Elkhart County, Indiana - Chapter 2: Natural History of the Couxty, 1916

Present Elkhart County Defined by Creative Act - The State, a Water-Cut Plain - St. Joseph River in Prehistoric Times - Fossils of the Valley of the St. Joseph - Surface Geology - Watershed Between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi - ^Glacial Drift and Soils - Billows of Land and Prairies - Watershed Between the Big and Little Elkhart - The County a Child of the St. Joseph River - The St. Joseph and Its Tributaries - The Lakes of the County - Mineral Springs, Oil and Gas - Be.-\sts and Reptiles IN Primitive Times - The Fe.\thered Tribe - Disappearance of Certain Beasts and Birds - The Coming of New Birds and Animals.

By somewhat circuitous routes we have reached our destination, Elkhart County ; but it was necessary to traverse them in order to lay down an illuminating background for the central figure. As will be noted in the creation of the counties throughout the state, St. Joseph County was organized at the same time as Elkhart, and to them were attached for political purposes the region afterward divided into Lake, Porter, LaPorte, LaGrange, Steuben and Kosciusko counties.

During the '20s, and covering the period of the first pioneer settlement of Elkhart County, Allen County embraced the territory which was later subdivided into Elkhart, Noble and LaGrange counties. In 1830 the territorial limits of Elkhart were literally fixed : for they have never been changed. Therefore this history, in all

The influx of settlers during; 1827-28, both from the East and down the St. Joe Valley from the more populous regions of southwest Michigan, was a stimulant to the formation of new counties in northern Indiana. The old Anglo-Saxon idea of cooperation through law and government had its way, and an ajipeal of a sufficient number of pioneers to the Indiana Legislature of 1829-30 resulted in the erection of the County of Elkhart through an act approved in January, 1830. The northern boundary of Indiana had been fixed, and that, of course, constituted the northern line of the new county, the limits of which were described in the creative act as follows: Beginning on the north line of the state where the center line of range 4 strikes the same, thence east to the line dividing ranges 7 and 8, thence south to the line dividing townships 34 and 35 north, and thence west to the central section line of range 4 east, thence north to the place of beginning. These are the legal bounds of the territory described, in the following pages, from the standpoint of natural history.

Indiana is nearly a plain, from the Ohio River to the lakes, and a product of the glacial period. The ri\ers and other water courses then cut their way through the plain and the bordering hills. The general trend of the plain is to the southwest. The elevation above the sea level is about 1,000 feet in the northern and eastern section, and at the mouth of the Wabash 313 feet. In the northeastern part of the state is a small section where the flow of the water is toward the north. This section is drained by the Maumee, which flows northeastwardly into Lake Erie, and the St. Joseijh, which flows northwardly into Lake Michigan. All the other streams, of any importance, find their way to the Ohio, and then to the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed toward the southwest has had a tendency to lower by several hundred feet the general surface of what was originally nearly level.

almost diagonally across the southern peninsula of Michigan and penetrated far into northern Indiana. The present valley of the St. Joseph River, with its numerous branches and network of lakes, was in those times a section of this connecting band between the two lakes, and the floor of its beautiful prairies was laid by deposits which sifted down from these ocean waters which then mingled with the great sea stretching over the northern portion of the United States and the northeastern section of Canada to the British Isles.

In many portions of the St. Joseph valley geologists have found many rare specimen belonging to the Silurian, or reptile age, and the Carboniferous, or coal age, when that section of the country was under the dominion of the sea. A list of some of the more important specimens is here given :

Carboniferous : trigoncarpum, tricuspidatum and lepidodendron. Some very perfectly preserved crinoid stems, showing the starshaped joint most distinctly.

Following the geological ages when the limestones and other rock deposits were crudely formed in northern Indiana was what is known as the Glacial epoch, when the great glaciers from the northeast crept over a large portion of Canada and northern United States, not missing southern Michigan or northern Indiana in their resistless onward movement. It is probable that they assisted in forming the valley of the St. Joseph River and scooping out some of the lake basins. From some cause which is still unsolved .by scientists and geologists, the climate of this portion of the globe was so moderated that the glaciers melted and retreated northward, forming gradually, as is supposed, the nucleus of the chain of great lakes.

