USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 2
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IHISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
go to several points on the Boone and Des Moines rivers and find nuggets of lead ore in great abundance, which to the casual passerby would look like so many common stones. Men have gone from this county to the far off Rocky Mountain country and there risked life, money, and all that was dear for the pur- pose of prospecting in mines, where the "croppings" or outside prospects were not half so auspicious as those to be seen along the Boone and Des Moines valleys. At different times during the past quarter of a century Mr. Ross has tried to induce capital to invest in a mining plant, by which the hidden treasures of these undeveloped mines might be unbosomed and utilized, but so far all such attempts have failed by reason of various causes, the principal one being the fact that the title of a portion of this land was in litigation, and also that the owners of the same are not inclined toward enterprise and speculation, growing out of their ignorance concerning the vast bonanza which in all probability rests beneath the very house they now live in. We believe that if some of the wealthy men of this county would take pains the coming season to allow Mr. Ross and others to make them acquainted with some of the by-paths and trails of Nature along the banks of the Boone river, that they would be astonished at the prominent features of our county's mineral wealth, and also become induced to form a stock company for the purpose of making some more certain test of this supposed deposit. A three days' trip up and down the meanderings of this stream piloted by one who knows whereof he speaks, would not only be a very pleasant trip, but doubtless bring to light that which would be of vast financial benefit to this section of Iowa. Our county has been looked upon by our state geologists as being one of rare value and importance both as to its coal and potters clay deposit, and also to the finer, more valuable minerals. There is another feature so full of wonderment in regard to this strange part of our county, and about which there is so little known, of which it may be of interest to speak in this connection. There is a point on Boone river at which one may see a well defined right angular line of earth works thrown up as systematically as those produced by our well trained modern soldiery for a protection against an enemy. In the immediate vicinity of this line of earth works, which are elevated to quite a height above the surface there have been found many odd relics bearing unmistakable evidence of having been fashioned by a people with whom this age is unacquainted. Among these rare curiosities is a peculiar shaped dish of pottery ware, resembling the porcelain goods of today, though not half so highly finished. Also unique designed stone hammers, axes, and other curiously fashioned tools, which must have been made by some extinct race, who no doubt, from all that can be seen, used them in some kind of mining or manufacturing work. Here may be found irregular shaped pieces of lead and copper ore, through which is trickling a stream of spring water, containing mineral properties, the same as that found discharging from every rich copper mine in the world; it is of a peculiar green color, perfectly transparent, yet leaving a deposit on the stones over which it flows, containing both sulphur and salts of copper. There is a reason to believe that at one time this plateau was the site of a thriving little villa, the inhabitants of which, how- ever unlettered, were possessed with a peculiar skill, by which they made imple- ments in a manner, and from a mixture of material now unknown to artisans. There may also be seen excavations in the bluffs along the river at this point, resembling the opening to a coal shaft, which has caved in and over which debris
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
has collected and underbrush is now growing. There is a theory among those who have studied well the subject, that these were the mouths of ancient copper and lead mines. At least who can contradict it by telling the inquisitive who these relics were made by and for what purpose, and at what date in the world's his- tory were they wrought out ?
OTHER VALUABLE MINERALS
to be seen in great quantities in the above described section are fine qualities of ochre, so called by some, and by other chemists pronounced a species of red graphite, (red lead), which produces a very valuable paint for both wood and iron surfaces. Also there is to be found a good amount of the same sort of white clay from which porcelain ware is made. Specimens of this valuable mineral have been experimented with by those skilled in this peculiar art, and it is proven beyond a peradventure that a vein of sufficient thickness, to pay for working, is to be found within this wonderful mineral land of the Boone valley. This alone is worth its tens of thousands to the county when properly developed.
