred thousand dollars. In 1831, the University of New York was chartered; it is projected on the broad and liberal plan of the continental universities, and promises to be of great utility. Schools of all kinds are numerous; bible and missionary societies are numerous and well endowed. Literary and scientific institutions flourish. The most ancient of these is the Society Library, founded in 1754, and containing upwards of twenty-three thousand volumes. The Historical society was incorporated in 1809, and has collected a vast number of important documents in relation to the country in general, and particularly to New York. The Lyceum for Natural History, the Clinton Hall association, and the Mercantile Library association, are flourishing and useful institutions.
Masonic Hall.
Masonic Hall.
The Academy of Arts was chartered in 1808. It has two exhibitions annually. The library consists of books of views, designs and drawings, relating chiefly to antique subjects. Among the presidents of this institution have been Edward Livingston, De Witt Clinton, and John Trumbull. The National Academy was founded in 1826, and, with a few exceptions,is altogether composed of artists. Of the dramatic entertainments of the city, we can say but little. The Park theatre is the place of most fashionable resort; it is a spacious edifice, adjoining the park. It is eighty feet long, and one hundred and sixty-five feet deep. The Bowery theatre is well attended. An opera house has been recently built.
The number of insurance offices in this city is upwards of forty. In 1827, the total of banking capital amounted to about sixteen millions of dollars. Several new banks have been since chartered, and this amount has been much increased. For its advantage of inland and external commerce, no city in the United States can be compared with New York. The number of vessels that arrived here from foreign parts during the first eight months of the year 1833, was thirteen hundred and forty-five, and the number of passengers was over thirty-two thousand. In 1832, the number of arrivals from foreign parts during the whole year, was one thousand eight hundred and ten; in 1829, it was thirteen hundred and four, being forty-one less in the whole year than during the first eight months of 1833.
The population of New York in 1697, was four thousand three hundred and two; in 1756, thirteen thousand and forty; in 1790, thirty-three thousand and thirty-one; in 1800, sixty thousand four hundred and eighty-nine; in 1810, ninety-six thousand three hundred and seventy-three; in 1820, one hundred and twenty-three thousand seven hundred and six; in 1825, one hundred and sixty-six thousand and eighty-six; and in 1830, two hundred and seven thousand and twenty-one. Its present population is three hundred and thirteen thousand six hundred and twenty-nine.
Norfolk, the commercial capital of Virginia, is situated on the east side of Elizabeth river, immediately below the junction of its two main branches, and eight miles above Hampton roads. The town lies low, and is in some places marshy, though the principal streets are well paved. Among the public buildings are a theatre, three banks, an academy, marine hospital, athenæum, and six churches. The harbor, which is capacious and safe, is defended by several forts. One is on Craney island, near the mouth of Elizabeth river. There are also fortifications at Hampton roads; the principal of which, Fort Calhoun, is not yet completed. Population, ten thousand five hundred and seventy-three.
Northamptonis a post and shire town of Hampshire county, Massachusetts, on the west bank of Connecticut river, and ninety-five miles from Boston. Its population in 1840 was three thousand six hundred and seventy-two. It is built chiefly on two broad streets, in which are situated the churches and county buildings. This town is very beautiful, consisting of a number of villas of various sizes, and of pleasing, though irregular architecture, seeming to vie with each other in the taste and elegance of their external decorations. There is primitive white limestone in the vicinity, and much of the pavement and steps are of white marble. The trees in the neighborhood of the town are single spreading trees, principally elms, and of considerable age; the roads are wide, and the footpaths are excellent everywhere. Northampton is surrounded by rising grounds; but mount Holyoke, situated on the opposite side of the Connecticut river, is the hill which all strangers ascend, for the sake of the extensive and beautiful prospect from its summit. The valley that lies at its base, contains the most extensive and beautiful plain in New England, well cultivatedand populous. The spires of thirty churches are seen from the top of mount Holyoke, and in a clear day the hills of New Haven are distinctly visible. Round Hill school, in this town, is an institution of some note, somewhat on the plan of a German gymnasium. There are two banks here, woolen manufactories, an insurance office, and a printing office; the public houses are good, and the town is somewhat a place of summer resort.
