DEPARTMENT OF THE INTEKIOB

BULLETIN

OK THE

UNITED STATES

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

No. 144

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

' 1896

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEYEY

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR

THE

MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU

AND

THEIR ATTENDANT DEPOSITS

BY

JAMES EDWARD TODD

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1896

CONTENTS.

Page."

Letter of transmittal...........................-..--.-......._..........-.-. 9

Introduction................................................................ 11

CUAPTEH I. The Firsf, Outer, or Altamont moraine, with its attendant deposits. 13

General course of the moraine........................................... 13

Detailed description of the moraine ..................................... 15

The Long Lake loop................................................. 15

The Blue Lake loop................................................. 16

The Antelope Valley loop............................................ 18

The Koto Hills...................................................... 20

The Blue Blanket loop......... ...........................f ......... 21

The Bowdle Hills................................................... 24

The Ree Valley loop................................................. 25

The Ree Hills....................................................... 27

The Boxelder loop .................................................. 28

The deposits connected with the Outer moraine.......................... 30

A comparison of the areas within the First moraine ................. 30

The regions outside the moraine..................................... 31

CHAPTER II. The Second or Gary moraine, with its deposits.................. 33

General location of the moraine......................................... 33

Detailed description of the moraine..................................... 34

The Blue Lake loop................................................. 34

The Antelope Valley loop............................................ 35

The Blue Blanket loop.............................................. 36

The Bowdle Hills................................................... 36

The Faulkton Hills or Bald Mountains............................... . 37

The Ree Valley loop................................................. 38

The Boxelder loop .................................................. 38

The region inside the Second moraine ................................... 39

The drainage of the First and Second moraines.......................... 41

CHAPTER III. The Third and later moraines................................. 45

The Third moraine...................................................... 45

Course of the moraine .............................................. 45

Further description................................................. 46

Morainic formations hetween the Third and Fourth moraines............ 47

The Fourth moraine..................................................... 48

The drainage of the Fourth moraine..................................... 50

CHAPTER IV. Further notes and inferences.................................. 52

Lake Dakota............................................................ 52

Drumlins............................................................... 53

Osars................................................................... 53

Strise................................................................... 54

Character of howlders .:................................................ 54

Ancient soils............................................................ 55

Older rocks............................................................. 55

The Fox Hills formation............................................. 55

The Pierre formation................................. ............... 56

Pre-Glacial topography................................................... 57

Pre-Glacial drainage .................................................... 57

Testimony of wells...................................................... 58

Lists of elevations...................................................... 61

5

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

PLATE I. Map of glacial phenomena in parts of North and South Dakota .... 14

II. Coteau scenery..............---- -..- . ---- ---- -- --- - - 16

III. View east of Napoleon ............................................ 18

IV. Beaver Lake and gap.............................................. 20

V. Gravel tables ..................................................... 22

VI. Outer moraine southeast of Bangor................................ 24

VII. Snake Ridge...................................................... 26

VIII. Medicine Hill..................................................... 28

I.. Drift-veneered hill from the west.................................. 30

X. Drift-veneered hill from the north................................. 32

XI. Ancient channel south of Swan Creek............................. 34

XII. Ancient channel northwest of Leola............................... 36

XIII. Osars northwest of Edgely from the south......................... 38

XIV. Osars northwest of Edgely from the east.......................... 40

XV. Osar north of Bowdle............................................. 42

( Terraces near Le Beau........................................... 44

( Spring Lake outlet.............................................. 44

XVII. Bowldery knolls northwest of Swan Lake ......................... 46

XVIII. Bowldery terraces on Little Cheyenne............................. 48

XIX. Terraces at Pierre................................................. 50

XX. View from the summit of Gravelly Knob, near Canning ............ 52

T ( The Fourth moraine southeast of Sanborn........................ 54

\ The Okiodan Hills............................................... 54

FIG. 1. Section west of Medina ........................................... 39

2. Section east of Medina...............................:............ 40

3. Sections west of Cleveland........................................ 40

7

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL,

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

GLACIAL DIVISION, 

Madison, Wis., December 9,1891.

Sm: I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript of a 

report upon "Tne moraines of the Missouri coteau and their attendant 

deposits," by Prof. James E. Todd, of this division. The report contains a large amount of valuable data relating to a region relatively 

little known.

Very respectfully, yours,

T. 0. CHAMBERLIN,

Geologist in Charge. 

The DIRECTOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

9

INTRODUCTION.

It seems important that several general facts should be stated for the 

full understanding of terms used and allusions made in this report. 

The field considered is the region lying between the Missouri and 

James rivers, and between the latitudes of Jamestown, N. Dak., and 

Huron, S. Dak.

1. As has been stated in papers published by Chamberlin, Upham, 

myself, and others, several more or less distinct moraines have been 

observed in the Mississippi Valley. It has been found convenient to 

distinguish the outermost three by special names. President Chamberlin has named them, beginning with the outermost, Altamont, Gary, 

and Antelope moraines, from localities south of Big Stone Lake, and 

these names have been quite generally adopted. Upham and others 

have named them the First, Second, and Third, and as the outermost 

two are the more prominent, they have also been called the Outer and 

Inner moraines. Each of these, especially the First and Second, has 

subordinate divisions, which mark the borders of the different lobes 

into which the margin of the ice sheet was often divided.

2. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the generally recognized features of drift formations, such as the undulating topography 

and the series of drift deposits, covering an area with successive layers 

of till in a manner which might be compared to a nest of spoons of 

assorted sizes, the smaller lying inside the larger. Of these spoonshaped deposits, the moraines form the outer rims.

3. As the moraines are the most conspicuous features of the drift 

formations, we may take them as the basis for dividing the subject. 

Not only are they the most conspicuous features of the topography, 

but they mark culminations of glacial activity. We therefore propose 

reviewing our subject under the following heads:

I. The First moraine'and its attendant deposits.

II. The Second moraine and its deposits.

III. The Third and succeeding moraines.

IV. General notes and inferences.

This seems to be the fitting place, also, in which to acknowledge 

several important favors received by me while I have been engaged in 

the work. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company has 

not only furnished me much free transportation, but its chief engineer 

has furnished me elevations along its lines whenever requested. Similar favors have been shown me by Mr. A. Anderson, chief engineer of 

the Northern Pacific Railroad, and by Mr. W. W. Rich, chief engineer 

of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway Company.

ll

THE MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU AND 

THEIR ATTENDANT DEPOSITS.

By J. E. TODD.

CHAPTER I.

THE FIRST, OUTER, OR ALTAMONT MORAINE, WITH ITS 

ATTENDANT DEPOSITS.

GENERAL COURSE OF THE MORAINE.

The general course of the moraine may be indicated as follows:

It crosses the Northern Pacific Eailr-oad between Sterling and Driscoll stations, in the eastern part of Burleigh County; thence it extends 

eastward to a point south of Geneva Station, then forms a loop extending toward the west-southwest, crossing Long Lake and circling into 

the northeastern corner of Emmons County; thence it runs in a northeasterly direction to a point about 9 miles south of Tappen Station. 

This, for convenience, we shall call the Long Lake loop.

Thence the moraine takes a southerly course, gradually circling 

toward the east, to a point a little east of the center of the north line of 

Mclntosh County, forming a curve of less convexity than usual. At 

the latter point the moraine seems to turn sharply toward the northeast 

and finally northward nearly to the northeast corner of Logan County. 

This we have called the Blue Lake loop^ naming it from a small lake 

situated near the center of the' terminal portion,.in T. 134 JS"., E. 70 W.

From the northeast corner of Logan County the moraine returns to 

nearly the center of the north line of Mclntosh County, forming a verylong and a complicated interlobular portion. It then continues in a 

southeasterly direction to the southeast corner of T. 131 N., E 69 W., 

Where another slender interlobular portion extends toward the northeast for several miles; thence it extends directly east to the east side 

of Mclntosh County; thence east-southeast into the'southwest corner 

of T. 130 N.,- E. 65 W. This portion we have called the Antelope Yalley loop.

Fr&in the last-named point the moraine extends along the crest of 

the table-land, 400 to 600 fe'et in height above the plain, east, in a direct 

south-south westerly direction, nearly to the southwest corner of T. 127

13
14 MORAINES OF THE MISSOUEI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

N., E. 68 W., in the east-central portion of McPherson County. This 

conspicuous portion I have named the Koto Hills, a name derived 

from a town in that vicinity, thus also using the name which, with 

different spelling, is applied to the whole plateau region. Thence the 

moraine turns sharply toward the west-northwest, becoming gradually 

less conspicuous nearly to the north corner of McPherson County. From 

the northern portion of T. 128 1ST., E. 71 W., a sharp loop is thrown out 

toward the north nearly to the northwest corner of T. 129 N., E. 70 W. 

The moraine extends then nearly westward and soon northwest to the 

middle of the west line of Mclntosh County and thence southwest to 

the northwestern corner of Campbell County. It is quite feebly developed in its course through Emmons County. In T. 12,7 E"., E. 77 W., 

about 12 miles southeast of Lagrace, the moraine is again conspicuously developed and extends westward and then southeastward, forming a small loop ending in a very conspicuous promontory looking 

toward the east near the southwest corner of T. 126 K, E. 77 W.; 

thence it extends southwest and south along the east bank of the 

Missouri to the vicinity of Scranton, in the southwestern corner of 

Walworth County. Here again the moraine is only feebly developed, 

but arises again into prominence south of Bangor and holds a northeast 

direction from Swan Creek nearly to the northeast corner of Walworth 

County. This extended portion we have called the Blue Blanket loop, 

from the stream which drains the terminal part of the area inclosed 

by it.

| ; From the southern portion of T. 124 JST., E. 74 W., in the northeast 

corner of Walworth County, the moraine sweeps east-southeast, then 

south:southwest, forming a broad interlobular or reversed loop to the 

southwest corner of Edmunds County, thence south and east of south 

into the northwest corner of T. 118 N., E. 77 W., about 15 miles east of 

Gettysburg. This portion we have called the Bowdle Hills, from the 

town situated in the northern portion of this reversed loop, 

i From the prominent portion of the moraine east of Gettysburg it 

turns again very sharply to the west, forming a slightly convex curve 

around north of Gettysburg to the vicinity of Forest City, on the 

Missouri. -Thence it follows along the east bank of the Missouri Eiver, 

forming a quite regular curve to the vicinity of Pierre, thence eastnortheast to Medicine Knoll, 3 or 4 miles southwest of Blunt. This 

we have called the Eee Valley loop.

From the vicinity of Blunt the moraine turns sharply southward 

along the east bank of Medicine Creek nearly to the Missouri, when it 

returns toward the northrformiug a small loop; thence in a nearly due 

easterly direction through the one hundred and eleventh tier of town-; 

ships to the west side of Hand County, where it becomes more prominent and is sharply turned upon itself, forming an interlobular portion 

locally called the Eee Hills. We would extend the name Eee Hills to 

include all of this portion just described. From the interlobular portion south of Eee Heights in western Hand County, the moraine turns
US.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN N° 144. PL.l

- X-^-i.!Lj-?*II5 tSJ**aJ^jM£iZ° j«? ,_6e ^

GLACIAL PHENOMENA

IN PARTS OF

XORTHAND SOUTH DAKOTA

BY

J.E.TODD

1891.

Lake Dakota.Ba.siu

Higtier BowldeiyTerraces-fiChanitels ' ;

Margin of the Drift ijjilli Lower Bowldery Terraces ft Channels 

1 2 3 & 4- indicate the different moraines in the order of their formation:.

JULIUS B!E M a C
THE LONG LAKE LOOP. 15

sharply to the southwest along the east bank of Boxelder Creek nearly 

to the southwest corner of Hand County, thence southeast to the 

vicinity of Gann Yalley, T. 107 1ST., E. 68 W., in the southeastern part 

of Buffalo County, thence a short distance northeast, then curving 

northwest and east with a somewhat complex structure into the southeastern corner of Hand County, thence south nearly to Crow Lake in 

T. 106 N., B. 66 W., thence with a sharp curve to the prominent headland, Turtle Point, near Wessington Springs. From this point the 

course of the moraine has been described in a previous paper.

DETAILED'DESCRIPTION OF THE OUTER MORAINE.

THE LONG LAKE LOOP.

The portion of Long Lake loop which falls within our field is little 

more than its southern half. The drift comprising this loop is more 

sandy than that of portions of Dakota farther south, for the reason 

that it lies for the most part in a region underlain by the Fox Hills 

sandstone. Along its axis extends the deep, straight valley of Long 

Lake, with its associated lakes. This valley is from 150 to 225 feet 

lower than the crest of the moraine at the south, the moraine being 

higher toward the east and diminishing gradually in height toward the 

west. The inner slope of this southern portion of the loop is occupied 

with numerous morainic lakes, their longer axes being usually parallel 

with the axis of the valley. A more careful examination shows two 

or three slight curves in this southern half. North of Long Lake, 

between it and the Northern Pacific Bailroad, lies a sharp and conspicuous interlobular moraine with traces of knobs and stony hills extending as far east as Steel, although it is traversed south of Geneva by a 

line of depressed lakes extending in a southwesterly direction. About 

a mile and a half west of Driscoll lies the inner part of the moraine, 

and passing obliquely across the moraine in a southwesterly direction 

there is a valley, including a chain of lakes, which opens to the southwest into a branch of Apple Creek. West of this gap the hills rise 

again in a narrow ridge north of Sterling and extend north and northeast; how far was not observed. The presence of the Fox Hills sandstone is shown by the capping of a butte encircled by Long Lake, just 

outside of the moraine j also by the conspicuous outcroppings along 

Sand Creek, a stream flowing into the lake from the south, and about 

the borders of the table-land southwest. The same formation is similarly developed along Long Lake Creek, which, rising near Long Lake, 

flows southwest in a large valley to the Missouri Eiver near old Fort 

Eice.

The moraine south of Long Lake broadens toward the east and 

increases in height, gradually reaching its culmination south of Dawson. It is traversed by three or four imperfect gaps, crooked, aiid not 

cutting deeply into the mass of the moraine.
16 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

The interlobular portion gradually decreases in height toward the 

northeast, but renders the land undesirable to settlers as far as the 

center of T. 138 N., E. 71 W. The northern side is more abrupt and 

rises higher above the inner plain. This interlobe lay between two 

lobes of ice differing considerably in character. The one upon the north 

moved more rapidly and in a somewhat deeper valley with less obstruction and freer drainage. The one on the east moved upon a rougher 

and higher plain and was nearer the end of its course, and the drainage 

was considerably less free. The portion of the moraine formed by the 

eastern lobe is wider and presents a more confused topography. Little 

of the material brought forward by the ice was washed away.

Traces of the internal drainage system have been but incompletely 

noted, but one channel, several rods in width and quite distinct, is 

occupied by the road from Napoleon to Dawson for 8 or 10 miles. It 

has not the pronounced character of such channels where the water 

from the Second moraine has also discharged through them. It shows 

little trace of terraces and is shallow and not very constant in width 

or depth. A view of the topography, which is quite typical of the 

moraine as it is generally developed upon the Missouri Coteau, is shown 

in PI. II.

THE BLUE LAKE LOOP.

In the Blue Lake loop the moraine has its grandest development. It 

is really so rough and broad that it presents a formidable barrier to 

travel. Its slopes are so' steep that wagons are frequently in danger of 

being upset; it is very stony in some places and marshy in others, and 

in the region it occupies it is very difficult to keep one's direction, 

because the view is limited most of the time and there are no reliable 

landmarks. In fact, there is danger that one conspicuous knob may 

insidiously substitute itself for another which has been relied upon for 

guidance, and thus lead the traveler far out of his way. The breadth 

of the moraine is from 6 to 10 miles. There are few, if any, ancient 

channels which might serve as passes clear through the moraine on its 

whole west'ern or front side except the imposing channel leading from 

Blue Lake to Red Lake. There are several which traverse part of the 

distance, that is, they pass through one of the principal divisions of 

the moraine. Some of them evidently turned toward the ice as soon 

as it began to recede from the inside of the moraine. There is rarely 

trace of distinct ridges in this mass of nills and basins. (See PI. I.) Its 

southern portion, in the southern half of Logan County, is separated 

into two tolerably distinct systems with comparatively level land 

between. The outer of these is considerably broader than the inner. 

Blue Lake is one of the largest of several occupying this intermediate 

portion of the loop.

The moraine maintains a height of from 2,000 to 2,075 feet above the 

sea throughout the whole of the western or outer portion of the loop. 

It rises about 200 feet above a nearly level plain several miles in width,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 14* PL.

COTEAU SCENERY.

View ENE, from a high knob near the center of sec. 4, T, 1 76, R, 72. 

^-, Plain inside the First moraine, about Lake Edwards.
TODD.) THE BLUE LAKE LOOP. 17

which separates it from the Second moraine. The region outside rises 

to about the same height as the moraine itself, some points attaining a 

greater altitude. Along the outer face of the moraine is a very noticeable line of large bowlders, reminding one of a sand ridge along highwater mark on the seashore. Along the inside of this line the bowlders 

gradually decrease in size; outside they disappear more abruptly from 

the surface. How far this character descends into the drift below has 

not been determined. This line is shown in PL III.

North of Bed or Beaver Lake the drainage of the inside of the 

moraine is, and evidently was during the occupation of the moraine, 

into the east branch of Sand Creek. Two of the more prominent valleys converge and meet at Berry Lake, west of Napoleon. A terrace 

of gravel and sand fills the lower part of these valleys to a height of 

about 25 feet above the lake. Traces of this terrace are found along 

the valley running west, which has steep sides and is about 36 feet 

below the general level where it leaves the lake, and 130 feet below 

that level in the vicinity of Merriam, sec. 27, T, 136 N., E. 75 W. The 

steepness of the sides of this valley is due to the presence of layers of 

sandstone of the Fox Hills formation. The fineness of the material 

and the shallowness of the valley suggest that either there was little 

water running or that the baselevel of erosion was high during the 

occupation of the moraine, or possibly that the terraces were really 

formed subsequent to the ice occupation. The main drainage, however, 

of the Blue Lake loop, and also that of the Antelope loop, found its 

way west through the highland by Beaver Lake gap, a sketch of which 

is given in PI. IV.

The southeast side of the Blue Lake loop forms part of a very long 

interlobe occupying the southeastern corner of Logan County and 

reaching about 30 miles, nearly to the northeastern corner of the county. 

It is not so broadly developed as the western side of the loop. It shows 

.more low areas and valleys, seemingly portions of old waterways, and 

the hills tend more to a clustered arrangement. This is especially true 

of the inner member.

The interlobe formed by this portion of the Blue Lake loop and the 

northwest side of the Antelope Valley loop extends from a little northeast of Green Lake, northeast and north-northeastj to the middle of the 

eastern line of Logan County, then nearly north to its termination near 

the northeast corner of the county, as alceady stated. The northern 

half is 4 to 5 miles wide, and is high, and rather compactly developed. 