The surface geology of Elkhart County, in common with Indiana's three northern tiers of counties, is of glacial origin, and that section of the state is covered with drift. The moraines, or accumulations of ground material at the glacial edges, are plainly marked in various sections of the county. The finest and softest of the accumulations were filtered through the coarser material and formed beds of clay, and wherever a huge piece of ice gouged out the clay, there the ice melted and left an inland lake. Other material that was coarser and harder was washed together and formed beds of sand.

The great Valparaiso moraine, extending in a generally northwesterly direction, and several miles in width, crosses the southwestern part of the county (its course being readily observed between Nappanee and Wakarusa), and the crest of this is the dividing line of the watershed between the north and the south. Owing to this feature of the topography, nearly all the drainage of the county is into the great lakes via the St. Joseph River, while a small division of land about Nappanee drains into the Kankakee and thence into the Mississippi River. It is said that one street of Nappanee forms the dividing line between the waters which flow into Turkey creek and those which go south into the Kankakee.

In Volume XXV of the Indiana Geologic Reports, is the following statement : "In common with all the counties in which lakes occur, the surface of Elkhart County is wholly covered with drift, the thickness known at three points: Elkhart. Goshen and New Paris, 122, 162, 90 feet respectively." Some years ago a well was sunk at Elkhart to a depth of 125 feet, with hope of securing an artesian flow, but the driU coming in contact with boulders, further drilling was discontinued. The material passed through for the first twenty-five feet was gravel, and all the succeeding 100 feet was "hard-pan," or indurated glacial clay with occasional thin strata of quicksand. Continuing, the above report says: "The surface of this drift is more level than in counties to the east and south, an area of about two hundred square miles in the northwestern and southeastern parts being of extensive gravel plains. The uplands consist of till plains, with an area of 125 square miles in the southwestern part oi the county, and of morainic belts, more broken, in the south and west parts. The elevation in feet above tide, of some railroad stations is: Bristol, 783; Dunlap, 747; Elkhart, 725-755; Goshen, 796; Millersburg, 885 ; New Paris, 813 ; Vistula, 808. The gravel plains in general are below 800 feet level, uplands mainly between 800 and 900 feet, and several above 900." The surface of Lake Michigan is reckoned as 600 feet above ocean level, from which it is seen that certain points in the county are from 200 to 300 feet higher than the lake.

Of this glacial drift, covering the county at such varying depths, a comparatively very thin layer at the surface has, by the well known processes of nature which are continually taking place before our eyes, been transformed into "soil," from which the animal and vegetable kingdoms have for centuries drawn their sustenance. In few counties of the state could there be found greater diversity of soil than in Elkhart County ; often a restricted area of a few square miles will contain several varieties of land, adapted to various agricultural products. Thus it is impossible to classify, otherwise than roughly, the different qualities of land and their extent. But an attempt at classification w-ould result merely in the following: Sandy soil, timber loam, prairie loam and some vegetable loam. The first named prevails most generally in the northeastern quarter of the county, in Washington and York townships. It will not produce wheat as abundantly as other kinds of soil, though the quality of what is produced is excellent. But it is warm, and especially adapted to the production of the potato and of fruits, especially small fruits. In some places on the hills the soil is a strong clay. The timber loam, which prevails over a large part of the central and southern areas of the county, is of great depth and richness, and has fully rewarded with abundant harvest those who have persevered in clearing it and subduing the natural obstacles to cultivation. The prairie loam, peculiar to the prairie belts, which formed only a minor portion of the county originally, may be described as a sandy loam resting on a subsoil of gravel and sand with some clay, and is exceedingly productive. It is well adapted to raising all sorts of cereals as well as horticultural products. What has been termed the vegetable mold is found in more restricted areas in this county than in some other districts of northern Indiana. It is composed of decayed vegetable matter, formed in extinct lakes and marshes, being, in fact, a peat bed, and where not cultivated is covered with a rank growth of marsh grass and flowering plants. By drainage and proper treatment it is rendered exceedingly fertile.

