USA > Iowa > An illustrated history of the state of Iowa, being a complete civil, political, and military history of the state, from its first exploration down to 1875; > Part 2
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* Iowa Board of Immigration Pamphlet.
t See Map furnished herewith.
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
shed, 245 miles west of Davenport, the elevation is about 960 feet- above the Mississippi. The Des Moines river, at the city of Des Moines, has an elevation of 227 feet above the Mississippi at Dav- enport, and is 198 feet lower than the Missouri at Council Bluffs. The elevation of the eastern border of the state at McGregor is about 624 feet above the level of the sea, while the highest eleva- tion in the northwest portion of the state is about 140 feet above the level of the sea." In addition to this grand water-shed divid- ing the two great drainage systems of this state, there are smaller or tributary ridges or elevations between the various principal streams. These are called divides, and are quite as fertile and productive as the rich valleys or bottoms along the borders of the streams.
The entire eastern border of Iowa is washed by the Father of Waters, the largest river on the continent; and during the greater part of the year this stream is navigable for a large class of steamers. The principal rivers which flow through the interior of the state, east of the dividing ridge, are the Des Moines, Skunk, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, Maquoketa, Turkey and Upper Iowa. One of the largest rivers of the state is Red Cedar, which rises in Minnesota, and flowing in a southeasterly direction, joins its wa- ters with the Iowa river in Louisa county, ouly about thirty miles from its mouth, that portion below the junction retaining the name of Iowa river, although it is really the smaller stream. The Des Moines is the largest river in the interior of the state: it rises in a group or chain of lakes in the state of Minnesota, not far from the Iowa border. The head waters of this stream are in two branches, known as east and west Des Moines. These, after flow- ing about seventy miles through the northern portion of the state, converge to their junction in the southern part of Humboldt county. The Des Moines receives a number of large tributaries, among which are Raccoon and Three Rivers (north, south and middle), on the west, and Boone river on the east. The Des Moines flows from northwest to southeast, not less than three hundred miles through Iowa, and drains over ten thousand square miles of territory. At an early day steamboats, at certain sea- sons of the year, navigated this river as far up as " Raccoon Forks," and a large grant of land was made to the state by con-
19
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
gress for the purpose of improving its navigation. The land was subsequently diverted to the construction of the Des Moines Val- ley Railroad. For a description of the rivers already named, which drain the eastern three-fourths of the state, we refer the reader to the map.
Crossing the great water-shed we come to the Missouri and its tributaries. The Missouri river, forming a little over two-thirds of the length of the western boundary line, is navigable for large sized steamboats for a distance of nineteen hundred and fifty miles above the point (Sioux City) where it first touches the west- ern border of the state. It is, therefore, a highway of vast im- portance to the great commercial interests of western Iowa.
The tributaries of the Missouri, which drain a vast extent of territory in the western part of Iowa, are important to commerce also. The Big Sioux river forms about seventy miles of the western boundary of the state, its general course being nearly north and south. It has also several important tributaries which drain the counties of Plymouth, Sioux, Lyon, Osceola and O'Brien. These counties are located in the northwestern part of the state. Among the most important of the streams flowing into the Big Sioux is the Rock river, traversing Lyon and Sioux counties. It is a beautiful stream, bordered by a pleasant and fruitful country. Being supported by living springs, it is capable of running con- siderable machinery. The Big Sioux river itself was, at one time, regarded as a navigable stream, but in later years its use in this respect has been considered of no value. Not far below where the Big Sioux flows into the Missouri, we meet the mouth of the Floyd river. This is a small stream, but it flows through a rich, interesting tract of country.
Little Sioux river is one of the most important streams of north- western Iowa. It rises in the vicinity of Spirit and Okoboji lakes, near the Minnesota line, and meanders through various counties a distance of nearly three hundred miles to its confluence with the Missouri, near the northwestern corner of Harrison county. With its tributaries it drains not less than five thousand square miles. Boyer river is the next stream of considerable size below the Little Sioux. It rises in Sac county and flows south- west to the Missouri in Pottawattamie county. Its entire length
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
is about one hundred and fifty miles, and drains not less than two thousand square miles of territory. It is a small stream, meander- ing through a rich and lovely valley. Going down the Missouri, and passing several small streams, which have not been dig- nified with the name of rivers, we come to the Nishnabotna, which empties into the Missouri some twenty miles below the southwest corner of the state. It has three principal branches, with an aggregate length of three hundred and fifty miles. These streams drain about five thousand square miles of southwestern Iowa. They flow through valleys of unsurpassed beauty and fertility, and furnish good water power at various points, though in this respect they are not equal to the streams in the northeastern por- tion of the state.