Its northern end lies near the eastern edge of the plateau and stands 

high enough to be conspicuous 25 to 30 miles away. Its internal drainage has not been explored. Around its northern end and several miles 

down its eastern side there circles a continuous chain of lakes and lake 

beds lying between it and the Second moraine, which were formed, no 

doubt, by the drainage contemporaneous with the latter. More has 

been learned of the drainage of the southern half of the interlobe. 

Bull. 144 2
18 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Three or four drainage channels, beginning with as many rather large 

lakes on the inner side of the outer member of the Outer moraine in 

T. 133 K, E. 69 W., and 133 N., E. 68 W., seem to be concentrated 

near the middle of the north line of T. 132 N., E. 69 W., in the one large, 

deeply eroded channel which runs directly from that point to Green 

Lake. This channel has in places somewhat precipitous sides, and its 

width is estimated at 300 to 400 yards. A nearly continuous chain 

of narrow lakes occupies its whole length. There are portions of a 

bowldery terrace along the sides of the channel, 40 to 50 feet above 

its bottom and at about the same level as a high delta just at the 

debouchure of the channel from the front of the moraine near Green 

Lake. Traversing it to the right of the main channel, there are two 

channels flowing more directly northeast into the valley. Green Lake 

seems to be really the lower portion of this same channel a little to 

the east of its junction with the south branch of Beaver Creek.

THE ANTELOPE VALLEY LOOP.

This loop resembles, in its main features, the loop just described. It 

lies upon the plateau in a somewhat similar position. It is very broad 

and massive, especially in the eastern portion of its southern side. It 

may be briefly described as the counterpart of the Blue Lake loop. 

Each may be. compared to a rudely drawn capital letter L with its horizontal portion slightly curved. The vertical part of the L would form 

the interlobe just described and the horizontal part would correspond 

to the portion of each loop which lies facing the region outside the 

moraine. A further parallel may be stated thus: The distal half of 

the horizontal part of each is massively developed and lies near the 

margin of the plateau, one on the north, the other on the .east, while 

the proximal half is separable in each case into two ranges of hills. 

This has already been stated of the Blue Lake region, and seems a 

probable interpretation of the facts in this area. The correctness of, 

this may be better judged after presentation of facts.

Along the southeastern side of the Green Lake outlet lies a narrow 

ridge not more than a mile in width. Along its eastern side are numerous lake beds and two or three narrow gaps cut through it to the 

main channel. From the southeastern corner of T. 132 N., E. 70 W., 

a high, massive ridge 4 or 5 miles wide extends east-southeast into 

the southwestern corner of T. 131 N., E. 68 W., from which point a 

system of morainic hills extends northeastward to the middle of the 

north lineof T. 132 N., E. 67 W., near the northeastern corner of Mclntosh 

County, where it joins an extension of the interlobe from the north. 

This system of hills is probably equivalent to the inner member of the 

moraine, but possibly may be interpreted to be an interlobular extension from that moraine. Along its western side is a broad, eroded valley 

with numerous lakes bearing evidence of much drainage toward the 

southwest, and suggesting a gap in the moraine in that direction j but
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. Ill

"dMtMfaftf -w*-- 

^

'^^7^-^' if^^ . i.^^i?^>..^^^B^-'_i-^-^^^^^ s * ".-^5i-. - < ^

as&^i^^:>^^

.(¥ i

^.^/?^o. -<rn

^.;f^>'-V^^ v^, l ". ^<;:: y, /

-,/"« /^

' ^ ^ f- fe *-_.-_ I'-vVV

VIEV/ EAST OF NAPOLEON.

Looking S. 34° E. (magnetic), from near northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 1 35, R. 72. 

-*-, Outer slope of First moraine; -* -v, Valley connecting Green and Red lakes; ^--.- v, Beaver Creek Valley.
TODD.] THE ANTELOPE VALLEY LOOP. 19

no such gap was observed, though the moraine there was not as carefully examined as would be necessary to decide the point. A small 

system of lakes, less deeply eroded, lies along its southeastern side, 

which leads to a prominent gap or ancient outlet through the outer 

member of the moraine near the middle of .the south line of T. 131 N., 

E. 68 W. This will be called Eussian gap. From this outlet a moraine 

similar in height and width to that described just west of the gap 

extends due east to the northeastern corner of T. 130 N., B. 67 W., where 

there is another drainage channel, which will be named Butch gap, 

extending in a southwesterly direction. Northeast of this gap another 

system of hills extends northward into the southeastern corner of T. 

132 -N., E. 66 W. Along these hills are many depressed lakes and channels, and from the northern end a line of lakes extends in a northeasterly direction to the northeastern corner of the same township. The 

southern end of this system of hills joins the hills which we shall 

describe under our next head as the Koto Hills. East of Dutch gap 

the system presents very high morainic hills separated by low valleys 

leading to the southwest. In this way the moraine extends to the east 

front of the plateau on the north line of T. 129 K, E. 66 W., the southwestern township of Dickey County. Here it becomes closely identified with the Second moraine. This whole south side of the Antelope 

Valley loop is broad, massive, and high, rivaling in all features the 

corresponding parts of the Blue Lake loop. Its highest altitude has 

not been accurately determined, but may be safely put down as between 

2,100 and 2,150 feet, 500 to 600 feet higher than the plain east of the 

Coteau, 100 to 125 feet above the plains inside of the moraine, and a 

little more above the general level of the plain outside to the southwest. 

The nature of the region outside deserves special mention. Next 

the moraine which we have been describing is a system of similar hills, 

i. e., presenting bowldery knobs and basins, but differing markedly by 

their low and nearly uniform altitudes. Seen from a distance they have 

the appearance of a terrace about 100 feet lower than the summit of the 

moraine and a trifle higher than the smoother plain southwest. The 

basins seem irregular excavations in the body of the terrace 25 or 40 

feet deep, and are often channel-like. The channels are more confluent 

and the lakes larger toward the southwest. This region is 3 or 4 miles 

wide opposite the Eussian outlet and wider farther west. These terrace 

hills extend from Green Lake outlet along the whole front of the 

moraine to the east line of Mclntosh County. The material of the 

plain becomes finer as one recedes from the moraine, and about Ashley 

there is a very level plain about 6 miles square, covered with loess-like 

silt, and upon the surface there are no pebbles. From the wells near 

Hoskins, in the south part of T. 130 K., E. 70 W., it is learned that the 

silt is about 40 feet in depth, and is underlain with bowldery drift 

which is exposed along the shores of the large lakes that lie in the 

plain at about the same level.
20 MOKAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [nuii.144.

THE KOTO HILLS.

From near Aberdeen or at Bllendale the traveler's attention is 

attracted to a high, massive ridge lying along the northwestern horizon. He is told that it is the " West Coteau." Its imposing appearance, 

with its stony character for the first few miles which were commonly 

traversed by visitors, and the reports of strange alkili lake basins without vegetation, gave it in early times a singular interest. Eumors 

of gold and " mineral" were associated with the numerous deep ravines 

which furrow its eastern front, but none of these have yet proved true. 

The most valuable products yet found are the springs of fine water, the 

groves of thrifty trees in the glens, and the nutritious grasses which 

grow on the stony hills and broad slopes.

From a distance it may be noticed that there Is an abrupt drop in 

the summit of the plateau a little north of west from Ellendale, near 

the northeastern corner of T. 129 IS"., E. 66 W., and another a little south 

of west of Koto, in the southwestern corner of T. 127 N., E. 68 W., and 

the highland extends outside these limits at a lower level. The Koto 

Hills lie within these limits and comprise both the First and the Second 

moraines. They may be described as a high, massive, continuous 

ridge, about 18 miles long and 6 miles wide, running nearly straight in 

a north-northeast to south-southwest direction, with its lower portions 

about 500 feet above the plain to the east and 130 feet above the general level of the plain to the west. This ridge is studded iu an irregular manner with knobs 25 to 50 feet in height, interspersed with ponds 

and lake beds. The hills are separable, more or less distinctly, into 

two systems, the lower and less prominently developed occupying the 

eastern edge, and the other the western half of the narrow plateau or 

ridge. Those on the western half are clustered into three or four quite 

prominent knots, somewhat elongated in the direction of the ridge. 

These systems are wider apart toward the south, and channels draining in that direction begin to separate them a little north of the south 

line of McPherson County. The whole eastern slope is seamed with 

ravines or gulches 15 to 50 feet deep. There is on the north end of the 

hills a shallow gap or old outlet with lakes running west-south west. 

This is about 100 feet lower than the general base of the hills farther 

south. The region west of the Hills resembles that before described 

on the outside of the Antelope Yalley loop, except that the hills are 

less regular in height.

An interesting and unique formation is found in the form of graveltopped tables rising like islands in the drainage channels at the south 

end of the Koto Hills. One of these covers most of sec. 30, T. 127 U.j 

E. 68 W., and at least one other large one is found northwest and northnorthwest from it 2 to 3 miles away. These lie with their tops flat and 

on the same level. The first mentioned was visited and its structure 

determined as far as possible without artificial excavations. The top
BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. IV

EAVER LAKE AND GAP, FROM THE EAST.

outside the outer moraine, meet here and break through the highlands west, forming Beaver Creek.
TODD.] THE KOTO HILLS. 21

is capped everywhere with nearly pure gravel. There is a very gentle 

slope of the surface toward the northwest, and traces of narrow channels running in that direction were noticed in one or two places. The 

material is perceptibly coarser toward the southeast. Along the sides, 

which are quite abrupt, burrows show that fine sand extends from 

within about 15 feet of the top downward indefinitely. The change 

from gravel to sand seems to be very abrupt. These tables appear to 

be detached fragments of an old gravel plain extending toward the 

northwest. The one most fully examined lies about. 90 feet above 

the lower basins near by, which are the deeper courses in the reticulated system of channels running southwest into the head of Spring 

Biver. PI. V gives a general view of the appearance of these plains. 

These seem to have been formed either by a broad interlobular drainage 

channel to the northwest, when the ice was at its maximum occupation 

of the First moraine, or perhaps, in open spaces in the ice. The fine 

sand forming their main bulk is a puzzle which we do not profess to 

solve at present. The depth of erosion of the later channels may be 

explained by the ease with which sand may be removed. That it was 

not eroded by the currents which deposited the gravel points to the 

conclusion that at that time the base level of erosion was very high. 

From the profile of the railroad which runs at the foot of this table 

its top is estimated to be 2,025 feet above the sea. By th.e profiles of 

the same road the level of the silt-covered plain near Ashley is about. 

2,010 feet. Whether this is to be explained by similarity of origin 

remains to be discovered.

THE BLUE BLANKET LOOP.

This is the most extensive division of the moraine of which this 

paper will treat. It is about 130 miles in length. It is remarkable 

for its great westward extension, for the northward and northwestward 

movement by which it was formed in some places, for the weak and 

scattered development of its northern side, and for the wide gaps 

which appear at its southwestern and northwestern corners, so to 

speak. It readily divides itself into its north side, its west side, and 

its south side, the before-mentioned gaps forming the divisions between 

these portions.

The north side begins in the vicinity of the gravel tables, one of the 

marked features being a high, broad, massive knot west-southwest of 

the tables, encircled by the east branch of Spring Kiver. This stream 

is nothing but a dry, depressed channel, with a gravel terrace and broad 

lakes, and with a tendency to a doubling of the channel, which is not 

uncommon in glacial streams laden with de"bris. From this point it 

trends nearly due northwest to the northern line of McPherson County, 

where it turns west and soon after divides into two members more distinctly than before. The outer forms a semicircle convex to the north, 

and, reaching nearly to the north line of T. 129 N., E. 70 W., it returns
22 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

and drains the inner member, which has kept a nearly west irregular 

course near the south line of McPherson County. It is perceptibly 

but stragglingly developed as far as the southwestern corner of Mclntosh County. The whole of this side of the loop is a much less marked 

feature than any portion of the moraine which we have yet considered. 

It rises in its eastern portion sometimes to the height of 100 feet above 

the plain on the outside, but south of Hoskins no points rise higher 

than 60 feet, and farther west it is still lower. It consists mainly of 

two or three small loops, pushed toward the north. The principal and 

most northern one is about 6 miles wide and occupies the southwestern 

township of Mclntosh County. Again, about 6 miles west of the southeastern corner of Emmons County it is quite prominent for a mile or 

two, but farther west it is little more than a law rounded swell with a 

few lake beds and bowlders.

The west side of the loop lies along the east bank of the Missouri, 

extending from Lagrace at the mouth of Spring Eiver to the vicinity 

of Lebeau at the mouth of Swan Creek. Spring Eiver, which flows 

nearly due west through the northern tier of townships in Campbell 

County, gradually deepens its channel, dropping lower and lower 

below the main bowldery terrace, which itself also declines toward the 

west till at Lagrace it is 80 feet below it. Lagrace may have been 

named from the beautiful scenery which surrounds the town. In this 

-picturesque topography the buttes form prominent features. These 

buttes owe their form .to a few layers of sandstone, probably of the Fox 

Hills formation. The level of the top of the sandstone is about 310 

feet above the Missouri Eiver. The most conspicuous butte is north 

of the town occupying sec. 15, T. 128 K., E. 79 W. It stands as an 

island" separated from .the table-land north by an ancient channel of 

Spring Eiver,; ^hich runs through to the Missouri. About 4 miles, 

south of Lagrace another butte or promontory shows the sandstone 

and the capping with 10 to 50 feet of drift. This begins the ridge 

which rises gradually toward the south and soon puts on the topography of a comparatively even moraine, basins and knolls appearing, 

but of a, subdued character. Toward the east the pre-Glacial surface 

seems to have been lower and the drift is consequently deeper.

The eastern slope of this ridge may be outlined as follows: From the 

before-mentioned headland south of Lagrace south-southeast to sec. 

19, T. 126 K, E. 77 W., about 96 miles west of Mound City, thence 

with a quite sharp bend toward the southwest nearly to the southwestern corner of T. 125 E"., E. 78 W. ; thence south to the Boise Cache 

or Blue Blanket Creek 5. thence south by east to Swan Creek. The 

highest point of this ridge, as far as has been observed, is west of 

Mound City, where the hills rise about 525 feet above the Missouri 

Eiver, or to the height of 1,900 feet above the sea. At this point there 

are two shallow drainage channels which seem to have discharged westward into the point qf a broad, triangular area with its base extending
U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. V

^y%^^fw^^ m^ ^ -^^m^^^^^K--!'-'^^^ '^.?--^v^^>j:^^r-;^*fe^^M,^^--- a^fe:'^ . *,' ''

.. yd'/,- -r<a%~.-^S . 0 j4*:X \ - ^- i" v?u- -; ^-<*»i?U-V-.-^. - ^Sp^vi^- -^-=-- : -.^fe*.-'-- - '-, - 

^^^^-^^ '"-' : -- 

GRAVEL TABLES NORTHWEST OF LEOLA. 

Looking N. 42° W., from near southwest corner of sec. 30, T. 1 27, R. 68.
TODD.] THE BLUE BLANKET LOOP. 23

along the river for 8 or 9 miles. Apparently the water discharged at 

this point assisted greatly in eroding the pre-Glacial deposits, and so 

formed a broad, interlpbular drainage system which eroded down to a 

level 150 to 200 feet below the top of the moraine. There seems to 

have been other less important lines of dra'inage converging to the 

same triangular area. A much more important outlet, however, was 

at the present passage of Blue Blanket Creek through the moraine. 

Along the east foot of this ridge, which we consider the outer member 

of the First moraine, and somewhat separated from it, rises a range of 

foothills extending north and south, which may be considered as a 

feebly developed inner member of this moraine. This includes a cluster 

of hills covering three or four sections in the eastern half of T. 127 N., 

E. 76 W., and a narrow, even ridge running south through T. 126 N., 

E. 76 W., about 1 mile west of Mound City, and continuing in the 

same direction to the middle of the next township, where it curves 

west arid breaks up into detached hills, which show the effect of much 

water flowing toward the southwest. This moraine rises about 60 

feet above the bottom of the valley just east. This valley is remarkable for extending from Spring Eiver, .18 miles south, to the Blue 

Blanket at about the same level, viz, about 150 feet above the Missouri. 

Among the early settlers its indeterminate drainage won for it the 

name of the "Morphodite." Mound City obtains its name from, two 

or three low mounds of gravel, situated a short distance north of the 

town. These may be considered osars. The moraine south of Blue 

Blanket Creek shows still less morainic topography, .a fact which may 

be accounted for by two influences; one the effects of erosion, because 

of its vicinity to the Missouri, and the other the covering of the drift 

"of that region with a loess-like silt.

The south side of the loop may be described as follows: As has 

been before stated, there is a gap of several miles along the lower 

course of Swan Creek, but in. the southern part of T. 122 1ST.. E. 76 W., 

morainic hills again unmistakably appear on the northern bank of 

Swan Creek, and, though narrow, they continue constantly widening 

and rising toward the northeast. No trace of the moraine has been 

found south and west of these, with the possible exception of a few 

morainic hills capping the bluffs south of Swan Creek in T. 121 N., 

E. 76 W. The whole region is so deeply eroded by ravines that the 

absence of the moraine may possibly be ascribed to its removal by 

erosion.

The range continuing northeast is 1 to 3 miles wide, and presents all 

the main features of a moraine. The increasing gentle declivity toward 

the northwest, the ragged crest, and the prominent outlets leave no 

doubt about the inoramic character of this ridge. A view of it is 

given in PI. YI. At the southAvestern corner of T. 124 N., E. 74 W., 

the northeast township of Walworth County, it rather abruptly takes 

an easterly course, which, with a slight curve to the south, it preserves
24 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

to a point 7 miles north of Bowdle, where it is joined again by the 

Second moraine.

This moraine toward the south rests against higher hills, which, from a 

few observations made along their southwestern side, and their general 

form and relation, are judged to be formed of Cretaceous clays. Northeast of Swan Lake the topography is erosive, and the clay hills have 

bowldery ridges lying in their valleys, though there is no drift to 

speak of upon their outer spurs. Just west of these hills a valley 

running south from the moraine joins Swan Creek a little below the 

west end of Swan Lake. It is fully lined, both on bottom and sides,- 

with numerous bowldery ridges lying parallel with the axis of the 

valley.

South of the northern half of the portion under consideration the 

outside of the moraine is much eroded, and in places is 125 to 150 feet 

lower than the crest of the moraine. Besides numerous smaller channels flowing into this area there are two very marked outlets or gaps. 

One of these we shall call Spring Lake outlet. It begins on sec. 20, 

T. 123 N., E. 75 W., and runs east into a marshy lake bed called Spring 

iake, which also received water from smaller gaps farther north. This 

gap is fully a half mile wide, and descends from the higher land northwest to this lake.