Discussing these aspects of the county, a state report says: "A part, perhaps a third, of the surface of the county at the time of first settlement was covered with a growth of very large trees and a dense undergrowth of bushes and shrubs; the remainder is mostly 'burr-oak openings' and prairie, while a small p^r cent is covered with peat bogs, lakes and marshes. The soil of the 'openings' is a sandy loam, with clay subsoil, and highly esteemed for its large yield of wheat and grass; after years of successive croppings this is promptly restored to its original productiveness by turning under a crop of clover. The strong clay soil of woodland is very productive, especially of corn and grasses. The black, peaty loam of prairies and drained swamps is famous for corn and grass, except during seasons of long drought."

Elkhart county is fitly described as ha\-ing a rolling surface. It was therefore with admiration and delight that the pioneer, having struggled through many miles of forest and crossing over numerous swells of land from one high horizon crest to another, viewed such a beautiful level expanse as Elkhart Prairie presented. And then also there were Pleasant Plain, a little oasis south of the present City of Elkhart, and Two-Mile Plain, directly east of the same city and extending along the course of the St. Joseph. The prairies were eagerly sought by the early settlers, who all concurred in describing these virgin spots as of surpassing loveliness, the ground

But apart from these few level areas the country in all directions rose and fell in gentle undulations, as though at the crisis of its formation the earth had been rolling in long, smooth billows, and then had been suddenly stayed by the hand of the Creator and hardened and fixed in the manner which all the races of mankind have beheld it. In the northeastern part of the county, following on the south side of the Little Elkhart, nature has left a monument of her original efforts more conspicuous than the ordinary. This is the picturesque ridge, or range of hills, which forms the most prominent feature of the landscape, in this part of the county, forming the barrier between the drainage areas of the Big and Little Elkhart streams. This ridge forms one of the highest points in the county. From the highest point overlooking the village of Middlebury the view extends for many miles, and on a clear day, and when the line of vision is not hindered by foliage, the Town of White Pigeon in Michigan may be clearly seen. This ridge is, no doubt, one of the great moraines left from the glacial period.

The topography of Elkhart County presents several natural divisions formed by its larger water courses. Practically the entire county is in the valley of the rapid-flowing St. Joseph River. But from the northeast corner to the southwest may be discerned three distinct basins, two of them formed by tributaries of the St. Joseph and one by the Kankakee. The valley of the Little Elkhart seems as distinctly partitioned off from the rest of the county as though nature had intended it to be the abode of a different people. But civil boundaries and modern geography makers disregard such seeming intents of nature, and civilization in its progress overrides and breaks down every barrier not only between such adjacent localities but also between most dissundered nations and races. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding that the railroad has burrowed its way over and through the enclosing ridges, this beautiful and fertile region along the Little Elkhart retains its own individuality in the topographic outlines of Elkhart County. The division of the county comprising the area drained hy the Elkhart River and its principal tributary, Turkey Creek, is much more extensive, reaching from the prominent ridge southeast of Bristol to the great \'alparaiso moraine which we have already described as forming the crest between the watersheds of the great lakes and the Mississippi.

The waters of Elkhart County form no inconspicuous feature in the development and progress of the county. The largest stream in the county is the St. Joseph River, which enters from Michigan about six miles west of the northeast corner of the county and flows, southwesterly, into St. Joseph County. Its principal tributaries are the Elkhart, Little Elkhart rivers and Christiana Creek, and these with many other smaller streams and lakes water every part of the county's surface.

The fall of the streams is such that hydraulic power has been easy to obtain in many places, resulting in the building of mills and factories from the years of pioneer history to the present time. Turkey Creek is a considerable stream, and, now that its channel has been straightened by dredging, carries off the drainage of a large area in a current almost as rapid as a mill race. Historic through its surroundings and the advantages it has conferred, is Rock Run, the small but beautiful streamlet that joins the Elkhart west of Goshen. Rock Run afforded power for one of the earliest mills in the county, and along its banks are still located numerous industries.