Norwich, a city of New London county, Connecticut, situated at the head of navigation on Thames river, contains three compact settlements; of which Chelsea Landing, situate at the point of land between the Shetucket and Yantic rivers, is the principal. Its location is peculiarly romantic; and it is a place of much enterprise and business. What is called the town is two miles north-west of Chelsea, containing the court house, and some other public buildings; and the third settlement is Bean Hill, in the western part of Norwich. The city contains a bank, four or five churches, and several manufacturing establishments. The Yantic falls, one mile from Chelsea, are beautiful, and afford facilities for mills and manufactories. From a rock seventy or eighty feet in height, which overhangs the stream, tradition says a number of Narragansetts once precipitated themselves when pursued by the Mohegans.
On an elevated bank, north of what is called the cove, and near the Yantic falls, is the burying-ground of the royal family of the Mohegans, commonly called ‘the burying-ground of the Uncasses.’ Many of their graves are still designated by coarse stones; on some of which are English inscriptions. Uncas was buried here, and many of his descendants; but his family is now nearly extinct. There are one or two living who claim a kindred, but who have very little of the magnanimity or valor for which he was so conspicuous. Population of Norwich, seven thousand two hundred and thirty-nine.
Pawtucket, a town of Bristol county, Massachusetts, four miles north-east of Providence, Rhode Island. It is finely situated on the falls of Pawtucket river, near the Blackstone canal, and is one of the most extensive manufacturing places in the union. It contains numerous cotton factories, and shops for machinery, and other purposes. Population, two thousand one hundred and eighty-four.
Pensacola, the capital of West Florida, and naval station of the United States, is situated on the north-west shore of the bay of the same name. It was founded by a Spanish officer in 1699, and is built in the form of a parallelogram, nearly a mile in length. The harbor is safe and commodious, and the anchorage is good, though toward shore the water is generally shallow. It is regarded as a comparatively healthy place. Population, about two thousand.
Petersburg, a borough and port of entry, in Dinwiddie county, Virginia, on the south bank of the Appomatox. The river is navigable to this point for vessels of one hundred tons. In 1815, three hundred buildings were destroyed by fire. It has since been rebuilt of brick, and the new houses are generally three stories in height; it is of the first class of towns in Virginia, and presents an appearance of enterprise and wealth. Population, eleven thousand one hundred and thirty-six.
Philadelphia, the second city in size and population in the United States, is situated in a county of the same name, five miles above the junction ofthe Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, and, by the course of the river, about one hundred and twenty miles distant from the Atlantic ocean. It was founded by William Penn, in 1682, and was originally laid out in the shape of a parallelogram, two miles in length by one in breadth. The city now extends from the lower part of Southwark to the upper part of Kensington, about four miles, and from one river to the other. For municipal purposes, the legislature has, from time to time, established corporate governments in different parts of the suburbs, so that Philadelphia is divided into the following districts: the corporations of the city of Philadelphia, of the Northern Liberties, Kensington, Spring Garden, Southwark, and Moyamensing. The municipal government of the city proper is vested in a mayor, a recorder, fifteen aldermen, and a select and common council, besides subordinate executive officers.
‘Philadelphia, the reverse of Lisbon,’ says a recent English traveller, ‘at first presents no beauties; no domes or turrets rise in the air to break the uniform stiff roof-line of the private dwellings; and, if I remember right, the only buildings which show their lofty heads above the rest, are the state house, Christ church, (both built prior to the revolution,) a presbyterian meeting-house, and a shot tower. The city, therefore, when viewed from the water, and at a distance, presents any thing but a picturesque appearance. It is somewhat singular, too, that there should be such a scarcity of spires, and conspicuous buildings, there being no fewer than ninety places of worship, besides hospitals, and charitable institutions in great numbers. In place, too, of noble piers and quays of solid masonry, which we might reasonably expect to find in a city containing near one hundred and forty-thousand inhabitants, and holding the second rank in commercial importance in North America, there are but some shabby wharves and piers of rough piles of timber, jutting out in unequal lengths and shapes, from one end to the other of the river front; and these, again, are backed by large piles of wooden warehouses, and mean-looking stores. On the narrow space between them and the water, are hundreds of negro porters, working at vast heaps of iron bars, barrels of flour, cotton bags, and all the various merchandise imported or exported, singing, in their strange broken English tone of voice, some absurd chorus.
