2 10 



a few niilps l)ecoines iiuicli sliallower. 'J'lic liluffs Ir-l-uur- low anil for 

 some distance on the east side entirely (lisappear at a wide .trap 0[)ening 

 into an extensive prairie to tlie east. Just lielow this the northeast l)liiff 

 beeomes consideraldy higher tlian the one on the opposite side of the 

 stream. Aliont two miles below a deep broad valley begins and continues 

 to the AVabash flood-plain. The lower course of the Wea for several miles, 

 is cut tlirough the AA'ea Plains terrace and the Wea Valley itself is terraced. 

 The levels of parts of the terrace farthest up sti'eam conform apparently 

 to the surfa<:'e of the Wea I'lains. 



," Tljepeculiaritie* of valley and course noticed in these streams invite an 

 aktempfat esplanatiou. This is found in the interpretation of the glacial 

 features of th^' tegion. >•, ,.:'^. 



By reference to the map it will be noticed that several moraines cross 

 the county south of the Wabash River. The one forming the divide be- 

 tween the' Wea system and jthe strean-is to the southwest extends south- 

 eastward across the soutli\V^t corner'«f "the county. Another extends east 

 along the south side of the Wea Plains terrace to a point nearly south of 

 LaFayette, where if bends to the southeast and continues to the southeast 

 corner of the county. Between these ridges others trend east and west. 

 All the I'idges together thus form a complex network. Enclosed liy the 

 ridges are tracts of level prairie formerly marshy over large areas but 

 n'ow genei'ally drained. 



The creeks cross these flat prairies, cut through some of tlie ridges and 

 follow along the sides of others. _,Tli,e. 5^'ea streams are entirely post- 

 :ga<#T'M^:^^f''11figi'iT anTTiiistory. Their cRanuels are cut in the beds of 

 glacial drift that overlies tlie country, the underlying bed-rock being- 

 reached and exposed Inr a distance of a few rods in only one place in all 

 the Wea system. This is in the bed of Little Wea Creek where it enters 

 the Wea Plains terrace. 



The retreat of the ice slieet from this region uncovered the basin of 

 the Wea Creeks before it did the present course of the t\'abash River. 

 It may be that melting of tlie ice l)etween the ^Michigan aud Erie lobes 

 occurred across the course of the Wabash River and along the Tippecanoe 

 River, while the Wabash, farther west, was still obstructed to a much 

 later period. This caused the waters of the melting ice to gather along 

 the front of the ice border until tlie.v covered the whole Wea basin and 

 flowed out at the sags across the divide where tlie heads of the Wea Creeks 

 are so near the heads of Shawnee, Coal and other creeks. This would 



