Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-07-22
THE SMITH LAKE. MURRAY HILL
PARK AND ROUND LAKE PRO-
JECTS, HARRISON CUNTY
BY Z. II. Pammel

In company with Mr.. C. S. Van
Eaton, Mayor A. j. Smith, Ezra Mill
er, C. E. Fairchild, all of Pisgah, F.
M. Terry, c. Terry, Mr.. Peterson, the
banker, w. H. Eyer, of Little Sioux,
and B. R. Mills of Woodbine, candi-
date for legislature from Harrison
county, I visited Murray Hill and
Smith Lake on June eleventh for the
purpose of inspecting the area which
these people would like to have made
into state park. l also called on
Mr.. H. w. Kerr of the Little Sioux
Hustler.
The first place inspected was MUIR
ray Hill, one of the typical loessial
hills of the Missouri, said to be one
OF the highest on the Missouri River,
some $50 feet above the level of flood
plain of the Little Sioux River. The
vegetation is typical for the region.
There were gorgeous masses of large
beard tongue (Pentatemon gradni-
fiorus), one of the most beautiful of
all of the wild flowers of Iowa. The
Western Spanish Bayonet yucca
glauca) covered the sides of some of
the hills. 1t is unique of the Iowa
plants and belongs to the flora of the
went, unique in it's method of pollina-
tion, being pollinated by the yucca
moth. The Western Mallow (Malvas-
trum Coccineum) with it's brick red
flowers and the bluet (Houstonia
Purpurea) were in bloom. The hills
were also covered with the Missouri
golden rod (solidage Missouriensis),
also Aster (Aster obtusifouius),
Western spurge, (Euphorbia Margin
ata) Perennial Ragweed, Ambrosia
peilostachaya), Rocky Mountain bee
plant (Cleome serrulata), Sun Flow
er (Holianthus occidentalis), Whorl-
ed Milkweed (Asclepsias Verticillata).
In this tract there are some 4O-5O
acres with winding road. This road
has been in continuous use for more
than half a century, 55 years am
told. There is plan on foot to di-
vert the road which should not be
done. It was started by the pioneers
who used the shovel to make room
for wagon to go over. 1t is most
picturesque as it winds around the
hill, past clumps of cottonwood and
bur oak. A Mr.. Murray came to tie
country in 1916 and the first white
child was born in a little dugout near
this hill. Near this hill in one of the
ravines is a spring which flows during
the entire year, surrounded by wal
nut, red ash, Eastwood, slippery elm,
white elm trees and burr oak. The
area surrounding the spring and the
ravine as we'll as the Murray Hill
should be included in the park in my
judgment.
The old Indian trail from the Lit
tie Sioux River, passed up what is
now known as the Glen Road through
the Nightingale Hollew" over to the
Soldier River. There are series of
small canons in this region. The
Nightingale Hollaw has an old ceme-
terry which should be included in this
park project. The Nightingale Hol-
low is heavily timbered for the most
part. there are some 4O-5O acres in
this area. Smiths Lake is reached
by going through the little town of
Little Sioux but it is easy to construct
road to lead from the Nightingale
Hollow to the lake. This would con-
meet the whole park project. Smiht's
Lake is an old abandoned river chan
mel of the Little Sioux which is now
two miles west. The lake is about
half mile long. 1t lies at the base
of precipitous bluff partly covered
with timber. It would be easy to in
clude the bluff along the lake and
build road near the top of the bluff
so that the whole bluff could be in
cluded., The land on the opposite
side of the lake is not we'll wooded,
there is small fringe Of trees on the
bank of the old channel of the stream.
These banks should be included as
we'll at tract next to the highway
nearer to the town of Little Sioux.
This would give people chance to
make use of the lake for bathing and
fishing. Part Of the lake bed con-
sists of gravel and sand making it
most desirable for recreational pur-
poses.
On the shore of the lake noticed
the following trees-Basswood, Slip
perry Elm, Green Ash, Cottonwood,
Bur Oak, Almond Leaved Willow
Sandrab Willow, Coffee Bean, Amer
ican Elm and Diamond Willow.
! observed the following shrubs
Hazel Nut (Corvlue americana),
Buck Brush (symphoricarpos occi-
dentalis) and Dogwood (Cornus as
perifolia). Of the herbaceous plants
! found water leaf (Hydrophylum
virginicum), Indian turnip (Aris-
tamia triphyllum), Sweet cicely (Os-
morrhiza brevistylia), Meadow Rue
(Thalictrum purpurascnes), loco weed
(Oxytropis Lambertoo), Milk rush
(Lygedesmia juncea). Reard tono,o