Another gap, which we call Swan Creek outlet, is near the northeastern corner of the same township, and it is narrower and deeper, 

and forms the main source of the north branch of Swan Creek. The 

whole outer slope of the moraine is furrowed with ravines, and the 

region is unusually sandy and gravelly. As will be readily seen, the 

south side of this loop of the moraine forms the southwestern side of a 

very broad interlobe or reversed loop, of which the Bowdle Hills form 

the eastern side. The peaks of this portion of the moraine are 2,125 

to 2,150 feet above the sea, or 125 to 150 feet above the lower channels 

outside, and 60 to 70 feet above the rather abruptly sloping plain to 

the north and west.

THE BOWDLE HILLS.

Here, as in the case of the Koto Hills, we have a combination of the 

First and Second moraines, which toward the north are- closely commingled, but farther south are quite distinct, though coming together 

again toward the southern extremity. They begin 7 or 8 miles north 

of Bowdle, not being distinctly separable from the last portion considered, and, extending first to the southeast, curve to the south-southwest 

east of Bowdle. This direction is held by the First moraine to the 

south line of T. 120 N. } E. 74 W., where a prominent gap is found 9 

miles east of Pembroke; thence the Outer moraine turns more to the 

east to the northwestern corner of Hyde County. This moraine resembles, in general features, the portion last described. The land outside 

is lower than the plain east, and drainage is by numerous small channels, especially in its northern half. South of the Pembroke outlet the
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. VI

OUTER MORAINE SOUTHEAST OF BANGOR.
TODD.] THE BOWDLE HILLS. 25'

moraine is more massive and higher. The width of the moraine is 

from 2.to 5 miles. Its development is especially imposing in the southeastern corner of Potter County. Along its west front a wide valley 

extends from near Bowdle to Copp, in the southeastern comer of Potter 

County. This valley is now drained in the northern half by the 

branches of Swan Creek, and the southern half by the principal branch 

of Okobojo Creek. The whole valley abounds in sand and gravel. 

West of this valley and south of Swan Lake are found hills rising 

higher than the moraine, composed mainly of Cretaceous clays; yet 

they are more or less covered with drift. The Pembroke outlet cuts 

down to the base of the moraine and is occupied by alkali lakes. Just 

east of it is a large fresh-water lake occupying nearly a whole section. 

The altitude of these hills is about 2,050 feet east of Bowdle and is 

estimated to be somewhat lower toward the south, but rises again to 

its former height at the south end.

The Second moraine leaves the First southeast of Bowdle, adopts a 

straggling character, extending nearly directly south to the southern 

line of Edmunds County, then becomes narrower and more distinct 

along the western line of Faulk County, and rejoins the First moraine 

near Cramer, close to the northern line of T. 118 N., K. 73 W.; thence 

it curves abruptly, but returns to the First moraine at the northwestern 

corner of Hand County.

THE REE VALLEY LOOP.

This portion of the moraine, like the Blue Blanket loop, is especially 

notable for its westward and northwestward extension and comparatively weak development. This loop marks the most westerly extension 

of the ice south of Bismarck. It consists of isolated clusters of knobs, 

in part, at least, composed of pre-Glacial rocks covered with several 

feet of stony drift. Its form was quite symmetrical, but the portions 

which remain seem to be mainly the parts «of short reentrant angles, 

along a crenate edge. These may be enumerated as follows: West of 

the high hills in eastern Potter County lies, as before stated, the broad, 

shallow valley of Okobojo Creek. West of this, in the southern part of 

T. 119 N., R. 75 W., hills presenting morainic features are found lying 

in an east-and-west direction. Then another gap occurs partly occupied by a branch of Little Cheyenne Eiver; then a very conspicuous 

knot of bowldery knobs, the highest point being about 3 miles north of 

Gettysburg, with a lower development toward the west. West of 

Gettysburg, lower hills, presenting features of a moraine, stretch across 

the township, gradually decreasing in height to the western line. Faint 

suggestions of a moraine, in the form of bowldery hills upon the edge 

of the plain, were noticed about 3 miles south of.Appomattox. Again, 

elongated hills, rising 30 to 40 feet, were found lying in a north and 

south direction 3 to 4 miles south of Forest City. In the southwestern 

quarter of T. 116 N., R. 79 W., are the Artichoke Buttes, which are
26 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

a prominent feature, rising 25 to 30 feet above the plain. On sees. 

12 and 13, T. 115 N., R. 80 W., is another north and south range, 

and again crossing section 31 of the same township. Two miles south 

lies the conspicuous cluster of hills known as Sully Buttes. From a 

point on the south side of Okobojo Creek and 3 or 4 miles southwest of 

Okobojo town, a low swell ridge begins and extends south and somewhat east to the southeastern corner of T. 112 ]$"., E. 80 W. One of 

the most notable fragments of a moraine is found in Snake Eidge, 4 

miles north of Pierre, which runs in a' southeasterly direction. Its 

northwestern end overlooks the Missouri. A view of it is given in PL 

VII. Its outer slope drops abruptly to a high terrace of the Missouri 

about 250 or 300 feet above the river. Its northeastern slope declines 

less abruptly in that direction. Other hills are found in two or three 

sections in the center of T. Ill N., E. 78 W. There are also low hills, 

extending 3 or 4 miles east and west with a branch to the southwest, 

lying on the northwestern corner of T. Ill N., E. 77 W. The next 

and last representative of this loop is known as Medicine Knoll, 

which name is particularly applied to the northeastern and highest end 

of a massive ridge, ?1. VIII, beginning on sec. 25, T. 112 K, E. 76 W., 

and extending south-south west and southwest nearly to the Missouri. 

This Medicine Knoll descends abruptly to its east side into the valley 

of Medicine Creek, and the erosion of the Cretaceous clays has cut a 

deep valley around the northeastern end, producing a high, precipitous 

front rising for nearly 200 feet. The summit of this ridge is about 500 

feet above the Missouri Eiver, or 1,900 feet above the sea. The plain 

northwest of this ridge descends gently in that direction. East of 

Medicine Creek, north of Blunt, hills somewhat higher than the general level begin "and have the peculiar feature of gaps, from which 

streams pass from the northeast into Medicine Creek. This is looked 

upon as indicating morainic origin. These hills are regarded as the 

eastern half of a broad infer!obe, of which ancient Medicine Creek was 

the internal drainage channel.

Farther south, more particularly on sec. 28, T. Ill K, E. 76 Wv there 

begins a very high, bowldery ridge, which extends south 3 or 4 miles. 

The character of this ridge toward the south is somewhat problematical. Its even height and connection with the river suggest the edge 

of a high, bowldery terrace, and it is not easily interpreted to be a portion of the moraine. A smaller ridge is found north of Forest City, 

extending northward 4 miles from the Little Cheyenne through the 

center of T. 119 N., E. 78 W. This also is looked upon as a remnant 

of a bowldery terrace or an example of drift-veneered- hills. If this is 

not its origin it remains unclassified, for it can scarcely be accounted 

for by any theory as a moraine of the older drift. While speaking 

of this region north of the Little Cheyenne, mention should be made of 

certain ancient channels traversing the region at high levels. One 

of these, a quarter of a mile in width, was found extending from the
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. VII

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SNAKE RIDGE.

. The moia:ne ; -^ -v-, The high terrace ; -^-^^-, Trough of the Missouri River.
TODD.] THE REE HILLS. 27

valley of Swan Creek southeast across sec. 5, T. 120 IS"., E. 76 W., to 

a branch of Little Cheyenne. Its sides were studded with bowlders, 

which rose somewhat higher than the surrounding country and which 

by erosion in places were made to resemble hills or osars. 

. The Eee Valley loop differs from most that we have considered, in 

that the region outside and within the moraine is on about the same 

level. This is particularly true to the west and south. The plain 

within this loop is considerably more even than in other loops that we 

have described. Its general altitude may be inferred from some preliminary railroad surveys, which show that 8 miles south of Gettysburg it is 1,960 feet above the sea. Near the northeastern corner 

of T. 116 K, E. 78 W., it is 1,840 feet. Toward the south it is somewhat lower, being about 1,700 feet northwest of Blunt and about the 

same distance northeast of Pierre.

THE REE HILI.S.

East of the hills south of Blunt is a broad valley 4 or 5 miles wide. 

Beginning about 3 miles south of Blunt and rapidly deepening it 

extends to the main bowldery terrace of the Missouri, with which'it is 

continuous. Along the western side of this valley lies another terrace 

with the higher gravelly knolls along its western side. This is shown 

in PI. XX. The inner or eastern edge of the terrace is about 400 feet 

above the Missouri Eiver. Eising from the east side of this valley, 

near the north line of T. Ill JS"., E. 74 W., is found the Outer moraine, 

3 to 5 miles in width, which runs directly eastward, gradually rising. 

It presents the appearance of clustered knolls and basins, which are 

not prominent in the Eee Valley loop. Its southern slope is drained 

along its western half by Chapelle Creek, and its eastern half drains 

into the north branches of Crow Creek, especially the Boxelder, which 

heads in the internal drainage system of the eastern end. The Second 

moraine joins the First near the west line of Hand County and skirts 

the whole circumference of the high eastern end of the Eee Hills. It 

is generally separated from the First moraine by a valley with ponds.

Two interesting peculiarities may be noted of the Eee Hills. The 

first, which is the most striking, is the fact that the ice seems to have 

broken through the ridge at its eastern end so as to reach the main 

internal drainage channel, which extended toward the south, making 

the subglacial plain continuous with the high terrace along Boxelder 

Creek. The other is the elaborate drainage system found at the east 

end of the hills. From a gap about a mile and a half southwest of 

Eee Heights and 150 feet above that station the channel begins, and, 

with widenings natural to such features, runs nearly directly southward for 8 or 9 miles. It receives from the west and southwest three 

or four tributaries, from the east about as many more, but smaller. 

About 5 miles from Eee Heights, where it receives two large tributaries from the southwest, its bottom is about 90 feet above the station
28 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

of Eee Heights and three-fourths of a mile wide. Its sides are 60 

to 70 feet in height, abrupt, and very stony. Occasional mounds of 

gravel are found in the channel. The highest point of the Eee Hills 

is about 300 feet above the station, or about 2,050 feet above the sea. 

South of Highmore it is about 2,000 feet, and south of Holabird a little 

lower.

The Eee Hills are probably largely composed of Cretaceous clays in 

situ. About G miles south of Eee Heights a whitish "soapstone" or 

clay was found withiu 100 feet of the highest point of the hills, and 

farther south in a prominent bluff this was less distinctly traced considerably higher. The hills lie along the northern edge of the tableland which ends in an abrupt edge looking south. 'This front extends 

east and west about 12 miles and about that distance south of the 

Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. This bluff seems to have been 

formed by the erosion, of numerous branches of Boxelder Creek, which 

have removed quite rapidly the Cretaceous clays. South of the western half of the moraine the country was examined to the great bend 

of the Missouri, and found to present erosive topography, but with 

a fine veneering of drift, in which, bowlders were abundant, especially 

at certain points. It was thought that the northern side of the hills 

exhibited more bowlders than the southern, and in PI. IX a view is 

given of one of the most striking hillsides of this sort. Seen from the 

outside, it might be mistaken for a morainic hill, but an examination 

showed that erosion had developed in its front a crater-like basin, 

which is shown in PI. X. This basin exhibited"Cretaceous clays along 

its inner side and was clearly the result of erosion. Moreover, -the 

arrangement of these hills forbids the idea of their morainic origin. 

Artificial excavations not being found in the region, the depth of the 

drift can only be inferred.

THE BOXELDER LOOP.

This is in some respects the most perplexing and least satisfactorily 

explained portion of the moraine. The position of the morainic hills 

may be described as follows: South of a gap about 3 miles in width, 

which has been alluded to under the last heading, morainic hills begin 

on the east side of Boxelder Creek, near the south line of T. 110 $"., 

B. 70 W., in the southwest corner of Hand County, and continue in a 

southerly and southeasterly direction along the eastern side of the valley of that stream, forming the watershed between it and the next 

branch of Crow Creek to the east. A slight reentrant angle heading 

toward the northeast is formed in the northern part of T. 107 N., E. 

6i> W. With this irregularity it continues directly to Crow Creek, near 

the eastern line of Buffalo County, south of Gann Valley. Thence 

eastward, where it is much less distinctly developed, consisting mainly 

of scattered knoll ridges, rarely over 15 feet in height, nearly 12 miles, 

when it turns northward and soon joins a high, irregularly triangular 

area covering the most of T. 108 K, E. 66 W. At its northwestern angle
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. VIII

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MEDICINE HILL, FROM THE NORTHWEST.
TODD.I THE BOXELDER LOOP. 29

it connects with a similarly high and stony area 3 or 4 miles in length 

north and south, lying along the western line of T.109 N., E. 67 W. 

A ridge 3 or 4 miles in length and a mile in width, of similar height 

and stoniness, begins at the southern corner of T. 110 N., E. 78 W., and 

extends north-northeast. From the northern angle of the triangular 

area a long, slender system of prominent knobs and lakes extends northnortheast to the edge of the plateau, or to the southeastern corner of 

T. 110 N., E. 66 W. From, the eastern side of the same triangular area 

the morainic hills extend southward in a very scattered, imperfect 

manner, and again upon the western side of Turtle Eidge a few points, 

suggesting a moraine, lie along the western side of its internal drainage 

channel.

With reference to the altitudes of these areas, we may state that the 

moraine along Boxelder Creek is about 1,825 feet above the sea, or 

about 100 feet above the plain inside, near the southern line of Hand 

County, and diminishes in altitude considerably toward the south. 

The altitude of the other areas may be put down at about the same 

figure. The detached area south of Miller, and which we may call, for 

convenience, Miller Island, rises about 140 feet above the plain southwest, and is estimated to be about 50 feet above the even plain along 

its eastern side and 75 feet above that along its western side. For, 

extending from the Eee Hills southeast to the Wessingtons, there is a 

swell in the glaciated plain, as though the ice had passed over a preglacial ridge. It should be stated, also, that there is an extension of 

the plateau, which is about the same height as this ridge, running 

north from the triangular area to Silex Station. This may be considered as the northeast angle of the high land upon which the moraines 

south of the Eee Valley lie. Its eastern edge becomes high and more 

and more abrupt and stony toward the southeast till it forms the eastern 

side of the Wessington Hills.

In order to give an idea of the origin of these hills and at the same 

time a conception which may be more easily remembered, we may offer 

the following theory: Conceive four narrow lobes of ice pushing from 

the north-northeast, three of them west of the slender interlobe which 

extends to the northern side of the plateau, and the fourth east of that 

ridge between it and Turtle Point. Of the first three, the easternmost 

is obstructed by a ridge over which it does not reach. The other two 

break over it, become confluent, and, passing into the valley of Boxelder Creek, turn with it toward the southeast and pass in front of the 

third lobe, coming nearly in contact with the fourth. As a result of 

this adjustment of the ice, the drainage from the third and adjacent 

sides of the other lobes is discharged southward between them into 

Crow Creek. This interpretation seems to be corroborated by the currents along the southeastern sides of all these island-like areas of 

unusually stony ridges resembling osars, and also by a prominent 

southward drainage channel in the triangular area, as well as by the
30 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

great abundance of sand and gravel in the whole southern part of this 

region. These stony hills lie upon a terrace which shows more or less 

distinctly at different points.

THE DEPOSITS' CONNECTED WITH THE OUTER MORAINE.

As the Second moraine lies very close to the First, wherever the latter approaches the James Eiver Valley, we need to consider under this 

head only the region lying on the Missouri side of the Coteau. In the 

area under consideration this readily divides itself into three areas 

inside the moraine, viz, the Long Lake loop, the Blue Blanket loop, 

and the Eee Valley loop; and three outside, viz, the three lying between 

them, or south of each, respectively.

A COMPARISON OF THE AREAS WITHIJST THE FIRST MORAINE.

Of the areas within the First moraine we have already spoken, and 

need only to add a statement of their general resemblances and differences. Their resemblances may be thus noted:

1. They have a common character, in that their drainage is wholly 

into the Missouri, and by streams which very rarely rise within the 

Second moraine.

2. They present less of the characteristic features of glaciated areas, 

and where these occur they are less pronounced and more modified by 

erosion and deposition than the areas within the Second moraine. In 

the Long Lake loop, while basins are abundant, and some of them large 

on the inner slope of the moraine, they are obscured in the bottom of 

the valley by lacustrine and torrential deposits, as about Tappen and 

Dawson. And not only at these lower levels, which are about 1,760 

feet above the sea, but also in local areas at higher elevations, as near 

Steele, at an altitude of 1,857 feet, sheets of loess-like silt occur. At the 

latter place bricks are made from the silt deposit. The silt abruptly 

changes below into gravel, which shows flow-and-pluuge structure, as 

of currents from the east. In some places the gravel is abundant and 

is excavated for use on the railroad. Some of the narrow cuts near 

Steele show contorted strata. In the Blue Blanket loop, basins are 

fewer upon the slopes of the moraine, especially in the western part 

of the loop, where they are rare. The topography of the lower lands 

along the Blue Blanket and northward, which lie at an altitude of 

about 1,675 feet, is not glacial, but rather lacustrine. The southern 

part of the loop, for the most part, presents erosive topography, with 

occasional basins, which seem clearly to be of glacial origin. It is 

covered very generally with a loam resembling loess. The altitude 

of this region varies, sloping from about 1,700 feet at the north to 

1,900 feet at the south, and rising still higher at the southeast. This 

probably accounts for its greater erosion, the difference between valleys 

and hills being sometimes 50 feet. The Eee Valley loop has already 

been alluded to as unusually even. Basins are found, but they are few 

and usually quite shallow. Some of them have broad, widening forms,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. IX

 ' '' "''< < *''''' t-1 \ ''t'' ' 'V >. 

^jI^JJ-j^-^U T^W '' ' '

. v ;. .>.,«,; >.; v }f »-^r ' / ^^

DRIFT-VENEERED HILL, FROM THE WEST.
TODD.] DEPOSITS OF THE OUTER MORAINE. 31

suggesting ancient channels. One of these was especially noticed running south-southeast for 2 or 3 miles across the northeastern corner of 

T. Ill N., E. 78 W. It was more than one-half mile wide and 10 feet 

or more below the general surface. This area also is covered with silt 

in large degree. Its altitude, as has been stated, is from 1,750 to 1,900 

feet. There is no such erosion of the surface as is shown in the Blue 

Blanket loop, except in the vicinity of the Missouri.

3. All the loops illustrate greater westward elongation. This is to 

be explained mainly by the pre-Glacial topography. At the east front 

of the plateau the axis of the lobes of ice occupying these loops was 

depressed 300 to 400 feet below the high, interlobular ranges like the 

Bowdle and Wessington hills. Another reason for their greater elongation is doubtless found in their relation to the main trunk of the 

Dakota ice sheet, which occupied the Eed Eiver and James Eiver 

valleys.