The southern portion of the state is drained by several streams that flow into the Missouri river, in the state of Missouri. The most important of these are Chariton, Grand, Platte, One Hundred and Two, and the three Nodaways-East, West, and Middle. All of these afford water power for machinery, and present splendid valleys of rich farming lands.
These few general remarks concerning the rivers must suffice. Our space will admit only of a mention of the streams that have been designated as rivers, but there are many other streams of great importance and value to different portions of the state, drain- ing the country, furnishing mill sites, and adding to the variety and beauty of the scenery. So admirable is the natural drainage of almost the entire state, that the farmer who has not a stream of living water on his premises is an exception to the general rule.
Let us next look at the lakes. In some of the northern portions of Iowa there are many small and beautiful lakes. They, for the most part, belong to that system of lakes stretching into Minnesota, and some of them present many interesting features. Among the most noted of the lakes of northern Iowa are the following :- Clear lake, in Cerro Gordo county ; Rice lake, Silver lake, and Bright's lake, in Worth county ; Crystal lake, Eagle lake, lake Edward, and Twin lakes, in Hancock county; Owl lake, in Humboldt county ; lake Gertrude, lake Cornelia, Elm lake, and Wall lake, in Wright county ; lake Caro, in Hamilton county ;
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Twin lakes, in Calhoun county; Wall lake, in Sac county ; Swan lake, in Emmet county; Storm lake, in Buena Vista county ; and Okoboji and Spirit lakes, in Dickinson county. Nearly all these are deep and clear, abounding in many excellent varieties of fish, which are caught abundantly by the settlers at all proper seasons of the year. The name 'Wall lake,' applied to several of these bodies of water, is derived from the fact that a line or ridge of boulders extends around them, giving them some- what the appearance of having been walled. Most of them ex- hibit the same appearance in this respect to a greater or less extent. Lake Okoboji, Spirit lake, Storm lake, and Clear lake, are the largest of the northern Iowa lakes. All of them, except Storm lake, have fine bodies of timber on their borders. Lake Okoboji is about fifteen miles long, and from a quarter of a mile to two miles wide. Spirit lake, just north of it, embraces about ten square miles, the northern border extending to the Minnesota line. Storm lake is in size about three miles east and west by two north and south. Clear lake is about seven miles long by two miles wide. The dry rolling land usually extends up to the borders of the lakes, making them delightful resorts for excursion or fishing parties, and they are now attracting attention as places of resort, on account of the beauty of their natural scenery, as well as the inducements which they afford to hunting and fishing parties.
The alternating patches of timber and broad prairie render Iowa distinguishable. Of course the prairies constitute most of the surface. It is said that nine-tenths of the surface is prairie. The timber is generally found in heavy bodies skirting the streams, but there are also many isolated groves standing, like islands in the sea, far out on the prairies. The eastern half of the state con- tains a larger proportion of timber than the western. The follow- ing are the leading varieties of timber : white, black, and burr oak, black walnut, butternut, hickory, hard and soft maple, cherry, red and white elm, ash, linn, hackberry, birch, honey locust, cotton- wood, and quaking asp. A few sycamore trees are found in certain localities along the streams. Groves of red cedar also prevail, especially along Iowa and Cedar rivers, and a few isolated pine trees are scattered along the bluffs of some of the streams in the northern part of the state. Very many kinds of timber have
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
been found to grow rapidly when transplanted upon the prairies, or when propagated from the planting of seeds.
