p. 260

272 Racine County

thirty five miles south of the state line, there is a descent of ninety six feet or nearly one foot per mile as a an average measuring [on] the course of the river. This would require twelve dams of eight feet each and the average length of [the] each pond would be about seven or eight miles. At Elgin the river is one hundred and fifteen feet above Lake Michigan, requiring that amount of lockage to unite with the Illinois canal.

The Des Plaines is another branch of the Illinois river that rises in Racine County. It is usually called the O'Plaine. Its name is derived from a species of maple called the plaine by the French. Its aboriginal name was She-shick-a-ma-o.

Root River is about thirty five miles in length, rising in Milwaukee county and entering Lake Michigan at Racine. It is quite a rapid stream, as it originates in very high ground, but the small quantity of water renders it of but little value for hydraulic purposes [until we] except at the rapids near Racine. It has been proposed to increase the quantity of water by diverting