Deaf and Dumb Asylum.The state house, in which the continental congress sat, and from whence the Declaration of Independence issued, is still standing. It is located in Chesnut street, is built of brick, comprising a centre and two wings, and has undergone no material alteration since its first erection. It has a venerable appearance, and is surmounted by a cupola, having a clock, the dial of which is glass, and is illuminated at night until ten or eleven o’clock, showing the hour and minutes until that time. The front is a considerable distance back from the street, the walk being paved to the curb-stone with brick, and two elegant rows of trees extending its whole length. East of the main entrance, in the front room, the sessions of congress were held, and the question of independence decided.The arcade contains Peale’s museum, one of the best in the United States, comprising the most complete skeleton of the mammoth perhaps in the world. It is perfect, with the exception of a few bones, which have been supplied by imitating the others. This skeleton was found in Ulster county, New York.The Academy of Arts, in Chesnut street, contains a large number of paintings, several of which are the property of Joseph Bonaparte. Amongthese is one executed by David, representing Napoleon crossing the Alps. Another is a full-length portrait of Joseph himself, as king of Spain.Academy of Arts.It is to Franklin that the city is indebted for its great library, which now numbers about thirty-five thousand volumes. It was incorporated in 1742, and in 1790, the present neat edifice was erected on the east side of Fifth street, opposite the state house square. The Athenæum is a valuable institution, established in 1814; it has a collection of about five thousand five hundred volumes, and more than seventy newspapers and periodical journals are regularly received in its reading room. The Philosophical society has a collection of six thousand, and the Academy of Natural Sciences a collection of five thousand volumes. The University of Pennsylvania is distinguished for its medical school, which is attended by a class of from four to five hundred. The United States Mint was established in 1791, and by successive acts of congress has been continued at Philadelphia. In 1829, a new building for the mint was commenced in Chesnut street; it has but recently been completed.It is of the Ionic order, and modelled after a celebrated Greciantemple.66Franklin Institute.Of the public works of Philadelphia, there is none of which its inhabitants are most justly proud than those at Fair Mount, by which the city is supplied with water of the best quality, in the greatest plenty. Fair Mount is in the rear of the city upon the bank of the Schuylkill. The reservoirs are situated on the top of a hill rising from the river, a part of it perpendicular rock, upwards of one hundred feet. They contain upwards of twelve millions of gallons, supplying the city through between fifteen and twenty miles of pipes. The water was formerly forced to the reservoirs by steam, which is no longer used; it is now raised by machinery propelled by the Schuylkill. The machinery is simple, and is turned bylarge water wheels, whose speed may be graduated to any required number of revolutions per minute; if all are in motion, they will raise seven millions of gallons in twenty-four hours. To turn them, the Schuylkill has been dammed its whole breadth, by which the water is thrown back into a reservoir lock, whence it is admitted as required to operate upon the wheels, and is discharged into the river below the dam. The whole expense of these works, including estimated cost of works abandoned, was one million seven hundred and eighty-three thousand. The quantity of water which they disseminate through the city, is not only sufficient for every family, but is used to wash the streets. It is of immense service in case of fire, as it is only necessary to screw the hose to hydrants, which are placed at convenient distances, to secure a constant stream of sufficient force to reach an ordinary height.Fair Mount Water-Works.There are three prisons in Philadelphia, one in Walnut street, a second in Arch street, and the Eastern Penitentiary. The latter is situated on high ground near the city, and is designed to carry the principle of solitary confinement into effect. The system pursued here will be fully explained in a different portion of the volume. Ten acres are occupied by the establishment, inclosed by massive walls of granite, thirty-five feet high, with towers and battlements.Eastern Penitentiary.There are two bridges across the Schuylkill, both of which are substantial and elegant structures. The Fair Mount bridge consists of a singlearch, of three hundred and forty feet in length. The whole length of that on Market street, is one thousand three hundred feet, including abutments and wing walls.Upper Ferry Bridge.The public markets form a very striking feature of the city. One is nearly two thirds of a mile in extent. The harbor of Philadelphia possesses many natural advantages, though it is more liable to be impeded by ice than either that of New York or Baltimore. The Delaware is not navigable for the first class of ships of the line. For the amount of its commerce, Philadelphia is the fourth city in the United States.By the will of the late Stephen Girard, Philadelphia received large bequests of land and money, to be appropriated to purposes of public improvement. To the Pennsylvania Hospital he gave thirty thousand dollars; to the city, for city improvements, five hundred thousand dollars; for a college for poor white male children, and its endowments, two millions. He made further donations to the city of unimproved lands in the western territories, and stock in the Schuylkill navigation company, valued at the sum of six hundred thousand dollars.By the census of 1810, the population of Philadelphia was ninety-six thousand six hundred and sixty-four; in 1840 it was two hundred and thirty-five thousand.Pittsburg, a city and capital of Alleghany county, Pennsylvania, two hundred and ninety-seven miles west by north of Philadelphia, is situated on a beautiful plain at the junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers. It is built on the old site of the famous fort Du Quesne, whose ruins are still seen in the neighborhood. The situation of Pittsburg is as advantageous as can well be imagined; it is the key to the western country, and, excepting New Orleans and Cincinnati, is the first town of the whole valley of the Mississippi. It was created a city by the legislature of Pennsylvania, at the session of 1816. The principal cause which has contributed, after its fine position, to ensure the prosperity of, Pittsburg, is the exhaustless mass of mineral coal that exists in its neighborhood.The beds are 340 feet above low water level, and about two hundred and ninety above the level of the town. The great abundance of this valuable material has converted Pittsburg into a vast workshop, and a warehouse for the immense country below, upon the Ohio and the other large rivers of the valley. According to a list recently published in one of the Pittsburg papers, there are in operation in that city, and in its immediate vicinity, eighty-nine steam engines, on which there are two thousand one hundred and eleven hands employed, and coal consumed to the amount of one hundred and fifty-four thousand two hundred and fifty bushels per month. The great use of this coal has given a general dinginess of appearance to the town, arising from the smoke. The inhabitants of Pittsburg present specimens of almost every nation; they are distinguished for economy and industry. The Western university was established here in 1820. Among the buildings are three or four banks, a small theatre, a public library, and houses of worship for various sects. Population, twenty-one thousand two hundred and ninety-six.Pittsfield, a town of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, situated on a hill at the junction of the principal branches of the Housatonic river. It contains a bank, an academy, a medical institution, and several extensive manufactories, among which is one of muskets, where arms have been frequently made for the United States. Population, four thousand and sixty.Plattsburg, capital of Clinton county, New York, situated on a fine bay on the west side of lake Champlain, is handsomely laid out and contains a bank and several manufactories. It is celebrated in the history of the late war with Great Britain. Population, 6,416.Plymouth, a port of entry and shire town of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, is the oldest town in New England, having been settled by the pilgrims who landed from the Mayflower, December22d, 1620. It stands on a fine harbor of the same name, thirty-six miles south-east of Boston. Though often divided, the township is still sixteen miles long, and five broad. The Indian name was Accomack. It is a place of considerable commerce, and contains some manufacturing establishments. The harbor is large, but shallow, and in 1832 an appropriation was made by government to repair it. One of the principal buildings is Pilgrim’s hall, which was erected by the Pilgrim society. A part of the rock on which the pilgrims landed, has been conveyed to the centre of the town. Population, five thousand one hundred and eighty.Portland, a port of entry, and commercial metropolis of Maine, in Cumberland county, is situated on an elevated peninsula in Casco bay. It has an excellent and spacious harbor, dotted with numerous islands, and defended by two forts. The town is well laid out, and neatly built. Among the public buildings are, that formerly occupied as the state house, a court house, town hall, a theatre, alms-house, six banks, fifteen churches, a custom-house, academy, and an athenæum, in which is a library of about three thousand volumes. Much attention is here paid to education, and there are many good schools. Portland has considerable commerce, the chief articles of export being fish and lumber. Its shipping amounts to about forty-five thousand tons. In 1775, this town, then called Falmouth, was set on fire by the British, and about two thirds of the houses weredestroyed. It was incorporated under its present name in 1786. Population, fifteen thousand two hundred and eighteen.Mariners’ Church, Portland.Portsmouth, in Rockingham county, New Hampshire, is the largest town in the state, and the only seaport. It is situated on a beautiful peninsula on the south side of Piscataqua river, three miles from the sea. Its harbor is one of the best on the continent, having a sufficient depth of water for vessels of any burden. It is well protected by fort Constitution and fort M‘Clary; there are also, three other forts, built for the defence of the harbor, but not garrisoned. There is a light-house on Great island. This town has a number of churches and other public buildings, but none of any great pretensions. It has suffered severely from fires at different periods. The first settlement was made here in 1623, and, ten years afterwards, the town was incorporated by charter. The first ship of the line built in the United States, was built here during the revolution; it was called the North America. On Navy island, on the side of the Piscataqua, opposite to the town, is a navy yard of the United States. The amount of shipping owned in New Hampshire in 1828, amounted to above twenty-six thousand tons; and of this nearly all must have belonged to Portsmouth. Population, seven thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.Poughkeepsie, in Dutchess county, New York, seventy-five miles south of Albany, is situated one mile on the Hudson river, and was incorporated in 1801. The village is handsomely situated, and a place of considerable trade. It is laid out in the form of a cross, the two principal streets cutting each other at right angles. The trade at the landings employs a number of packets. This town contains the county buildings, five churches, an academy, a bank, and several factories. Population, ten thousand and six.Providence, city and seaport in the county of the same name, in Rhode Island, is situated at the head of tide water of Narragansett bay, about thirty miles from the Atlantic ocean, and forty miles south-south-west of Boston. In point of population it is the second town in New England.The town is built on both sides of what is commonly called