Aside from the rivers and streams, the bodies of water in Elkhart County are, with few exceptions, what are known as "dead lakes" ; that is, they have no natural, or surface outlet. They are usually dammed by ridges of earth, and it would be difficult to drain them, if it were advantageous from a financial point of view. Many of them are slowly being extinguished by nature, their waters evaporating and their beds filling up with decaying vegetation.

miles long from east to west, and half a mile wide. Nearby is the cultivated bed of what was once "Mud" Lake, which has been drained. A ridge separates this lake bed from Cooley Lake, which also is approaching extinction. Heaton Lake is another well known body of water in this township. Northeast of Goshen are several small lakes. Wolf Lake being especially picturesque by reason of its mirror-like surface and dense surrounding foliage. In Harrison Township, east of Wakarusa, is an excellent example of a lake in the general features which have been described. Here we see as it were a deep basin set in the ground to a depth of perhaps lOO feet below the general surface ; shut in on all sides, and draining only a limited area of country ; without visible outlet, covered in summer by rank aquatic growth, and, though by almost imperceptible degrees, gradually disappearing into the soil and air. The bog and water have been penetrated to a depth of seventy-five feet, but the unstable muck in places seems without ascertainable depth. When the Wabash Railroad was built through this part of the county the line had to be deflected to the south of the first survey because no piling let down into the quagmire could reach a firm bottom and consequently no trestle be constructed of suflicient strength to uphold a heavy train.

Of never failing interest in the study of the natural history of the county are the mound springs about Wakarusa. In these the water bubbles up from the ground, and from the long-continued precipitation of bog iron about the opening has arisen a mound, from the top of which the water has channeled a course. There are several springs of mineral water in various parts of the county. A late state geological report speaks of the Lambert mineral well of saline-carbonated water in the south part of Elkhart. The well was started many years ago in search of oil or gas. At 290 feet below the surface a strong vein of mineral water was found, which arose to within ten feet of the top. This water is strongly impregnated with common salt and when pumped has a temperature of 54°. It is very clear and sparkling with carbonic acid gas which it holds in solution. It is without odor and has a salty but not disagreeable taste.

found in this county, but the discoveries up to date do not justify including gas and oil wells among the natural industries of the county. In the vicinity of Wakarusa much prospecting has been done. In 1902 a bore was made to a depth of 1,200 feet, and a day or so after the drilling had ceased the hole was found to contain about thirty barrels of crude oil. Many bottles of this fluid were carried away by citizens and several bottles may be found in the town today. The St. Joseph Valley Gas, Oil and Mining Company exploited the discovery, leasing about 2,000 acres of land and issuing stock, but nothing has ever come of the enterprise, and the chief evidence of the agitation may be found in the old derrick, a few bottles of oil and some worthless stock certificates. There may be oil and even gas in this county, but it has not been demonstrated to be present in suflicient quantities to pay from a commercial standpoint.

Deer, bear and wolves were quite abundant. In one favorite locality, it is reported, a good hunter, without much fatigue to himself, could supply daily 100 men with meat. Beaver were found in many localities. Especially favorable to them were the more level regions to the northward. Otter were quite common, while the wild cat, Canada porcupine and panther were numerous.

"Of snakes, especially noticeable for their abundance,'' says one account, "were rattlesnakes and copperheads. The ponds, sloughs and deeper swamps were the homes of many species of fishes, mollusks and crustaceans. The creeks, shaded by the closely crowded trees, contained water all the year round, and in them smaller fishes reared their young. The rivers were clogged and dammed with fallen trees and driftwood, and the water, when the streams were swollen by heavy rains, pouring over these obstructions cut deep holes, which became the homes of great numbers of the larger fishes.

"Wild Turkeys were found in large flocks. Bobwhites were so numerous that when they collected in the fall, as many as a hundred were taken in a day with a single net. Ruffled grouse were abundant.