A few differences may be noted. The Long Lake loop was considerably more sandy than any other portion of the moraine. This is traceable to the Fox Hills sandstone. The Blue Blanket loop was the most 

eroded and its course most crooked. The Bee Yalley loop pushed the 

farthest west.

THE REGIONS OUTSIDE THE MORAINE.

The first of these occupies Emmons County and the western, parts of 

Logan and Mclntosh counties, and will be called the Beaver Creek 

region. The second, which occupies the area between the Blue Blanket 

loop and the Eee Yalley loop, will be called the Little Cheyenne region, 

from the principal stream which drains it. The third, south of the Eee 

valley loop, will be called the Crow Creek region. These are all more or 

less covered with drift, usually with a deposit resembling till. The 

region least covered with drift is that lying east of the Great Bend of 

the Missouri, or in the western part of Buffalo County. This is the 

summit of a broad divide, and shows no drift except scattered bowlders, 

perhaps one or two to the square mile. There are many places in all 

of these regions where erosion has removed the drift, more particularly 

along the steep slopes of streams and on the sides of buttes or very 

steep hills. Sometimes a hill may be entirely free from drift when the 

cause of its absence seems clearly to be erosion. The topography of 

all these regions is almost purely erosive. Basins and lake beds are 

found to some extent, but considerably less frequently than in the 

regions inside of the moraine, and no more are found than in regions 

beyond the margin of the drift. The Cretaceous clays which underlie 

most of these ridges is peculiarly subject to slipping and settling, 

which tends to produce basins capable of holding water. In all of 

them the streams are deeply eroded below the higher levels, sometimes 

to the extent of 400 to 500 feet, especially near the Missouri. Bowldery 

knolls are not entirely absent. These, as has been stated, are found 

along the sides of channels, as south of Swan Creek and about the edge 

of plateaus, as in two or three cases noted in the Beaver Creek region.
32 MOEAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BOLL. 144.

The Beaver Creek region is occupied throughout, with perhaps the 

exception of the southeastern corner, by the Fox Hills sandstone. 

This forms the capping of a table-land and of buttes, high and very 

picturesque, along the streams, such as Beaver Greek, and down the 

Missouri to Lagrace and to the mouth of Grand River on the west side. 

The sandstone contains layers which have become metamorphosed into 

a very compact, greenish quartzite, and these layers abound in imprints 

of vegetation, particularly the casts of vertical stems. These layers 

contribute very many small bowlders which have been widely distributed, especially along the moraine bounding this region. 1

The Little Cheyenne region shows no distinct trace, as far as has 

been yet found, of the Fox Hills sandstone, but is underlain with shales 

and clays of the Pierre group, and fine, white, loamy sand, with calcareous concretions, which may be of Tertiary origin. No flat-topped 

buttes are found in this region except low ones, such as may be noted 

in valleys where they have been cut out of gravelly terraces. This 

region is drained by the Little Cheyenne and by Swan Creek. The 

drift is generally from 10 to 25 feet in thickness.

Of the Crow Creek region mention has already been made in a previous report,2 and it is necessary to add only the fact that the northern 

portion of this region down to the latitude of the northern end of the 

Great Bend seems considerably more covered with drift than south of 

that line. A drift-veneered hill from this region is shown in Pis. IX 

and X.

Entering T. 120 N., E. 76 W., near its northwest corner, is a singular 

ancient channel (PI. XI) which crosses the table-land between Swan 

Lake Creek and the Little Cheyenne in a southwest direction. It is 

2 or 3 miles long. Its bottom is about 400 feet above the Missouri, and 

its sides in some places are bordered with bowldery knolls, resembling 

osars. In connection with this feature, brief mention may be made of 

the peculiar character of the margin of the drift farther west. On the 

northern slope of the Fox Hills the margin of the drift is very conspicuous, whether we refer to the sudden change of very abundant bowlders, to entire absence of them within a few rods, or to the unique 

way in which the margin stands out as a flat-topped ridge above the 

surrounding region. This marginal ridge, rising sometimes to a height 

of 40 or 50 feet, with its top nearly horizontal, runs in an easterly 

direction along the north slope of Fox Eidge and about 50 feet lower 

than its crest. This marginal ridge is that mentioned by Prof. G. F. 

Wright.3 These phenomena raise the query whether they are not 

traces of a great glacial lake, which occupied, for a short time at least? 

the region north of Fox Eidge, before the Missouri cut through so as 

to drain it.

1 The strata furnishing these bowlders, as has been now discovered, belong to the Tertiary, probably to the lower portion of the Loup Fork formation.

2 The memoir here referred to, on The terminal portion of the Dakota loop of the Great Moraine, 

has not yet been published.

3 The Ice Age in North America, p. 140, and more fully treated in Proc. A. A. A. S. 1888, p. 210.
 U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. X

V/A '.,*«** ;.-, '-'/^

DRIFT-VENEERED HILL, FROM THE NORTHWEST, SHOWING A CRATER OF EROSION.

-«-, Cairn, similarly marked in PI. IX.
CHAPTER II.

THE SECOND OR GARY MORAINE, WITH ITS ATTENDANT

DEPOSITS.

G-ENERAL LOCATION OF THE MORAINE.

As compared with the First moraine, the Second does not extend so 

far west, and consequently lies generally at a lower level. It is always 

less massively and less conspicuously developed than the First in sirniLar circumstances.

Its course may be described as follows: It crosses the Northern 

Pacific west of Crystal Springs. It is very prominently developed 2 or 

3 miles south and southwest of that place, and after a short curve to 

the west it takes a south-southeast direction past the southwestern corner of Stutsman County to the eastern boundary of T. 135 ]ST.; E. 79 W., 

where it turns eastward, is more broken into detached portions, and 

soon takes a northeast direction and passes around the inter lobe formed 

by the First moraine at the northeastern corner of Logan County. This 

portion we will call, after the corresponding portion of the First moraine, 

the Blue Lake loop. Thence along the eastern side of the same interlobe south and a little west to the southeastern corner of Logan 

County, where its course is somewhat indefinite, as has been suggested 

in the discussion of the First moraine. It would seem reasonable to 

expect to find it in the hills lying along the west line of Dickey County, 

extending a little east of south and joining the First moraine near the 

head of the Koto Hills, but instead of following the First moraine 

closely from that point, it returns to the north along the eastern edge 

of the plateau into the southeastern corner of T. 132 K, E. 65 W., near 

Merricourt. This portion we will call the Antelope Valley loop. Its 

course along the Koto Hills has already been given. From the southern 

point of the Koto Hills, about 7 miles northwest of Leola, it turns 

sharply westward. It continues in this course along the south side of 

of the valley of Spring Eiver to a point 6 miles south of the northwestern corner of McPherson County; thence by a quite regular curve 

to the west, reaching nearly to the middle of Campbell County, it sweeps 

along to the northeastern corner of Walworth County, north of Bowdle, 

where it joins with the First moraine. Tbis portion we will call the 

Blue Blanket loop. Its course in connection with the Bowdle Hills has 

already been given. From a point a little west of Seneca it turns eastward and forms a complicated system of curves which is unlike anything before described, and returns again to the south end of the Bowdle 

Bull. 144 3 33
34 MORAINES OF THE MISSOUEI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Hills near the northwestern corner of Hyde County. This complicated 

portion, which has no counterpart in the First moraine, we will call the 

Faulkton Hills, or the Bald Mountains, according to a somewhat common local name. From the northwestern corner of Hyde County the 

moraine extends around in a regular curve a little south of Highmore, 

and keeps an east-southeast course to the eastern side of the county, 

where it joins the First moraine. This constitutes the Eee Valley loop. 

From the southeastern corner of the Eee Hills to the' hills north of 

Turtle Point, in Jerauld County, the course of this moraine is as problematic as that of the First. Three interpretations seem possible. 

One, that the detached clusters of hills southeast of the Eee Hills are 

the representatives of this moraine, with unusually wide outlet channels 

between. Another, that during the occupation of the Second moraine, 

the ice for some reason overrode the First moraine, which lay along this 

line of clustered hills or glacial islands. According to this supposition, 

the hills along Crow Creek might be representatives of the Second 

moraine. A third explanation would suppose the moraine faintly developed in a few knolls that lie along the northern edge of the plateau 

north of these clustered hills and in the more conspicuous stony knobs 

along the eastern side of the plateau south of Wessington Station. No 

one of these interpretations is very satisfactory. The objection to the 

first is, that the shaping of the clustered hills or glacial islands does not 

favor such a view, nor do the narrow plains between indicate the action 

of water to the extent that this theory would imply. To the second is 

the objection that no known cause can account for the exceptional 

advance of the ice at this point during the occupation of the Second 

moraine. To the third, it is difficult to see why the moraine should not 

be considerably more developed than it is south of Miller, where it is 

scarcely noticeable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MORAINE.

THE BLUE LAKE LOOP.

The Northern Pacific Eailroad passes down what appears to be an 

old outlet channel through this moraine west of Crystal Springs. The 

moraine southwest of Crystal Springs is finely developed, rising to a 

height not less than 125 feet above the plain to the west. This portion 

has not been visited and can be spoken of only from distant views. A 

little south of the southwestern corner of Stutsman County the moraine 

was visited at a favorable point and an extensive view gained both 

north and south. At that point it rises to a height of nearly 200 feet 

above the plain northeast and 100 feet above that southwest. This 

magnificent development seemed to continue for several miles to the 

southeast. After it turns toward the northeast it becomes broken into 

detached clusters of hills rising to a height of 75 to 100 feet above the 

uneven plain around. Everywhere it is attended with numerous basins, 

some of them evidently being portions of old channel?. From a distance it was judged that there was a gap near the north end of Lake
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

ANCIENT CHANNEL SOUTH OF SWAN LAKE CREEK

Looking southeast from neai southeast corner of sec. 32, T. 121 : 
TODD.] THE BLUE LAKE LOOP. 35

Edwards, in southeastern Kidder County, and another near its south 

end. A still more conspicuous gap, toward which a prominent line of 

depressed lakes leads and which cuts down to the level of the plain, is 

a little south of the southeastern corner of Stutsman County. The 

drainage of this loop in its western half and possibly through its whole 

extent was into a plain lying between it and the First moraine, which 

it is judged drained northwest into Long Lake Valley. The plain west' 

of Napoleon was 5 or 6 miles wide and much of it was covered with a 

fine layer of loam, while in other places it was very gravelly or sandy. 

From the north an outlet from Lake Edwards into Long Lake Yalley 

was noticed, and reports of the same were gained from settlers.

Inside of this principal line of the moraine, extending nearly parallel 

with the outer number, is a system of clustered hills, which, in the 

northeastern part of Logan County, are quite conspicuous, rising to a 

height of 60 to 70 feet above the surrounding country, One of them 

visited presented the unusual appearance of a flat-topped butte with 

numerous lake beds around it and leading from its southeastern side. 

The moraine is very imperfectly developed along the head of the interlobe in northeastern Logan County, especially toward the north, where 

the material of the moraine was probably carried away by drainage. 

From that point a line of depressed lakes and lake beds circles around 

the higher hills to the west and leads southward for at least 6 miles j 

how much farther was not determined.

HE ANTELOPE VALLEY LOOP.

Outside of the line of lakes just mentioned the clustered hills of 

the Second moraine rise 50 to 60 feet. The western course of these 

along the side of the great interlobe has been examined only from a 

distance, and they have not been distinctly separated from those of the 

First moraine! At the southeastern corner of Logan County the hills 

disappear, and none are found in the main direction of the moraine 

nearer than 4 or 5 miles, when a line of hills, depressed much of their 

height below the general level, begin and extend southward to the 

southern part of T. 131N., B. 66 W., as has been before stated. Southwest of this gap there is a plain reaching to the Outer moraine, which 

is the eastern half of Antelope Valley. Along its western side is a 

prominent line of hills running southwest, which has been described 

as possibly either the inner number of the First moraine or an interlobe from its outer member. We now suggest that it may be possibly 

a portion of the Second moraine; if so, the line of hills in T. 131N., E. 

66 W., may be considered an interlobe, and the numerous deep A^alleys 

found in it rather favor this view. The hills of the Second moraine, 

extending along the edge of the plateau northward to Merricourt, are 

not massed into a ridge, but are scattered, their highest points rising 

from 25 to 40 feet above the land to the west and about 400 feet above 

the edge of the plain east. The hills are lower toward the north. The 

drainage of this loop was mainly to the south and southwest.
36 MORAINES OF THE MISSOUEI COTEAU.

THE BLUE BLANKET LOOP.

Northwest of Leola these hills lie upon the crest of the table-land 

and present several prominent knobs, stretching first southwest then 

turning quite directly west, which direction the inner edge of the 

moraine seems to keep as far as Hills view, on the north line of T. 

125 N., E. 72 W., but the whole region north from this line to the 

north branch of Spring Biver, a breadth of nearly 12 miles, is more or 

less studded with detached knobs, although the region between is comparatively even. It is not improbable that the northern edge of the 

ice occupying this loop receded, on the whole, quite rapidly during the 

formation of the Second moraine. About 6 miles south of the southwest corner of McPherson County lies an east-and-west ridge 5 to 6 

miles in length, which doubtless belongs to this moraine. West of it is 

a gap or vacant area, and again the hills rise prominently in the western half of T. 127 1ST., E. 74 W., and continue west and southwest, 

increasing in height and breadth. Northeast and east of Mound City 

the moraine is quite continuous and rises above the valley west about 

100 feet. From the vicinity of Mound City it curves to the southeast, 

preserving its prominence to the southern line of Campbell County. 

Near the northern line of that county, and outside of the moraine, is a 

cluster of sandhills more or less covered with trees. These result from 

the sands accumulated by the drainage of this loop to the southwest. 

The moraine continues with somewhat less prominence in an east by 

south direction! to the Bowdle Hills. As it rises on the slope of the 

Outer moraine it puts on a rougher form. The region in the terminal 

part of the inside of this loop has not been closely examined, and 

judging from its eastern portion it maybe occupied more than usual 

with scattered hills. This loop drained along its northern side into

Spring River, which appears to owe its existence to this cause. The

southwestern portion drained into the Blue Blanket Creek.

THE BOWDLE HILLS.

Of this group little need be said, except to notice the distribution of 

some of its inner portion in southwestern Edmunds County. After its 

close association with the Outer moraine east of Bowdle it withdraws 

more to the east, especially in its later development, so that quite conspicuous hills are found as far east as the southwestern corner of T. 

121 N., E. 71 W., although they are much scattered. Farther south 

they return to the vicinity of the Outer moraine, forming a distinct 

ridge running southward about 6 miles east of the west line of Faulk 

County. In this portion they show few prominent knobs and the ridge 

is distinct, though narrow. Its inner edge continues to the southwest 

corner of T. 119 N., E. 73 "W., where it turns to the southeast. The 

western part of the ridge rises in contact with the Outer moraine a 

little west. The drainage of this part of the moraine at its northern
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. XII

^ ^ ff.2-.'-^ -"-- ^.^xS-'Tsi-;"15 -- =---*£-.. :-.-- .a-tvfaf&cc*^?,: : ::': *:- 

^/_4^&jr^'v~ 9 j-.'-.'l-^r.-'.

 ' '* ^5:^^^^-;,^%^^^^P^^- *--" 

^

ANCIENT CHANNEL NORTHWEST OF LEOLA. 

Looking S. 56° E. (megnetic) from sec. 19, T. 127, R. 69. 

 »-, First moraine, from inside; --- *-, Second moraine from outside; -*-^--^, channel.
TODD.] THE FAULKTON HILLS. 37

end was over the First moraine for 10 to 12 miles above Bowdle; farther 

south the waters seemed to have found a way outside of the First 

moraine southward to Pembroke Gap. The weaker development of this 

moraine in its southern portion may be partly accounted for by the 

steep slope of the region to the northeast. Near the southwestern corner 

of T. 120 K., B. 72 W., a conspicuous isolated hill was visited, which' 

resembles a drumlin more nearly than any other that we have observed 

in Dakota. It is of an elongated, dome-like form, about 30 feet in 

height above the plain around.

THE J'ATJLKTON HILLS OR BALD MOUNTAINS.

The name Bald Mountains has been a/pplied to these hills probably 

through a misunderstanding. It was first given to a conspicuous hill 

about 8 miles west-southwest of Bedfield; then it was applied to the 

more imposing elevation southwest of Faulkton; but this becomes 

much less impressive as one approaches it, and Avhen entered the hills 

are seen to be of slighter development than at many other points in 

the Outer moraine, or even in the Second moraine.

The course of the moraine may be described as follows: Its inner 

line, curving southeast from near Seneca, turns east and forms a reei> 

trant angle southeast of Ellisville, where it is finely developed for 3 or 

4 miles. Thence southeast again to the southern line of the gap, which 

it follows eastward 5 or 6 miles, then takes a northeasterly course to a 

point 2 miles west of south from Faulkton; thence nearly due south 

and a little west and somewhat beyond the south line of the county, 

where it curves quite sharply to the west, which direction it keeps for 

about 12 miles, thence west-southwest to the southeast corner of T. 116 

N., B. 73 W.

The region bounded by this line is covered quite closely with, inorainic 

hills rarely over 30 feet in height, except in the southwest corner of 

Hyde County and in two or three points southwest of Faulkton, near 

the county line, where a height of 100 feet above the inclosed basins is 

reached. The eastern side of the moraine south of Faulkton lies upon 

the eastern edge of the high land, which gives it an imposing appearance. Through its eastern ridge are two gaps or outlet channels, showing that this system of hills possessed the features of an interlobe with 

internal drainage. The water thus entering jt found its way among 

the hills toward the west, and probably did not escape from the moraine 

for 20 to 25 miles. The peculiar form of the moraine here is traced to 

a pre-Glacial ridge extending from the southeastern corner of Potter 

County nearly east a,long the parallel of 45° to a point south of Faulkton. It corresponds in direction and altitude to Fox Bidge, west of the 

Missouri, and may be its-continuation. This ridge in its present condition may be estimated to be about 6 miles wide and 20 miles long. At 

its eastern end, where it lies along the eastern edge of the more extensive plateau, it rises about 300 feet above the James Biver Valley. Its 

height westward is quite uniform and rises about 150 feet above the
38 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

sloping plain to the north and probably as much above the plain south. 

