Harrison County, Missouri - Chapter 1: Topography, 1921

PRAIRIE - TIMBER LAND - VARIETY OP TIMBER - GRAND RIVER VALLEY - NATURAL DRAINAGE - CREEKS - BOTTOM LAND - DRAINAGE DISTRICT - SOURCES OF STREAMS - NATURAL DRAINAGE OF WESTERN PART OF COUNTYPRAIRIE FIRES AND THEIR EFFECT - PRAIRIE IN EASTERN PART - WESTERN PART UNDULATING - SEASONS - SOILS.

Originally about three-fourths of the land of Harrison County was prairie and one-fourth timber. The timber was generally along the streams of water, and some on hilly tracks roughened and divided by ravines. The kinds native to the soil were principally white oak, black oak, bun* oak, hickory, walnut, elm, maple, cottonwood and linn and occasionally were found ash, sycamore, locust, hackberry and buckeye, and in some places were found sugar maple.

The trees generally were not tall, except some along the larger streams, but were generally low and branching. It seems that by the pioneers burr oak was considered the most valuable, being adapted for use in rail, post and framing timber. White oak was the best, soundest, most perfect and more lasting than any, but not so plentiful as buiT oak. Hickory was not general, but found in some localities, excellent fuel, but not a lasting timber for posts or rails, but was valued by manufacturers of implements. Walnut timber was quite prevalent, but in the years 1870 to 1875 was largely bought by dealers and shipped out of the country. (2)

The early settlers, being keenly aware of the necessity, located along streams and near timber for their needs for building and fencing material, fuel at hand and for use of homemade implements were imperative, and likewise it was a fact that reducing the prairies to agriculture was not like plowing at the present day, it then usually requiring a team of several yoke of oxen to "break" the prairie sod.

This county being centrally situated in the Grand River Valley the streams of water flowing to said river ran generally in a southerly direction and found outlet in the Missouri River or its tributaries. On the east side of the county along the northern half flows the Middle Fork, or what is known as Thompson's fork of Grand River, which rises in Iowa, some fifty miles north of Missouri, and enters the county near the northeast ;'orner and passes out of the county some twenty miles further on, but the meanderings of the stream flow a much greater di.stance. Into this river flow out of Harrison County Indian Creek, Brush Creek, Hickory Creek, Panther Creek, Trail Creek, Cat Creek, Fox Creek, Sugar Creek and Tombstone. Along some of these streams is found the sugar maple tree - particularly on Sugar Creek in Sugar Creek Township.

West of this fork of Grand River throughout its flow in this county is a nearly level prairie generally knovm in former years as the "Grand River bottom," varying in width from half a mile to two miles, next along the bank of the river being a fringe of timber, the land being higher at the river bank than out in the bottom. This bottom has frequently overflowed when the river was high, causing much damage to crops and sometimes danger to stock.

This region has lately been created into a drainage district under general law and at the present time the drain is being dug - usually referred to as straightening the river. The "ditch," as it is commonly called, begins at the river at about the north line of section 14 in Clay Towmship and proceeds south across Clay, Madison and Trail Creek Townships and across sections one (1), twelve (12) and thirteen (13) in Fox Creek Township, where it again joins the river. During this course it frequently crosses the river at bends, and when finished under the reclamation system of our drainage laws it will be one of the most remarkable and beneficial improvements ever made in the county. It will bring into cultivation and production one of the most fertile re.gions of the state.

Big- Creek rises in Iowa about thirty miles north of Missouri. It enters Harrison County some two miles west of the center and flows through the county in a southerly direction, passing all the way through the county near the center of range 28. East Big Croek also rises in Iowa and comes into Harrison County about three miles east of the center and flows through the county in a southerly direction, bearing west, forming junction with West or Main Big Creek half a mile west of Bethany, thence runs south through Bethany and Cypress Townshipr. into Davies County, where at Pattonsburg it empties into West Grand River about ten miles south of Harrison County. The main tributaries to Big Creek are Little Creek, Shain Creek, Pole Cat, Crabapple and Poor Tom.

The west part of Harrison County is drained by Lot's Creek, Muddy Creek, Panther, Sampson and White Oak, each flowing in a southwesterly direction and emptying into West Grand River.

As already stated about three-fourths of the area of the county was originally prairie, the timber principally located along the water courses. Colonel Heaston in his account of the early settlement and history of the county supposes that the reason the timber was confined mostly to the streams and lowlands adjoining was because the fires that burned over the prairies were checked and stopped by them, thereby saving the young timber and giving it a chance to grow. That sometimes the tall, luxuriant grass would accumulate two or three years upon the praine without being burned off. Then in some dry time, perhaps a windy day, fires would break out and sweep rapidly over the country, consuming everything in its course, only being stopped by some stream or want of inflammable matter.

In course of time the timber being saved along the streams would kill out or prevent the growth of prairie grass on the shaded and sheltered ground and thus make the timber the more secure from prairie fires. It is thus the early settlers account for the fact that the upland was principally prairie. There seems much reason to believe this, as indeed there is for most deductions made by them. They were "confronted by conditions, not by theories," and they were in the habit of drawing logical conclusions, inflexible rules from hard facts.

In the eastern part of the county between Grand River and Big Creek extends a large and nearly level prairie running through the county north and south. It is high, dry, rich and productive. The western part of the county is more undulating and in some parts better described as rolling, and by some is pronounced not so productive, but it has been found veryreliable in seasons of unusual wet or dry, more so some claim than the level prairie, and on the whole the western part is equally beautiful and now as highly improved as any part of the county.

The surface soil of the county is mostly a black loam with a clay subsoil. In the timber land the loam is not usually as deep as on the prairies and is underlaid by yellow clay of good quality for making brick and tiling.