Ducks and geese, snipe and plover were found in inestimable numbers where favorable conditions existed. Paroquets were more or less numerous over the entire region, and in the Lower Wabash and White Water valleys were as abundant as blackbirds now are in the spring and fall. Passenger pigeons bred and roosted in many localities. During the migrations they appeared in such numbers that they obscured the sun and hid the sky for hours ; sometimes for days in succession. The strange appearance was made more wonderful by the continuous rumble of the thunders of the oncoming clouds - the noise of the strokes of millions upon millions of wings. We can no more appreciate the accounts given of the innumerable hosts of these birds of passage than we can of the incalculable multitudes of the bisons three score years ago. The words of those who saw them, we are assured, do not in any way convey an adequate idea of the wonderful sights and sounds during a flight of pigeons. Some of their roosts covered many miles of forest. There, as they settled at evening, the gunners from near and far began to collect for the slaughter. The loaded trees upon the borders of the wood were first fired upon. Then the shooters passed into the denser forest. Three or four guns fired among the branches of a tree would bring down as many as a two-bushel sack of dead birds, while numbers of cripples fluttered beyond reach.

"Besides these, more rarely, swallow-tailed kites and ivory-billed woodpeckers added their characteristic forms to the wild scenery. The osprey and the bald eagle built their nests beside the streams, and while one fished the other plundered the fisher.

"The bison, the most characteristic of all the animals of America, was the first to disappear from the region under consideration. Formerly it had ranged east, at least as far as western New York and Pennsylvania, and in states farther south almost to tide water, but about 1808 it was exterminated east of the Wabash River. The elk followed it closely, disappearing from the Whitewater Valley about 1810, and from the state in 1830. The panther followed soon after. Virginia deer, Ijear, otters, beavers, wolves and other forms were almost exterminated.

ibises, black vultures and Carolina paroquets have been almost, or in a great measure, exterminated. The paroquets which ranged to the great lakes and were so common a feature in the landscape of the pioneer times, have not only disappeared from Indiana, but from almost all the great range from Texas to New York, over which they spread at the beginning of this century, and are, perhaps, now only found in a restricted area in Florida. The day of their extirpation is near at hand.

"The passenger pigeon survived the beautiful little parrot until a later day. But nets and guns, a short-sighted people, and inefficient laws have also swept out of existence this graceful bird.

"To the meadows came such forms as the bay-winged sparrow, field sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, meadow lark, meadow mice, garter snakes, green snakes, bumble bees and grasshoppers - species peculiar to such surroundings. Some parts of this land were wet, and where the drainage was poorest, became swamps and sloughs. There, forms which love such places came. Among them marsh wrens, swamp sparrows and red-winged blackbirds, salamanders, frogs, water snakes, aquatic insects and marsh plants. As the orchard and garden developed, birds well known to us and greatly beloved for their cheery social ways, there made their home and lived upon food brought to the locality by the changing conditions. The number of settlers increased, causing a steady diminution in the numbers of all the larger mammals, especially those used for food, or valuable for fur; of geese, ducks and other water-loving birds. The early settlers had brought with them the black rat. Later another form, the brown rat, which, like the first, was a native of the old world, appeared, following the routes of civilization. It drove out the other rat and has since occupied its place. The shy gray fox disappeared in advance of the incoming pioneer, and the red fox occupied the field left vacant. The hog, a most valuable factor in the development of the West, proved equally valuable as an ally in the warfare against snakes. Largely, through its efforts, were the rattlesnakes and copperheads destroyed.

"Removing the timber and breaking the ground began to show its effect upon springs and water courses. Many became dry during the warm season. All life, be it salamanders, fishes, mollusks.

insects or plants, that found therein a home, died. As time went on drainage became a feature introduced into the new country. With the draining of our sloughs and swamps other changes came. The birds that lived among their reeds and flags, mingled their voices with those of the frogs, disappeared, and the land, reclaimed tells, in its luxuriant growth of corn, no story to the casual passerby of the former population which occupied, it."