This ridge evidently was overridden by the ice during the occupation 

of the First moraine, but in the time of the Second it formed a barrier 

which stayed the ice from the north so that ablation kept pace with 

its advance and thus produced the deposition of the moraine along its 

'southern side. The drainage from this was very abundant, mainly 

along the south side of the moraine and thence northwestward through 

to the vicinity of Copp on Okobojo Creek. Two remarkable outlets are 

found in northwestern Hyde County, one of them leading west just 

south of the northern, line of the county and south of conspicuous hills 

over 100 feet in height, composed mainly of gravel, which we may suppose was first deposited during the period of the First moraine and 

afterwards reshaped by the ice of the Second. This channel is nearly 

half a mile wide and with low gravelly terraces in its bottom. This we 

will call Oleson's outlet. The other leads northwest from near the 

southeastern corner of the same township, and is remarkable for its 

double character. Its two channels of nearly equal size are accompanied by an osar ridge about 20 feet in height and extending for at least 

2 miles. This we will call Hunt's outlet. Both of these outlets are 

quite straight, and large quantities of gravel are deposited near their 

mouth east of Copp. The later drainage of this moraine in Hyde 

County was more to the southwest, and has left its trace in a system 

of lake beds which finally gather into the north branch of Medicine 

Creek.

THE REE VALLEY LOOP.

From these gaps the moraine soon takes a southern course and 

occupies most of the seventy-fourth tier of townships from a few miles 

south of Copp nearly to the east branch of Medicine Creek near the 

southeast corner of Sully County. This portion of the moraine has 

not been closely studied, though much has been learned of it by distant views and by inquiry. A preliminary railroad survey has been 

run from Copp to Harold. About 8 miles south of Copp the elevation 

is about 1,950 feet, a little farther north 1,885, and a few miles farther 

south an average of about 1,750 feet, while the east branch of Medicine 

Creek along this line has the altitude of 1,660 feet. From 3 to 4 miles 

north of the southwest corner of Sully County the moraine extends 

southeastward past Hrghmore, and turning more to the east joins the 

Outer moraine at the Eee Hills. This portion is characteristically developed in numerous knolls and ponds, none of them being particularly 

conspicuous. The altitude in the vicinity of Highmore is about 1,895 

feet, or about 20 feet above the plain northeast and 50 feet above the 

valley of South Medicine Creek, which drains its outer slope.

THE BOXELDER LOOP.

As before stated in our discussion of the First moraine, the Second 

skirts the eastern end of the Eee Hills, and a portion seems to circle 

around nearly to Boxelder Creek, but the real course has not been
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

! ''.- J»;,:', ' -"V ,:--''V » -^ '^ '

OSARS NORTHWEST OF EDGELY, FROM THE SOU
TODD.] AREA WITHIN THE SECOND MORAINE. 39

satisfactorily determined. If it is interpreted to correspond to the 

shoulder-like edge of the highland, it circles southeast from the Eee 

Hills south of Miller about 10 miles, to about 12 miles south of St. Lawrence, where it curves toward the northeast, then to the north to the 

vicinity of Silex, thence south, doubling upon itself, and southeast, 

leaving the edge of the plateau a little north of Turtle Point, then 

taking its course upon the plain of the James Eiver Valley, along the 

head of the north branch of the Firesteel, it shows a tendency to break 

into two or three ranges. Its further course has been described iu a 

[previous paper. :

THE REGION INSIDE OF THE SECOND MORAINE.

The First and Second moraines are considerably more closely related 

than the Second and Third; therefore the region between the latter 

two is quite extensive and important, as the Third lies in the James 

Elver Yalleyand nowhere rises upon the plateau west while the Second 

is almost wholly upon the plateau. A description of this region is really 

a description of the east slope of the Coteau du Missouri. It therefore 

may be well to trace approximately its eastern edge. This edge, for

Via. 1. Section west of Hediiia.

the most of its course, is marked by an abrupt rise sometimes of 150 

to 200 feet in 2 or 3 miles, making it difficult to ascend with a wagon 

except by taking advantage of ravines. It crosses the Northern Pacific 

at an elevation of nearly 1,900 feet and declines gradually toward the 

south, being between 1,600 and 1,500 feet south of Leola. It crosses 

the Northern Pacific near Cleveland and extends southward nearly to 

the northwestern corner of Lamoure County, then curves eastward 

around the head of the interlobe and takes a south by east course, 

passing a few miles west of Edgeley through Merricourt, where it 

changes to a south course to the vicinity of Lorraine, 15 miles west of 

Ellendale. There it changes to a south by west course and passes near 

Koto and Leola, thence south ward, becoming indistinct, and apparently 

curving to the west, passing west of Ipswich. It appears distinctly 

again at Faulkton aud continues around the Faulkton Hills, when it 

again becomes indistinct and curves away to the west, perhaps into 

Hyde.County and again reappears near the east end of the Eee Hills, 

thence following the line which we have traced as the possible Second 

moraine south of Miller and curving northward to a point near Silex,

i A report on The terminal portion of the Dakota loop of the Great Moraine, not yet published.
40 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

then following a southeast course toward Turtle Point. This line may 

be taken as the axis of the region under consideration.

The character of this region is in general quite similar throughout, 

everywhere showing the peculiar swell-and-sag topography characteristic of glacial regions. By reason of its abruptness the edge of the 

coteau is frequently cut with ravines or gulches, which are commonly 

attended with unusual accumulations of bowlders. In most cases there

Eio. 2. Section east of Medina.

seems nothing remarkable about them, but northwest of Edgeley, in a 

valley just west of the edge, there rises a system of bowldery hills resembling osars, arranged in a broken ridge along the axis of the valley. 

These are shown in Pis. XIII and XIY. Their origin seems likely to 

have been the reversed drainage toward the east underneath the ice 

 when it occupied the region. Morainic hills appear along this edge, as 

though the obstruction of the ice produced a dropping of some of its 

inclosed material. This may account for some of the bowldery hills 

already mentioned, and more certain illustrations are found east of

FIG. 3. Section west of Cleveland.

Medina and southwest of Edgeley and again about the Wessington 

Hills, especially northwest of Turtle Point. In this latter case the 

knobs or clusters of bowlders are often remote from the gulches, and 

sometimes rise above the general level. East of the foot of the Coteau 

the surface is usually covered with silt and slopes very gently and evenly 

toward the east. This is evidently the result of wash from the hills.

Upon the Coteau in the Blue Lake loop the topography is unusually 

uneven, the hills and basins being as pronounced as in the moraine at 

other points. Frequently the hills rise to the height of 30 to 50 feet
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. XIV

^^^,,:i4.7A... ;:.-;^^>^^ .~-^:,,;.^rr : . - .~..^

OSARS NORTHWEST OF EDGELY. FROM THE EAST.
TODD.] AREA WITHIN THE SECOND MORAINE. 41

above the deep basins between, and are usually from half a mile to 

a mile apart. From the north line of Lamoure County the plateau is 

somewhat smoother, and near its edge through the southwestern part 

of that county a line of lakes in a channel just west of a swell ridge 

was noticed, indicating that the drainage for a time was southward, 

before the ice had entirely receded from the foot of the plateau. Below 

Merricourt the line lies close to the moraine and the slope is very steep 

and furrowed with ravines. The area inside of the Blue Blanket loop 

and east of the Bowdle Hills, while presenting few prominent points, 

yet resembles the first region in roughness for the most part. The Kee 

Valley, on the contrary, is very even, few hills rising more than 10 to 15 

feet above the basins. A view of a fine osar, 8 miles north of Bowdle, 

is seen in PI. XV.

East of the line which we have traced as forming the edge of the 

plateau, the country is much more even, and has generally been the first

taken by settlers. Very rarely are elevations abrupt enough to deserve 

the name of hills, though broad swells less than. 10 feet in height are 

not uncommon. Throughout its whole extent there are shallow basins 

and channels that indicate more or less drainage toward the south, 

which, however, has not been rapid or excessive enough to wear deep 

channels.

Some interesting sections from this region along the Northern Pacific 

are shown in figs. 1, 27 and 3.

THE DRAINAGE OF THE ALTAMONT AN3D GARY MORAINES.

To avoid unnecessary repetition, the drainage of the Altamont and 

Gary moraines has been lightly touched upon, for the conviction was 

early reached that it could not be well given as a whole before the location and character of the moraines were in mind. In the examination 

of drainage channels outside the moraine pressing questions, difficult 

to solve were, "What is the age of the gravelly and bowldery terrace 

or terraces so prevalent along streams'? When was the principal 

terrace formed during the occupation of the First moraine or during 

that of the Second ?" The Missouri has not only the silt terraces, which 

are of comparatively recent origin, at least later than the glacial epoch, 

but one or more bowldery terraces. They have not been very fully 

examined north of Lagrace, although their existence has been observed 

at Bismarck and near Fort Yates.

Along Apple Creek, the outlet of Long Lake Valley, no very prominent or elevated terraces were noticed, although south of Sterling one 

was found about 36 feet above the bottom of the valley, and along Sand 

Creek, south of Long Lake, terraces were found 10 to 15 feet above the 

stream near Merriam, and west of Napoleon only 3 to 4 feet above, indicating that for some cause the erosion along this channel was comparatively slight and that the amount of material of bowldery character 

, was limited.
42 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Beaver Creek shows, south of Napoleon, a terrace not very distinctly 

formed, 100 feet above the stream. Near Beaver Lake it is well developed to the height of 65.feet. Ascending the south branch of Beaver 

Greek we find first a narrow valley between the moraine and the tableland west. This soon widens to 3 miles near Green Lake and to 10 or 

12 miles near Ashley, and southeast from that point it seems to fill the 

whole space bounded by the Koto Hills and adjoining loops of the 

moraine. On the west side it extends up two or three tributaries into 

the table-land. This plain is more stony next to the moraine and a few 

feet higher, while its central portion is more covered with loam and 

free from stone. This plain is clearly a terrace about Green Lake, but 

south and southeast becomes a plain pitted with lakes. The general 

difference in elevation between the lakes and the upland is 40 to 50 

feet. It may be that the whole region has been mostly filled to that 

depth. Such at least is shown to be true west of Ashley by artificial 

excavations. The higher levels between the lakes are frequently covered with loam, while lower surfaces and shoulders, which are about 30 

to 35 feet above the lakes, are composed of stratified gravel 5 to G feet 

in thickness. The surface of the plain is considerably more excavated 

toward the northeast side, near the principal outlets of the moraine. 

At Lagrace a bowldery terrace is rather indistinctly shown about 240 

to 250 feet above the Missouri and another much more distinctly shown 

at 100 feet. At Lebeau, a terrace 300 feet high lies in the angle between 

Swan Creek and the Missouri (PI. XVlA). Around to the southwest 

and even extending as a channel through north, connecting the valleys 

of the streams, is a terrace 200 feet above the river. At the mouth of 

the Moreau, opposite this point, is a finely developed terrace estimated 

to be at the same level. This terrace is found developed along Swan 

Creek, south of Baugor at about 100 feet. above the stream, and at 

Swan Lake the stream has risen nearly to its head, A view of Spring 

Lake outlet, through which much water poured into Swan Creek, is 

and shown (PI. XVlB) and osars (PI. XYII). Above the mouth of the 

Little Cheyenne is a fine exhibition of a bowldery terrace, which stands 

250 to 270 feet above the river, and extends with considerable width 

most of the way from Forest City to Fairbank (PI. XVIII). At Pierre, 

just north of the city, is a terrace having its higher points 325 feet above 

the river, although much of its surface, which is more than a mile in 

width, is about 270 feet (PI. XIX). About Medicine Butte there is an 

accumulation of drift having the form of a terrace. The summit of 

the ridge east of Canning resembles a terrace (PI. XX). Again, from 

Jones Landing, 15 miles south of Blunt, extending through to the Great 

Bend, is an unusually broad development of this terrace at the height 

of 270 to 300 feet. In the Great Bend a terrace rises nearly to the 

height of 235 feet, but its low development is probably the result of 

erosion.

Chapelle Creek and the other streams in this region show no terraces 

higher than this one that has been traced along the Missouri River.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

OSAR, SEVEN MILES NORTH OF BOWDLE.
TOED.] DRAINAGE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND MORAINES. 43

Tims far we have spoken of streams entirely external to tlie First 

moraine, with, the exception of Spring River. A few of these extend 

their tributaries, either recent or ancient, into the region between the 

First and Second moraines. The Second moraine is drained by Apple 

Creek, through Long Lake Valley, from near Crystal Springs, and 

through Lake Edwards and its valley, the principal outlets from this 

loop. Beaver Creek, through Blue Lake outlet, Green Lake, and Russian and Dutch outlets, also passes inside of the First moraine. Swan 

Creek does the same through Pembroke outlet by its south branch, 

while the north branch received water from the Second over the First 

about Bowdle.

Furthermore, after the vacation of the First moraine, a new set of 

streams arose to drain the Second, viz, Spring River, Blue Blanket, 

Artichoke, Okobojo, and Medicine creeks. These lie for most of their 

course between the moraines, They do not differ greatly from the 

previous class of streams except that bowldery terraces are not so 

clearly marked. Their upper portions in the vicinity of the Second 

moraine are usually broad, shallow valleys occupied by low sand or 

gravel terraces, as in the case of Okobojo, near Copp, the Blue Blanket, 

in Campbell County, and Spring River, in McPherson County.

Not only did these streams receive water from the ice sheet when 

occupying the Second moraine, but in a few cases the present drainage 

extends within the Second moraine. For instance, the western portion 

of the Blue Lake loop of the Second moraine drains westward into 

Lake Edwards; so also the southern portion of the Antelope Valley 

loop and the northwestern portion of the Ree Valley drain through the 

Second moraine. With these slight exceptions, the Second moraine 

forms the divide between the Missouri and James rivers.

It will be seen from this discussion that in almost every case important streams outside the First moraine received waters from the Second; also that it is very difficult to decide from which moraine the 

terrace deposits were derived. It is not unlikely that both may have 

contributed to them. From the study of the region about the head of 

the south branch of Beaver Creek, it would appear that there was a 

period of rapid deposition followed by one of corrasion and excavation. 

The first suggestion would be that both marked different stages of the 

occupation of the First moraine, but the relation of channels to the 

Second moraine render it possible to suppose that the deposition may 

have been during the First moraine, while the excavation was principally during the second. We must conclude, however, that data have 

not been sufficiently collected to satisfactorily determine the question.1

1 Farther discussion of tbis subject may be found in Proc. A. A. A. S., Vol. XXXVII, p. 203; also 

Bull. No. 1, South Dakota Geol. Survey, p. 123.
44 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BDIX. 144.

Table of terraces along the Missouri.

Locality.

Tort Sully,!.... ....................................

Silt terraces.

30,50,75.................

12, 50, 100'[?]...... ......

40.......................

20, 75-100,175 [?]........

10,35,65,125.............

45,90,145................

5, 20, G5...... ............

10 12,50 65,90 100.......

10 15,65,110-150 ........

8,15,45,65 80,125-160....

5,15,30,70...............

15, 63 [?]...... ..........

Lower 

bowldery 

terraces.

2601?]

240-250

240-260

200, 300

250-270

o.-.n ovn

270-350 [?]

310-325

275-325

270-280

290-3-10

Higher 

bowldery 

terraces.

400 [?]

400-450 [ ?]

1 The letters 1 and r indicate left and right sides of the river, respectively.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. XVI

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TERRACES NEAR LE BEAU.

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SPRING LAKE OUTLET.
OHAPTEE III.

THE THIRD AND LATER MORAINES. 

THE THIRD MORAINE.

The burden of the work undertaken in this bulletin has been accomplished in the description of the Altamont and Gary moraines, as they 

are the more important record of the ice age, but the dying efforts of 

the icy giant were still characteristic, and exhibit morainic formations 

under somewhat different circumstances. For the most part the Third 

moraine consists of low, wave-like hills, rarely over 15 feet in height, 

lying on the even .plain of the James Eiver Valley. Sometimes, however, 

hills may be found 75 or even 100 feet high belonging to this moraine. 

Its drainage was very largely tangential, so that this still more attenuated the moraine by removing or spreading its material. In some 

cases the low, flat land seems to have favored the thrusting out from 

the ice sheet of small semicircles of ice or lobelets which have left their 

impress in small, crescent-shaped loops of knolls. These have been 

particularly noticed along the higher margin west of Ellendale. They 

have been observed, however, in isolated cases, inside as well as outside 

of the moraine.

COUKSE OF THE MOKAINE.

This moraine has not been traced so diligently as the previous ones, 

but in traversing the country frequent observations have been made 

upon it, so that its course is quite generally determined. It crosses 

the Northern Pacific about 12 miles west of Jamestown, where it is 

feebly developed. From there its course is southeast, curving more to 

the east, following the lower part of Beaver Creek to the James Eiver. 

Thence it is believed to connect with quite prominent hills running in 

a northwest-southeast direction in the vicinity of Lake Eckelson.

Lake Eckelson is evidently par-t of an ancient channel, lying depressed 

10 to 15 feet below the general surface and 25 to 40 feet below the hills 

on either side. West of these hills is another chain of lakes extending 

toward the southwest. Lake Eckelson is about 6 miles in length, and 

toward the southwest is connected with other depressed lakes. How 

far these extend has not been determined. This is looked upon as being 

an internal drainage channel of an interlobe extending from the Third 

moraine toward the northeast. These facts are the basis of our general 

conclusion, together with the additional fact that the Third moraine 

seems to be absent west of the James Eiver, in northwestern Lamoure 

County. As has been stated, the connection between Lake Eckelson

45
46 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

and the moraine west has not been definitely determined. This is also 

true of its connection southwest.

This moraine is found again clearly developed east of Edgeley, in a 

strip of low knolls which from that point extend southward west of 

Monango and Ellendale down the north branch of Elm Eiver. It is 

found again well developed about 10 miles west of the northeastern 

corner of Edmunds County, occupying most of the sixty-seventh range 

of townships to at least the south line of Faulk County, and probably 

keeping the same direction nearly to the line of the Chicago and 

Northwestern Eailroad. It is next found running in a north-northeast 

direction north of Wessington Station, occupying the south bank of 

Turtle Eiver. This it follows to its mouth near Eedfield and turns 

eastward, lining the bend of the James Eiver east of Eedfield, where 

it loses its prominent character and seems to partially disapper in the 

lacustrine deposits of Lake Dakota. Hills are found near Crandon 

Station and again 3 to 4 miles west of Hitchcock and again very prominently at Wolsey, where many of them are 25 to 40 feet above the 

inclosed basins. The ranges here have a southeast trend. A few 

knolls noticed along Cane Creek south of Huron are referred to this 

same moraine. The eastern side of the loop of which this is the western half has not been clearly determined. Enough has been learned 

to show that this, like the older moraines, was less prominently developed east of the James Eiver. There are low knolls in the vicinity of 

Cavour which probably represent this moraine, and again near Doland 

and about Andover.

South of Wessington Station are a number of very conspicuous knolls 

and knobs rising to the height of 40 feet above the plain west, which 

probably are to be connected with this moraine. Still, their position 

so far outside and their being in line between the interlobe of the First 

moraine lying upon the edge of the plateau north of Turtle Point and 

the interlobe near Eedfield, together with their vicinity to the Second 

moraine, incline us to refer them to that moraine. About 8 miles west 

of south from Eedfield is an isolated cluster of hills rising to the height 

of about 100 feet. These doubtless are to be connected with the Third 

moraine, although they can scarcely be called a part of it, but rather 

a glacial island or drumlin.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION.

