Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-01-20

A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette, writing from Iowa, gives the
following account of q wonderful relic
Of antiquity existing in that state:
| have intended for some time to
give the readers of the Gazette des-
cription of Walled Lake, which is SIT
uated in Wright county, Iowa. To
mo it was one Of the greatest curiosi-
ties | had ever seen-enveloped as its
history is with mantle that will meyer
be withdrawn. This lake lies in the
midst of a large plain-the rich, gently
undulating prairie extending for many
miles in every direction. The Lake
covers an area of about 100 acres.--
The water is clear and cold, with
hard sandy bottom, from two to twen-
ty-tivc feet deep. There is a strip of
timber about half way round it, prob
ally ten rods wide, being the only tim
Der in many miles. There is a wall of
stone all around it.
1t is no accidental matter. It has
been built with human hands. In some
places the land is higher than the lake,
in which case the wall only amounts
to something like a Rip Rap protection.
This, | believe, is what engineers call
it. But in other places the water is
higher in the lake than the prairie ont.
side the wall. The wall in some pIa-
ces is ten feet high it is Is feet wide
at the base, sloping up both sides to
S feet wide at the top. The wall is
built entirely of boulders, from three
tons in size down to fifty pounds. They
are all what are called "last rock
| am no geolcgist, and can consequent
ly can give no learned description Of
them. They are not, however, natives
to the 'manor horn" Nor has the
wall been made by the washing away
Of the earth and leaving the rocks
There is no native rock in this region.
Beside this, is continuous wall two
miles of which is higher than the land,
The top ofthe wall is level while the
land is undulating, so the wall is in
some places two feet, and in others ten
feet high. These rocks, many of them.
at least, must have been brought long
distance-probably five or ten miles.
In Wright county, the beet rocks are
scattered pretty freely, but as you ap-
proach this lake they disappear, show
ing that they have been gathered BY
some agency, when or by whom, his
tory will never uufold. Some Of the
largest oaks in the grove are growing
up through the wall, pushing the rocks
in, in some cases-outsidc is others.
accommodating their shapes to the
rocks. The lake abounds with excel
lent fish. The land IN that township
yet belongs to the government.
When l was there in the spring of
1855, the wind had blown large piece
Of the ice against the southwest part of
the wall and had knocked it down. 80
that the water was running out, an |
flooding the farms of some Of the set
tiers, and they we're about to repair
the wall to protect their crops. It is
beautiful farm land nearly all around
this lovely lake.
The readers of the Gazette should
not understand that the wall around
this lake is as regular and q nice as
the wall around tho Fountain in front
OF the City Hall, in New York, nor
need any entertain the theory that it is
natural wall but it has been built
hundreds, and probably thousands of
years. The antiquarian may specu-
late by whom this mighty as we'll "A
ornamental work was done, but it will
be speculation.
Notwithstanding the water in the
lake is pure and cool, there is no visi-
bic feeder or outlet. This lake is about
twelve miles north of the located line
Of the Dubuque and Pacific Railroad.
and about one hundred and fifty miles
west of the former place. The time il
coming when the Lake will be great
place ofpublic resort,