p. 483

Dane County

it being almost entirely oak openings or prairie. The region of the Four Lakes is very favorably known as a beautiful country with a rich limestone soil & well adapted for agricultural purposes. As soon as it was known that the capital of the Territory was established on the point or neck of land lying between the Third and Fourth of the Four Lakes, [there was no city there then- nor even a settlement-] then an entire wilderness, without an inhabitant, a rush was made to the Land Office at Milwaukee and all the lands subject to entry in the vicinity of these Lakes were immediately entered, mostly by those who do not intend to occupy them for actual settlement and improvement. Hence the improvement of this county has not been as rapid as of others where the "speculators" had no opportunity or inducement to monopolize all the most valuable lands. The advantage of [being] having the seat of government however has in some degree made up for this misfortune, and it is probable that Dane County will keep pace with many of her sister counties. It touches upon Lake Koshkonong, an expansion of Rock river on the south