Prominent among the mineral interests of Iowa are her vast coal deposits. "In some unknown age of the past, long before the history of our race began, nature, by some wise process, made a bountiful provision for the time when, in the order of things, it should become necessary for civilized man to take possession of the broad, rich prairies. As an equivalent for the lack of trees, she quietly stored away beneath the soil those wonderful carbon- iferous treasures for the use and comfort of man at the proper time. The increased demand for coal has, in many portions of the state, led to improved methods of mining, so that in many counties, the business is becoming a lucrative and important one, especially where railroads furnish the means of transportation. The coal field of the state embraces an area of over 20,000 square miles, and coal is successfully mined in over thirty coun- ties, embracing a territory larger than the state of Massachusetts." Within the last year or two, many discoveries of new deposits have been made, and counties not previously numbered among the coal counties of the state, are now yielding rich returns to the miner. A vein of coal of excellent quality, seven feet in thick- ness, has been opened, and is now being successfully worked, about five miles southeast of Fort Dodge, in Webster county. Large quantities of coal are shipped from that point to Dubuque and the towns along the line of the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad. Three or four years ago, it was barely known that some coal existed in Boone county, as indicated by exposures along the Des Moines river, but it is only within the last two years that the coal mines of Moingona have furnished the vast supplies shipped along the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, both east and west. The great productive coal field of Iowa is embraced chiefly within the valley of the Des Moines river and its tributa- ries, extending up the valley from Lee county nearly to the north line of Webster county. Within the coal field embraced by this valley, deep mining is nowhere necessary. The Des Moines and its larger tributaries have generally cut their channels down through all the coal measure strata.
The coal of Iowa is of the class known as bituminous, and is
CROSSCUP & WEST-SC. PHILA.
Col. Geo. Davenport.
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
equal in quality and value to coal of the same class in other parts of the world. The veins which have so far been worked are from three to eight feet in thickness, but it is not necessary to dig from one thousand to two thousand feet to reach the coal, as miners are obliged to do in some countries. But little coal has in this state been raised from a depth greater than one hundred feet.
Prof. Gustavus Hinrich of the State University, who also offici- ated as state chemist in the prosecution of the recent geological sur- vey, gives an analysis showing the comparative value of Iowa coal with that of other countries. The following is from a table prepared by him - 100 representing the combustible :
NAME AND LOCALITY.
Car- bon.
Bitu-
men.
Ashes.
Mois-
ture.
Equiv-
alent.
Vaine.
Brown coal, from Arbesan, Bohemia ..
36
64
3
11
114
88
Brown coal, from Bilin, Bohemia ....
40
67
16
00
123
81
Bituminous coal from Bentheu, Silisia. Cannel coal, from Wigan, England ...
51
49
21
5
126
80
61
39
10
3
113
87
Anthracite, from Pennsylvania.
94
6
2
2
104
96
Iowa coals - average.
50
50
5
5
110
90
In this table the excess of the equivalent above 100, expresses the amount of impurities (ashes and moisture), in the coal. The analysis shows that the average Iowa coals contain only ten parts of impurities for one hundred parts of combustible (carbon and bitumen), being the purest of all the samples analyzed, except the anthracite from Pennsylvania.
The peat deposits have also proved to be extensive and valua- ble. These have only been known to exist for the past five or six years. In 1866, Dr. White, the state geologist, made careful observations in some of the counties, where it was supposed to exist. Other official examinations followed, and now it is esti- mated that the state contains thousands of acres of good peat lands. The depth of the beds is from four to ten feet, and the quality is but little, if any, inferior to that of Ireland. As yet, but little use has been made of it as a fuel, but when it is consid- ered that it lies wholly beyond the coal field, in a sparsely tim- bered region of the state, its prospective value is regarded as very great. Dr. White estimates that 160 acres of peat, four feet deep, will supply two hundred and thirteen families with fuel for up-
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
ward of twenty-five years. It must not be inferred that the pres- ence of these peat beds in that part of the state is in any degree prejudicial to health, for such is not the case. The dry, rolling prairie land usually comes up to the very border of the peat marsh, and the winds, or breezes, which prevail through the sum- mer season, do not allow water to become stagnant. Nature seems to have designed these peat deposits to supply the defi- ciency of other material for fuel. The penetration of this portion of the state by railroads, and the rapid growth of timber, may leave a resort to peat for fuel as a matter of choice, and not of necessity. It therefore remains to be seen of what economic value in the future the peat beds of Iowa may be. Peat has also been found in Muscatine, Linn, Clinton, and other eastern and southern counties of the state, but the fertile region of northern Iowa, least favored with other kinds of fuel, is peculiarly the peat region of the state.
