The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-12-27

When the great glacier of prc-lis-
toric ages retreated nOrthwaru srom
the effects Of the warmer rays Of the
sun. it left IL great lake, which gcolo-
gisls have named AgassiZ, and which
covered the region now known us the
Red River Valley. ltis probable that
Lake .\gassiz mad at first, its outlets
southward through the Mississippi
river and it's northwestern branches,
but as the greatice barrier retrcatcd
northward to Hudson bay. the water
of the lake turned also to the north
ward. How many hundreds of thous.
ands of years Lake AgasslZ remained
in existence rs nf course unknown, but
it remained long enough to deposit
over it's immense b.tton. hundreds of
feet of finely ground clay and loam.
When In later ages the glacier had
melted and the lake had drained it,
self out, it left several large bodies of
water and hundreds Of smaller ones
as nlcmentocs ofgsits existence. aud
through the ccntersOf Its former bed,
Il drain, the Red River. which winds
its sinuols way from Big Stone Lake
TO Lake Winuipcgand thence to Hud-
son Bay. From the former banks of
the great pre-hlstorIc luke. now form
ing hills with abrupt faces. and from
the numerous lakes surrounding.
come many BRANCHES to the Red
River
The ancient 1akesbed left level
tract Of land thus watercd, about tif-
ty miles In breadth and some two
hundred and fifty miles in.cngth.
| IL left "n this almost perfectly
level prairie. mostly Il clay smbsoil of
several hundred feet IN acptl: and COW
v cred with Il STRATA of ,ich black lunnl
| from two To tour feet III thickness.
with but few stones. anti here and
there Il sand ridge. Ovcral this prl
ric, grass grew ablihtlantly and ma
turc which seemed 10th to allow such
rich pasture tn go to waste. produced
the buffalo which in countless NUM-
ber> :named over and fed upon il.
and in lii"ir turn formed food and
c',iliilg f"r mai. ain! were tile prey
of either rtlr>li-eatn. animals. Wiirlh-
cr the m",I!t-huildcr aud his wife
aud children cvcr ate buffalo steak.
/ male pcn.ml!c;n.nr ti>l!cd for goltl-;'NeS
hcrcaln,!l> is Il question. i"r ,!rW
may IE,vc ii.r,l aud Il >nrpc;,rct bc-
! ioic the ,ulfalr were. h:I, :lni were
here. as their mounds rciilln as
mnu,iIicl,iS ni their eXiste:cr. hut
for Indians. Fish. flesh aud fowl
were plenty. and these were the s.iln
o. happiness for the simple red man.
Later came the white man. slowly
ut first, only in the spirit of adven-
turc, exploration aud trade for fuis.
For Il hundred years the white advcn-
turcr, explorer or trader went over
these plains and dreamed not of the
wealth that lay IN each inch Ct soil
beneath his feet.
On another page in this issue Col.
Lounsbcry in graphic aud detailed
history tells the story Of these first
white men and those of mixcd-blood,
and Of the gradual organization Of
the great states of North and South
Dakota.
Up to 1873 all is ancient history in
reference to this valley. Then came
the new epoch of IL tide of fcivilization.
| With the Northern Pacific railroad
and the Manitoba railroad the cnllil-
try was opened up. and from 1873 to
about Iss3 the valley was filling up
with settlers, and the broad pastures
which had hitherto fed the buffalo
were turned over aud seeded to the
golden grain.
| The results are shown by facts aud
figures given in this issue of the
PIONEER EMPRESS. Not all facts or
figures are given, it would take Il book
of large dimensions to do that, but
tic facts given for one locality apply
in general to all parts Of tho valley.
The story Of the wheat crop OF Penn
bina county is repeated by each of the
counties Of this rich valley.
y score of years, only a score or
lycars, and where then roaincd the
Indian aud tho buffalo. are farms