1
THE COAL AND CLAY
fields of our county are more generally understood and conceded as facts ; yet the almost boundless stratas of these more common minerals have been but scarcely touched, and much less developed. One particular grade of coal, thus far only found in Scotland, abounds here, and which has never been used, save in small pieces by a few experimenters, who claim it contains eight times the carbon found in bituminous coal. There is but little doubt that the scope of country lying be- tween the Des Moines and Skunk rivers is underlain by valuable coal stratas, varying from 10 to 1,000 feet in depth. There are a number of other rare min- erals found in this "Wonderland of the Boone," including a fine grade of mica, better known as isinglass, which we have no space to elaborate upon at this time. Suffice to say that we have a mineral treasure locked up within the cham- bers of the earth which will certainly guarantee the organization of a stock com- pany, the purpose of which shall be to spend a few thousand dollars in determin- ing just what these minerals will prove themselves to be worth. From what we can glean as to the above we are again constrained to assert that this is no idle fancy, but a correct conclusion.
IV. L. C.
And still after nearly 30 years the wonderful mineral wealth of which Mr. Clark speaks is still undeveloped. Agriculture and the things necessary to agri- culture have absorbed the entire attention of the people. They have had little time to prospect for lead, copper or the fine clays, even if they would have been able to recognize these minerals had they come upon them.
WATER SUPPLIES
Hamilton county is well watered by streams and formerly she was the pos- sessor of three very respectable lakes.
The Boone river traverses the west tier of townships from north to south and into this river empties Brewer creek, Lyon creek and White Fox creek, besides
BOONE RIVER, WEBSTER CITY
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
numerous small rivulets. This system is now fed by a vast net work of under- ground tile which is continually supplying fresh, clear, cold water.
The Skunk river with its branches, traverses the eastern part of the county.
Lake Cairo, better known as "Mud Lake" is located near the centre of the county on the line between Hamilton and Lyon townships. This lake formerly covered about 1,200 acres and was a great rendezvous for wild game. In late years it has been drained, and, but for the still well defined banks, that border of the old bed. one would scarcely know that a lake had ever existed there.
In the east part of the county, in Rose Grove township, was Iowa lake, almost as large as Mud lake. This too has been drained and converted into farm land.
In the southern part of the county. in Ellsworth township, is "Wall Lake," almost entirely surrounded by Morainic hills. This lake is still in existence. It is only about half the size of the other lakes. It is shallow and filled with rushes and other aquatic plants and probably at some time in the not very distant future, it too will be converted into farm land.
Boone river has many natural advantages. Beside revealing along its banks much of geological interest, it for many years furnished power for a number of mills. This little river, silent and unpretentious in dry weather but stormy, tur- bulent and dangerous in flood times, has by reason of its economic value earned a place in history.
In 1910, Mr. Geo. D. Dobson and T. L. Blank, acting under direction of the Iowa State Drainage Waterway and Conservation Commission, made a thorough examination and survey of the Boone river. Below is given a report of their findings made by Mr. L. V. Hites, secretary of the commission :
THE BOONE RIVER-DESCRIPTION
The Boone river rises in the northwestern part of Hancock county and flows in a southeasterly direction to the vicinity of Webster City in Hamilton county, where its general course changes to the south and southwest to its junction with the Des Moines river at a point about three miles from Stratford but in Webster county. The total length of the river is about 98 miles by river measurement, and 65 miles by air line. It has a drainage basin above Webster City, the area drained by the river being about 100 square miles, making a total of 920 square miles. The latter area was not considered in the calculations of stream flow used in this study.
CHARACTER OF VALLEY
The valley of the river throughout the territory covered by the surveys is comparatively narrow and deep, rarely exceeding one-half a mile in width, and often as narrow as 500 feet at a height of 80 or 90 feet above the river bed.
The banks of the river are in general about 12 to 20 feet high, backed by a second bank 4 to 10 feet high and 10 to 200 feet back from the river. The slopes of the sides of the valley are comparatively steep, varying from vertical bluffs, where native rock outcrops, to slopes of about a 11/2 to I pitch which rise to a height of from 50 to 150 feet above the river bed.
The bed of the stream and the nature of the soil through which it runs are variable. The lower five or six miles of the river valley, from the junction to the
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
vicinity of Bell Mill, is characterized by a wide flood plain and the channel is tortuous and frequently interspersed with sand and gravel bars. The soil is a rich river silt.
