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CHAPTER II.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

Names and Description of Water Courses-The Surface-Beautiful Land-Timber, etc.

Big Blue-There are in Jackson county four considerable creeks and some other smaller streams. Nearly all have a general course north and discharge their waters into the Missouri. The largest, Big Blue, rises in the south-eastern corner of Johnson county, Kansas, and at first taking a north-easterly course, immediately enters this county at the south-west corner of Washington township; it then follows a course nearly north across the whole township of Washington, forms the dividing line between Brooking and Westport townships, then between the townships of Blue and Kaw and forms a confluence with the Missouri six miles below Kansas City. It has a deep channel and rapid current. On both sides for nearly its whole course there is timber of good quality, and outcropping from the bluffs building stone is found in endless quantities.

Brush creek, one of its principal tributaries, also rises in Johnson county, Kansas, flows east across the center of Westport township and forms a junction with the Big Blue about six miles from its mouth.

Little Blue-This creek has a longer course than any other stream flowing over the surface of Jackson county. It rises in Cass county near the Kansas line, and taking a north-easterly course, traverses Jackson county its entire length through the geographical center of the same. It separates Washington from Prairie township, Prairie from Brooking, then flows through the eastern part of Brooking and the southern part of Blue, after which it separates Sni a bar and Fort Osage from Blue township. Its tributaries are East Fork and Clear Creek, both of which join it near the center of the county from the east. There is considerable timber along its lower course but from the center of the county south, timber is not plenty.

Fire Prairie Creek-In Sni-a-bar township this creek rises and flows north and east into Lafayette county and thence into the Missouri. It has numerous tributaries but all are small.

Sni-a-bar Creek-Rises close by the little town of Lone Jack near the southeast corner of the county in Van Buren township, flows north into Sni-a-bar township, thence east into Lafayette county and finally discharges its waters into the Missouri.

Big Creek-Rises near Lee's Summit in Prairie township, flows south into Cass county, thence south east, finding its way into the Osage River a little distance above Warsaw, in Benton county. Rock Creek one of the most noted creeks in the county, though small, forms its head waters south-west of Independence, flows north and empties into the Missouri a short distance below the mouth of Big Blue. There are still other small creeks in the county and among them we mention Spring, Bryan's, Camp, Mouse, Big Cedar and Little Cedar.

Numbering by counties, Jackson is the eighth from the Arkansas line, and the sixth from the Iowa State line. It is on very near the same parallel of latitude as Annapolis, Md., and Cincinnati, O., being about 39° north. It consists of nine civil townships, equal in area to a little more than sixteen and a half Congressional townships. The civil townships as now constituted are as follows: Blue, Fort Osage, Sni-a-bar, Van Buren, Prairie, Washington, Brooking, Westport and Kaw. None of these correspond to the regular Congressional townships as is customary in the newer States. The boundaries in most cases follow

the course of some creek or river, and on this account the lines of these townships are very irregular. The present arrangement of townships, all things. considered, is as good as could be made. The Missouri River makes a regular division of the northern part of the county into civil townships impracticable. It must not be supposed, however, that the present sub-division of the county into civil townships has been such from the beginning; on the contrary it has been the growth of years and has only become possible in more recent times. Originally the first settlements were the basis for the formation of the first townships, and new townships were formed from time to time as the county settled up, and such organizations became possible. The sub-divisions of the county into civil townships as they originally existed together with the subsequent changes is a matter which forms a very interesting and important part of the county's history. It will be treated more fully elsewhere. The surface of the county is an undulating plane, there being, however, several marked elevations and depressions in the vicinity of the Missouri River and the creeks. The surface in most places is far from being flat, and there is a perfect system of natural drainage. From some of the highest points the eye commands views of exquisite loveliness, embracing the silvery course of river and creek, the waving foliage of trees, the undulating surface of the prairie, with cultivated farms, farm houses-from the log hut of the first settler, to the brick or painted houses and barns of the more advanced cultivaters of the soil, and the palatial mansions of the wealthy capitalist.

A writer of considerable reputation and a close student of natural history, says:

"The real beauty of this section can hardly be surpassed; undulating prairies, interspersed with open groves of timber, and watered with pebbly or rocky streams, pure and transparent, with banks spotted here and there with timber and again with green sward of the prairie-there are the ordinary features of the landscape. For centuries, the successive annual crops have accumulated organic matter on the surface to such an extent, that the succession, even of exhausting crops will not materially impoverish the land."