Providence river; and vessels of nine hundred tons burden can come to the wharves. Many of the private residences in this town are finely situated, and of beautiful appearance. The chief public buildings are the state house, the arcade, fourteen houses of public worship, the halls of Brown university, an asylum, five public school-houses, and several large manufacturing establishments. The arcade is a splendid edifice of granite, with two fronts presenting colonnades of the pure Doric order. The building is two hundred and twenty-two feet in length, extending from street to street. Brown university was incorporated in 1769, and, under its present government, promises to take a high stand as a literary institution. The college buildings stand on a lofty elevation, and the approach to them is through a street decorated with fine mansions and elegant gardens.Providence Arcade.Providence became early distinguished as a place of commercial promise. During the first six months of the year 1791, the duties paid on imports and tonnage amounted to nearly sixty thousand dollars; in 1831, the whole amount collected was about two hundred and twenty-seven thousand. There are four insurance companies. The aggregate capital of the banks, which are fifteen in number, is four and a half millions; to this we may add eight hundred thousand dollars, which form the capital of the Branch bank of the United States, and one hundred thousand belonging to the Savings bank. The Blackstone canal, which extends to Worcester, in Massachusetts, was completed in 1828; its whole cost was seven hundred thousand dollars. Providence is most distinguished for its manufactures, which are very numerous, and embrace many varieties of articles. Capitalists of the city have also about two million of dollars invested in manufactures of other towns. The settlement of this place was commenced as early as 1636, by Roger Williams, a puritan clergyman who had been settled at Salem, but who had been banished beyond the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, on account of his contending for entire and unrestricted freedom in matters of religion. The population of Providence is twenty-three thousand and forty-two.Quincy, in Norfolk county, Massachusetts, was settled in 1625, under the name of Mount Wollaston. Extensive quarries of fine granite are wrought here; the first rail-road constructed in America was built for the purpose of conveying the granite from the quarry to the landing. This town is very pleasant, and contains many handsome country seats; among which is that of ex-president Adams. Population, three thousand three hundred and nine.Raleigh, city and capital of North Carolina, in Wake county, near the west bank of the river Neuse, is pleasantly situated in an elevated tract of country. Besides the government buildings, it contains other convenient and elegant public edifices. In the centre of the town is a large square, from which extend four wide streets, dividing the town into quarters. In the centre of this square stood the state house, with the splendid statue of Washington, by Canova; the edifice was burnt down in 1831, and the statue almost destroyed. In the neighborhood of the town is an excellent quarry of granite. Population, one thousand seven hundred.Reading, the capital of Berks county, Pennsylvania, is a beautiful town, situated on Schuylkill river, fifty-four miles north-west of Philadelphia, on the road to lake Erie. It is a flourishing place, regularly laid out and inhabited chiefly by Germans; it contains the usual county buildings, an elegant church for German Lutherans, another for Calvinists, one for Roman Catholics, a meeting-house for Friends, and other public edifices. In the neighborhood of this town are a number of fulling mills, and several iron works. Population, eight thousand seven hundred and fourteen.Richmond, the metropolis of Virginia, and seat of justice for Henrico county, is situated at the falls of James river, on the north side, one hundred and fifty miles above its mouth, and contains twelve thousand inhabitants. The site is very uneven, and the situation is healthy, beautiful and picturesque. On the opposite side of the river is Manchester, connected with Richmond by two bridges. The falls and rapids extend nearly six miles, in which distance the river descends eighty feet. A canal with three locks is cut on the north side of the river, terminating at the town in a basin of about two acres. Few cities situated so far from the sea, possess better commercial advantages than Richmond, being at the head of tide water, on a river navigable for batteaux, two hundred and twenty miles above the city. The back country is fertile, and abundant in the production of tobacco, wheat, corn, hemp, and coal. Some of the principal buildings are the capitol, penitentiary, armory, court house, and eight houses of public worship. The capitol stands on a commanding situation, and is a conspicuous object to the surrounding country. In 1811, the theatre at Richmond took fire during an exhibition, and in the conflagration, seventy-two persons lost their lives, among whom was the governor of the state. An elegant Episcopal church of brick, styled the Monumental Church, has been erected on the spot, with a monument in front, commemorative of the melancholy event. Population, 20,152.Rochester, in Monroe county, in the western part of New York, is the most populous and important village in the state. Its growth has been wonderfully rapid. Thirty years ago there was a wild uninhabited tract, where now is a flourishing population of more than twenty thousand people. This growth has been owing to the passage of the Erie canal through the town, thus furnishing a conveyance to the numerous manufactureswhich the great water power of the Gennessee enabled them to carry on. The canal crosses the river three hundred yards above the falls. For the distance of three quarters of a mile in the village, the river is walled with hammer-dressed stone, to the height of from ten to twenty feet. The power which is furnished by this river, in the course of two miles at this place, at low water, is equal to that of six hundred and forty steam engines of twenty horse-power each. The manufactories are very numerous; they consist of sixteen flour mills, four woolen factories, two of cotton, three marble, and others of almost every description. There are twelve religious and seventeen benevolent societies; the literary institutions are numerous, and there are many well-conducted schools. The receipts of the canal toll office of this town are larger than those of any town in the state, except Albany. Population in 1815, three hundred and thirty-one; in 1840,twenty thousand one hundred andninety-one.67Rutland, seat of justice of Rutland county, Vermont, is a village of irregular form, and was first settled in 1770. During the revolution, two picket forts were built here. There are quarries of blue and white marble, in a range extending from Berkshire county, Massachusetts. Population, two thousand seven hundred and eight.Saco, port of entry in York county, Maine, is situated at the head of tide water on Saco river. The falls at this place afford a great water power, and carry many saw mills; numerous factories might be erected onthe shore. The lumber trade of this town is extensive and profitable. Population, four thousand four hundred and eight.St.Augustine, city of Florida, situated on the Atlantic shore of that territory, is the oldest settlement in North America, having been founded by the Spaniards forty years before the landing of the English at Jameston, in Virginia. The breakers at the entrance of the harbor have formed two channels, whose bars have eight feet of water each. A fort, mounting thirty-six guns, defends the town. When Florida was ceded to the United States, in 1821, the number of inhabitants was about two thousand five hundred, and it has not increased.St.Genevieve, a town of Missouri in the county of the same name, is situated on the second bank of the Mississippi, about one mile from the river, and twenty-one miles below Herculaneum. It was commenced about the year 1774, and is a depot for most of the mines in the neighborhood, and the store-house from whence are drawn the supplies of the miners. Its site is a handsome plain; the little river Gabourie, whose two branches form a junction between the town and the river, waters it on its upper and lower margins. The common field, inclosed and cultivated by the citizens, contains about six thousand acres. A road runs from this town to the lead mines, and the greater part of the inhabitants have an interest in, or are employed in some way in, the lead trade. Population about one thousand five hundred.St.Louis, the principal town of Missouri stands nearly in the centre of the Great Valley on the right bank of the Mississippi, seventeen miles below the mouth of the Missouri, one hundred and seventy-five above the mouth of the Ohio, one thousand three hundred and fifty miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and eight hundred and fifty from Washington. It was founded in 1774, but remained a mere village while under the French and Spanish colonial governments. It has easy water communication with the country at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, two thousand six hundred miles distant, by the course of the river, on one side, and with Quebec and New-York, between one thousand eight hundred, and two thousand miles, on the other; and with New-Orleans, one thousand two hundred and fifty, to the south, and Fort Snelling, eight hundred and sixty miles to the north. The site of the town rises gently from the water, and is bounded on the west by an extensive plain. The buildings mostly occupy several parallel streets beside the river. Here are a Catholic College, and several other seminaries of learning. The Catholic Cathedral is a magnificent structure. The hospital, and orphan asylum, under the care of the sisters of Charity, the convent of the Sacred Heart, the City Hall,&c., are among the public buildings. The population is twenty-one thousand, five hundred and eighty five, including many Germans and French.The fur-trade, the lead mines, the supplies for the Indians, create a good deal of business here, andSt.Louis is the emporium of the vast regions on the upperMississippiand the Missouri.The manufactures are also extensive and increasing, and the abundance of coal in the neighborhood, and the mineral wealth of the State, must make this an important branch of industry.—There is a United States arsenal just below the city, and five miles distant areJefferson Barracks, an important military station.Salem, a seaport, and capital of Essex county, Massachusetts, in proportion to its size, is one of the wealthiest towns in the United States. Thepop.fifteen thousand and fifty-one. It is chiefly built on a tongue of land formed by two inlets from the sea, called North and South rivers; over the former of which is a bridge one thousand five hundred feet long, connecting Salem with Beverly, and the latter forms the harbor. The situation is low, but pleasant and healthy. The appearance of the town is irregular, the streets having been laid out with little regard to symmetry or beauty. The public buildings, among which are fifteen houses of public worship, are neat, but not splendid. The private houses have generally the appearance of neatness, comfort, and convenience, and many of them indicate taste and opulence. The town was formerly built almost wholly of wood, but a large proportion of the houses, erected within the last twenty years, are of brick.The Marine museum is a valuable collection of rare curiosities, collected from all quarters of the globe, and presented by the members of the East India society. The number of banks in this town is eight; there are six insurance companies. Three semi-weekly and two weekly papers are published. There are sixteen tanneries, eleven rope and twine factories, two white lead factories, and a chemical laboratory. Much attention is here paid to education, the schools being very numerous and well supported. With the exception of Plymouth, Salem is the oldest settlement in New England. It was founded in 1628. Its Indian name was Naumkeag, and this name it long retained.Salina, a post township, and seat of justice of Onondaga county, New York, includes Onondaga lake, and the principal salt springs in the state. Very extensive