CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

MASSAC COUNTY

P. 506  OLD FORT MASSAC— METROPOLIS LAID OFF—

BROOKPORT (FORMERLY BROOKLYN)—JOPPA—

DRAINAGE AND AGRICULTURE—

THE OLD FORT TO BE PRESERVED—

       This is an Ohio river county, lying along that stream from the point or bend where the river starts definitely westward toward the Mississippi. It was created in 1843, March 3. The territory was taken from Pope and from Johnson. It is one of the smaller counties, having an area of only 240 square miles, and a population of 14,200 souls.

OLD FORT MASSAC

       The first white people in this county were of course the soldiers that were stationed at old Fort Massac. The story of the founding of the fort is veiled in obscurity. It seems to have been there or was located there during the French and Indian war, which lasted from 1754 to 1763. One date for the fort’s origin is 1759. When the retreating French who had been driven from Fort Duquesne arrived at this point they halted, and if the old fort was there they occupied it, and if there was none they may have built one. At least in a description of the forts surrendered to the British by the French in 1763, one clause is as follows: “Thirteen leagues from the Mississippi, on the left bank (right bank) of the Ohio, is Fort Massac, or Assumption, built in 1757 or 1758, a little below the mouth of the Cherokee.” In 1766 Captain Harry Gordon, chief engineer in the western department, visited the old fort and says: “Halted at Fort Massac, formerly a French post.”

       In 1778 Gen. George Rogers Clark arrived at Fort Massac, where he left his boats and began his journey overland to Kaskaskia. There was probably no one about the fort at that time, and it is odd that Clark says nothing about the fort that would give one any picture as to its physical aspect.

In 1804 Aaron Burr visited Fort Massac. It was June and he spent four days with Gen. Wilkinson, who was there at that time, though Captain Daniel Bissell was the officer in command. He had in his charge forty United States troops.

METROPOLIS LAID OFF

       There were, evidently, many settlers within the present limits of the county prior to its separation from Pope and Johnson, but the town of P 507 Metropolis was not laid off till 1839. The proprietors of the new town seem to have been J. H. G. Wilcox and William McBaen. The streets are parallel to the river, cut by others at right angles. The river at this point runs north of west, so that the town is not “square with the world.” Near to Metropolis, in fact joining it, is the town of Massac City, which was settled probably before Metropolis was laid off. This town is just above the city and in it are the mills and factories which have given Metropolis its importance. Thousands of logs are brought down the Ohio, the Tennessee and the Cumberland for the great mills at Metropolis, Mound City and Cairo. Among these lumber industries are the large saw mills proper, spoke factories, box factories and fruit package concerns. One feature in connection with nearly all these industries that work in wood is the drying kilns. The logs are drawn

THE SITE OF OLD FORT MASSAC, METROPOLIS, MASSAC COUNTY

from the river water soaked, but in a few days the products are dry as tinder. There are other forms of industry about the city which add much to the business aspects of the place.

       Many years ago a rock or gravel road was constructed leading northwest from the city some six or more miles. This was originally a toll road. It reaches a very prosperous part of the farming community midway between the river and the ponds and swamps which cover all the northwest corner of the county. Without doubt this macadam road occupies almost exactly the route taken by Gen. Clark on his way to Kaskaskia.

BROOKPORT (FORMERLY BROOKLYN)

       Brookport (formerly called Brooklyn) is situated a little more than half way between Metropolis and Paducah. It is the terminus of the Cairo Short Line Railroad, now the Paducah division of the Illinois Central. It has grown very rapidly within recent years. Just now its P 508 chief interests are the transfer of millions of railroad ties annually from the river to the railroad for the tie preserving plant at Carbondale and Marion, The town formerly sustained a hard name, but in recent years the schools, churches, newspapers, banks and other interests have predominated. Its population numbers 1,443.

JOPPA

       Joppa is a little town of 734 people that nestles along the bank of the Ohio some six or seven miles below Metropolis. It is an important shipping point for a large area of country just back of the village for four or five miles. Every now and then rumor has it that some trunk line railroad from Chicago or the northwest is tapping the Franklin, Saline and Williamson county coal fields and is seeking a place to cross the Ohio to reach the gulf coast. These rumors always connect Joppa or Metropolis with the bridge across the Ohio and the real estate men push the price of lots one notch higher.

        At present the county is tapped by the Paducah division of the Illinois Central, and a branch of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, which leaves the Chicago and Thebes line at Joppa Junction in the south­western corner of Johnson county and runs to Joppa.

DRAINAGE AND AGRICULTURE

       Thousands of acres of very rich land which lie in the northwest corner of the county are covered with cypress swamps. Under the drainage laws of the state plans are now in process of completion whereby this land will be drained. The contract is let for the sum of $64,000, for which amount the swamps are to be drained. This, when accomplished, will add very greatly to the sum total of the wealth of the county and lighten the burden which other property is bearing.

       The lands in this county are valued at $29.67, an increase since 1900 of $12.83 per acre. The distribution of values on farm property is: Lands, 65.8%; buildings, 17.7%; implements and machinery, 3.1%; domestic animals, etc., 13.5%.

       The corn crop reported for 1910 was slightly less than 30 bushels per acre; oats, 22 bushels; wheat, 14 bushels; barley, 12 bushels; potatoes, 82 bushels per acre. Hay and forage, one ton per acre.

THE OLD FORT TO BE PRESERVED

       Through the efforts of the Daughters of the American Revolution, supplemented by the State Historical Society, “Old Fort Massac” is to be preserved. The Ohio river is encroaching upon the grounds, which were originally included in the fort. An appropriation was secured from the general assembly some five or six years ago with which a monument was built, the grounds fenced, and a keeper’s house built. Another appropriation was made to construct a pavilion for public meetings and serve as a sort of historical museum. The fort stood on a high bluff which commands a view of the river ten or twelve miles both above and below. It is a beautiful natural site and is certainly full of patriotic interest.

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