Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1867-01-31
A GeOIOglcal HISTORY Of Kansas

III a historical sketch OF the Geological
period in which our surface Deposits were
formed, and after alluding to preceding
events. Prof, G. c. Swallow says
Subsequently this whole region,
Eastern Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa,
Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and
parts of Kentucky was covered by a vast
fresh water lake.
In this lake was formed or deposited
the beds of gray and brown mari, which
underlie aud form the basis of the rich
soils in alt-vhis vast region. Shell fish,
such as ocoepy our present waters. lived
in the lake. Forests of Elm. Sycamore,
Walnut, Oak. and other trees like those
Os our present forests. grew upon the
shores of this lake. The squirrel, deer,
beaver, buffalo, elephant. and mastOdOn
lived in the forest upon lis borders
"The history of IhoSe times is found
in the petrlfied wood and shells and
bones Of lhe trees and animals of those
days. carefully laid away in the beds or
bluff formation deposited in this lake and
which are from time 10 time brought TO
light by examination Of The beds and
their conlens.
The remains brought 10 light by The
examinations in Pompeii, IIerculaneum
and Ninevah, do not tell the history OF
those cities more accurately than the pet.
r,fied trees and shells and bones exhum-
ed from The marls Of the bluff formation
tell the history Of this lake and its
shores.
by some changes of the succeeding
ages The la e vas drained away. expos
Ing the surface of the earth somewhat
changed. The marls deposited in the
lake had for the most part covered up the
limestone and saud stones and shales
partially filled the deepest valleys, ren.
dered The slopes more gentle, anl smooth
I'd up the rugged and precipitious hill
sides, presenting contOur OF surfaces OF
valley and hill substantially such as it has
remained TO the present time.
The streams, II is true. have Cut their
channels into the surface marlS. and in
some instances into the SoliI rocks below,
and the waters have Cut ravines and car
ried away some CT the surface materials;
bu, the contour Of the surface remains
substantially as il was left by the waters
of the lake. AS a matter Of Course
rank growth OF weeds. grass AMI trees
sprung up on the rich marIs left by the
recedlng waters.
Then was he broad area, once occu-
pied by the lake. one unbroken prairie.
FIRES swept over the surface and killed
out the young trees and such otherplants
as could not endure the annual burns. n
"Thds j, is seen that the prairie IS the
normal STATE, and the question. should be
how the forests we're formed3 and not,
what made the prairies {! Buithere were
Tavines and wet places which the fires
did mol reach, and there the trees grew
apaee, and produced The present forests.
Meanwhile the fish and reptiles occupied
the present streams aud lakes, and the
animals became the dwellers Of the for
esls and prairies. Animals and plants
died and decomposed, and formed black
matter which mingled with the surface
and formed the soil, the last apd most
Of IBe geological fOrmatiOns.-
The soil by this process is formed exceed
ingly slow but The increase is as sure
as II is that animals and plants will die
and decay. and the waters fall and run.
and The winds tIow, aDd the animals walk
and dig, and thus mIngle the d+eaylng
matter and the Loose surface deposits.
Slow as * the process, the long period
since that lake wasGrained, has been am.
pie for The formation of the deepest and
richest soil of The continent !