works have been established for several years; the number of manufactories of salt by artificial heat is one hundred and thirty-five. In 1831, the amount of salt manufactured was nearly a million and a half of bushels. These waters are owned by the state of New York, and a duty of twelve and a half cents per bushel is exacted on all the salt manufactured from them. From sixteen to twenty-five ounces of salt are obtained from a gallon of water. Most of the salt hitherto made has been very fine. The price is about twenty-five cents a bushel. This township includes four considerable villages, which contain eleven thousand and thirteen inhabitants.Saratoga, in a county of the same name in New York, is a pleasant town, and presents a surface agreeably diversified with ranges of hills. It is memorable for the surrender of Burgoyne to General Gates, on the seventeenth of October, 1777. Population, two thousand six hundred and twenty-four.Saratoga Springs, an incorporated village in Saratoga county, New York, and the great fashionable resort during summer, on account of its mineral waters. The springs are numerous, and the accommodations for visitors extensive; but the surrounding country has few attractions. The village is built on a low sandy plain. Population, three thousand three hundred and eighty-four.Saugerties, a town of Ulster county, New York, crossed by Esopus creek. One mile west of it is the village, and at its mouth are extensive manufacturing establishments, supplied with water by a canal cut deep through a rock round the head of the falls, and leading into an artificial basin. The creek is navigable for sloops to these mills. The inhabitantsare generally of Dutch descent. Population, six thousand two hundred and sixteen.Barclay’s Iron Works, Saugerties.Savannah, in Chatham county, a port of entry, and the principal emporium of Georgia, is situated on the river of the same name, seventeen miles from its mouth. It is built on a sandy cliff, elevated forty feet above low tide. Vessels drawing fourteen feet of water come up to the city; larger vessels stop three miles below. The city is regularly laid out, and contains ten squares, that, with the public walks, are planted with the Pride of China trees, which contribute much to the salubrity, comfort and ornament of the place. The streets are unpaved, and very sandy. The principal public buildings are a court house, exchange, academy, and ten houses of public worship. The exchange is a brick building of five stories. The new Presbyterian church is a very elegant and, spacious edifice of stoneThe city, a few years ago, was built almost wholly of wood, with very few elegant houses; but a large proportion of the houses recently erected are handsomely built of brick. Population, eleven thousand two hundred and fourteen.Interior of Presbyterian Church.Saybrook, in Middlesex county, Connecticut, and the spot of the first settlement in the state, was founded in 1635. The ground was early laid out for a city, and it was supposed that it would become a place of commercial importance. Granite quarries near to navigable waters are found in the vicinity. Population, three thousand four hundred and seventeen.Schenectady, a city in Schenectady county, New York, about sixteen miles north-west of Albany, is regularly built, and a pleasant and flourishing place. The Erie canal passes through it, and communication with the Hudson is facilitated by the rail-road to Albany; the rail-road to Saratoga is much travelled during the warm season. Many lines of stage coaches pass through this city. Union college was incorporated in 1794, and is a highly respectable institution. This town was one of the earliest settlements in New York; it was built on the site of a Mohawk village. Population, six thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.Springfield, seat of justice in Hampden county, Massachusetts, is a flourishing town, standing at the foot of a high hill, the side of which is ornamented with fine buildings, the residences of some of the wealthier inhabitants, and the top occupied by the United States armory. This establishment occupies a large space of ground, and commands a fine view. In 1786, during the rebellion of Shays, he attacked the armory, at the head of a strong party of undisciplined men. General Shepard, who had command at the place, attempted to dissuade them from their attempt, and finally drove them off by firing twice. The first shot, over their heads, dispersed the raw troops, and the second drove off the remainder, who, being about two hundred revolutionary soldiers, did not desist until they had lost a few of their men. This was the first check the insurrection received, which was put down without much subsequent trouble.Besides the usual county buildings, Springfield contains four churches, and two insurance offices. It is a thriving seat of manufactures, and in the division of the town called Chickapee village, there are four large cotton factories, and a bleaching establishment. Three of the factories give employment to six hundred persons. In this village there are also iron works. Population of Springfield, eleven thousand and thirteen.Springfield, the capital of Illinois, near the centre of the State, and on the border of a beautiful prairie, is the most important town in the interior. Its principal growth has been within ten years past. It contains a State house, for the erection of which $50,000 has been appropriated; a court house; market house, on a fine public square; a jail, a U. S. land office, 6 churches, 3 academies, and 3 printing offices. Population 2579.Steubenville, seat of justice of Jefferson county, Ohio, situated on the first and second banks of the Ohio river, was regularly laid out in 1798. It is a flourishing and pleasant place. Population, 5,203.Tallahassee, seat of government of Florida territory, is situated in Middle Florida, about twenty-five miles north of Apalachee bay. It was incorporated as a city in 1825. It is pleasantly situated in a fertile neighborhood, and on a site considerably elevated. Population, about one thousand two hundred.Taunton, shire town of Bristol county, Massachusetts, is pleasantly situated on Taunton river, which is navigable to this place for sloops. The first settlement was made here in 1637; the Indian name was Cohannet. It is a handsome and flourishing town, with excellent water power and numerous manufactories; the nail factories make from eight to ten tons daily. The first important iron works in America were erected here. Population, seven thousand five hundred and twenty-four.Ticonderoga, a town of Essex county, New York, ninety-six miles north of Albany. There is a valuable iron mine in this township. Ticonderoga fort, famous in the American wars, stands on an elevation on the west side of lake Champlain, north of the entrance of the outlet from lake George. Considerable vestiges of the fortress still remain, of which a description is given in another part of the volume. About a mile south of the fort, stands mount Defiance, and mount Independence is half a mile distant on the opposite side of the lake. Population, 2,169.Trenton, city of Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and capital of the state, is situated on the east bank of the river Delaware, opposite the falls, thirty-one miles from Philadelphia, and sixty from New York. It is a handsome town, standing nearly in the centre of the state, from north to south, and at the head of sloop navigation; the river not being navigable above the falls, except for boats carrying from five to seven hundred bushels of wheat. The streets are very commodious, and the houses neatly built. The public buildings are, the state house, two banks, and six churches. In the neighborhood are a number of gentlemen’s seats, finely situated on the banks of the river, and ornamented with taste and elegance. Trenton bridge, over the Delaware, is a beautiful structure. It consists of five arches of one hundred and ninety-four feet span each; the whole length is nine hundred and seventy feet, the breadth thirty-six. The Delaware and Raritan canal, extending from Trenton to New Brunswick, crosses the city, and is joined by the feeder, which enters the river above the falls. There are several mills and manufactories in the neighborhood. Trenton is connected with memorable events in our revolutionary history. Population, four thousand and seven.Troy, a city and capital of Rensselaer county, New York, stands on the east bank of the Hudson, six miles north of Albany. It is built on a handsome elevation, is regularly laid out, and contains some beautiful private residences. Many of the streets are shaded by fine trees, and the general aspect of the city is attractive and elegant. The taxable property in 1831 amounted to nearly four millions of dollars. The situation of the town for trade and manufactures is very commanding. It enjoys excellent communication with the interior; large sloops and steamboats ascend the river to this place; and a dam across the Hudson, with a branch canal, locks, and a basin, opens a communication with the Erie and Champlain canals. Hourly stages run to Albany. The water power of the streams which rise in the neighboring eminences is well employed, and by means of it several manufactories are carried on. About twenty-five thousand barrels of beer, ninety-five thousand rolls of paper, seven hundred thousand pounds of tallow and soap, one hundred thousand pair of boots and shoes, two thousand tons of nails and spikes, and twenty-five thousand bells, are made here annually. Large quantities of lumber, flour, grain, beef, pork, wool, and other articles, besides manufactured goods, are shipped to theriver towns, and to New York, New Jersey, and Boston. There are nine churches in this town, three banks, two insurance companies, a court house of Sing-Sing marble, a female seminary of considerable reputation, and a literary institution for the practical education of young men. Population, nineteen thousand three hundred and seventy-three.Troy, in Bristol county. Massachusetts, lies on the west side of Taunton river, and includes Fall River village, an extensive manufacturing place. In this place are thirteen cotton factories, a satinet factory, a print factory, large iron works, and machine shops. This place has been of recent and rapid growth. Population, six thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight.Tuscaloosa, seat of justice of Tuscaloosa county, and capital of the state of Alabama, is situated on the left bank of Black Warrior river, three hundred and twenty miles above Mobile. The name of this town is the Choctaw word for Black Warrior. The first settlement was made in 1816–17, and, by the last census, it contained one thousand nine hundred and forty-nine inhabitants.Utica, city of Oneida county, New York, is pleasantly situated on the south side of the river Mohawk, and is one of the largest and most important of the western towns of this state. The river, the great road, and the Erie canal, all meet, and roads from a variety of directions concentrate at this point. The canal level is four hundred and twenty-five feet above the tide water at Albany. The streets are broad, straight, and commodious; the principal ones are well built, with rows of brick stores, or elegant dwelling-houses. The chartered institutions are fifteen, including three banks, two insurance companies, an aqueduct company, and associations for literary and benevolent purposes. There are also thirty-three charitable societies not chartered, and thirty-six private schools. Numerous manufactories are in operation in the neighborhood. The situation of Utica gives it superior advantages for trade, and has led to a flourishing business and considerable wealth. The canal commerce in 1831, yielded tolls to the amount of nine hundred and thirty-eight thousand dollars. In 1794, Utica contained nineteen families; its present population is estimated at 12 thousand 674. It was incorporated as a city in 1830; and it is worthy of mention that its charter expressly prohibits the licensing of shops for the retail of ardent spirits.Vandalia, in Fayette county, Illinois, late the seat of government, is situated on a high bank of the river Kaskaskia, eighty miles north-east by east, fromSt.Louis. Though founded but a few years since, it is a place of respectable appearance, and will soon command an extensive business. Population, about five hundred.Vergennes, a