4 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
area is drained by the Smoky Hill river, which flows in an extremely irregu- 
lar or winding channel north of east, uniting with the Republican at Junction 
City, 30 miles away, to form the Kansas. It flows in the middle of a broad val- 
ley, 1,100 feet above sea-level and a mile or more in width. Its tributaries in the 
gypsum area are three or four small creeks— Gypsum, Holland, and Turkey — 
which flow almost directly north. The main watershed lies 22 miles to the south 
of the river, and trends nearly east and west, with an elevation of 1,500 to 1,550 
feet. This descends on the south side within eight miles to 1,400 feet at the Cotton- 
wood river. The divides between the north-flowing creeks have a gradual slope 
of about 20 feet to the mile, and their sides are deeply indented by erosion. They 
vary in height above the creek level from 100 to 150 feet. The effect is that of 
a dissected plateau with irregular surface. A number of small towns are situ- 
ated along the railroads in the central part of the area, while the larger cities are 
located on the river. 
The southern area is situated 120 miles southwest of Gypsum City. The 
northern part is drained by the Medicine Lodge river, which rises in Kiowa 
county and flows southeast to Medicine Lodge, where it abruptly turns south 
and flows into Oklahoma. There it empties into the Salt Fork of the Arkansas 
river. The southern part is drained by the Nescatunga and its branches. The 
streams have cut deep channels or cafions in the soft strata which reach 200 
feet in depth. The watershed between the two rivers is broad in Comanche 
county, with an elevation of 2,200 feet, but it rapidly narrows to the southeast, 
in Barber county, where its elevation is 2,000 feet, descending to 1,600 feet in the 
valley of the Medicine Lodge river within a distance of seven miles. The water- 
shed trends parallel with this river and turns south near the central part of Bar- 
ber county, still parallel with the river. This region, with its gypsum-capped 
buttes of red clay and shale, possesses a very rugged topography and gives evi- 
dence of great erosion. These features are well shown in photographs of Flower- 
pot mound, and also in photographs of the gypsum hills near the town of 
Medicine Lodge. 
Buvur Rapips AREA. 
The first gypsum deposits worked in the state of Kansas were in the northern 
or Blue Rapids area. In November, 1869, the county commissioners laid out the 
site for the town of Blue Rapids. They carefully investigated the natural re- 
sources of the region and recognized the value of the water-power of the Blue, 
and also the value of the gypsum deposits which had been known for some time 
to exist on the Big Blue about two miles northwest of the town. On selling 
their various properties they made a reservation along the Blue of 100 rods, in- 
cluding the known outcrop of the beds and extending back from the river for a 
distance of 320 feet. 
About the year 1871, Mr. J. V. Coon, of Elyria, Ohio, came to the new town, 
and, the story goes, he burned some of the gypsum and carried it back to Cleve- 
land, where it was pronounced to be of good quality, and two car-loads were 
ordered at a good price. He and a brother returned to Blue Rapids in 1872 and 
built a frame shed on the east bank of the river, below the town. In an iron 
kettle, which held about five barrels, and which was heated by a stove, they 
commenced the manufacture of plaster of Paris. Prosperity seems to have at- 
tended their work, for in 1875 a stone mill was built by Coon & Son on the west 
bank of the river, and the water power of the river was now used for grinding. 
This mill is now standing —a monument to the commencement of a great Kansas 
industry. The town, for the purpose of encouragement of the new departure, 
granted them the north half of their reservation, described as extending from a 