The lead mines have also attracted attention for the past forty years. From four to six million pounds of ore have been smelted annually at the Dubuque mines, yielding from 68 to 70 per cent. of lead. So far as known, the lead deposits of Iowa that may be profitably worked are confined to a belt of four or five miles in width along the Mississippi above and below the city of Dubuque. Iron, copper, and zinc have been found in limited quantities in different parts of the state-the last named metal being chiefly associated with the lead deposits. Good material for the manu- facture of quicklime is found in abundance in nearly all parts of the state. Even in the northwestern counties, where there are but few exposures of rock "in place," limestone is found among the boulders scattered over the prairies and about the lakes. So abundant is limestone suitable for the manufacture of quicklime, that it is needless to mention any particular locality as possessing superior advantages in furnishing this useful building material. At the following points parties have been engaged somewhat ex- tensively in the manufacture of lime, to wit : Fort Dodge, Web- ster county ; Springvale, Humboldt county ; Orford and Indian- town, Tama county ; Iowa Falls, Hardin county ; Mitchell, Mitch- ell county ; and at nearly all the towns along the streams north- east of Cedar river.
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
There is no scarcity of good building stone to be found along nearly all the streams east of the Des Moines river, and along that stream from its mouth up to the north line of Humboldt county. Some of the counties west of the Des Moines, as Cass and Madi- son, as well as most of the southern counties of the state, are sup- plied with good building stone. In some places, as in Marshall and Tama counties, several species of marble are found, which are susceptible of the finest finish, and are very beautiful.
One of the finest and purest deposits of gypsum known in the world exists at Fort Dodge in this state. It is confined to an area of about six by three miles on both sides of the Des Moines river, and is found to be from twenty-five to thirty feet in thickness. The main deposit is of uniform gray color, but large masses of almost pure white (resembling alabaster) have been found imbed- ded in the main deposits. The quantity of this article is practi- cally inexhaustible, and the time will certainly come when it will be a source of wealth to that part of the state.
In nearly all parts of the state the material suitable for the man- ufacture of brick is found in abundance. Sand is obtained in the bluffs along the streams and in their beds. Potter's clay, and fire clay suitable for fire brick, are found in many places. An excel- lent article of fire brick is made at Eldora, Hardin county, where there are also several extensive potteries in operation. Fire clay is usually found underlying the coal seams. There are extensive potteries in operation in the counties of Lee, Van Buren, Des Moines, Wapello, Boone, Hamilton, Hardin, and others.
It is supposed that there is no where upon the globe an equal area of surface with so small a proportion of untillable land as we find in Iowa. The soil is generally a drift deposit, with a deep covering of vegetable mold, and on the highest prairies is almost equal in fertility to the alluvial valleys of the rivers in other states. The soil in the valleys of the streams is largely alluvial, producing a rapid and luxuriant growth of all kinds of vegetation. The val- leys usually vary in extent according to the size of the stream. On the Iowa side of the Missouri river, from the southwest corner of the state to Sioux City, a distance of over one hundred and fifty miles, there is a continuous belt of alluvial " bottom," or valley land, varying in width from five to twenty miles, and of surpass-
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
ing fertility. This valley is bordered by a continuous line of bluffs, rising from one to two hundred feet, and presenting many picturesque outlines when seen at a distance. The bluffs are composed of a peculiar formation, to which has been given the name of " bluff deposit." It is of a yellow color, and is composed of a fine silicious matter, with some clay and limy concretions. This deposit in many places extends eastward entirely across the counties bordering the Missouri river, and is of great fertility, pro- moting a luxuriant growth of grain and vegetables.
In Montgomery county a fine vein of clay, containing a large proportion of ochre, was several years ago discovered, and has been extensively used in that part of the state for painting barns and outhouses. It is of a dark red color, and is believed to be equal in quality, if properly manufactured, to the mineral paints imported from other states.