The most pronounced development of this moraine is found in the 

vicinity of Eedfield, where three or four ranges rise to the height of 

about 75 feet above the surrounding plain. The Northwestern Eailroad passes through a gap southeast of the town, which seems to have 

been an outlet to an internal drainage channel. These hills appear to 

be a prominently developed interlobe, with its eastern half imperfect, 

or possibly removed by the erosion of Lake Dakota on that side. The 

moraine is also prominent near Wolsey. The reasons for this development have not been discovered.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

BOWLDERY KNOLLS NORTHWEST OF SWAN L
TODD.] DESCRIPTION OF THE THIRD MORAINE. 47

The drainage of this moraine is everywhere southward, and as a 

result the land outside is quite even and covered with lacustrine 

deposits. This is found to be true west of Eldridge, Ellendale, and 

Eedfield. At Wessiugton the rapid descent to the south and the narrow space between the moraine and the Coteau adjacent produced more 

erosion than usual, leaving a low terrace outside of the moraine. At 

several points the drainage from the ice into this external channel produced a succession of gaps that were near together, which left the 

ridges between en Echelon. This was noticed west of Eedfield and in 

the vicinity of Wolsey. Inside of the moraine also there is usually a 

shallow southward channel, and between the ranges less prominent 

ones are frequently found. The failure to discover the moraine northwest of Wessington may possibly be due to its removal in the low land 

of the Eee Yalley, but more probably its development was so slight 

that it is not easily seen from a distance.

Attention is particularly called to the Eedfield interlobe. It would 

seem that in the retirement of the ice from the Eee Valley on the one 

hand, and the James on the other, this was the result of the rapid ablation between these two great lobes. This fact is suggestive in connection with the question whether the moraines mark different epochs of 

the ice age or different stages in the recession of the ice of one epoch.

This moraine, like the previous ones, influenced the drainage of the 

country. Several streams have evidently been located or directed by 

the influence of this moraine. Beaver Creek and another tributary on 

the opposite side of the James Eiver, in Stutsman County, have the 

usual position of skirting the outside of the moraine. The middle 

course of Elm Eiver, in Dickey County, and the north branch of 

Snake Eiver, in Edmunds and Faulk counties, follow the moraine. 

The course of Turtle Eiver, in Spink County, lies parallel with the 

moraine, though inside of it. It seems probable also that the course 

of the James Eiver has been influenced by this same Eedfield interlobe. 

Cane and Pearl creeks, in Beadle County, also skirt the moraine on 

the outside. The fact that more of the streams have not followed the 

moraine southward is doubtless due to the much lower surface of the 

region, which was subsequently occupied by Lake Dakota from Oakes 

to Huron. There the water which flowed southward while the moraine 

was occupied by ice easily found its way through the moraine to the 

James Eiver as soon as the ice receded.

MORAINIC FORMATIONS BETWEEN THE THIRD AND FOURTH

MORAINES.

Several disconnected areas which show morainic action lie within 

the Third moraine, but outside the Fourth. In southwestern Barnes 

County a cluster of knolls was noticed, and in line with these to\vard 

Lake Eckelson a few others were found. Twelve miles north of Grand 

Eapids ranges of knolls 15 to 20 feet above the general level were
48 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

noticed trending north-northwest, south-southeast. Lying in the same 

direction, 6 miles east of Grand Eapids, is a range of hills as conspicuous as most in the Third moraine. Outside, that is, west of them, 

is a line of depressed lakes extending parallel with them toward the 

southeast. Probably this same system of knolls and lakes was noticed 

10 or 12 miles farther south upon the summit of the divide between 

James Eiver and Bear Creek. It was at one time thought, although 

the supposition was not satisfactorily verified, that light ridges curving 

to the northeast connected these with hills east of Bear Creek near old 

Fort Eansom. A somewhat similar arrangement of knoll ridges and 

lake beds was noticed about 4 miles east of Frederick; also near the 

James Eiver, 12 miles east of that place. Knolls of somewhat similar 

character are also found studding the plain northwest of Ordway.

THE FOURTH MORAINE.

Between Valley City, on the Northern Pacific, and the head of the 

Coteau des Prairies, in southeast Sargent County, there rises a confused system of isolated knobs, low ridges arranged more or less'in 

loops extending toward the southwest. Their arrangement so far as 

has been determined may be given as follows: North of the Northern 

Pacific there seems to be little or no representation of this moraine 

west of Cheyenne Eiver, except Indian Hill, northwest of Valley City, 

which rises 100 feet above the plain. Extending south from Sanborn is a long, depressed lake, evidently part of an ancient channel 

leading to the south, toward the head of a tributary of the Cheyenne. 

This lake and stream lie upon the eastern edge of a, nearly level plain 

which occupies the space between this and the north branch of Bear 

Creek and slopes gently toward the southeast. Five miles southeast 

of Sariborn, east of the before-mentioned lake, lies a very conspicuous 

and complicated cluster of stony knobs, rising more than 150 feet. 

They occupy the northern half of T. 139 N., E. 58 W. From these 

a low ridge strikes southward, curves to the southeast, and returns 

to the vicinity of Sheyenne, 15 miles south of Valley City. South 

of it are two small loops extending southwest and springing from 

high hills overlooking the Cheyenne. From the vicinity of Valley 

City an ancient channel runs south-south west for 4 or 5 miles toward 

the plain before mentioned. Between Valley City and Oriska lies a 

ridge, evidently mainly of pre-Glacial origin, rising more than 100 feet 

above the plaia east and west. It extends 8 miles north of the 

railroad and a little farther south to the vicinity of the Sheyenne. 

Between it and the Cheyenne are numerous high isolated hills scattered irregularly, but with their axes usually northeast to southwest. 

Just west of old Fort Eansom is a conspicuous hill, nearly disconnected 

from the highland northeast, known as Bears Den Hillock. This hillock is estimated to rise about 200 feet above the surrounding plain, 

and 425 feet above the Cheyenne Eiver opposite. From this a low
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 14-4 PL. XVIII

m

BOWLDERY TERRACES ON LITTLE CHEYENNE.

Looking S. 45° W, (magnetic), from near northwest corner of sec. 29, T. 119, R. 77.
TODD.] THE FOURTH MORAINE. 49

ridge runs south between Bear Creek, which drains into James Eiver 

and a coulee running northward into the Cheyenne. This range 

extends south along the east side of Bear Creek to its mouth with 

curved ridges and lines of dome-like and rick-like hillocks swinging 

eastward from it and connecting more or less closely with Dead Colt 

Hillock, about 15 miles south of Lisbon. This is a very conspicuous 

hill, rising 200 feet above the surrounding plain. From this, again, a 

quite prominent ridge extends southwest to within 6 miles of the 

James Eiver, where it crosses the line of the Manitoba Eailway near 

Crescent Hill, whence it curves southeastward, seems lost in the plain 

for a short distance, then reappears and forms the foothills of the 

Coteau from the vicinity of Kidder, in T. 127 N., E. 57 W., around the 

head of the coteau to the northeast side, when it turns northeast to a 

very prominent and extensive cluster of hills known as Lightnings 

Nest, about 7 miles south of the south bend of Wild Eice Eiver. 

This brings it in contact with the highest terrace of Lake Agassiz, as 

has been determined by Mr. Upham. The continuation of the moraine 

toward the south and southeast has not been satisfactorily made out, 

but it is probably represented by a range of hills which crosses Lake 

Traverse in a southeasterly direction, about 10 or 12 miles northeast of 

Browns Yalley. Where the hills from Dead Colt Hillock approach 

the James Eiver the bowldery knolls are almost entirely buried in 

sand hills for several miles. The material for these hills has doubtless 

been derived from the extensive sand flats just west along Sand Lake, 

or Lake-Tchanchicahaha. The plain inside, just east, is several feet 

lower than the valley of the James Eiver and slopes quite rapidly to 

the northeast. Two or three prominent hills lie within this loop. One 

cluster may be particularly mentioned because of its geographical 

importance. This cluster is known as the Four Mounds, which name 

will describe their character. They form the northwest corner of the 

Sisseton Eeservation.

What we have given may be considered as the outer member of this 

moraine. There is generally found several miles inside of it an interesting system of dome-like hills, usually quite simple and regular in 

form, but sometimes clustered and then more elevated in their development. These may in general be described as passing the Northern 

Pacific near Oriska, although at that point they are not numerous. 

Southwest of Oriska 3 or 4 miles is a high, isolated knob rising over 

100 feet and in the low, bay-like plain which opens to the northeast 

these hills begin to appear, but their most striking development is 

found on the south slope of the Cheyenne and Maple rivers about Lisbon. South of the Cheyenne they have won the distinctive name of 

Okiodan Hills. (PI. XXI.) From there they extend from the south 

bend of the Cheyenne south-southeast to Skunk Lake, about 5 miles 

east of the Four Mounds, and thence curve eastward to the Lightnings 

Nest. These hills seem largely composed of graveL especially those 

Bull. 144 4
50 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

that are most regularly of dome-like form. Some of them are 75 feet 

or more in height. This is especially true of those east of the Four 

Mounds and about the Okiodan Hills. Others are not more than 10 

feet in height. They are distributed irrespective of the slope of the 

country, that is, upon higher and lower levels.

Sand hills rising 30 to 50 feet in height were noticed north of the 

Lightnings Nest, just south of the Wild Eice Eiver, which covered 2 

.to 3 square miles. A still more extensive system of them is found east 

of the south bend of the Cheyenne, stretching for 12 to 15 miles along 

the.south side of that stream. These are the modified deltas of the 

Cheyenne and Wild Eice, which were formed during the highest stage 

of Lake Agassiz.

THE DRAINAGE OF THE FOURTH MORAINE,

i

The drainage of the Fourth moraine is especially interesting because 

of the changes which took place during its deposition. When the ice 

occupied the outer member of the moraine the whole drainage on the 

west side of the ice was through the James Eiver Valley. When the 

ice reached the locality of this moraine the Cheyenne must have flowed 

mainly outside of the moraine; first through the lake southeast of 

Sauborn, and soon or contemporaneously through the channel leading 

southwest from Valley City. These channels both lead to the head of 

Bear Creek, which empties into the James Eiver at Oakes. At that 

time it may have emptied into Lake Dakota before joining the James. 

This lake is described more fully in Chapter IV. For the present we 

may say that it extended from the vicinity of Oakes in contact with the 

ice, or with the moraine, as far as Aniherst, 25 to 30 miles south. The 

drainage from the southeast side of the Wild Eice lobe of ice which 

lay northeast of the head of the Coteau must also have flowed into the 

same lake, and perhaps we find traces of this flow through the silt 

deposits of Lake Dakota in the old marshy channel leading northeast 

past Detroit to Yorkville, on the James, in Brown County.

Later, as the ice receded from the outer member of the moraine, 

although the drainage south of the Northern Pacific was fixed, yet the 

Cheyenne from north of Valley City began to excavate its present channel to the considerably lower area which lay in the Wild Eice loop of the 

moraine. As soon as the ice receded sufficiently there must have been 

escape of water to the southeast, around the head of the Coteau into 

the Minnesota Valley, probably into the head of that river. It is not 

unlikely that for a short time the water found its way under this lobe 

of the ice by numerous channels which in some way formed the peculiar 

dome-like and clustered hills, but how we may not be able exactly to 

conceive. The decrease in size of these hills from the west to the east 

may be connected with fche diminishing thickness of the ice sheet and 

velocity and volume of the water. Probably all these may have affected
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. XIX

TERRACES AT PIERRE. 

First moraine; - - -, Second moraine; -^--^-v, Third moraine; -^-^-^, Fourth moraine; -,-- ^, Fifth moraine.
TODD.J THE FOURTH MORAINE. 51

their formation and size. Or we may attribute these hills to the combined action of the streams from the ice and the waters of a temporary 

lake which may have occupied the. loop. Still later, the Cheyenne 

found a considerably lower level to the east and began to excavate its 

present channel below Lisbon. Because of its lower base level of erosion it has cut more than 200 feet below the surface of the drift near 

Fort Eansom, while the James, near Oakes, has cut probably less than 

15 feet. Its high water in Sand Lake may sometimes attain the level 

of ancient Lake Dakota 1,300 feet above the sea. Due east of this 

the Eed Eiver of the North is about 950 feet. A remarkable fact, 

interesting in itself, but much more so as a demonstration of the influence of the ice sheet in deciding the delicately balanced course of the 

James Eiver is this, that if the Fourth moraine were cut through, as it 

probably could be with a cut not over 20 feet in depth, the water of the 

James might be turned east into the Wild Eice and the Eed Eiver of 

the North. In 1882, near the present station of Orescent Hill, there 

was apparently considerable water escaping through the sand hills 

covering the moraine from Sand Lake into the basin of the Wild Eice 

Eiver.
CHAPTER IV. 

FURTHER NOTES AND INFERENCES.

In this chapter it is proposed to gather together brief answers to 

further questions which glacialists and geologists may be inclined 

to ask concerning the region under consideration.

LAKE DAKOTA.

This ancient lake has been described in a previous report, and a 

short summary, with a few further notes pertaining particularly to this 

region, is all that will be necessary at this time. The outline of the 

lake is given on the map. It began in the time of the Third moraine 

as a lake lying in the depression of the James Yalley north of the red 

quarzite ledges near Alexandria. At that time it probably extended 

to the foot of the ice south of Huron. As the ice receded the lake 

advanced till the former paused to form the outer member of the Fourth 

moraine. At that time it "was about 170 miles long and 25 miles wide 

a little north of Eedfield, where also its greatest depth was to be found, 

viz, about 150 feet. It was probably shallower toward its eastern side, 

and its banks on that side are less abrupt than on the west. A promontory crowned with the Eedfield hills extended from the west side 

into the lake south of the present location of Eedfield. South of that 

point the lake was not more than half as wide as in its northern half. 

Near Huron it was probably not more than 6 miles wide, although near 

Woon socket, at least in an early stage, it must have been 12 to 15 

miles in width. It was filled so as to become a level plain with the 

exception of a few shallow, channels and lakes. Toward its southern 

end the material is till. About Huron, especially on the west side, it 

is quite sandy. North of Eedfield it is deeply covered with loam, indistinguishable from loess. This is found varying in depth from 5 to 25 

feet. Its lower portions are blackened by organic matter, so that wells 

over this plain rarely furnish good water. Stony drift is found underneath it as elsewhere. Near Aberdeen the ancient beaches are readily 

seen, and in an ancient sand bed a few miles southwest the yellow loam 

passes abruptly into coarse sand, showing the flow and plunge or wave 

structure.

This plain is traversed not only by the James Eiver, which has excavated to the depth of 45 feet east of Eedfield and about 25 feet east of 

Aberdeen, but also by peculiar winding channels or sloughs without 

current except in time of rains. Such is the Moccasin and the upper 

52
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. XX

- -

,

VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT OF GRAVELLY KNOB, NEAR CANNING.

Looking south by east from sec. 28, T. 111, R. 76 ; 500 feet above the Missouri River.

-v-, Trough of the Missouri.
TODD.I DRUMLINS AND OSARS. 53

portion of SnaJie Creek. Other streams have cut down according to 

their size and connection with the James River. The northern end of 

the lake, as has been stated, abounds in sand, and along the east side 

of Sand Lake this has been deeply impregnated with humus, rendering 

it quite fertile.

DRUMLINS.

I have found little or nothing which corresponds to drumlins as they 

are described by several writers. I have not personally studied them in 

their typical locality, hence can only depend upon descriptions. It is 

certainly true that none in Dakota resemble closely, either in form or 

size, those in Massachusetts. The dome-like hills of the Fourth moraine 

correspond in some features, but they are elongated parallel with the 

moraine, if at all. Some of them, especially west of Lisbon, are ricklike, with sides steeper than in figures which I have seen, with the 

exception of those in central New York figured by Professor Davis. 

These hills are uniformly elongated in the direction of the moraine. 

Moreover, the dome and rick-like hills are very gravelly upon the surface, although this character may not be true of the main mass. They 

seem to correspond closely to what Professor Chamberlin would designate as kames in his classification.1

As has been before mentioned, there is a dome-like hill inside of the 

Second moraine east of Pembroke outlet, which reminded me of descriptions of drumlins. It stands conspicuous upon a nearly level plain. 

Its form is like a double dome about 25 feet high and 200 feet long. It 

is elongated nearly north and south parallel with the moraine 2 or 3 

miles west. It is surrounded by shallow basins on every side. The 

clustered hills inside of the Blue Lake loop of the Second moraine in 

northeastern Logan County seem, also to have had a similar origin, 

though they are less regular in form than the one just described. One 

visited was about 70 feet in height, roughly circular in outline, and 

surrounded with basins on the east and south which apparently drained 

to the southeast. The conspicuous hill west of Eedfield, known as 

Bald Mountain, should be placed in this same class. It is over 200 feet 

in height above the plain, and may be described as a dome-like mass 

covered with stony knobs and basins. The knob near Oriska has a 

similar form.

It is possible that the lack of stony material and rocky substrata 

may partly account for the absence of drumlins in Dakota.

OSARS.

This term we would use according-to the definition given by Professor Chamberlin, to denote gravelly or stony ridges trending with the 

slope of the surrounding country. In Dakota osars usually lie in the 

bottom of broad, shallow depressions. One of the finest developments

1 Third Annual Report U. S. Gool. Surv., p. 300.
54 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [HULL. 144.

of this class of drift deposits was found northeast of Edgeley, extending 

from the west 2 miles or more nearly to the edge of the Coteau, and 

ending upon section 12, T. 134 N., E. 66 W. Its general appearance is 

well shown in PL XIII. Another notable example was found in the 

northwest corner of Hyde County. It was nearly 2 miles in length and 

20 feet in height, of quite uniform development, with sides sloping at an 

angle of 20° to 25°. It begins near the inner side of the Second 

moraine near some dome-like hills, and lies in the middle of Hunt's 

outlet, descending toward the northwest. These may be contrasted in 

two or three particulars. The first slopes toward the center of the ice 

sheet and lies far inside the Second moraine. The second lies on the 

outer slope of the Second moraine and slopes away from the ice sheet. 

Other cases may be mentioned as follows: South of Driscoll, leading 

from the south side of the interlobe, there is a winding, stony ridge 

extending for a mile or more. Others were found inside the Second 

moraine, leading toward the outlet a little south of the southeast corner 

of Kidder County. Others lie less regularly around in a valley just 

west of the interlobe separating the divisions of Antelope Valley in 

northeastern Mclntosh County. The mounds north of Mound City 

probably belong to this class. Other examples are found south of 

Spring Lake'outlet on the outer slope of the moraine. The numerous 

stony ridges trending southwest lining the valley northwest of Swan 

Lake are to be referred to this same class. Several are found leading 

over the moraines to the west, north and about Bowdle. None of these 

were so excavated as to show their internal structure.

