This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/hkB.2ACE/5270 Message Board Post: Galveston Daily News – Sun., 21 oct 1877, p. 2, c. 4 Milam County Milam County is situated in the heart of one of the richest agricultural sections of the State. It is bounded by the Brazos river on the east and northeast, by Falls and part of Bell on the north, by Bell and Williamson on the west, and Burleson and Lee on the south. Milam is on the dividing line between the post oak and prairie country and is a mixture of the two parts, thus furnishing the richest land, with plenty of timber for firewood and other purposes convenient. The bottom lands of Little river and several other streams are very rich and yield most abundant crops. The black waxy lands are principally to be found north and west of Little river. The black and sandy soil is principally south of Little river. There is an abundance of timber in the county, which includes the different kinds of oaks, elm, ash, hackberry and pecan. The prairie portion of the county lies principally north and west of Little river, and the principal portion of the timbered country lies south o! f the same stream. The products of the county are cotton, corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, Hungarian grass, millet, tobacco and all kinds of vegetables. The average yield per acre of the principal crops is, of cotton from 1,000 to 1,600 pounds of seed cotton, of corn from 25 to 50 bushels, and from 15 to 20 bushels of wheat. In the prairie portion of the county the range for stock is very good, it being principally mesquit grass; stock of all kinds does well. Pork is readily cured, and bacon can be kept sweet and good with proper care. Hogs can be raised with scarcely any cost, as there is generally an abundance of mast. Fruits of various kinds do well. There are many saw and grist mills in the county. There is water in abundance. Wells from 30 to 60 feet never fail through the driest of summers. The beautiful Gabriel, after meandering some 20 miles through the county, finds an outlet into Little river, a bold stream, which empties into the Brazos at Port Sullivan. Brushy cr! eek, Big Elm, Little Elm, the Yegua and their numerous tributaries form a network which overspreads the county and furnishes abundant water for stock, mills and other purposes. The county has received a heavy immigration during the last two years, and is in a highly prosperous condition. Splendid crops of grain have been harvested already, and the prospects for other crops are good. Good unimproved land can still be bought at from $2 to $5 per acre. There is still room for many renters. Cameron, the county seat, is an old town of about 500 inhabitants, and is about 12 miles distance from Rockdale, which is its shipping point. Rockdale, situated upon the railroad in the west of Milano, is much the largest and most important town in the county. Its population is now estimated at about 2,000. It has six dry goods stores, eight grocery stores, two hardware stores, two drug stores, one store for the sale of agricultural implements, one jewelry store, three hotels, a steam cotton ! gin, grist-mill and planing-mill, one bank, one newspaper and a job office (Rockdale Messenger), Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal and Presbyterian church societies; three schools, lodges of Odd Fellows and Masons, tin shops, shoe shops, blacksmith shops and a number of lumber yards. Rockdale enjoys and extensive trade with the counties of Milam, Bell, Lee and Burleson, and from its central location and commanding situation is destined to increase rapidly in population and commercial importance. This is the principal shipping point for the rich and populous county of Bell.