‘Fifty paces hence, the stranger enters the city, which possesses an interior almost unrivalled in the world. On walking through the fine broad streets, with rows of locust or other trees, which, planted on the edge of the causeway, form a most delightful shade, and take away the glare of the brick buildings, he is struck immediately with the air of simplicity, yet strength and durability which all the public edifices possess, while the private dwellings, with their neat white marble steps and window sills, bespeak wealth and respectability. The neatness too, of the dress of every individual, with the total absence of those lazy and dirty vagabonds who ever infest our towns, and loiter about the corners of all the public streets, passing insolent remarks upon every well-dressed man, or even unattended female, impress a foreigner with a most pleasing and favorable idea of an American city.
‘The river in front of the town is about a mile wide, but the channel is considerably contracted by an island, which extends nearly the full length of the town, and, consequently renders the navigation more intricate. It is prettily planted with trees, and a ship has been run ashore at one endand converted into a tavern, a house being raised upon the upper deck. It was quite a gala day, numerous steam vessels and rowing boats proceeding up the stream to Kensington (part of the suburbs,) and we arrived just in time to see a large ship, of six hundred tons burthen, glide gracefully from the stocks.
‘I now commenced visiting all the public institutions. Of charitable societies the number is amazing; probably no city in the world, of the same population, possesses an equal number. It may be truly said, that it deserves its name of “Philadelphia;” there are upwards of thirty humane institutions and societies for the relief of the poor and orphans, besides above one hundred and fifty mutual benefit societies, on the principle of the English clubs; being associations of tradesmen and artisans for the support of each other in sickness, each member contributing monthly or weekly a small sum to the general fund. Of the public institutions, the “Pennsylvania Hospital” is on the most extensive scale. It is situated in a central part of the city, near Washington square, and was founded eighty-two years since, Benjamin Franklin being its greatest promoter. It contains an excellent library of about seven thousand volumes; and it is calculated that about fourteen hundred patients are annually admitted into it, of which number three fifths are paupers; the remainder paying for the advantages they derive from the institution. The building occupies an immense extent of ground, and on three sides of it an open space is left for a free circulation of air; the west end of the building is a ward for insane patients, of whom there are generally more than one hundred. The necessary funds for the support of the hospital are derived from the interest of its capital stock, and from the exhibition of West’s splendid painting of Christ healing the sick, which produces about five hundred dollars per annum and is exhibited in a building on the northern side of the hospital square.’
The United States bank is a splendid edifice, built on the plan of the Parthenon at Athens. Its length is one hundred and sixty-one, and its breadth eighty-seven feet. The main entrance is from Chesnut street, bya flight of six marble steps, extending along the whole front of the portico, which is supported by fluted columns four and a half feet in diameter. In the centre of the building is the banking room, which is eighty-one feet long, and forty-eight feet wide. The whole body of the edifice is arched in a bomb-proof manner, from the cellar to the roof, which is covered with copper. The New Bank of Pennsylvania is an extensive and elegant edifice of marble of the Ionic order, and constructed after the model of the ancient temple of the Muses, on the Ilyssus. There are at present seventeen banking houses within the city and the incorporated districts, with an aggregate capital of more than twenty millions of dollars.
The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb is one of the most conspicuous edifices in the city. The association was established in April, 1820, and was incorporated in the following year. Philadelphia now contains about one hundred churches, few of which are distinguished for size, extent, or architectural beauty.