STRIDE.

No rocks in this region seem capable of preserving striae, with the 

exception of the quartzite layers of the Fox Hills sandstone. These 

layers are so thin and so easily broken that none were found certainly 

in position. No strife, therefore, have been found in the whole region 

under consideration. It should be added that no bowlders of this 

formation have been found striated.

CHARACTER OF BOWLDERS.

Of bowlders little need be said. In Dakota, as usually in the Northwest, they are mainly granites and greenstones from the Laureutian, 

and fine-grained limestones from the Silurian. No representatives 

of the red quartzite so common in the valleys south of the ledges at 

Mitchell and Sioux Falls are found in this region. Small bowlders 

of the Fox Hills quartzite already described are found quite frequently 

outside the First moraine, but rarely inside. They are especially 

abundant in the drift outside the moraine west of the south branch of 

Beaver Creek in southern Logan County. A few have been found 

scattered elsewhere, even inside the Second moraine. One specimen 

was found in northern Hyde County. They are rarely over 6 inches
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 144 PL. XXI

THE FOURTH MORAINE, SOUTHEAST OF SANBORN. 

--, An old channel, now occupied by a chain of alkali lakes.

E(MA&).

THE OKIODAN HILLS.

From a point 2 miles southwest of Lisbon, N. 0.

 »-, Ravine running north into Cheyenne River.
TODD.] OLt)ER ROCKS. 65

in diameter. There seems to be no rule representing the frequency of 

limestone as compared with the crystalline rocks, although at one time 

it was surmised that they were less frequent outside of the First 

moraine. This supposition was not corroborated by subsequent observation. The clustering of bowlders, especially outside the moraine, is 

noticed in this region as elsewhere; also their greater abundance upon 

the surface. One of the largest bowlders observed anywhere in the 

region was found on the upland south of Beaver Creek and near the 

west line of Mclntosh County.

ANCIENT SOILS.

No traces of ancient soils or forest beds have been found, though 

inquiry was made at every favorable opportunity. As the region is 

developed it is not unlikely that remnants of these may be found, 

especially upon the Missouri Coteau.

OLDER ROCKS.

The whole region under consideration is covered under the drift 

with Cretaceous rocks belonging to the Fox Hills and Pierre formations. 

Ko traces of older rocks are found nearer than the Sioux quartzite near 

Mitchell and the granite ledges near the east side of the State below 

Big Stone Lake.

THE FOX HILLS FOKMATION.

The Fox Hills formation occupies the northwest part of this region 

continuously, and probably extends to the east edge of the Coteau du 

Missouri in. its highest portions. The following is a list of exposures 

along its eastern margin so far as has yet been noted:

Sandstone 10 to 15 feet below the surface and extending downward 

as much farther is reported from wells north of Steele. This sandstone 

contains impressions of leaves.

On the east side of the lake near Napoleon a ledge 3 to 4 feet in 

thickness rises about 10 feet above the water.

In the northwestern side of a table 2 miles southeast of Beaver Lake 

similar sandstone is found 75 feet above the lake or 2,025 feet above 

the sea.

Two or three miles southeast of Blue Lake a similar layer crops out 

on- the east side of an interlobe.

Ten or twelve miles northwest of Green Lake on the river upland, 

under 10 to 20 feet of drift, 8 to 10 feet of sandstone overlying 10 feet 

of drab clay with pieces of lignite was examined in a well 75 feet above 

the south branch of Beaver Creek.

About Lagrace the Fox Hills formation is conspicuously shown in 

the tops of buttes. A rough section may bo described as follows: 

Beginning 330 feet above the river, there is first 9 or 10 feet of drift, 

then 80 feet presenting an indefinite number of sandstone layers, then, 

40 feet below, 10 feet of black, waxy clay. This brings the line to the
56 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Missouri, and no clearly marked exposures east of that stream have 

been found south of this.

High buttes are numerous about the mouth of Grand Eiver. The 

Fox Hills lie between the Moreau and the Big Cheyenne, and between 

them and the river are numerous picturesque buttes. It is probable 

that the sand showing abundantly upon the high range of drift hills 

north of Forest City may be traced to this same formation, as also 25 

or 30 feet of very fine yellow loam or sand along Swan Creek in southern 

Walworth County.

It will not be surprising if traces of the Fox Hills sandstone should 

be found in the Faulkton Hills, the Bowdle Hills, or even in the Koto 

Hills near their eastern front.

Two or three interesting notes may be added concerning the character of the formation south of Beaver Creek and near sec. 27, T. 133 N., 

E. 73 W., there is found a conspicuous rocky hill rising 135 feet above 

the valley. It is capped with 16 to 20 feet of coarse, brown sandstone, 

filled from top to bottom with oyster shells from 4 to 6 inches in length. 

The shells are cracked in pieces, but casts of them are left distinct in 

the rock. They lie, for the most part, in natural position, with their 

open ends upward. Localities are not rare along the Beaver Creek 

and westward, along the Missouri, where pieces of oyster shells are 

abundantly scattered over the surface. Thin beds of lignite, which 

are worked for fuel, are found in the vicinity of Sterling and south of 

Napoleon. It is not unlikely that much of the lignite which is distributed widely over the James Eiver Valley and farther south has 

been derived from beds of this formation. Doubtless the layers of 

lignite and the upper strata of sandstone belong to the Laramie.

.THE PIERRE FORMATION.

This term is used in the lithological sense, and would include the 

lead-colored and black shales and clays between the sandstone just 

described and the chalkstone of the Niobrara. This formation occupies all the region east of the Missouri Coteau and many of the valleys 

crossing that table-land to the west. It is exposed along the banks of 

the Sheyenne and its tributaries from. Valley City to Lisbon. The 

James Eiver has not cut down so as to expose this below the drift, 

except possibly near Grand Eapids, where springs producing travertine come out of the bank a few feet above the river and east of Ashton, where it is reported as found near the surface in digging wells. It 

is also exposed on the west side of the James Eiver Valley, along 

nearly all the tributaries of Elm Eiver, from, the vicinity of Edgeley to 

Leola. These streams have in places cut to the depth of 25 to 30 feet 

into this formation. Its black, angular pieces of iron ore and crystals 

of selenite have aroused among the inhabitants of the region the hopes 

of finding coal and "valuable mineral." It is also frequently exposed 

in digging wells in eastern Sully and Potter counties. Clays supposed
TODD.] PRE-GLACIAL TOPOGRAPHY. 57

to be of this formation, bleached by weather, appear in the Eee Hills, 

in the side of one of the glacial islands northeast of Gann Valley, and 

in the gulches of Turtle Eidge, near Wessington Springs. This formation is extensively exposed along the Missouri through this region.

PRE-GLACIAL TOPOGRAPHY.

If we should conceive the drift to be removed from the underlying 

rocks, we should have a topography closely resembling that of the 

present. It would be somewhat more rugged, but otherwise would 

not greatly differ. This, however, would not be exactly the form of 

the pre-Glacial surface, for the glaciers have doubtless deepened and 

widened the depressions and carried away some of the more isolated 

and salient features of the high lands. The drift now plastering the surface has no doubt been derived very largely from beds not far distant, 

somewhat as in a stream sand beds may be built up of ingredients 

derived from rocks a little farther upstream.

We may quite confidently infer that the James River and Eed Eiver 

valleys were pre-Glacial and the latter considerably the deeper of the 

two, that very likely the plain now connecting them was not in existence, 

and that from the west three or four rather wide valleys corresponding to the longer loops of the moraine entered the James Valley from 

the west. North of the head of the Coteau was a more or less connected series of low table-lands extending from the south bend of the 

Cheyenne Eiver northward past Devils Lake to the Turtle Mountains. 

They were probably considerably higher than now, possibly as high as 

the Coteau des Prairies itself. Their narrower mass and relation to 

the main ice current from the northeast caused them to be overridden 

and largely removed. The Coteau des Prairies, on the contrary, was 

built higher by the accumulating drift. It seems not improbable that 

the James Eiver Valley was crossed by a watershed a little south of 

Huron, which separated its northern portion from the southern, somewhat as the Des Moiues Valley is separated from the Minnesota at the 

present time. This is the narrow portion of the James Valley, and is 

near the axis of oscillation, which has left its result in the Fox Hills 

sandstone, on the north, and the Loup Eiver group on the south, i. e. 

near the line of their average overlap.

PRE-GLACIAL DRAINAGE.

Considering the topography and the relative elevations of the country 

it seems not improbable that the drainage of nearly all of the region 

we have been considering was toward the northeast. If this form of 

drainage did not immediately precede the Ice age, it probably prevailed 

in the early Quaternary or late Tertiary times. In that case the Missouri probably found its way northeast from near Fort Stevenson. The 

Cannonball and Heart rivers probably flowed through Devils Lake, 

and one or both through the Long Lake Valley. Grand and Moreau
58 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

rivers found their way to the James Eiver through the Blue Blanket 

region, and the Big Cheyenne and Bad rivers through the Eee Valley. 

Probably White Eiver belonged to a basin farther south.

THE TESTIMONY OF WELLS.

Accounts of a few of the more instructive wells of the region under 

consideration are given in the following list. The order of items in 

each is as follows: Location, altitude, depth, section.

OUTSIDE THE OUTER MORAINE.

Sterling. 1,865. 77. Bluish sand all the way down, scratched pebbles, lignite pebbles, "mussel shells."

Baileys, 9 miles south of Sterling. 1,765. 25. Two feet soil j 1£ feet 

sandy stratified light-colored clay; 22 feet gray clay with few pebbles.

Williamsport. 1,980. 50. Water irony; nearly all sand made of bits 

of clay ironstone, and a little clay.

Armstrong, (a) 1,880. 20. Six feet yellow clay with bowlders and 

pebbles [till], the rest sand, (b) 1,900. 37. Mostly blue till 

around mouth; dug 30; bored 7; struck sand; water rose.

Gates City, near Napoleon. 1,950. 18. One foot soil; 3 feet stratified 

gravel; 4 feet stratified rusty sand; 2£ feet stratified gravel, with 

large bowlders at bottom; 7 to 8 feet soapstone; red-above.

Twelve miles northwest of Green Lake. 2,150. 20. Two and a half 

to three feet soil; 6 to 7 rusty and gray joint clay; no distinct pebbles, but white spots abundant above, below rusty; 2 feet drab 

laminated clay; 6 inches cheeky clay; 8 inches drab laminated 

clay; 1 to 1£ feet cheeky clay with lignite; 4 to 5 feet laminated 

rusty sand, or sandy clay.

Southeast of Green Lake on terrace. 2,000. 20. Ten inches soil; 12 

feet stratified sand and gravel, about 9 alternations; 8 feet pure, 

fine stratified sand.

Three miles west of Ashley. 2,010. 42. Forty feet loamy clay, without pebbles; 2 feet sand and water. The bottom of well on level 

with lake near by; bowlders in bottom of lake.

Ashley. (a) 2,010. 62. Struck "black muck" at 59; formations loamy 

clay; blue till with bowlders 1£ feet through, then sand near the 

bottom, (b) 50 northwest of (a) 2,010. 62. Similar to a, except 

no muck; sand at bottom 30 to 35 feet, blue till above. All layers 

dip to north, toward the lake.

Five miles southeast of Bangor, just outside the moraine. 2,060. 35. 

Five feet soil; 10 to 12 feet stratified gravelly clay; the rest very 

fine white sand or silt with calcareous concretions.

Two to three miles farther east. 2,060. 60. Thirty feet yellow gravelly clay; 30 feet fine white sand "like ashes," with concretions (?) 

3 to 4 inches in diameter.
TODD.] THE TESTIMONY OF WELLS. 59

Four to five miles southwest of Bowdle. 1,990. 25. Much bme till

thrown out; water sulphurous. 

One-fourth mile east of last, about same level. Thirty feet deep and

mostly "soapstone." 

Near southwest corner T. 122 K, B. 74 W. 1,990. 80. " Through blue

clay; water in sand and clay." 

Twelve miles east of Scranton. 2,000. 51. "Four feet blue clay, the

rest soapstone." 

A mile or so west. 2,075. 30. Seveu feet dark and rusty till (?) ; 23

feet silk-like loess, but more yellow.

Seven miles east of Pembroke. In a valley, 8 to 10; mostly " soapstone." 

Two miles east of Pembroke, 100 feet higher "40." Three feet soil; 5

feet yellow clay with few pebbles, if any; the rest mostly brownish

clay with bits of iron and few pebbles.

Lebanon, in valley. 40. Twelve feet yellow pebbly clay; 28 feet soapstone or blue shale.

BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND MORAINES.

Driscoll. 1,835. 70. Yellow pebble clay and blue, the latter most 

abundant, both lighter than farther south.

Steele. 1,857. A gravel pit, 12 feet, 1 foot soil; 1£ feet nearly pure 

gravel, coarser above; 1 foot coarse sand above, lower two-thirds 

coarse gravel; one-half foot similar, finer, obliquely stratified; 2 

feet fine compact gravel with layers of sand obliquely stratified; 

1£ feet coarse gravel; 1£ feet fine sand alternating with fine clay. 

The oblique layers dip to the west.

One mile north of Steele. 1,857. About 30. Ten to fifteen feet clay 

with pebbles; 2 feet sand, yellow above, white below; 15 feet sandstone, with leaf impressions; then "soapstone."

Three miles south of Steele. (a) 1,800. 8 to 10. Mainly typical yellow 

till, with bowlders, (b, a little north of last.) 1,845. 50 to 60. 

Yellow and blue till.

Mound City. About 1,750 at foot of a mound of gravel. Forty feet 

all gravel; quicksand at bottom.

Bangor. About (a) 1,900. 135. A few feet of silt, then till yellow 

and blue to 121 feet down, then sand with water 10 feet; a piece" of 

unmineralized wood found near top of sand; clay below the sand 

seems to be till, (b) 1,900. 75. "Gray clay" [loam], then blue 

clay.

Three miles southeast of Bangor. 1,890. Dug through 50 feet blue 

till, bored 20 feet, then struck water in sand; water rose 35 feet.

One mile northeast of Bangor. 1,900. 215. "Yellowish clay" about 

60 feet, then blue clay [till] down to 100 feet; 60 feet quicksand 

and some water; 27 feet blue clay, then sand and gravel; water 

stands at 65 feet from the top.

Two miles east of Baugor. 1,925. 84. Dug 74 feet, bored 10. All 

blue clay; struck sand; water rose.
60 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Three miles east of Bangor. 1,935. " Struck soapstone at 45 feet." 

Four miles east of Bangor. 1,950. On inner slope of moraine, 96.

Soil, reddish till and blue till, in order reach nearly to 87 feet, then

whitish laminated silt. 

Six miles north of Blunt. 1,730. 145. Twenty feet down to sand; 40

feet sand; then "putty sand" becoming hard at bottom, then 10

to 20 feet of sand with water. 

One-half mile southeast of last. Sec. 11, T. 113 N., E. 76 W. 1,730.

150. Similar to last; inflammable gas from gravel below the

"putty sand" at 133£ feet. 

Ten miles northeast of Pierre. Sec. 12, T. Ill K, E. 78 W. 1,700.

96. Struck blue till at 20 feet, some sand and water at 50 feet,

then clay at 56, and sand again at 94. 

Harold. 1,801. 120. Dug 45; first yellow pebbly clay, but mostly

black cheeky clay with much gypsum; then bored in blue clay

with pebbles [Pierre clay ?]. 

Highmore. 1,890. 300. Two-inch hole "blue clay," little else; no

sand, (b) 60. All yellow and blue till. 

Four miles west of Highmore, valley of Medicine. 1,850. Thirty feet

into soapstone; water strongly mineral.

INSIDE THE SECOND MORAINE.

Wells are mostly in yellow and blue till, except in water courses, 

where there is sand and gravel above the till. The sand below the till 

gives water usually. If it is absent there is little hope of getting water, 

as the dry Pierre shales are struck. With expensive machinery they 

may be penetrated and water found in the Dakota sandstone.

From Edgely to the vicinity of Aberdeen, on the west side of the 

James, between it and the Coteau, in the basin of Elm Eiver and its 

tributaries, the soapstone is very near the surface and sand is rarely 

found above it. The streams for miles cut into the " soapstone." About 

Kedfield a black fetid stratum of clay is struck, which renders the water 

more offensive than the common blue shale or " soapstone." The black 

clay is struck in wells as far south as Wessingtoii. 

Miller. 1,586. 114. Three yellow, the rest blue clay; no water.

(b) 1,586. 45. Tellow till, 100 blue till; then struck sand and

water, which rose. 

Eee Heights. 1,731. 275. Struck soapstone at 125 and went into it

150 feet. 

Faulkton. 1,570. 76. Forty yellow, the rest blue till; struck water

in gravel. 

Spring Hill, 14 miles west of Ellendale. 41. Struck slate.

On the plain north of Eedfield a deposit like loess occupies the region 

to a depth of 25 to 30 feet; below is water usually, but it is contaminated with either vegetable deposits from the old lake or from the black 

fetid clay of the Cretaceous, before mentioned. I have not obtained 

decisive evidence on this point.
TODD.] ELEVATIONS. 61

Warner. 1,300. 40 feet. All through clayey loam, then fine sand and

water, which rose 15 feet. 

Four miles south of Warner. 1,300. About 35. Through "clayey

sand" [silt]; water salt. 

Ashton. 1,300. Loain, some bowlder clay; struck black clay at 35

feet, and went 100 feet in it. Huron sand and gravel at the

surface.

LISTS OF ELEVATIONS.

The following are a few of the more instructive elevations taken with 

a barometer. Most of them are probably a little too low:

Elevations of peaks along the Outer moraine, with a few adjacent points.

	Feet. 

North of Sterling, one-half mile............................................. 1,920

South of Driscoll, 2| miles .................................................. 1,900

South of Long Lake, 6 miles ................................................ 1,935

South of Dawson, 16 miles .................................................. 2, 040

East of Napoleon, 5 miles ................................................... 2,050

East of Green Lake, 8 miles .............. ................................... 2,050

Table-land northwest of Green Lake, as high as any in Beaver Creek region,

15 miles .......... 1....................................................... 2,140

Northeast of Ashley, 12 miles................................................ 2,092

Southeast of Ashley,8 miles..... ............................................ 2,065

Southwest of Ashley, 6 miles................................................ 2,070

West of Ashley, 18 miles.................................................... 2,040

Southwest of Bangor, 6 miles ............................................... 2,100

North of Bowdlo, 6 miles.................................................... 2,035

East of Bowdle, 3 miles, railroad ............................................ 2,015

East of Bowdle, Smiles, peaks ......................................about.. 2,030

Southeast of Scranton, 7 miles, drift-veneered table-land ..................... 1, 950

Welland Buttes, drift-veneered ridge ........................................ 1,950

Ancient channel, T. 120 N., E. 76 W ....................................over.. 1,900

Northeast of Copp, 9 miles .................................................. 2, 000

Artichoke Buttes, east of Fairbank.......................................... 1, 700

Snake Butte, north of Piorre ................................................ 1,650

Medicine Knoll, southwest of Blunt ......................................... 2,010

Knoll southeast of Canning, 3 miles ......................................... 1,900

Southwest of Highniore, 6 miles............................................. 1, 995

Southeast of Highmore, 7 miles.............................................. 2, 050

South of Eee Heights, li miles .............................................. 2,055

Elevations of Hastings and Dakota Line (Chicago, Mihvaukee and St. Paul Raihvay). 