city of Addison county, Vermont, is situated at the head of navigation on Otter creek. It was incorporated in 1788. In 1814, Commodore M‘Donough’s flotilla was equipped here; and the large lake steamboats have laid up here for the winter. Some ship-building is carried on, and the trade of the place is considerable. Population, one thousand.Vevay, the seat of justice of Switzerland county, Indiana, is situated on the Ohio river, about forty-five miles below Cincinnati. The settlement was commenced by a few emigrants from Switzerland, in the spring of 1805. There has been a gradual accession of numbers to this interesting colony. As early as 1810, they had eight acres of vineyard, from which they made two thousand four hundred gallons of wine. A part of thiswine was made out of the Madeira grape. They have now greatly augmented the number of their vineyards, which, when bearing, present to the eye of the observer, the most interesting agricultural prospect, perhaps ever witnessed in the United States. They also cultivate Indian corn, wheat, potatoes, hemp, flax, and other articles necessary to farmers, but in quantities barely sufficient for domestic use. Some of their women manufacture straw hats, made quite differently from the common straw bonnets, by tying the straws together, instead of plaiting and sewing the plaits. They are sold in great numbers in the neighboring settlements, and in the states of Mississippi and Indiana. Population, about fifteen hundred.Vincennes, the seat of justice for Knox county, Indiana, stands on the east bank of the Wabash, one hundred and fifty miles from its junction with the Ohio. The plan of the town is handsomely designed; the streets are wide, and cross each other at right angles. Almost every house has a garden in its rear, with high substantial picket fences. The common field near the town contains nearly five thousand acres, of excellent prairie soil, which has been cultivated for more than half a century, and yet retains its pristine fertility. Population about eighteen hundred. This town was settled in 1735, by French emigrants from Canada, and, next to Kaskaskia, is the oldest town in the western world. Of late years, it has rapidly improved, and now contains three hundred houses, besides churches, and the usual county buildings.Waltham, in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, on the north side of Charles river, is a pleasant town, and contains three cotton factories, among the most extensive and best conducted in the country. These establishments were commenced in 1814. The proprietors of the factories support two schools at this place, where gratuitous instruction is regularly provided. Population, two thousand five hundred and ninety-three.Warwick, seat of justice of Kent county, Rhode Island, is one of the most important manufacturing towns in the country. The fisheries are also extensive. The branches of the Pawtucket river unite here, and furnish valuable water power. Population, six thousand seven hundred and twenty-six.Washington, capital of the District of Columbia, and seat of the general government of the United States, is situated on the left bank of the Potomac, near the head of tide water, and by the river and bay two hundred and ninety miles from the Atlantic.It is divided into three distinct divisions which are built about the navy yard, the capitol, and thePennsylvaniaavenue. The principal streets meet from all points of the compass, at the capitol, and bear the names of the older states in the union. Some of the minor streets are distinguished by the letters of the alphabet, and tracts of ground have been reserved for public squares. Except during the sessions of congress, when the city is thronged with strangers from all parts of the country, there is little to interest one but the public buildings and the navy yard.The president’s house is a large edifice of white marble, with Grecian fronts, situated about a mile west of the capitol, and near the public offices. It is two stories high with a lofty basement, and one hundred and eighty feet long, by eighty-five in width; it is surrounded by a wall. The entrance hall leads into the drawing room, where the company are received at the levees.President’s House.The capitol is placed in an area of above twenty acres of ground, inclosed by an iron railing, and commands, by the sudden declivityof the ground on one side, a very charming view of the city and adjoining country, and of the river Potomac. The building is three hundred and fifty-two feet in front, and the greatest height to the top is one hundred and forty-five feet.Capitol.The chamber of representatives is semi-circular, in the form of the ancient Grecian theatre. It is surrounded by twenty-four columns of variegated native marble, from the banks of the Potomac, which stand on a base of free-stone, and support the magnificent dome. The seats for the members are conveniently disposed; each member has his fixed place, a chair, and a small desk. An engraved plan of the house, a copy of which is easily procured at the door, points out the name and place of each member, so that by referring to the plan, every member is at once known.Interior of the House of Representatives.The hall of the senate is a good deal smaller than that of the representatives, and is very elegantly fitted up. It is also semi-circular, and the president’s chair is in the centre. In another part of the building is the library of congress; the great hall contains four nationalpictures, painted by Colonel Trumbull, and four relievos in marble, representing scenes connected with various portions of our history.The treasury, navy, war, and land offices are all in the vicinity of the president’s house; as, also, are the residences of the foreign ministers. The patent office is in the same building with the general post office, and contains numerous models of inventions, in all branches of art.There are more than three thousand dwellings in Washington, and the population is twenty-three thousand two hundred andthree.68Department of State.Waterville, a town of Kennebec county, Maine, on the west side of the river Kennebec, eighteen miles north by east of Augusta. The principal village stands at the head of boat navigation, and its trade is flourishing. The Wesleyan seminary is established here; in this institution, the students contribute to their support by manual labor. Population, two thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine.Watervliet, a town of Albany county, New York, six miles north of Albany, belonging principally, to the manor of Rensselaerwick. At this place the Erie crosses the Mohawk canal, and descends by double locks to the Champlain canal. In the west part is Niskayuna, a settlement of the Shakers. At Gibbonsville, another village of the township, is an arsenal of the United States. Population, ten thousand one hundred and forty-one.Wethersfield, in Hartford county, Connecticut, is a very pleasant town, having broad streets shaded with elms. It was founded in 1634, and is the oldest settlement on Connecticut river. Rich and extensive meadows border the river, and a broad and high level tract, at about a mile distant, affords a fine soil for onions, which are raised here in large quantities. The state prison at this place has been erected within a few years, and the discipline pursued here is similar to that of Auburn. For details on thesubject, refer to the chapter on Prison Discipline. Population, three thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.Wheeling, seat of justice for Ohio county, Virginia, is situated on a high bank of the river Ohio, ninety-five miles below Pittsburgh. It is surrounded by bold and steep hills abounding in coal. The great national road from Baltimore strikes the river at this place. Its position possesses many advantages, and its growth of late years has been very rapid. Wheeling fort, built at an early period of the revolution, was the origin of the settlement. It is a constant resort for travellers, and promises to be a place of much importance.Pop.eight thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.Williamsburg, the seat of justice of James City county, Virginia, situated between York and James rivers, sixty miles south-east by east of Richmond, was formerly the metropolis of the state, but has greatly declined. The college of William and Mary was founded here in 1693, but is now in decay, though attempts are making to revive its former prosperous condition.Williamstown, in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, is situated in the north-west corner of the state, one hundred and thirty-five miles north by west from Boston. It has two congregational churches, and a college. Williams college was incorporated in 1793. Population, two thousand and seventy-six.Wilmington, city, and port of entry, of New Castle county, Delaware, between the Brandywine and Christiana creeks, one mile above their junction, twenty-eight miles south-west of Philadelphia, is pleasantly situated on moderately elevated ground. It is mostly built of brick, and the streets are regularly laid out. The water power in the vicinity is great, and is employed in saw mills, powder and paper mills, and a variety of manufactories to a very considerable extent. The finest collection of flour mills in the United States is at this place. Population, eight thousand three hundred and sixty-seven.Wilmington, port of entry, and seat of justice of New Hanover county, North Carolina, is situated on the east side of Cape Fear river, and has an extensive trade. Most of the exports from the state are from this town. The entrance to the harbor is rendered difficult by a shoal, but it admits vessels of three hundred tons. Opposite the town are three islands, which afford excellent rice-fields. Population, 4,268.Windsor, seat of justice of Windsor county, Vermont, pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Connecticut, is surrounded by romantic and picturesque scenery. It contains a state prison, and several handsome houses, and its manufactures are considerable. Population, two thousand seven hundred and forty-four.Worcester, seat of justice of Worcester county, Massachusetts, forty miles west by south of Boston, is one of the most flourishing towns in New England, and is a great thoroughfare for travellers. It lies principally on one long and broad street, nearly level, and shaded with fine trees. It contains the usual county buildings, four churches, and the Massachusetts Lunatic hospital, a spacious structure of brick, admirably arranged, and calculated for the accommodation of one hundred and twenty patients. The American Antiquarian society was founded and endowed by the late Isaiah Thomas; it has a handsome building, containing a hall, a valuable cabinet, and a library of eight thousand volumes, including manyancient and rare works on American history. There are three printing offices, which issue four weekly newspapers. The Blackstone canal terminates in this town, and furnishes boat navigation to Providence. The great western rail road passes through the place. This town was first settled in 1674, and at an early period suffered much from the attacks of the Indians. It was called Quinsigamond by the natives. Population, seven thousand and sixty.York, port of entry, and semi-metropolis of York county, Maine, was laid out originally for a large city, and is a place of considerable trade. York river runs through it, and empties into the ocean, affording a good harbor for vessels of two hundred tons. Population, three thousand one hundred and eleven.Yorktown, port of entry, and seat of justice, York county, Virginia, is situated on the south side of York river. The river at this place affords the best harbor in the state; but the town has not become populous, nor the trade extensive. Yorktown will always be famous for the surrender of the British army under Cornwallis, at the close of the revolutionary war. The number of prisoners was seven thousand one hundred and seven, and the American contest for independence was thus happily concluded.Zanesville, a flourishing town, and seat of justice for Muskingum county, Ohio, is situated on the east bank of Muskingum river, seventy-four miles west from Wheeling in Virginia. The river has falls here, which afford water power for a number of factories. The great Cumberland road passes through the town. Population, 4,766.
Deaf and Dumb Asylum.
Deaf and Dumb Asylum.
