Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-12-31
Skunk River,

4 Stream that has it's source in thi
county has a history, as the follow
ing from an article by Howard C
Kegley in the Register and Leader
indicates: Ef =. s.
In the miraculously rapid settle
ment and development of centra
Iowa no one thing has had greater
influence upon prosperity and been
so noticeable as the regeneration OF
Skunk river. 1t is not generally
known, but it is nevertheless a fact
that Skunk river, back in the fifties,
sixties and seventies, was what
might be termed "rip-snorter."
The river has its source at Mud
lake near Jewell, and it winds its
lazy way across the richest state in
the union, ultimately emptying in
to the Mississippi and in that way
mingling it's waters with those at
the gulf. The general surface of
the country through which the river
flows is that of comparatively level
plain. In the early days the settlers
thought that the most of the land
was too level for general farming. AS
a matter of fact, as it flows through
Story county, the river has many
miles of tributaries emptying into it
from the east and west, and all of
them are SO far below level as to
furnish opportunity for the easy
outflow of any superabundant mois-
ture. The drainage problem is prac-
tically solved in central Iowa today,
but in earlier days, during seasons
of excessive rainfall, and when the
surface of the country was covered
with wild grass, the sod was like a
sponge from which the grass pre-
vented evaporation.
There were also innumerable de-
pressions in the general surface of
the land-shallow cups of few
square rods in extent, or covering
several acres, as the case might be,
in which the water would stand dur
ing the summer months. Some of
the ponds would be two or three
feet deep and others would be shall
low But water prevailed on the
surface of the land in central Iowa
to such an extent that several thous-
and acres were condemned by the
as swamp and overflow
lands.
On that account the land of cen
trail Iowa bore an exceedingly I'M
savory reputation back in the log
cabin days. In real fact thousands
of acres were without value for crops
Of grain or hay. Settlers observed
that the treading of live stock low
cred the outlets of many ponds and
sloughs, causing them to lose their
spongy character and forcing the
surfaces of the ponds to gradually
Yet to many an emigrant,
seekink> home, the representation
that such were the richest lands
and that the lands would in time be
more valuable than the lighter soils
of other counties, was not needed,
and they continued on their prairie
journeys farther west, and
lived to fare worse, perhaps. than
they would have Jared had they
built their campfires on the banks Of
the raging Skunk and taken home
stead in central Iowa.
Not infrequently the passing trav-
eler found himself mired in a pond
or slough, and went his way. ours
ing the frog ponds" OF the central
section Of the state. All this has so
changed in half century that the
quaking bog has been transformed
into a meadow of solid footing. The
destruction Of wild sod opened sur
face drains that left the low places
dry and firm. The grading Of high
ways and opening of roadside bitches
provided increased drainage fac;li-
ties. But above all these the use of
tile on the highways and farm lands
has had the greatest effect.
Central Iowa today gives great re-
turns for judicious farming. Acre
for acre it will produce as much or
more than land in other sections Of
the state. The rivers have been
bridged, the roads have been improv-
ed, and where once the early settler
and his team of oxen hunted for
hours In order to find a reasonable
safe place to ford a stream, the en-
terprising farmer now breezes along
the level roads in big. six cylinder
nor has single thought
of the days when Skunk river was
boss OF the bottom lands. 80 Ev-
cry year however. the Skunk grows
tanner. The draining of Mud lake.
its headwater. worked wonders In