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The county of Highland lies on the east side of this river and south of the great prairie, extending eastward within twenty miles of Chilicothe. It is moderately hilly, the soil rich, and the growth of timber generally large. Hillsborough is the seat of justice, and contains about thirty houses, and a handsome brick court house. A tract of swaly, wet land, about eight miles in width, passes through the country, which drains a part of the great prairie. Its waters run off by Oak creek into the Ohio. The road from Chilicothe to Cincinnati passes through it, and the depth of mud and water renders travelling extremely troublesome at all seasons of the year.
The people settled between the Scioto and Little Miami are mostly from Virginia and Kentucky, and the improvements are inconsiderable, excepting near Chilicothe.
Immediately below the mouth of the Little Miami, is the town of Columbia. It was laid out by Col. Symmes, and is the oldest settlement in the State, on the Ohio river, except Marietta; but has increased very little in the number of its inhabitants.
At present, it is only a neat, pleasant village, consisting of about forty houses, built at some distance from each other, on a rich bottom or interval. Nor is it probable, from its situation, that it will ever become a place of much business.
On an eastern branch of the Little Miami, is Williamsburge, the seat of justice for Clermont