The state house, in which the continental congress sat, and from whence the Declaration of Independence issued, is still standing. It is located in Chesnut street, is built of brick, comprising a centre and two wings, and has undergone no material alteration since its first erection. It has a venerable appearance, and is surmounted by a cupola, having a clock, the dial of which is glass, and is illuminated at night until ten or eleven o’clock, showing the hour and minutes until that time. The front is a considerable distance back from the street, the walk being paved to the curb-stone with brick, and two elegant rows of trees extending its whole length. East of the main entrance, in the front room, the sessions of congress were held, and the question of independence decided.
The arcade contains Peale’s museum, one of the best in the United States, comprising the most complete skeleton of the mammoth perhaps in the world. It is perfect, with the exception of a few bones, which have been supplied by imitating the others. This skeleton was found in Ulster county, New York.
The Academy of Arts, in Chesnut street, contains a large number of paintings, several of which are the property of Joseph Bonaparte. Amongthese is one executed by David, representing Napoleon crossing the Alps. Another is a full-length portrait of Joseph himself, as king of Spain.
Academy of Arts.
Academy of Arts.
It is to Franklin that the city is indebted for its great library, which now numbers about thirty-five thousand volumes. It was incorporated in 1742, and in 1790, the present neat edifice was erected on the east side of Fifth street, opposite the state house square. The Athenæum is a valuable institution, established in 1814; it has a collection of about five thousand five hundred volumes, and more than seventy newspapers and periodical journals are regularly received in its reading room. The Philosophical society has a collection of six thousand, and the Academy of Natural Sciences a collection of five thousand volumes. The University of Pennsylvania is distinguished for its medical school, which is attended by a class of from four to five hundred. The United States Mint was established in 1791, and by successive acts of congress has been continued at Philadelphia. In 1829, a new building for the mint was commenced in Chesnut street; it has but recently been completed.It is of the Ionic order, and modelled after a celebrated Greciantemple.66
Franklin Institute.
Franklin Institute.
Of the public works of Philadelphia, there is none of which its inhabitants are most justly proud than those at Fair Mount, by which the city is supplied with water of the best quality, in the greatest plenty. Fair Mount is in the rear of the city upon the bank of the Schuylkill. The reservoirs are situated on the top of a hill rising from the river, a part of it perpendicular rock, upwards of one hundred feet. They contain upwards of twelve millions of gallons, supplying the city through between fifteen and twenty miles of pipes. The water was formerly forced to the reservoirs by steam, which is no longer used; it is now raised by machinery propelled by the Schuylkill. The machinery is simple, and is turned bylarge water wheels, whose speed may be graduated to any required number of revolutions per minute; if all are in motion, they will raise seven millions of gallons in twenty-four hours. To turn them, the Schuylkill has been dammed its whole breadth, by which the water is thrown back into a reservoir lock, whence it is admitted as required to operate upon the wheels, and is discharged into the river below the dam. The whole expense of these works, including estimated cost of works abandoned, was one million seven hundred and eighty-three thousand. The quantity of water which they disseminate through the city, is not only sufficient for every family, but is used to wash the streets. It is of immense service in case of fire, as it is only necessary to screw the hose to hydrants, which are placed at convenient distances, to secure a constant stream of sufficient force to reach an ordinary height.
Fair Mount Water-Works.
Fair Mount Water-Works.
There are three prisons in Philadelphia, one in Walnut street, a second in Arch street, and the Eastern Penitentiary. The latter is situated on high ground near the city, and is designed to carry the principle of solitary confinement into effect. The system pursued here will be fully explained in a different portion of the volume. Ten acres are occupied by the establishment, inclosed by massive walls of granite, thirty-five feet high, with towers and battlements.
Eastern Penitentiary.
Eastern Penitentiary.
There are two bridges across the Schuylkill, both of which are substantial and elegant structures. The Fair Mount bridge consists of a singlearch, of three hundred and forty feet in length. The whole length of that on Market street, is one thousand three hundred feet, including abutments and wing walls.
Upper Ferry Bridge.
Upper Ferry Bridge.
The public markets form a very striking feature of the city. One is nearly two thirds of a mile in extent. The harbor of Philadelphia possesses many natural advantages, though it is more liable to be impeded by ice than either that of New York or Baltimore. The Delaware is not navigable for the first class of ships of the line. For the amount of its commerce, Philadelphia is the fourth city in the United States.
By the will of the late Stephen Girard, Philadelphia received large bequests of land and money, to be appropriated to purposes of public improvement. To the Pennsylvania Hospital he gave thirty thousand dollars; to the city, for city improvements, five hundred thousand dollars; for a college for poor white male children, and its endowments, two millions. He made further donations to the city of unimproved lands in the western territories, and stock in the Schuylkill navigation company, valued at the sum of six hundred thousand dollars.
By the census of 1810, the population of Philadelphia was ninety-six thousand six hundred and sixty-four; in 1840 it was two hundred and thirty-five thousand.
Pittsburg, a city and capital of Alleghany county, Pennsylvania, two hundred and ninety-seven miles west by north of Philadelphia, is situated on a beautiful plain at the junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers. It is built on the old site of the famous fort Du Quesne, whose ruins are still seen in the neighborhood. The situation of Pittsburg is as advantageous as can well be imagined; it is the key to the western country, and, excepting New Orleans and Cincinnati, is the first town of the whole valley of the Mississippi. It was created a city by the legislature of Pennsylvania, at the session of 1816. The principal cause which has contributed, after its fine position, to ensure the prosperity of, Pittsburg, is the exhaustless mass of mineral coal that exists in its neighborhood.The beds are 340 feet above low water level, and about two hundred and ninety above the level of the town. The great abundance of this valuable material has converted Pittsburg into a vast workshop, and a warehouse for the immense country below, upon the Ohio and the other large rivers of the valley. According to a list recently published in one of the Pittsburg papers, there are in operation in that city, and in its immediate vicinity, eighty-nine steam engines, on which there are two thousand one hundred and eleven hands employed, and coal consumed to the amount of one hundred and fifty-four thousand two hundred and fifty bushels per month. The great use of this coal has given a general dinginess of appearance to the town, arising from the smoke. The inhabitants of Pittsburg present specimens of almost every nation; they are distinguished for economy and industry. The Western university was established here in 1820. Among the buildings are three or four banks, a small theatre, a public library, and houses of worship for various sects. Population, twenty-one thousand two hundred and ninety-six.
Pittsfield, a town of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, situated on a hill at the junction of the principal branches of the Housatonic river. It contains a bank, an academy, a medical institution, and several extensive manufactories, among which is one of muskets, where arms have been frequently made for the United States. Population, four thousand and sixty.
Plattsburg, capital of Clinton county, New York, situated on a fine bay on the west side of lake Champlain, is handsomely laid out and contains a bank and several manufactories. It is celebrated in the history of the late war with Great Britain. Population, 6,416.
Plymouth, a port of entry and shire town of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, is the oldest town in New England, having been settled by the pilgrims who landed from the Mayflower, December22d, 1620. It stands on a fine harbor of the same name, thirty-six miles south-east of Boston. Though often divided, the township is still sixteen miles long, and five broad. The Indian name was Accomack. It is a place of considerable commerce, and contains some manufacturing establishments. The harbor is large, but shallow, and in 1832 an appropriation was made by government to repair it. One of the principal buildings is Pilgrim’s hall, which was erected by the Pilgrim society. A part of the rock on which the pilgrims landed, has been conveyed to the centre of the town. Population, five thousand one hundred and eighty.
Portland, a port of entry, and commercial metropolis of Maine, in Cumberland county, is situated on an elevated peninsula in Casco bay. It has an excellent and spacious harbor, dotted with numerous islands, and defended by two forts. The town is well laid out, and neatly built. Among the public buildings are, that formerly occupied as the state house, a court house, town hall, a theatre, alms-house, six banks, fifteen churches, a custom-house, academy, and an athenæum, in which is a library of about three thousand volumes. Much attention is here paid to education, and there are many good schools. Portland has considerable commerce, the chief articles of export being fish and lumber. Its shipping amounts to about forty-five thousand tons. In 1775, this town, then called Falmouth, was set on fire by the British, and about two thirds of the houses weredestroyed. It was incorporated under its present name in 1786. Population, fifteen thousand two hundred and eighteen.
Mariners’ Church, Portland.
Mariners’ Church, Portland.
Portsmouth, in Rockingham county, New Hampshire, is the largest town in the state, and the only seaport. It is situated on a beautiful peninsula on the south side of Piscataqua river, three miles from the sea. Its harbor is one of the best on the continent, having a sufficient depth of water for vessels of any burden. It is well protected by fort Constitution and fort M‘Clary; there are also, three other forts, built for the defence of the harbor, but not garrisoned. There is a light-house on Great island. This town has a number of churches and other public buildings, but none of any great pretensions. It has suffered severely from fires at different periods. The first settlement was made here in 1623, and, ten years afterwards, the town was incorporated by charter. The first ship of the line built in the United States, was built here during the revolution; it was called the North America. On Navy island, on the side of the Piscataqua, opposite to the town, is a navy yard of the United States. The amount of shipping owned in New Hampshire in 1828, amounted to above twenty-six thousand tons; and of this nearly all must have belonged to Portsmouth. Population, seven thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
Poughkeepsie, in Dutchess county, New York, seventy-five miles south of Albany, is situated one mile on the Hudson river, and was incorporated in 1801. The village is handsomely situated, and a place of considerable trade. It is laid out in the form of a cross, the two principal streets cutting each other at right angles. The trade at the landings employs a number of packets. This town contains the county buildings, five churches, an academy, a bank, and several factories. Population, ten thousand and six.