Near the Bell Mill bridge, the character of valley changes. Coal outcrops in the bluffs, and the river bed is a sort of black or blue clay. The surface of the native limestone is at this point about 10 feet below the bed of the river.
From the Bell Mill bridge to the Tunnel Mill bridge, the river bed is clay or shale covered with sand, the depth of bed rock in this section varying from five to ten feet. Coal outcrops are frequent, and though the veins are quite thin, they contain exceedingly good coal.
Sandstone and limestone outcrop about one-quarter of a mile above the old Tunnel Mill dam and form the bed of the river. These outcrops are characterized in a number of places by vertical bluffs in which 20 to 50 feet of lime and sand- stone is exposed. No out-crops of native rock appear from Bone's Mill bridge to the Allbright bridge, but rock foundation is only a few fect below the bed of the river. There are low bluffs of native rock from a point a half mile below the Millard bridge to a short distance above the Chicago and North-Western Railroad bridge. From this point to the end of the survey no more outcrops appear and no probings were made for foundation on account of the large num- ber of boulders in the soil.
DISCHARGE
The discharge of the Boone river at various seasons of the year is a factor very difficult to determine, and in fact, could not be accurately computed, with- out a series of gaugings and discharge measurements covering a number of years. However, during the month of August, 1910, the survey party took an accurate wier measurement of the discharge one-fourth of a mile below the Haskell bridge. This measurement shows a discharge of 12.6 second feet which, according to the testimony of people acquainted with the river and according to the most accurate data obtainable in regard to the run-off for the watershed of the river, is about one-third or one-half of the usual minimum discharge. Since this past season has been one in which all previous low water records have been broken, 20 second feet could be taken as the minimum discharge upon which to base power estimates.
The maximum discharge of the river could only be obtained in a very rough way. High water cross sections were taken at several points in the river above the Millard bridge, and the slope of the river determined. With these factors, the maximum flow was estimated by means of Kutter's formula and was found to be about 7,000 second feet. This figure is for the year 1903, during which this section of the country experienced the heaviest rainfall in many years.
FLOODS
The floods of the Boone river are usually very sudden and of short duration. This is a favorable factor for the development of water-power since the quick rassing of floods shortens the time of low head due to high water.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
FALL
The total fall of the Boone river from the upper end of the Webster City reservoir. about eight miles above Webster City, to its junction with the Des Moines river, a point about twenty-eight miles below Webster City, is 133.5 feet, giving an average of 3.73 feet per mile. In some places however, the gradient is as much as eight feet per mile, while in other sections it reduces to less than three feet per mile.
The maximum fall attained at certain points is found, where there is a suc- cession of rapids as, for example, just below the Allbright bridge and about one- half mile below the Millard bridge.
The average fall of the river at various sections is shown by the following table :
FALL
LOCATION
DISTANCE
PER MILE
Mouth of river to Haskell bridge.
3.31
3.66
Haskell bridge to Bell Mill bridge.
2.81
3.20
Bell Mill bridge to Tunnel Mill bridge
4.88
3.38
T. M. bridge to Tunnel Mill dam
1.75
4.85
T. M. dam to Bone's Mill bridge
3.38
5.07
Bone's Mill bridge to Allbright bridge.
2.25
4.31
Allbright bridge to Millard bridge.
3.44
4.31
Millard bridge to Chase Mill dam.
4.06
2.88
Chase Mill dam to Webster City dam-site.
2.00
2.90
Webster City dan-site to north end of reservoir
7.90
3.29
Total
35.78
Av. 3.73
THE WEBSTER CITY RESERVOIR
Before going into the calculations, as to the power to be developed and the location of power sites, it would be well to call attention to the results of the sur- vey of the Webster City reservoir site. This investigation has shown that an earth dam 26 feet high to the flow-line and 1,200 feet long on top, could be built just above the Chicago and North Western railroad bridge, north of Webster City, which would impound about 8,500 acre feet of water. The reservoir would extend about seven miles up stream and would have a superficial area of 647.5 acres when full. The cost of such a reservoir, including the expenses incurred in building the dam, installing controlling devices, and buying lands necessary for the reservoir, would be approximately $35,000.
