Commenting on his travels into Illinois in January, 1833, Maximilian observed that in many settlements men were engaged in unrestricted clearing of the forest. He noted, "Our canoe man told us that this is Congress land, and that these people fell the wood without any permission, and nobody punishes them." He added that on private or lease-held land, the settlers customarily took trees for the construction of flatboats and that again nobody was "called to account for it."

On the evening of August 3r, Maximilian and Bodmer journeyed to the neighboring village of Lehighton on Mahoning Creek. Here Bodmer made a watercolor study of the high wooded mountains above the valley and a view "looking ahead above the bridge," according to Maximilian's journal. That night was spent at Craig's tavern in the Lehigh Gap. The following morning Maximilian returned to Bethlehem, leaving Bodmer behind to obtain further views.