Jackson county is well watered, as before stated, by many streams, the prin-. cipal being the Missouri River. All the streams are timbered, especially in the northern portions of the county. The surface of the earth in some portions is quite broken and uneven, but as these portions are generally covered with timber, they are none the less valuable. In other parts of the county, the land near the streams is rather level in some places, but the very superior system of drainage renders it unsurpassed for agricultural purposes. The high table lands away from the streams are unsurpassed for fertility. The "divides," as they are called, embrace three belts of land about ten miles wide and extending the whole length of the county north and south. This, as well as the county generally, is settled by thrifty, enterprising and industrious citizens. The soil is chiefly a rich loam of vegetable deposit with a porous subsoil. The depth of the vegetable deposit, which has been accumulating for ages, varies from two to six feet, and is inexhaustible in fertility. The ease with which the soil is cultivated, is an important item to the farmer. One man with team can tend from forty to sixty acres of corn. There is very little waste land in the county. Such portions as are not well adapted to the cultivation and growth of wheat, corn and other cereals are the best for grazing lands. The county presented to the first settlers an easy task in subduing the wild land. Its broad prairies in the south were fields almost ready for the planting of the crop, and its rich black soil seemed to be awaiting impatiently the opportunity of paying rewards in the shape of abundant crops as a tribute to the labors of the husbandman. The farms of Jackson county are generally large, unbroken by sloughs and without other obstructions such as stumps and boulders, but they are excellently well cultivated. Corn planters, reaping machines, mowers and all kinds of labor-saving machinery can be used

with great ease. The prairie of the county is gently rolling throughout its whole extent. The timber is of a good quality, but the original growth has, to a considerable extent, disappeared in some parts.

TIMBER.

The first settlements of the county were invariably made in the timber or contiguous thereto. The early settlers so chose both as a matter of necessity and convenience. The presence of timber aided materially in bringing about an early settlement, and it aided in two ways: first, the county had to depend on emigration from the older settled States of the East for its population, and especially Kentucky and Tennessee. These States originally were almost covered with dense forests, and farms were made by clearing off certain portions of the timber. Almost every farm there, after it became thoroughly improved, still retained a certain tract of timber commonly known as "the woods." The woods is generally regarded as the most important part of the farm, and the average farmer regarded it as indispensable. When he emigrated west, one objection to Jackson county was the scarcity of timber, and he did not suppose that it would be possible to open up a farm on the bleak prairie. To live in a region devoid of the familiar sight of timber seemed unendurable, and the average Kentuckian could not entertain the idea of founding a home away from the familiar forest trees. Then again the idea entertained by the early immigrants to Missouri, that timber was a necessity was not simply theoretical. The early settler must have a house to live in, fuel for cooking and heating purposes, and fences to inclose his claim. At that time there were no railroads by which lumber could be transported from the pineries. No coal mine had yet been opened and few if any had been discovered. Timber was an absolute necessity, without which material improvement was an impossibility.

No wonder that a gentleman from the East, who in early times came to the prairie region of Missouri on a prospecting tour with a view of permanent location, returned home in disgust and embodied his views of the country in the following rhyme:

"Oh! lonesome, windy, grassy place,
Where buffalo and snakes prevail;
The first with dreadful looking face,
The last with dreadful sounding tail!

I'd rather live on camel hump,

And be a Yankee Doodle beggar,

Than where I never see a stump,

And shake to deaths with fever'n ager."

The pioneers were in the main, descendants of the hardy backwoodsmen when that was a new country. When farms were opened in that country a large belt of timber was invariably reserved from which the farmer could draw his supply of logs for lumber and fence rails for fencing, and fuel for heating and cooking purposes. Even to the present time, a farm without this accompanying patch of timber is exceedingly rare in those countries.

Having from their youth up become accustomed to the familiar sight of timber, there is no wonder that the early immigrants were dissatisfied, deprived as they were of the familiar sight of timber and shut off from the familiar sound of the wind passing through the branches of the oaks.

In this day of railroads, herd laws, cheap lumber and cheap fuel, it is easy enough to open a farm and build up a comfortable home away out on the prairie, far from the timber. But not so under the circumstances surrounding the first settlers. There was no way of shipping lumber, coal mines were unknown, and before a parcel of land could be cultivated it was necessary to fence it. Hence,

the most important resource in the development of this western country, was the belts of timber which skirted the streams; and the settlers who first hewed out homes in the timber, while at present, not the most enterprising and progressive, were, nevertheless, an essential factor in the solution of the problem.

Along either side of the various streams which flow across the country, were originally belts of timber; at certain places, generally near the mouths of the smaller tributaries, the belt of timber widened out, thus forming a grove, or what was frequently called a point, and at these points or groves were the first settlements made; here were the first beginnings of civilization; here "began to operate those forces which have made the wilderness a fruitful place and caused the desert to blossom as the rose."

Much of the primeval forest has been removed for the building of houses and the construction of fences; other portions and probably the largest part, have been ruthlessly and improvidently destroyed. This destruction of timber has been somewhat compensated by the planting of artificial groves. Among the most abundant of the trees originally found is the walnut, so highly prized in all countries for manufacturing purposes. Oaks, of several varieties, are still very plenty, although for many years this wood has been used for fuel. The best timber in the State is to be found in this county. Detached groves, both natural and artificial, are found at many places throughout the county, which are not only ornamental, in that they vary the monotony, but are very useful in that they have a very important bearing on the climate. It is a fact fully demonstrated by the best authority that climate varies with the physiognomy of a country.

CHAPTER III.

GEOLOGY, BOTANY AND CLIMATE.