The flow line of this reservoir was taken at the assumed elevation of 210. If the elevation of 197.5 be taken as the lowest elevation to which the water should be drawn, the reservoir would have an available capacity of 6,250 acre feet with a minimum head of 13.5 feet to be used in developing water power. The super- ficial area at the 197.5 foot contour is about 375 acres, and the length of the reservoir at this elevation is approximately four miles. From 70 to 90 horse power could be developed continuously at this dam. This power could be meas- urably increased by the use of a steam auxiliary to carry the plant through the
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
dry season. If this reservoir were to be used for power only instead of being used to regulate the flow of the river, the horse power developed could be prac- tically doubled.
If the 6,250 acre feet of storage be applied toward increasing the dry season flow of the Boone river, it would amount to 35 second feet for go days on a 24 hour basis. Ninety days were assumed as the time through which the flow of the reservoir was to be distributed, since that number of days would easily cover the low water period. Adding this 35 second feet to the minimum flow of the river gives a total dry season flow of 55 second feet, which is safely the minimum flow that could be expected with the aid of this reservoir, since it would seldom be called upon to supply water to the river more than 75 days.
POWER POSSIBILITIES-SIZE OF PLANTS
A few statements in regard to the water-power plants in operation in this state at the present time will make clear the reasons for the conclusions drawn from these studies. There are 101 power-plants in operation in the state, of which 87 have reported to this commission. Of this number 60 develop 100 horse power or less, with an average head of 9.6 feet, and of these, 27 develop 50 horse power or less, under an average head of 9.5 feet. This average head would reduce to about eight feet if three plants which utilize the extraordinary heads of 20, 30 and 50 feet were left out of the calculations. We find also that the majority of the plants developing over 100 horse power are on rivers which have a minimum flow several times that of the Boone river. Hence, it seems reasonable to con- clude, that in suggesting power projects for this river, plants of the above men- tioned capacities would be the most practicable, and, in fact, the only kind feasible.
BASIS OF ESTIMATE
In the following considerations of power projects, no attention has been paid to the question of the use to which the power would be applied, but since there always has been a use for such power, it is safe to say that it would be saleable in some form or other. In the estimates which follow, all calculations of horse power are for a theoretical horse power, minus a 20 per cent loss, which would give approximately the power that could be delivered at the plant.
On account of the large flood discharge of the river, most of the dams sug- gested would necessarily have long spillways, or be submerged dams. Concrete dams would be practicable in several places on account of the presence of ma- terials for their construction. Timber dams would probably have to be used in several locations where the small amount of power available would not permit of such expenditure as a concrete dam would demand.
BELL MILL SITE
The lower five miles of the river present no very good locations for dams of any size worth mentioning, and the lack of good foundation makes dam construc- tion unfavorable for this section. There is, however, a good dam-site about two miles above the old Bell Mill dam. \ dam here, if made from ten to twelve feet
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
high, would be about 150 feet long and would easily furnish 50 horse power continuously, which would amount, if transformed into electrical energy, to about 900 kilowatt hours per day. The flowage from such a dam as suggested would cause but little damage, as it would remain almost entirely within the banks of the river. The stage of the river would be affected for about three miles above the proposed dam to a point near the Tunnel Mill bridge.
TUNNEL MILL SITE
The next feasible site is at the location of the old Tunnel Mill project. At this point the river makes a loop of about one and three-fourths miles to within less than 1,000 feet of its own channel. The old Tunnel Mill project consisted of a low timber and brush dam which diverted the river into a tunnel about 450 feet long, which carried the water through the intervening bluff and delivered it to a mill, whence it was returned to the river at the other end of the loop by a short mill race.
Our surveys show that there is a fall of 8.6 feet in the river around this loop. and that a 13-foot dam less than 300 feet long could easily be constructed at the point where the old timber dam was located. This dam would cause but very lit- tle overflow, and would affect the river for only about three miles up stream.
