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Shelby County |
HISTORICALCHAPTER I. - GEOGRAPHY.
Shelby county lies between the forty-first and forty-second parallels of north latitude, the forty-first parallel running through Red Oak, Montgomery county, Iowa, and the forty-second parallel running a few miles south of Denison. Crawford county, Iowa. It lies between the ninety-fifth and ninety-sixth degrees of longitude west from Greenwich, the ninety-fifth meridian running about five or six miles east of the Shelby county line, and the ninety-sixth meridian running across the western part of Harrison county. Shelby county lies in about the same latitude as Chicago, Illinois, the lower part of Lake Michigan, the northern part of Indiana, the northern part of Ohio and lower extremity of Lake Erie, the northern tier of counties in Pennsylvania, the southeastern counties of New York state (above New York city) central Connecticut, Rhode Island and the southeastern part of Massachusetts. A parallel of latitude passing through Shelby county, crossing the Atlantic ocean, would enter northern Portugal, would pass through northern Spain to the north of the city of Madrid, would enter the Mediterranean sea, cross the island of Corsica--the birthplace of Napoleon--would then enter Italy, near the great city of Rome, magnificent in her centuries of history; would cross the Adriatic sea, and then traverse Turkey in Europe for its whole length, passing somewhat to the north of the city of Constantinople, then across the Black sea, slightly to the south of the peninsula of Crimea where, at Balaklava, the charge of the Light Brigade occurred, made forever famous by the poem of Tennyson; thence across southern Russia and the Caspian sea, over Russia in Asia, across northern China, well north of the city of Pekin and slightly south of the city of Mukden, where was fought one of the decisive battles of the Russo-Japanese war: thence across Korea, the Japan sea, crossing the northern part of the Japanese island of Hondo, on which the city of Tokio is situated. Continuing its course across the Pacific, this parallel of latitude started in Shelby county would enter extreme northern California, would cross northern Nevada, the extreme northern part of Utah, probably crossing the extreme northern part of Great Salt lake, thence through southern Wyoming across the state of Nebraska, to the point of beginning. What a wonderful diversity of peoples, languages, climates and products we have here! Perhaps the must wonderful variation is that of climate, and consequently, of products. This feature would make an absorbing lesson in the geography classes of Shelby county. The lad or lass who traces, intelligently, the causes for so great a variation at a like latitude will profit by his study. The ninety-fifth meridian of longitude west from Greenwich passes south through northwestern Missouri, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, through Galveston bay, across the gulf of Mexico, across a narrow part of the republic of Mexico, into the gulf of Tehuantepec, thence out into the Pacific ocean, well westward from the western coast of South America and here this author leaves it. Shelby county is in the second tier of counties east of the Missouri river, and in the fourth north of the south boundary of Iowa. In general, Shelby county is what may be termed rolling land. There are, however, important river valleys following the winding courses of Italian creek, in the southeastern part of the county, the various branches of the Nishnabotna river, Silver creek, Keg creek, Mosquito creek and Pigeon creek. There are also some very beautiful plateaus or table lands, such as that found north of Walnut in Monroe township on what is known as Wisconsin ridge and other parts of the township and also that found in the north part of Shelby township in the vicinity of Tennant and in parts or Lincoln, Cass and Westphalia townships. The main topography of the county, however, is composed of great ridges and rounded hills, productive to the very summits, the ridges in general running from northeast to southwest and forming the water-sheds of the various branches of the streams hereinbefore named. There is, of course, a well defined ridge between Indian creek and the East Nishnabotna river flowing northeast from Avoca, and another well-defined ridge between this branch of the Nishnabotna river and the one flowing past Harlan, and, of like character, there is a well-defined ridge between this stream at Harlan and the Mosquito creek flowing through the west part of the county. Practically all of the native timber of the county is found along the branches of the Nishnabotna river, and on Mill creek in Grove township, with occasional somewhat isolated groves, like Merrill's grove in Polk township, Fountain's or Kidd's grove in Douglas township, and others. Cuppy's grove, Custer's grove, Howlett's grove and Bowman's grove might fairly be said to be merely enlargements of the fringe of timber following the branches of the Nishnabotna river practically throughout their courses in Shelby county.
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