Providence, city and seaport in the county of the same name, in Rhode Island, is situated at the head of tide water of Narragansett bay, about thirty miles from the Atlantic ocean, and forty miles south-south-west of Boston. In point of population it is the second town in New England.The town is built on both sides of what is commonly called Providence river; and vessels of nine hundred tons burden can come to the wharves. Many of the private residences in this town are finely situated, and of beautiful appearance. The chief public buildings are the state house, the arcade, fourteen houses of public worship, the halls of Brown university, an asylum, five public school-houses, and several large manufacturing establishments. The arcade is a splendid edifice of granite, with two fronts presenting colonnades of the pure Doric order. The building is two hundred and twenty-two feet in length, extending from street to street. Brown university was incorporated in 1769, and, under its present government, promises to take a high stand as a literary institution. The college buildings stand on a lofty elevation, and the approach to them is through a street decorated with fine mansions and elegant gardens.
Providence Arcade.
Providence Arcade.
Providence became early distinguished as a place of commercial promise. During the first six months of the year 1791, the duties paid on imports and tonnage amounted to nearly sixty thousand dollars; in 1831, the whole amount collected was about two hundred and twenty-seven thousand. There are four insurance companies. The aggregate capital of the banks, which are fifteen in number, is four and a half millions; to this we may add eight hundred thousand dollars, which form the capital of the Branch bank of the United States, and one hundred thousand belonging to the Savings bank. The Blackstone canal, which extends to Worcester, in Massachusetts, was completed in 1828; its whole cost was seven hundred thousand dollars. Providence is most distinguished for its manufactures, which are very numerous, and embrace many varieties of articles. Capitalists of the city have also about two million of dollars invested in manufactures of other towns. The settlement of this place was commenced as early as 1636, by Roger Williams, a puritan clergyman who had been settled at Salem, but who had been banished beyond the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, on account of his contending for entire and unrestricted freedom in matters of religion. The population of Providence is twenty-three thousand and forty-two.
Quincy, in Norfolk county, Massachusetts, was settled in 1625, under the name of Mount Wollaston. Extensive quarries of fine granite are wrought here; the first rail-road constructed in America was built for the purpose of conveying the granite from the quarry to the landing. This town is very pleasant, and contains many handsome country seats; among which is that of ex-president Adams. Population, three thousand three hundred and nine.
Raleigh, city and capital of North Carolina, in Wake county, near the west bank of the river Neuse, is pleasantly situated in an elevated tract of country. Besides the government buildings, it contains other convenient and elegant public edifices. In the centre of the town is a large square, from which extend four wide streets, dividing the town into quarters. In the centre of this square stood the state house, with the splendid statue of Washington, by Canova; the edifice was burnt down in 1831, and the statue almost destroyed. In the neighborhood of the town is an excellent quarry of granite. Population, one thousand seven hundred.
Reading, the capital of Berks county, Pennsylvania, is a beautiful town, situated on Schuylkill river, fifty-four miles north-west of Philadelphia, on the road to lake Erie. It is a flourishing place, regularly laid out and inhabited chiefly by Germans; it contains the usual county buildings, an elegant church for German Lutherans, another for Calvinists, one for Roman Catholics, a meeting-house for Friends, and other public edifices. In the neighborhood of this town are a number of fulling mills, and several iron works. Population, eight thousand seven hundred and fourteen.
Richmond, the metropolis of Virginia, and seat of justice for Henrico county, is situated at the falls of James river, on the north side, one hundred and fifty miles above its mouth, and contains twelve thousand inhabitants. The site is very uneven, and the situation is healthy, beautiful and picturesque. On the opposite side of the river is Manchester, connected with Richmond by two bridges. The falls and rapids extend nearly six miles, in which distance the river descends eighty feet. A canal with three locks is cut on the north side of the river, terminating at the town in a basin of about two acres. Few cities situated so far from the sea, possess better commercial advantages than Richmond, being at the head of tide water, on a river navigable for batteaux, two hundred and twenty miles above the city. The back country is fertile, and abundant in the production of tobacco, wheat, corn, hemp, and coal. Some of the principal buildings are the capitol, penitentiary, armory, court house, and eight houses of public worship. The capitol stands on a commanding situation, and is a conspicuous object to the surrounding country. In 1811, the theatre at Richmond took fire during an exhibition, and in the conflagration, seventy-two persons lost their lives, among whom was the governor of the state. An elegant Episcopal church of brick, styled the Monumental Church, has been erected on the spot, with a monument in front, commemorative of the melancholy event. Population, 20,152.
Rochester, in Monroe county, in the western part of New York, is the most populous and important village in the state. Its growth has been wonderfully rapid. Thirty years ago there was a wild uninhabited tract, where now is a flourishing population of more than twenty thousand people. This growth has been owing to the passage of the Erie canal through the town, thus furnishing a conveyance to the numerous manufactureswhich the great water power of the Gennessee enabled them to carry on. The canal crosses the river three hundred yards above the falls. For the distance of three quarters of a mile in the village, the river is walled with hammer-dressed stone, to the height of from ten to twenty feet. The power which is furnished by this river, in the course of two miles at this place, at low water, is equal to that of six hundred and forty steam engines of twenty horse-power each. The manufactories are very numerous; they consist of sixteen flour mills, four woolen factories, two of cotton, three marble, and others of almost every description. There are twelve religious and seventeen benevolent societies; the literary institutions are numerous, and there are many well-conducted schools. The receipts of the canal toll office of this town are larger than those of any town in the state, except Albany. Population in 1815, three hundred and thirty-one; in 1840,twenty thousand one hundred andninety-one.67
Rutland, seat of justice of Rutland county, Vermont, is a village of irregular form, and was first settled in 1770. During the revolution, two picket forts were built here. There are quarries of blue and white marble, in a range extending from Berkshire county, Massachusetts. Population, two thousand seven hundred and eight.
Saco, port of entry in York county, Maine, is situated at the head of tide water on Saco river. The falls at this place afford a great water power, and carry many saw mills; numerous factories might be erected onthe shore. The lumber trade of this town is extensive and profitable. Population, four thousand four hundred and eight.
St.Augustine, city of Florida, situated on the Atlantic shore of that territory, is the oldest settlement in North America, having been founded by the Spaniards forty years before the landing of the English at Jameston, in Virginia. The breakers at the entrance of the harbor have formed two channels, whose bars have eight feet of water each. A fort, mounting thirty-six guns, defends the town. When Florida was ceded to the United States, in 1821, the number of inhabitants was about two thousand five hundred, and it has not increased.
St.Genevieve, a town of Missouri in the county of the same name, is situated on the second bank of the Mississippi, about one mile from the river, and twenty-one miles below Herculaneum. It was commenced about the year 1774, and is a depot for most of the mines in the neighborhood, and the store-house from whence are drawn the supplies of the miners. Its site is a handsome plain; the little river Gabourie, whose two branches form a junction between the town and the river, waters it on its upper and lower margins. The common field, inclosed and cultivated by the citizens, contains about six thousand acres. A road runs from this town to the lead mines, and the greater part of the inhabitants have an interest in, or are employed in some way in, the lead trade. Population about one thousand five hundred.
St.Louis, the principal town of Missouri stands nearly in the centre of the Great Valley on the right bank of the Mississippi, seventeen miles below the mouth of the Missouri, one hundred and seventy-five above the mouth of the Ohio, one thousand three hundred and fifty miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and eight hundred and fifty from Washington. It was founded in 1774, but remained a mere village while under the French and Spanish colonial governments. It has easy water communication with the country at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, two thousand six hundred miles distant, by the course of the river, on one side, and with Quebec and New-York, between one thousand eight hundred, and two thousand miles, on the other; and with New-Orleans, one thousand two hundred and fifty, to the south, and Fort Snelling, eight hundred and sixty miles to the north. The site of the town rises gently from the water, and is bounded on the west by an extensive plain. The buildings mostly occupy several parallel streets beside the river. Here are a Catholic College, and several other seminaries of learning. The Catholic Cathedral is a magnificent structure. The hospital, and orphan asylum, under the care of the sisters of Charity, the convent of the Sacred Heart, the City Hall,&c., are among the public buildings. The population is twenty-one thousand, five hundred and eighty five, including many Germans and French.
The fur-trade, the lead mines, the supplies for the Indians, create a good deal of business here, andSt.Louis is the emporium of the vast regions on the upperMississippiand the Missouri.
The manufactures are also extensive and increasing, and the abundance of coal in the neighborhood, and the mineral wealth of the State, must make this an important branch of industry.—There is a United States arsenal just below the city, and five miles distant areJefferson Barracks, an important military station.
Salem, a seaport, and capital of Essex county, Massachusetts, in proportion to its size, is one of the wealthiest towns in the United States. Thepop.fifteen thousand and fifty-one. It is chiefly built on a tongue of land formed by two inlets from the sea, called North and South rivers; over the former of which is a bridge one thousand five hundred feet long, connecting Salem with Beverly, and the latter forms the harbor. The situation is low, but pleasant and healthy. The appearance of the town is irregular, the streets having been laid out with little regard to symmetry or beauty. The public buildings, among which are fifteen houses of public worship, are neat, but not splendid. The private houses have generally the appearance of neatness, comfort, and convenience, and many of them indicate taste and opulence. The town was formerly built almost wholly of wood, but a large proportion of the houses, erected within the last twenty years, are of brick.
The Marine museum is a valuable collection of rare curiosities, collected from all quarters of the globe, and presented by the members of the East India society. The number of banks in this town is eight; there are six insurance companies. Three semi-weekly and two weekly papers are published. There are sixteen tanneries, eleven rope and twine factories, two white lead factories, and a chemical laboratory. Much attention is here paid to education, the schools being very numerous and well supported. With the exception of Plymouth, Salem is the oldest settlement in New England. It was founded in 1628. Its Indian name was Naumkeag, and this name it long retained.