[From the chief engineer.]

Station. Distance.

Above

Lake

Michigan.

Above 

sea.

Lower depot, Ortonville..............

Bridge Minnesota River.............

Depot, Milbank Junction ............

Summit Siding (summit of Ccteaus). 

Waubay.............................

rTies.... 

(Water..

Miles. 

0

Feet.

402

383

370

559

1,415

1,225

Feet.

984

965

952

1,141

1,997

1,807
62 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Elevations of Hastings and DaJcota Line, etc, Continued.

Station.

^ C Ties - - - 

b < Water . . 

Bath.......................................................................

Whetstone Branch.

Wilmot....... ......... ....................................................

Distance.

Miles. 

58

70

80

90

\ 95

101

109

122

135

151

166

12

99

on

45

Above 

Lake 

Michigan.

Feet. 

1,258

1,190

' 891

719

t 696

) C84

715

714

715

847

945

1,242

1,433

1,411

CCQ

584

606

637

Above 

sea.

Feet. 

1,830

1 77O

1,473

1,301

1,278

1,266

1 9Q7

1,296

1 9Q7

1,429

1 pftl

1,824

2,015

1,993

1 141

1,166

1 1 QB

Elevations on Chicago, Mihvaukee and St. Paul Raihuay, 

[From the chief engineer.] 

JAMES VALLEY LINE.

Station.

Mitchell. ........ ..........................................................

Beclfielcl ...................................................................

Melletto...................................................................

Distance.

Miles.

15

OQ

3S

46

tt

67

78

O7

96

1 1Q

128

141

154

166

Above 

Lake 

Michigan.

Feet. 

710

706

713

720

7Q1

7=r.

765

764

750

79Q

7ftQ

705

706

708.

712

71 3

71^

713

745

700

864

Above 

sea.

Feet.

1 9Q9

1,295

I

orvo

1,313

1 OO7

1,347

1,346

1 -139

1 ^11

1,200

1 9Q7

1,288

1 290

1 294

1 90^

] 294

1,297

1,327

1,365

1,446
TODD.] ELEVATIONS. 63

Elevations on Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Baihoay Continued. 

KOSCOE LINE.

Station.

Millard.. ..................................................................

Distance.

Miles.

g

1 Q

9Q

41

V)

60

68

Above 

Lake 

Michigan.

Feet. 

1,095

oao

1,056

. 1, 109

1,242

1

O17

1,265

1,300

Above 

sea.

Feet. 

1,597

1, 570

1 638

1,683

1,824,

1,899

1,847

1 SQ9

ANDOVEK AND HAKLEM LINE.

892

928

788

743

770

724

707

710

789

1, 474,

1, 510

1,370

1,325

1,352

1,306

],289

1,371

Elevations on Northern Pacific Railroad and branches,

[Furnished by A. Anderson, chief engineer.]

MAIN LINE.

Station.

New York Mills...................................................................

Summit ............................................................................

Distance

Miles.

20

47

58

69

82

93

170

Elevation.

Feet. 

602

1,080

1,315

1,208

1 1 ^9

1,327

1,409

1, 384

1,362

903

130

1,240

1,400

1,218

1,460

1,477

1,495

1,395

1 749

1,860

1,878
64 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Elevations on Northern Pacific Railroad and branches Continued. 

MAIN LINE Continued.

Station. Distance. Elevation.

Miles. Feet.

Bismarck.......................................................................... 194 1,668

Bridge, Missouri Elver ....................................................................... l, 690

Missouri Eiver (high water) ................................................................. l( 640

Missouri Eiver (low water) .................................................................. 1,616

199 l, 644

FARGO AND SOUTHWESTERN LINE.

Cotters ............................................................................ 4 909

Horace............................................................................. 11 917

Sheyenne (low water)........................................................................ 898

Davenport......................................................................... 19 921

Leonard..............'.............................................................. 29 1,045

Sheldon............................................................................ 42 1,078

Buttzville......................................................................... 50 .1,171

Summit............................................................................ .......... 1,188

Lisbon............................................................................. 56 1,088

Sheyenne (low water)......................................................................... 1, 065

Summit, 9 miles west of Lisbon.................................................... .......... 1,405

Marshall........................................................................... 69 1,340

Bear Creek........................................................................ .......... 1,350

Verona............................................................................ 77 1,384

Summit, 5 miles east of Lamoure .................................................. 83 1,405

Lamoiire........................................................................... 88 1,305

James Eiver (low water) .................................................................... 1,290

JAMES VALLEY EXTENSION. '

Glover............................................................................. 91 1,370

Oakes.............................................................................. 98 1,310

NORTHEEN PACIFIC, LAMOUEE AND MISSOUEI EIVER,

Berlin, sec.33, T.134N., E.62 W.................................................... .......... 1,468

Meclbery, sec. 33, T. 134 N.,E. 63 W................................................... 105 1,520

Edgeloy ........................................................................... 110 1,516

CottonwoodLake,sec.3, T. 133 N.,E.66 W.... ..................................... .......... 1,935

Summit Upper Plateau, sec. 17, T. 133 N., E. 69 W.................................. .......... 2,060

Blue Lake, sec.5, T. 133 N..E.70 W................................................ .......... 1,965

Eod Lake Outlet, sec. 33, T. 134 N.,R. 171 W... ..................................... .......... 1,955

NORTHERN PACIFIC, FERGUS FALLS AND BLACK HILLS.

Wahpeton ......................................................................... 79 963

"Wild Eice Eiver ............................................................................. 938

Ellaworth.......................................................................... .......... 960

Fairview..................................................................................... 965

Mooreton .......................................................................... 93 968

Barney.........................:................................................-.. 99 1,031

Wyndmere......................................................................... 105 1,060

Milnor............................................................................. 120 1,095
TODD.] ELEVATIONS. 65

Elevations on Northern Pacific Railroad and branches Continued. 

JAMESTOWN AND NORTHERN.

Station. Distance. Elevation.

Miles. Feet.

Buchanan..................................................................................... 1,547

Edmunds...........'......................................................-.................. 1,594

Melville............................................................................ .......... 1,602

Carrington'................................................................................... 1,582

Sykeston..................................................................................... 1,026

NewKockford..................................................................... ........... 1,529

Jamea River (low water)..................................................................... 1,500

^ixmilesnorth...................-..................--...-....-.-...........-...-.; .......... 1,609

Sheyenno (low water)........................................................................ 1,408

Oberon....................................................................................... 1,557

Miunowaukon................................................................................ 1,457

Devils Lake................................--.--------....- ..- ------------- - -.--...-- 1,430

SANBORN, COOPERSTOWN AND TURTLE MOUNTAIN. I

Odell............................................................................... .......... 1,425

Hannaford................................................................................... 1,415

Three miles north ........................................................................... 1,455

Cooperate wn................................................................................. 1,426

Elevations on Aberdeen Branch-of St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway.

Distance. Elevation.

Tintah Junction........

Hankinson .............

Lidgerwood.............

Rutland ................

Sprague Lake ..........

Havana.................

Kidder..................

Burch...................

Amherst (summit of gra 

Claremont..............

Huffton.................

Putney .................

James River. /low water., 

"' grade......

Hadley ... 

Aberdeen.

Miles. 

197.2 

222.7 

234.5 

252.1 

255 

261.3 

268 

275.1 

281.9 

288.5 

293.9 

299.3 

127.2 

303.3 

307 

316

Feet.

988 

1,068 

1,122 

1,225 

1,219

1.294

1.295

1.296

1,312

1,302

1,307

1,306

1,286

1,302

1,300

Bull.
66 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

List of elevations on Aberdeen, Bismarck and Northivestern Railway, 

[Furnished by "W. "W. Eich, chief engineer.]

Names of stations, rivers, and lakes. Above sea.

Aberdeen................................................................................

Poster, STY. J sec. 31, T, 125 N\,E. 65 TV.................................................

Leola, SW. and SE. £ sec. 17, T. 126 N.,E. 67 W ..........................................

Center of sec. 25, T. 127 N., E. 69 W ...... ................................................

Northeast corner of sec. 15, T. 127N.,E. 69 TV ...........................................

Top of Gravel Tables, sec. 30, T. 127 N., E. 68 TV., etc....................................

Summit in SE. J sec. 8, T. 129 N., E. 69 W. (grade) ........................................

Ashley, NW. and S W. J sec. 31, T. 130 N., E. 69 TV ......................................

Beaver Creek [station], NW. £ sec. 15, T. 133 M"., E. 71 TV .................................

Beaver Creek, NW. Jsec. 15, T. 133 1ST., E. 71 TV...........................................

Beaver or Ecd Lake, NTV.J sec. 33, T. 134 N.,E. 71 TV....................................

Beaver Creek, NE.J sec.32,T. 134N..E.71 TV.............................................

Lowry, NTV. J sec. 11, T. 134 N.,E. 72 TV ..................................................

Summit in NTV. J sec. 23, T. 134 N.,E. 72 TV. (cut 2 feet)..................................

Napoleon, SE. J sec. 18, T. 135 N., E. 72 TV...............................................

Merriam, SE.£ sec.27, T.136 N..E.75 TV..........................................:......

Apple Creek, SE.Jsec. 13, T. 138N.,E.79 TV.............................................

Bismarck (Tenth street)...................................... . ..........................

Feet. 

1,295 

1,381 

1,587 

1,940 

1,979 

,000-2,025 

2,054 

2,001 

1,987 

1,962 

1,970 

1,954 

2,057 

2,070 

1,955 

1,862 

1,635 

1,672

Elevations on branch of Dakota Central from Watertown to Re&ficld, 8. Dale.

Localities. Station. Altitude.

TVatertown...................................................................... 5

East bank of Big Sioux.......................................................... 38

80 

320 

680 

Small Lake bottom............................................................. 710

890 

Henry........................................................................... 953

1220 

1350 

1410 

Clark Center..................................................................... 1640

1700 

Eaymond........................................................................ 2330

Doland .......................................................................... 2655

East bank Twelvemile Creek .................................................... 2967

Frankfort ....................................................................... 3190

East bank James Elver.......................................................... 3268

3310 

3470 

Redfield......................................................................... 3750

Feet. 

1,735 

1,721 

1,735 

1,780 

1,785 

1,754 

1,730 

1,810 

1,810 

1,750 

1,790 

1,785 

1,855 

1,425 

1,355 

1,283 

1,296 

1,265 

1,297 

1,260' 

1,297
TODD.] ELEVATIONS. 67

Elevations on preliminary survey from Redfield, S. Dale., to the Missouri Eiver at

Fairbank, S. Dak.

Localities. Station. Altitude.

Redfield ......................................................................... 0

Chicago and Northwestern Eailroad track ........................................ 40

220 

310 

350 

560 

800 

East hank Dry Lake...................................................:......-.- 1164

1842 

East hank stream................................................................ 1896

1918 

1930 

8143 

2200 

2275 

East hank stream................................................................ 2296

East hank Medicine Creek ...................................................... 2349

2511 

2701 

2756 

3074 

3151 

Spring........................................................................... 3383

Bed of tributary to Okohojo Creek .............................................. 3397

Banks of same.................................................................... 3397

3423 

Okobojo Creek, east hank......................................................... 3493

Okohojo Creekhed .............................................................. 3493

East hank Okohojo Creek........................................................ 3571

Bed of same ...................................................................... 3571

3851 

3991 

Bed of a dry lake................................................................ 4601

4781 

4841 

4911 

5091 

5149 

Head of Eocky Run .......;..........;......:.. ............................... 5171

Where lino leaves Rocky Run ................................................... 5331

Feet. ] 

1,297

' 1,300 

1,304 

1,354 

1,310 

1,370 

1,394 

1,446 

1,785 

1,776 

1,770 

1,930 

1,817 

1,780 

1,828 

1,811 

1,825 

1,965 

1,940 

2,000 

1,900 

1,958 

1,865 

1,849 

1,852 

1,875 

1,845 

1, 840 

1,823 

1,818 

1,950 

1,960 

1,840 

1,896 

1,855 

1,878 

1,832 

1,757 

1,790 

1,513

From station 5341 to station 5491 at Fair-bank the line is on the 

bluffs of the Missouri Eiver 500 to 1,000 feet from the water and at an 

elevation of 1,500 feet.
68 MORAINES OF THE MISSOURI COTEAU. [BULL. 144.

Alignment of survey from Eedfield to Fairlank, S. Dak. \

Station.

Center of south half-sec. 4, T. 116 N., R. 64 W ................................ 39

North quarter post, sec. 2, T. 116 N., R. 65 W................................. 260

North quarter post, sec. 36, T. 117 N., R. 68 W................................ 790

North quarter post, sec. 5, T. 117 N., R. 69 W................................. 1782

Northeast post, sec. 1, T. 117 N., R. 72 W..................................... 2491

Center sec. 34, T. 117 N., R. 74 W...................................1........ 3271

Center of east half sec. 36, T. 117 N., R. 75 W.............. ................... 3561

Center of east half sec. 34, T. 117 N., R. 76 W................................. 3982

NE. isec. 7, T. 115 N., R. SOW................................................ 5121

Elevations of preliminary survey from station 3271 of line from Eedfield to Missouri 

River, south to Harold, on the main line, Dakota Central division, Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.

Station.

70......

170.....

250.....

320.....

COS.....

620.....

705.....

Altitude.

Feet.

1,825

1,920

1,885

1,943

1,750

1,690

1,795

Station.

1025....

1100....

1120....

1150. . . .

1230....

1270....

1380....

Altitude.

Feet.

1,790

1,660

1,740

1,750

1,750

1,730

a 1, 810

a Harold.

Alignment of above.

Center sec. 34, T. 117N., R. 74 W.... ...............

West quarter post, sec. 10, T. 116 N., R. 74 W.... ...

Southwest post, sec. 34, T. 113 N., R. 74 W .........

Harold, near center NW. i, sec. 9, T. 112 N., R. 74 W

Station. 

.. 0 

.. 108 

.. 1293 

.. 1380

Elevations on the Dakota Central Railway.

[From the Minnesota Geological Keports, 1880, supplemented with notes taken from profiles at the

central office at Chicago. ]

Localities.

Tyler............................................................................

Elkton...........................................................................

Lake Preston ....................................................................

Distance.

Miles. 

0

13

20.05

20.05

27. 15

34.95

41.05

46.75

58.55

62.35

74.25

69.85

69.85

70.85

81.75

90.75

Altitude.

Feet. 

1,403

1,528

1, 592 '

1,631

1,750

1,759

1,771

1,851

1, 630

1,683

1,636

i; 596

1,607

1,636

1,846

1,696
TODD.] ELEVATIONS.

Elevations on the Dakota Central Baihvay Continued.

69

Localities.

Miller............................................................................

Harold...........................................................................

Blunt.............................................................................

Pierre ...........................................................................

Distance.

Miles. 

103. 05

104. 85

111. 75

118.25

127. 45

135. 25

135. 25

136. 35

144

147

148. 75

154.25

160. 50

173

175

180

198

201.50

204

213

225

224

255

Altitude.

Feet. 

1,726

1,767

1,542

1,401

1,311

1,228

1,270

1,285

1,312

1,336

1,344

1,322

1,362

1,383

1,427

1,580

1,548

1,586

1,740

1,890

1,895

1,801

1,801

1,621

1,532

1,432

1,439

1,424

INDEX.

Page.

Altamont, Outer, or First moraine, description of.............................. 13-32

drainage of............................. 41-44

Anderson, A., acknowledgments to......... 11

Antelope Valley loop of First and Second

moraines, description of...... 13,18-19,35

Bald Mountains or Faulkton Hills, description of.............................. 37-38

Beaver Creek region, description of deposits

of .................................. 31-32

Blue Blanket loop of First and Second

moraines, description of......... 21-24,36

Blue Lake loop of First and Second moraines, description of............ 13,16-18

Bowdle Hills, description of....... 14,24-25,36-37

Bowlders, character of...................... 54-55

Boxeldor loop of First and Second moraines,

description of................ 28-30,38 39

Chamberlin, T. C., letter of transinittal by.. 9 

cited ................................... 11

Cleveland, section west of (figured)........ 41

Crow Creek region, description of deposits

of.................................. 32

Drumlins,absence of....................... 53

Dutch Gap, description of.................. 19

Elevations, list of.......................... 61-69

Faulkton Hills or Bald Mountains of Second moraine, description of......... 37-38

First, Outer, or Altamont moraine, description of.............................. J.3-32

description of deposits connected with. 30-32 

drainage of............................. 4.1-44

Fourth moraine, description of............. 48-51

Fox Hills formation, exposures of.......... 55-5C

Gary or Second moraine, description of..... 33-44

Gravel-topped tables in the Koto Hills, description of. .._.................... 20-21 |

Page. 

Green Lake, deposits near................. 17,18

Koto Hills, description of............... 14, 20-21

Lake Dakota, description of bed of........ 52-53

Lake Eckelson, description of.............. 45

Little Clieyenne region, description of deposits of................................. 32

Long Lake loop of First moraine, description of................................... 15

Medicine Knoll, description of............. 36

Medina, section east of (figured)........... 40

section west of (figured) ............... 39

Mound City, deposits near................. 22,23

Okiodan Hills, description of .............. 49-50

Osars, occurrence of ....................... 53-54

Outer, Altamont, or First moraine, description of................................... 13-32

Pierre, deposits near.....:................. 26

Pierreformation, exposures of............. 56-57

Pre-Glacial drainage and topography, form 

of........................................ 57-58

Redfield, deposits near..................... 46

ReeHillsof Firstmoraine, description of; 14,27-28 

llee Valley loop of First and Second moraines, description of............... 14,25-27,38

Redfield, deposits near..................... 46

Rich, "W. W., acknowledgments to......... 11

Russian Gap, description of................ 19

Second or Gary moraine, description of.... 33-44

Second moraine, description of region inside of................................... 39-41

Second moraine, drainage of................ 41-44

Stria?, absence of........................... 54

Third moraine, description of.............. 45-48

Upham, "Warren, cited ..................... 11

Wells, testimony of........................ 58-61

West Coteau described .................... 20

Wright, G.F.,cited........................ 32

71