There is an abundance of gravel and sand, as well as outcrops of native rock, to be found within the immediate vicinity of this place which could be used in the construction. Bed rock at the dam site is about four or five feet below the bed of the river. The tunnel would not need to be over 450 feet long, and would be straight earth excavation with perhaps, a few boulders.
By the construction of this proposed dam and tunnel, it would be possible to create a head of from 20 to 21 feet which, with the water available, would easily develop 100 horse power on a 24-hour basis equal in electrical energy to 1,800 kilowatt hours per day.
BONE'S MILL SITE
The next point where a good head could be created is immediately below the site of the old Bone's Mill dam. It would be possible here to construct a dam 20 to 22 feet high, which would not exceed 200 feet in length.
There would be some little flowage damages, due to the effect of the dam dur- ing the floods unless large flood gates were installed. The back water would reach about four and one-half miles up stream. Rock foundation is about four feet below the river bed at this point. There is an abundant supply of sand, gravel, and native rock in the near vicinity.
Assuming that a head of 22 feet could be obtained the plant would develop about 120 horse power continuously, which, when transformed into electrical energy, would be equal to 2,148 kilowatt hours.
MILLARD BRIDGE SITE
Between the limits of the reservoir created by the Bone's Mill dam and the Webster City reservoir site, there is but one point favorable for the construction
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
of a dam. About one-half mile below the Millard bridge, a dam could be con- structed fourteen feet high and 150 feet long very reasonably. There is a good foundation here, and rock outcrops in the banks. Sand and gravel are also easily obtainable.
There would be some flowage damages in high water, due to this dam, but the most of this could be remedied if the dam should develop 70 horse power on a 24 hour basis, equal to 1,250 kilowatt hours in electrical energy.
CONCLUSION
The investigations on the Boone river lead to the following conclusions :
1. The minimum flow of the Boone river is too small to warrant the develop-
ment of the water power except by the use of large storage-reservoirs.
2. The proposed Webster City reservoir, if constructed either for a power site and a pleasure resort for Webster City, or for the treble purpose of a power site, a pleasure resort, and for regulating the dry season flow of this stream for the improvement of other power plants below, would be practicable.
3. It is probable that a further investigation of the river would result in bringing to light more such reservoir sites. Wall lake and Owl lake, east and west respectively, suggest themselves as promising fields for further investigation and are likely to afford sites for satisfactory storage.
4. The Boone river valley abounds in good sites for small power projects which could be profitably constructed by the aid of the Webster City reservoir.
5. The addition of other storage reservoirs, or the use of steam auxiliaries would materially increase the horse power and the value of these plants.
6. With the exception of the Webster City reservoir, the power sites of the Boone river are impracticable without the study and development of the river as a whole.
7. Bottom lands along the Boone river in the part referred to above are not extensive, yet there are some. These are now subject to constant destructive erosion. Of course, much of this waste would cease with the control proposed for this lawless stream.
Respectfully, L. V. HITES, Secretary.
FIS11 AND CLAMS
In the waters of the Boone, swim a few choice fish : Bass, pickerel, perch-pike (wall eyed pike) catfish and carp are the principal varieties. While these are not as numerous, as they were in early days, the skilled angler seldom fails to secure a "mess" if he is at all persistent.
The clams, which are numerous along the sandy river bottoms, contain many valuable pearls; indeed pearl fishing has become quite an industry during the summer months.
TIMBER
Along the banks of the rivers and creeks and about the margin of the lakes of the county is a plentiful supply of native timber : red cedar, of which only a few
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
specimens have been found, cottonwood, quaking asp, willow, walnut, butternut, hickory, oak, maple, box elder, basswood are chief among the larger varieties. Besides this there is an abundance of small fruit trees and bushes, such as wild crabapples, plums, thornapples, Juneberries, haws, gooseberries, raspberries, etc., to say nothing of the vines and creeping plants of which the wild grape is a use- ful specimen.
ARTESIAN WELLS
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