General Observations-Different Formations-Indications of Coal-Trees, Plants and other Productions—Horticulture—Bee Culture-Climate and Health-The Jackson County CycloneClimate, Health and Disease Continued.

A few introductory words may not be out of place at this time, and a brief synopsis of this chapter will doubtless benefit the reader and furnish a guide for the writer. In all branches of intellectual and physical labor some plan of operations is at first necessary. Every person who aspires to the position of an intelligent American citizen, capable of discharging all duties which attach to such a person, must read, and his reading should, if not extensive, be devoted to matters which particularly affect him in the proper understanding of home and local affairs; he should be informed in regard to the history of his own State and county, he should, in brief, read just such a work as we propose to make the history of Jackson county. But if he should even read no more it would be well for him to have the facts of local Geology, Botany and Health presented in such a form that it may serve for reference. In this chapter we shall notice but briefly the most important facts in relation to these two sciences as they appertain to Jackson county. Jackson county might be taken as a representative county in the State, not only for agriculture, horticulture and internal improvements, but also in respect to its physical features, mineral resources, growth of forest trees and plants and cultivated crops of all kinds. Its soil, surface, drainage, salubrity of climate and other desirable qualities are not surpassed in the Union.

There are five sub-divisions of geological time, and beginning with the earliest formation they are named as follows: Azoic, or Archean, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic and Age of Man. The Paleozoic Time is divided into (1), the Silurian Age, or age of invertebrates, (2), the Devonian Age, or age of fishes, and (3), the Carboniferous Age, or age of the formation of coal. Mesozoic Time includes the Reptilian Age, or age of reptiles. The Cenozoic Time includes the Mammalian Age, or age of mammals. This brings us to the Tertiary Period, or the geological formation which includes all the rock formations found in this county. The sub-division of the Tertiary Period are, beginning with the lowest, the Eocene, the Miocene and Pliocene. The Quaternary, or time of the alluvial deposit ushering in the age of man is at the surface. The average thickness of the tertiary formation is 1,319 feet. The Quaternary, or Post tertiary formation, as it is sometimes called, extends to a depth in Jackson county ranging from a few feet to 150 feet. This last formation includes the bluff, or Loess formation, also the alluvial deposits and soils above the tertiary rocks. The Quaternary includes three periods; 1, the Glacial, or the Drift; 2, the Champlain, and 3, the Recent, or Terrance.

The following general vertical section of coal-measure rocks below the Jackson county group is taken from the geological survey of Missouri for 1872. Beginning with the top rock at Kansas City and Independence, a strata thirty feet thick of irregularly bedded gray and buff thin bedded limestone, then blue clay shales with ochre concretions twenty-five feet thick, bluish gray limestone containing large fossils, five feet thick, blue and bituminous shales two feet, even bed of coralline limestone one foot, blue shales within upper part, five feet, drab limestone nine feet, blue and olive shales five feet, nodular and buff shales two feet, irregularly bedded bluish drab limestone three feet, fossils eighteen feet, shales fifteen feet, blue limestone with fossils fourteen feet, blue clay shales two and onehalf feet, rotten coal four inches, very dark blue silicious limestone with enticular forms and concretionary beds of black chert with numerous fossils especially in upper part, nine feet, fine-grained dove and drab-colored limestone with calcite specks throughout, nine feet four inches, shales five inches, irregularly bedded drab and blue limestone with some chert concretions and has buff shaly partings with fossils, three feet eight inches, blue shales five inches, concretionary ash-blue limestone fourteen inches, blue shales eleven inches, bituminous shales one foot, seven inches, clay shales, two feet, nodular and shelly fine grained limestone four feet, oölite limestone one foot, Bethany Falls limestone, dun and gray twenty feet, blue clay shales two feet, bituminous shales one foot four inches, blue clay shales seven inches, concretionary limestone six inches, blue clay shales two feet, gray and ferruginous limestone six feet, clay shales fourteen feet, calcareous sandstone and sandy limestone two feet."

The above rocks have entire thickness of 240 feet. The area and thickness of the coal measures are obtained from the same report: The upper or barren coal measures of Missouri include a vertical thickness of 1087 feet. To this we add 180 feet of the Atchison county rocks with probably about fifty feet of rock not seen in Missouri which should be placed at a lower geological position than our Atchison county rock, thus making a total of 1317 of upper coal measures, extending to the highest rock in Atchison county, and embracing an area of 8406 square miles, including the rocks in the counties of Atchison, Holt, Nodaway, Andrew, Buchanan, Clinton, Dekalb, Gentry, Worth, Harrison, Daviess, Platte, Clay, and most of Cass, Jackson Caldwell, with limited areas in Johnson, Lafayette, Ray, Livingston, Grundy and Mercer.

The south and last boundary of the upper coal measures is about as follows: Entering the State near the southwest part of Cass county, passing eastwardly, near Harrisonville, thence northeast across the mounds between Big Creek and Camp Branch, thence northeast to the middle of T. 46, R. 29, thence north tc

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