Box 14, Folder 8: Drought 1871

[Dec 1871]

The Great Drought of September 1871 -

To show that the unusual number, and unprecedented magnitude, of the fires that occurred chiefly in the early part of October 1871 in the northern portions of the United States, may have been caused, or at least rendered possible, by the extreme dryness of the weather for a month or more preceeding, I have collected the following list of counties from which reports have been received showing the existance of drought or unusually dry weather, during the preceeding month of September. The information is derived chiefly from the Monthly Report of the Department of Agriculture for October 1871.

Sent to Gen Myer Dec 28 1871

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States & Territories - Counties

Alabama - Autauga^a, Chambers^a Dallas^r, Greene^a, Lawrence^r, Arkansas - Cross^a, Hempstead^r, Jackson^a, Johnson^ar Monroe^a Sebastian^a, Washington^a California - Mendocino^r Colorado - El Passo^a Delaware - Kent^a Georgia - Butts^a Iowa - Buchanan^r, Clinton^a, Howard^a, Jones^r, Keokuck^a Lee^r, Mahaska^a, Tama^a Illinois - Boone^a, Cook^rf, Clinton^a, De Kalb^ar, DeWitt^a, Fayette^a, Hancock^a, Iriquois^a, Jersey^a, Knox^r, Lawrence^a, Lee^a, Livingston^a, Macon^r, McHenry^r, Monroe^r, Macoupin^a, Peoria^r, Perry^a, Pike^a, Pope^a, Putnam^a, Rock-Island^r, Sangamon^a, Scott^r, Williamson^a, Winnebago^a, Washington^r, Indiana - Allen^r, Cass^a, Greene^a, Henry^r, Lawrence^a Monroe^r Noble^a, Pulaski^a Rush^r, Switzerland^ar, St Joseph^a, Wells^a Kansas - Butler^r, Cherokee^r, Coffey^r, Douglas^a Fillmore^a, Labette^a Meeker^a, Miami^r, Nemaha^f Osage^r, Sedgewick^r. Kentucky - Boyle^a, Breckenridge^a Lincoln^a Louisiana - Caddo^a, Richland^a, Winn^a. Massachusetts - Norfolk^r, Worcester^r. Mississippi - Attala^a, Hancock^a Issaquena^a, Lauderdale^ar, Leake^a, Marshall^ar, Washington^a, Wilkinson^a, Winston^a, Yalabusha^a Michigan - Cass, Hillsdale^r, Ingham^r, Knt^r, Lawrence, Monroe^r, Montcalm^a, Murkegon^a, Van Buren^a, Wells.

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Minnesota Brown ^rf, [Glendale], LeSuer ^f, Meeker ^r, Sibley ^r, [Mankato] ^f, Glencoe ^f

Missouri Callaway ^a, Clay ^a, Greene ^ar, Holt ^r, Jefferson ^r, Lawrence ^r, Maniteanu ^a, Pemiscot ^a, Perry ^a, Phelps ¹, Pike ^a, St. Louis ^ar, Vernon ^r

Nebraska Blackbird ^r, Cass ^a, L' Eau qui Court ^r

New York Alleghany ^r, Erie ^a, Franklin ^a, Lewis ^r, Monroe ^rf, Schoharie ^r, St. Lawrence ^ar, Tioga ^r, Warren ^r, Yates ^r

Ohio Adams ^a, Athens ^a, Butler ^r, Columbiana ^r, Crawford ^a, Defiance ^r, Delaware ^a, Franklin ^r, Hamilton ^ar, Highland ^r, Huron ^r, Logan ^r, Lorain ^r, Marion ^r, Mercer ^r, Murkingum ^r, Morgan ^r, Ottawa ^r, Vinton ^a, Washington ^a

Oregon Curry ^a, Douglas ^a

N. Carolina Anson ^a, Beaufort ^a, Bladen ^a, Camden ^a, Craven ^a, Franklin ^a, Gaston ^a, Mecklenburg ^a, Person ^a

Pennsylvania Butler ^a, Indiana ^a, Lawrence ^r, Luzerne ^r, Mercer ^r, Tioga ^r, Venango ^r, Washington ^r, Wayne ^r, Warren ^a

S. Carolina Newberry ^a, Spartanburgh ^a, Union ^a

Tennessee Decatur ^a, Hardeman ^a, Humphrys ^a

Texas Austin ^a, DeWitt ^a, Upshur ^a, Williamson ^a

Utah Morgan ^a, Summit ^a

Virginia Albermarle ², Clarke ^a, Forgnier ^a, London ^r, Orange ^a

West Virginia Brooke ^a, Dodridge ^a

Wisconsin Brown ^f, Dane ^r, Door ^r, La Fayette ², Milwaukee ^r, Oconto ^f, Outagamie ², Portage ², Rock ^r, St. Croix ², Sheboygan, Walworth ^r, Waupaca ^r

Drought in September 1871 (less than 1 inch)

States/Counties

Mass. Norfolk, Worchester

N. York Warren, Schoharie, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Tioga, Yates, Monroe, Alleghany, Erie, Franklin

Penn'a [Orleans], Wayne, Lurerne, Tioga, Venango, Mercer, Lawrence, Washington, Indiana, Butter, Warren

Virginia London, Clarke, Albemarle, Forguer, Orange

Alabama Lawrence, Dallas, Greene, Chambers, Autanga

Mississippi Lauderdale, Marshall, Hancock, Wilkinson, Leake, Winston, Yalabusha, Attala, Washington, Issaquena

Arkansas Johnson, Hempstead, Washington, Jackson, Monroe, Sebastian, Cross

Ohio Columbia, a Murkingum, Morgan, Lorain, Huron, Franklin, Ottawa, Marion, Highland, Logan, Mercer, Defiance, Butler, Hamilton, Athens, Adams, Washington, Delaware, Crawford, Vinton

or

Michigan Monroe, Ingham, Hillsdale, Kent, Murkegon, Van Buren, Montcalm

Indiana Allen, Switzerland, Wells Cars, Laurence, Henry, Tuscola Bay, Rush, Monroe, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Green

Illinois Laurence, Jersey, Sangaman, Winnebago, Williamson, Iroquois, Cook, McHenry, DeKalb, Macon, Peoria, Monroe, Washington, Knox, Scott, Rock Island, Lee, DeWitt, Perry, Pike, Jersey, Boone, Livingston, Macoupine, Hancock, Fayette, Pope, Putnam, Chelon.

Wisconsin Door, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Walworth, Waupaca, Dane, Rock, Portage, Outagamie, La Fayette, St. Croix.

Minnesota Sibley, Meeker, Brown

Iowa Jones, Lee, Buchanan, Tama, Clinton, Howard, Maharka, Keokuck

Missouri St. Louis, Jefferson, Phelps, Greene, Laurence, Hall, Vernon, Perry, Pemiscot, Callaway, Pike, Manitean, Clay

Kansas Miami, Cherokee, Coffey, Butler, Sedgewick, Osage, Douglas, Labette, Meeker, Fillmore, Nemaha

Nebraska Blackbird, L' Eau qui Court, Cass

California Mendvcino col.

North Carol.

Georgia Butts

Texas Upoher, DeWitt, Williamson, Austin

West Va Dodridge, Brooke

Kentucky Lincoln, Breckenridge, Boyle

Delaware Kent

South Carol. Union, Spartanburgh, Newberry Ten. No county

Louisiana Richland, Caddo, Winn (Panicle?)

Utah Morgan, Summit

Tennessee - Decatur, Hardeman, Humphreys Colorado - El Passo Oregon - Douglas, Curry.