As before stated, the surface of Iowa is generally drained by the rolling or undulating character of the country, and the numer- ous streams, large and small. This fact might lead some to sup- pose that it might be difficult to procure good spring or well water for domestic uses. Such, however, is not the case, for good pure well water is easily obtained all over the state, even on the high- est prairies. It is rarely necessary to dig more than thirty feet deep to find an abundance of that most indispensable element, good water. Along the streams are found many springs breaking out from the banks, affording a constant supply of pure water. As a rule, it is necessary to dig deeper for well water in the tim- ber portions of the state, than on the prairies. Nearly all the spring and well waters of the state contain a small proportion of lime, as they do in the eastern and middle states.
CHAPTER II .* DES MOINES VALLEY, ANTIQUITIES, ETC.
The Des Moines River - Discovery of the Valley - Its Early Inhabitants - Antiquities - Mounds - Mineral Wealth and Early Mining.
NEARLY EVERY state has some particular river which especially attracts the attention of its citizens, on which their minds delight to dwell, and upon which they bestow their praise. Iowa has the beautiful river Des Moines, on which her citizens bestow their eulogies. More has been said, done, and thought about this beau- tiful river, than all the other rivers of the state. In beauty of native scenery, in productiveness of soil, in mineral wealth, and in the many things which attract the attention, and add to the comfort of man, the valley of the Des Moines is not surpassed by any locality in the world.
The banks of this great water course and the surrounding country, bear the marks of having been the home of a numerous people centuries in the past, and that this people were possessed of many of the arts of civilized life; but of what race of people they were, and of the acts and scenes which have taken place in this beautiful·valley, we may imagine, but probably shall never know; of their habits and customs they have left some marks, but still there is wrapped around these evidences of their doings, a mystery which is hard to solve. The record of this locality is of quite modern date. The first discovery of this river by Euro- peans has its romance, and the incidents attending it are apt to make a vivid impression upon the mind of a person when he first learns their history. James (Jacques) Marquette and Louis Joliet made a bold adventure into an unexplored wilderness, to find out the truth of reports made to them by the Indians, of the existence
* We are indebted for the greater portion of this chapter to Hon. CHAS. NEGUS, whose many valuable contributions to the historical collections of Iowa find their way, in some form, into this volume.
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CROSSCUP & WEST-SC.PHILA.
Hon. Chas. Negus.
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
of a great river in the west. When they had paddled their canoes up the Fox river, crossed the Portage and reached the waters of the Wisconsin, their guides tried to dissuade them from further pursuing their journey - " telling us," says Marquette, "that we would meet nations that never spare strangers, but tomahawk them without provocation; that they were at war with each other, which would increase our danger; that the great river was full of perils, and of frightful monsters, which swallowed men and canoes ; that it contained a demon that engulfed all who dare ap- proach ; and lastly, that the excessive heat would infallibly cause our death."
Failing to dissuade them from pursuing their journey, their guides returned, and left them "alone in this unknown land, in the hands of Providence," without any one to direct their way, accompanied by only five companions. Marquette and Joliet navigated their canoes down the Wisconsin, and in seven days, " they entered happily the great river (Mississippi) with a joy that could not be expressed."
They did not stop here, but pursued their journey further upon unknown waters, and as they sailed down this magnificent stream, passing the numerous sand-bars, the resort of innumerable water fowls, glided by the many islands which dotted the water, covered with dense thickets, and viewed the lofty bluffs and extensive prairies, not a sign of a human being interrupted their course or met their vision for eight days, and they began to think this mighty river was dedicated alone to wild beasts and birds. About sixty leagues below the mouth of the Wisconsin, on the west bank of the Mississippi, for the first time, they discovered the sign of human beings. There they found in the sand, footprints of a man. Following these tracks, they discovered a trail leading across a prairie, and Marquette and Joliet leaving their canoes in the care of their companions, by themselves alone pursued the unknown path to ascertain whose feet had made it; after walking about six miles, they discovered an Indian village on the bank of a beautiful river, and three other villages on a slope at the dis- tance of a mile and a half from the first. This stream was what is known at this time as the crystal waters of the river Des Moines, which at that time was called by the uatives Mou-in-gon-
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