Salina, a post township, and seat of justice of Onondaga county, New York, includes Onondaga lake, and the principal salt springs in the state. Very extensive works have been established for several years; the number of manufactories of salt by artificial heat is one hundred and thirty-five. In 1831, the amount of salt manufactured was nearly a million and a half of bushels. These waters are owned by the state of New York, and a duty of twelve and a half cents per bushel is exacted on all the salt manufactured from them. From sixteen to twenty-five ounces of salt are obtained from a gallon of water. Most of the salt hitherto made has been very fine. The price is about twenty-five cents a bushel. This township includes four considerable villages, which contain eleven thousand and thirteen inhabitants.
Saratoga, in a county of the same name in New York, is a pleasant town, and presents a surface agreeably diversified with ranges of hills. It is memorable for the surrender of Burgoyne to General Gates, on the seventeenth of October, 1777. Population, two thousand six hundred and twenty-four.
Saratoga Springs, an incorporated village in Saratoga county, New York, and the great fashionable resort during summer, on account of its mineral waters. The springs are numerous, and the accommodations for visitors extensive; but the surrounding country has few attractions. The village is built on a low sandy plain. Population, three thousand three hundred and eighty-four.
Saugerties, a town of Ulster county, New York, crossed by Esopus creek. One mile west of it is the village, and at its mouth are extensive manufacturing establishments, supplied with water by a canal cut deep through a rock round the head of the falls, and leading into an artificial basin. The creek is navigable for sloops to these mills. The inhabitantsare generally of Dutch descent. Population, six thousand two hundred and sixteen.
Barclay’s Iron Works, Saugerties.
Barclay’s Iron Works, Saugerties.
Savannah, in Chatham county, a port of entry, and the principal emporium of Georgia, is situated on the river of the same name, seventeen miles from its mouth. It is built on a sandy cliff, elevated forty feet above low tide. Vessels drawing fourteen feet of water come up to the city; larger vessels stop three miles below. The city is regularly laid out, and contains ten squares, that, with the public walks, are planted with the Pride of China trees, which contribute much to the salubrity, comfort and ornament of the place. The streets are unpaved, and very sandy. The principal public buildings are a court house, exchange, academy, and ten houses of public worship. The exchange is a brick building of five stories. The new Presbyterian church is a very elegant and, spacious edifice of stoneThe city, a few years ago, was built almost wholly of wood, with very few elegant houses; but a large proportion of the houses recently erected are handsomely built of brick. Population, eleven thousand two hundred and fourteen.
Interior of Presbyterian Church.
Interior of Presbyterian Church.
Saybrook, in Middlesex county, Connecticut, and the spot of the first settlement in the state, was founded in 1635. The ground was early laid out for a city, and it was supposed that it would become a place of commercial importance. Granite quarries near to navigable waters are found in the vicinity. Population, three thousand four hundred and seventeen.
Schenectady, a city in Schenectady county, New York, about sixteen miles north-west of Albany, is regularly built, and a pleasant and flourishing place. The Erie canal passes through it, and communication with the Hudson is facilitated by the rail-road to Albany; the rail-road to Saratoga is much travelled during the warm season. Many lines of stage coaches pass through this city. Union college was incorporated in 1794, and is a highly respectable institution. This town was one of the earliest settlements in New York; it was built on the site of a Mohawk village. Population, six thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.
Springfield, seat of justice in Hampden county, Massachusetts, is a flourishing town, standing at the foot of a high hill, the side of which is ornamented with fine buildings, the residences of some of the wealthier inhabitants, and the top occupied by the United States armory. This establishment occupies a large space of ground, and commands a fine view. In 1786, during the rebellion of Shays, he attacked the armory, at the head of a strong party of undisciplined men. General Shepard, who had command at the place, attempted to dissuade them from their attempt, and finally drove them off by firing twice. The first shot, over their heads, dispersed the raw troops, and the second drove off the remainder, who, being about two hundred revolutionary soldiers, did not desist until they had lost a few of their men. This was the first check the insurrection received, which was put down without much subsequent trouble.
Besides the usual county buildings, Springfield contains four churches, and two insurance offices. It is a thriving seat of manufactures, and in the division of the town called Chickapee village, there are four large cotton factories, and a bleaching establishment. Three of the factories give employment to six hundred persons. In this village there are also iron works. Population of Springfield, eleven thousand and thirteen.
Springfield, the capital of Illinois, near the centre of the State, and on the border of a beautiful prairie, is the most important town in the interior. Its principal growth has been within ten years past. It contains a State house, for the erection of which $50,000 has been appropriated; a court house; market house, on a fine public square; a jail, a U. S. land office, 6 churches, 3 academies, and 3 printing offices. Population 2579.
Steubenville, seat of justice of Jefferson county, Ohio, situated on the first and second banks of the Ohio river, was regularly laid out in 1798. It is a flourishing and pleasant place. Population, 5,203.
Tallahassee, seat of government of Florida territory, is situated in Middle Florida, about twenty-five miles north of Apalachee bay. It was incorporated as a city in 1825. It is pleasantly situated in a fertile neighborhood, and on a site considerably elevated. Population, about one thousand two hundred.
Taunton, shire town of Bristol county, Massachusetts, is pleasantly situated on Taunton river, which is navigable to this place for sloops. The first settlement was made here in 1637; the Indian name was Cohannet. It is a handsome and flourishing town, with excellent water power and numerous manufactories; the nail factories make from eight to ten tons daily. The first important iron works in America were erected here. Population, seven thousand five hundred and twenty-four.
Ticonderoga, a town of Essex county, New York, ninety-six miles north of Albany. There is a valuable iron mine in this township. Ticonderoga fort, famous in the American wars, stands on an elevation on the west side of lake Champlain, north of the entrance of the outlet from lake George. Considerable vestiges of the fortress still remain, of which a description is given in another part of the volume. About a mile south of the fort, stands mount Defiance, and mount Independence is half a mile distant on the opposite side of the lake. Population, 2,169.
Trenton, city of Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and capital of the state, is situated on the east bank of the river Delaware, opposite the falls, thirty-one miles from Philadelphia, and sixty from New York. It is a handsome town, standing nearly in the centre of the state, from north to south, and at the head of sloop navigation; the river not being navigable above the falls, except for boats carrying from five to seven hundred bushels of wheat. The streets are very commodious, and the houses neatly built. The public buildings are, the state house, two banks, and six churches. In the neighborhood are a number of gentlemen’s seats, finely situated on the banks of the river, and ornamented with taste and elegance. Trenton bridge, over the Delaware, is a beautiful structure. It consists of five arches of one hundred and ninety-four feet span each; the whole length is nine hundred and seventy feet, the breadth thirty-six. The Delaware and Raritan canal, extending from Trenton to New Brunswick, crosses the city, and is joined by the feeder, which enters the river above the falls. There are several mills and manufactories in the neighborhood. Trenton is connected with memorable events in our revolutionary history. Population, four thousand and seven.
Troy, a city and capital of Rensselaer county, New York, stands on the east bank of the Hudson, six miles north of Albany. It is built on a handsome elevation, is regularly laid out, and contains some beautiful private residences. Many of the streets are shaded by fine trees, and the general aspect of the city is attractive and elegant. The taxable property in 1831 amounted to nearly four millions of dollars. The situation of the town for trade and manufactures is very commanding. It enjoys excellent communication with the interior; large sloops and steamboats ascend the river to this place; and a dam across the Hudson, with a branch canal, locks, and a basin, opens a communication with the Erie and Champlain canals. Hourly stages run to Albany. The water power of the streams which rise in the neighboring eminences is well employed, and by means of it several manufactories are carried on. About twenty-five thousand barrels of beer, ninety-five thousand rolls of paper, seven hundred thousand pounds of tallow and soap, one hundred thousand pair of boots and shoes, two thousand tons of nails and spikes, and twenty-five thousand bells, are made here annually. Large quantities of lumber, flour, grain, beef, pork, wool, and other articles, besides manufactured goods, are shipped to theriver towns, and to New York, New Jersey, and Boston. There are nine churches in this town, three banks, two insurance companies, a court house of Sing-Sing marble, a female seminary of considerable reputation, and a literary institution for the practical education of young men. Population, nineteen thousand three hundred and seventy-three.
Troy, in Bristol county. Massachusetts, lies on the west side of Taunton river, and includes Fall River village, an extensive manufacturing place. In this place are thirteen cotton factories, a satinet factory, a print factory, large iron works, and machine shops. This place has been of recent and rapid growth. Population, six thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight.
Tuscaloosa, seat of justice of Tuscaloosa county, and capital of the state of Alabama, is situated on the left bank of Black Warrior river, three hundred and twenty miles above Mobile. The name of this town is the Choctaw word for Black Warrior. The first settlement was made in 1816–17, and, by the last census, it contained one thousand nine hundred and forty-nine inhabitants.
Utica, city of Oneida county, New York, is pleasantly situated on the south side of the river Mohawk, and is one of the largest and most important of the western towns of this state. The river, the great road, and the Erie canal, all meet, and roads from a variety of directions concentrate at this point. The canal level is four hundred and twenty-five feet above the tide water at Albany. The streets are broad, straight, and commodious; the principal ones are well built, with rows of brick stores, or elegant dwelling-houses. The chartered institutions are fifteen, including three banks, two insurance companies, an aqueduct company, and associations for literary and benevolent purposes. There are also thirty-three charitable societies not chartered, and thirty-six private schools. Numerous manufactories are in operation in the neighborhood. The situation of Utica gives it superior advantages for trade, and has led to a flourishing business and considerable wealth. The canal commerce in 1831, yielded tolls to the amount of nine hundred and thirty-eight thousand dollars. In 1794, Utica contained nineteen families; its present population is estimated at 12 thousand 674. It was incorporated as a city in 1830; and it is worthy of mention that its charter expressly prohibits the licensing of shops for the retail of ardent spirits.
Vandalia, in Fayette county, Illinois, late the seat of government, is situated on a high bank of the river Kaskaskia, eighty miles north-east by east, fromSt.Louis. Though founded but a few years since, it is a place of respectable appearance, and will soon command an extensive business. Population, about five hundred.
