Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-13
Picturesque Iowa..
WALL LAkE-A Strange Geological Formation--Once an
Immense Body of Water--Now Perfectly Dry,
BY AlexA NIL e - Canrimhted O I
BY Alex MILLER. copyrighted 1901



But the fact remains that the lake
is dry. Farmers are blowing the bed
of the lake where the water was ten
and fifteen feet deep.
The probabilities are strong that
nothing will be raised. The ground
is too rich. 1t is a sandy, black soil
that is pure manure which has &C.
cumulated there for thousands of
years. Reeds and water lilies have
rotted down from year to year till it
remains a solid bed of the most fertile
nature imaginable.
Cattle were grazing in some portions
OF the lake bed, but the grass is not
very luXuriant. In course of time it
may become heavy and thrifty, but at
present it is not of much account.
There is no stone wall around the
lake, as one would suppose from the
name. There is, however, a well de-
fined wall all around it, but it is earth
and no stone. At many places it is
ten and twelve feet and higher. 1t
looks not unlike a railroad which has
been graded to make a fill, so well de-
fined is the wall or embankment.
There are many "Nigger heads" and
other rocks along the shore and the old
dried up bed is covered with them in
many places. A good portion of the
bed is so rocky that it can never be
farmed on that account. 1t looks like
the e would, were it to become dry,
except that there have been no ship
wrecks on wall lake. At any rate |
did not learn of any, and Mrs. Aaron
did not tell me of any although if the
fight keeps on about the titles as she
indicated it will be good luck if there
are not some broken heads some day.
There are a good many reasons CIV
en- for the lake becoming dry, and it
may be stated that every one of the
wall Lakes the one in Sac county as
we'll as those in Wright county are alb
solutely dry. Other smaller lakes in
Wright notably Elm Lake which al
most joins Wall Lake is also dried I'D.
have heard a theory that Wall Lake
lost its water when the flowing we'll
at Belle PLANE was struck. That is
mostly a Baron Munchaussen tale how
ever. There is nothing in that idea.
Maybe Mrs. Aaron was right. Maybe
1t is on account of the worlds wicked
ness.
Old settlers have several theories. I
am not here to settle that question
however. That was not the purpose
of my trip. | merely went to see the
lake as it is. l do not purpose to ac-
count for anything.
One theory is that the SHOWS are
not nearly as heavy as they were in
an early day.
The SHOWS used to fall to a depth of
ten or twelve feet in the early days,
the old settlers told me-frequently in
the lakes the snow would be lively to
thirty feet deep. When it melted it
will readily be seen what a quantity of
water would result.
Another theory is that the drain tile
that has been put in has had some eff
feet but the most probable theory is
the n which is hat since all the land
has been plowed and under cultivation
there is nothing to prevent all the rain
fall to sink into the ground and thus
carried of underground and never
reaches the stream below-nor the
lakes. No stream ever ran into these
lakes and they had no outlets except
evaporation. But as NO water falls in
to them, and none is drained in from
heavy rains as there was when the
country Was new, Iue consequence is
that they are all drying up.
| think the latter theory at least as
plausible as the Seven Day Adventist's
which ! gave.
At any rate the lakes are all dried
up. They have been almost dry for
five or six years and absolutely dry for
three or four years.
The Walled Lakes of Iowa, have evi.
IDENTIFY gone to join the Indians and the
buffaloes and the buffalo grass. They
seem to be averse to civilization. 1t is
a peculiar fact in the history of the
state and that seems to me to be of a
great deal of interest aside from any
scientific considerations. | do not
know what scientific men say about
the lakes and about the causes of the
disappearance of the water. | do not
know that | care very much either.
1t is not of any great Importance.
Therefore, when you are taught in
the geography, that there are wall
lakes in Iowa you may tell the author
Of the book or the teacher who tells
you that he has another guess com
ing!"
The lake is there, but like Lucy
Locket's pocket, there is nary a penny
nor a drop of water in it.