Bureau County~
REMINISCENCES OF BUREAU COUNTY~ IN TWO PARTS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. Bv N. MATSON. PRINCETON, ILLINOIS: REPl,TJJLICAN BOOK AND JOB OFFICE. 1872. Entered according to an act of Congress, in the year lb"T:?, by N. :MATSON, In the Clerk's office of the District Conrt of the United States, in and for Northern District of Illinois. -:---.:::--------- ~---------·· FLIGHT OF SET'l'LEUS, INTRODUCTION TO PART FIRST. The writer ot the following story came to Bureau soon after the settlement had been commenced, and experienced some of the inconveniences common to the settlement of a new country. At that time, the prairies of this county were in a state of nature, without roads, fields, or dwellings, a part of which had not yet been surveyed. The only marks of civilization to be seen were a few log cabins, built here and there in the edge of the timber, and throughout the county there was scarcely a school, or meeting house; not one surveyed road, nor one stream bridged. Indian trail1.- were still to be seen, and traveled both by whites and Indians. The writer was .well acquainted with the first settlers. and from them much of this story was obtained. He also had frequent interviews with Indians, who had spent their youthful days on ~ureau, and from them many important facts were gathered. There are some incidents narrated in this story, which were unknown to the early settlers, but the most of them were well known, and will be confirmed by persons still living. Efforts were made to harmonize the early traditions of this county, as well as the state ments of Indians, with well established facts, and with a few exceptions it has been successful.
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