Vergennes, a city of Addison county, Vermont, is situated at the head of navigation on Otter creek. It was incorporated in 1788. In 1814, Commodore M‘Donough’s flotilla was equipped here; and the large lake steamboats have laid up here for the winter. Some ship-building is carried on, and the trade of the place is considerable. Population, one thousand.
Vevay, the seat of justice of Switzerland county, Indiana, is situated on the Ohio river, about forty-five miles below Cincinnati. The settlement was commenced by a few emigrants from Switzerland, in the spring of 1805. There has been a gradual accession of numbers to this interesting colony. As early as 1810, they had eight acres of vineyard, from which they made two thousand four hundred gallons of wine. A part of thiswine was made out of the Madeira grape. They have now greatly augmented the number of their vineyards, which, when bearing, present to the eye of the observer, the most interesting agricultural prospect, perhaps ever witnessed in the United States. They also cultivate Indian corn, wheat, potatoes, hemp, flax, and other articles necessary to farmers, but in quantities barely sufficient for domestic use. Some of their women manufacture straw hats, made quite differently from the common straw bonnets, by tying the straws together, instead of plaiting and sewing the plaits. They are sold in great numbers in the neighboring settlements, and in the states of Mississippi and Indiana. Population, about fifteen hundred.
Vincennes, the seat of justice for Knox county, Indiana, stands on the east bank of the Wabash, one hundred and fifty miles from its junction with the Ohio. The plan of the town is handsomely designed; the streets are wide, and cross each other at right angles. Almost every house has a garden in its rear, with high substantial picket fences. The common field near the town contains nearly five thousand acres, of excellent prairie soil, which has been cultivated for more than half a century, and yet retains its pristine fertility. Population about eighteen hundred. This town was settled in 1735, by French emigrants from Canada, and, next to Kaskaskia, is the oldest town in the western world. Of late years, it has rapidly improved, and now contains three hundred houses, besides churches, and the usual county buildings.
Waltham, in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, on the north side of Charles river, is a pleasant town, and contains three cotton factories, among the most extensive and best conducted in the country. These establishments were commenced in 1814. The proprietors of the factories support two schools at this place, where gratuitous instruction is regularly provided. Population, two thousand five hundred and ninety-three.
Warwick, seat of justice of Kent county, Rhode Island, is one of the most important manufacturing towns in the country. The fisheries are also extensive. The branches of the Pawtucket river unite here, and furnish valuable water power. Population, six thousand seven hundred and twenty-six.
Washington, capital of the District of Columbia, and seat of the general government of the United States, is situated on the left bank of the Potomac, near the head of tide water, and by the river and bay two hundred and ninety miles from the Atlantic.It is divided into three distinct divisions which are built about the navy yard, the capitol, and thePennsylvaniaavenue. The principal streets meet from all points of the compass, at the capitol, and bear the names of the older states in the union. Some of the minor streets are distinguished by the letters of the alphabet, and tracts of ground have been reserved for public squares. Except during the sessions of congress, when the city is thronged with strangers from all parts of the country, there is little to interest one but the public buildings and the navy yard.
The president’s house is a large edifice of white marble, with Grecian fronts, situated about a mile west of the capitol, and near the public offices. It is two stories high with a lofty basement, and one hundred and eighty feet long, by eighty-five in width; it is surrounded by a wall. The entrance hall leads into the drawing room, where the company are received at the levees.
President’s House.
President’s House.
The capitol is placed in an area of above twenty acres of ground, inclosed by an iron railing, and commands, by the sudden declivityof the ground on one side, a very charming view of the city and adjoining country, and of the river Potomac. The building is three hundred and fifty-two feet in front, and the greatest height to the top is one hundred and forty-five feet.
Capitol.
Capitol.
The chamber of representatives is semi-circular, in the form of the ancient Grecian theatre. It is surrounded by twenty-four columns of variegated native marble, from the banks of the Potomac, which stand on a base of free-stone, and support the magnificent dome. The seats for the members are conveniently disposed; each member has his fixed place, a chair, and a small desk. An engraved plan of the house, a copy of which is easily procured at the door, points out the name and place of each member, so that by referring to the plan, every member is at once known.
Interior of the House of Representatives.
Interior of the House of Representatives.
The hall of the senate is a good deal smaller than that of the representatives, and is very elegantly fitted up. It is also semi-circular, and the president’s chair is in the centre. In another part of the building is the library of congress; the great hall contains four nationalpictures, painted by Colonel Trumbull, and four relievos in marble, representing scenes connected with various portions of our history.
The treasury, navy, war, and land offices are all in the vicinity of the president’s house; as, also, are the residences of the foreign ministers. The patent office is in the same building with the general post office, and contains numerous models of inventions, in all branches of art.There are more than three thousand dwellings in Washington, and the population is twenty-three thousand two hundred andthree.68
Department of State.
Department of State.
Waterville, a town of Kennebec county, Maine, on the west side of the river Kennebec, eighteen miles north by east of Augusta. The principal village stands at the head of boat navigation, and its trade is flourishing. The Wesleyan seminary is established here; in this institution, the students contribute to their support by manual labor. Population, two thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine.
Watervliet, a town of Albany county, New York, six miles north of Albany, belonging principally, to the manor of Rensselaerwick. At this place the Erie crosses the Mohawk canal, and descends by double locks to the Champlain canal. In the west part is Niskayuna, a settlement of the Shakers. At Gibbonsville, another village of the township, is an arsenal of the United States. Population, ten thousand one hundred and forty-one.
Wethersfield, in Hartford county, Connecticut, is a very pleasant town, having broad streets shaded with elms. It was founded in 1634, and is the oldest settlement on Connecticut river. Rich and extensive meadows border the river, and a broad and high level tract, at about a mile distant, affords a fine soil for onions, which are raised here in large quantities. The state prison at this place has been erected within a few years, and the discipline pursued here is similar to that of Auburn. For details on thesubject, refer to the chapter on Prison Discipline. Population, three thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
Wheeling, seat of justice for Ohio county, Virginia, is situated on a high bank of the river Ohio, ninety-five miles below Pittsburgh. It is surrounded by bold and steep hills abounding in coal. The great national road from Baltimore strikes the river at this place. Its position possesses many advantages, and its growth of late years has been very rapid. Wheeling fort, built at an early period of the revolution, was the origin of the settlement. It is a constant resort for travellers, and promises to be a place of much importance.Pop.eight thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.
Williamsburg, the seat of justice of James City county, Virginia, situated between York and James rivers, sixty miles south-east by east of Richmond, was formerly the metropolis of the state, but has greatly declined. The college of William and Mary was founded here in 1693, but is now in decay, though attempts are making to revive its former prosperous condition.
Williamstown, in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, is situated in the north-west corner of the state, one hundred and thirty-five miles north by west from Boston. It has two congregational churches, and a college. Williams college was incorporated in 1793. Population, two thousand and seventy-six.
Wilmington, city, and port of entry, of New Castle county, Delaware, between the Brandywine and Christiana creeks, one mile above their junction, twenty-eight miles south-west of Philadelphia, is pleasantly situated on moderately elevated ground. It is mostly built of brick, and the streets are regularly laid out. The water power in the vicinity is great, and is employed in saw mills, powder and paper mills, and a variety of manufactories to a very considerable extent. The finest collection of flour mills in the United States is at this place. Population, eight thousand three hundred and sixty-seven.
Wilmington, port of entry, and seat of justice of New Hanover county, North Carolina, is situated on the east side of Cape Fear river, and has an extensive trade. Most of the exports from the state are from this town. The entrance to the harbor is rendered difficult by a shoal, but it admits vessels of three hundred tons. Opposite the town are three islands, which afford excellent rice-fields. Population, 4,268.
Windsor, seat of justice of Windsor county, Vermont, pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Connecticut, is surrounded by romantic and picturesque scenery. It contains a state prison, and several handsome houses, and its manufactures are considerable. Population, two thousand seven hundred and forty-four.
Worcester, seat of justice of Worcester county, Massachusetts, forty miles west by south of Boston, is one of the most flourishing towns in New England, and is a great thoroughfare for travellers. It lies principally on one long and broad street, nearly level, and shaded with fine trees. It contains the usual county buildings, four churches, and the Massachusetts Lunatic hospital, a spacious structure of brick, admirably arranged, and calculated for the accommodation of one hundred and twenty patients. The American Antiquarian society was founded and endowed by the late Isaiah Thomas; it has a handsome building, containing a hall, a valuable cabinet, and a library of eight thousand volumes, including manyancient and rare works on American history. There are three printing offices, which issue four weekly newspapers. The Blackstone canal terminates in this town, and furnishes boat navigation to Providence. The great western rail road passes through the place. This town was first settled in 1674, and at an early period suffered much from the attacks of the Indians. It was called Quinsigamond by the natives. Population, seven thousand and sixty.
York, port of entry, and semi-metropolis of York county, Maine, was laid out originally for a large city, and is a place of considerable trade. York river runs through it, and empties into the ocean, affording a good harbor for vessels of two hundred tons. Population, three thousand one hundred and eleven.
Yorktown, port of entry, and seat of justice, York county, Virginia, is situated on the south side of York river. The river at this place affords the best harbor in the state; but the town has not become populous, nor the trade extensive. Yorktown will always be famous for the surrender of the British army under Cornwallis, at the close of the revolutionary war. The number of prisoners was seven thousand one hundred and seven, and the American contest for independence was thus happily concluded.
Zanesville, a flourishing town, and seat of justice for Muskingum county, Ohio, is situated on the east bank of Muskingum river, seventy-four miles west from Wheeling in Virginia. The river has falls here, which afford water power for a number of factories. The great Cumberland road passes through the town. Population, 4,766.