152 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 



operation among all who have it in their power to see that Iowa remains 

 in deed and in truth what her first citizens called her Beautiful Land. 

 Iowa Conservation, Vol. I, No. 4, p. 63. 



THE MONKEY MOUNTAIN AREA NEAR OTTUMWA. 

 By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 



The Monkey Mountain area is well known to the people of Ottumwa. 

 From the top of this eminence one gets a broad sweep of the valley of 

 the Des Moines, the city not far distant and the hills on the opposite side 

 of the river. One has indeed a rare view from the hill. The portion to- 

 wards the bottom has some exposures of the coal measure sandstone. 

 Fine narrow valleys drain towards the Des Moines. These are mostly 

 wooded. The steep slope of Monkey Mountain itself towards the river 

 is covered with young growth of white, black, bur, quercitron and shingle 

 oak, basswood, choke cherry, black cherry, slippery and American elm. 

 basswood, white ash, hop horn beam, red bud, honey locust and coffee 

 bean, on the lower slope sycamore, river birch, cottonwood, black willow, 

 almond leaved willow. There are numerous interesting herbaceous plants 

 like thie blue and yellow violet, mandrake, bloodroot, blue larkspur, colum- 

 bine, New Jersey tea, silky cornel (Cornus asperifolia) hazel, buck bush, 

 (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus), rose (Rosa blanda), prairie willow (Salix 

 humilis). The region is interesting from a scenic standpoint as well as 

 the historic because of the fine Indian mounds on the top of the hill. 



This region should, of course, in time be acquired. It is contiguous to 

 the thriving city of Ottumwa and with the modern automobile, is accessible 

 in a few minutes. 



I have known the state for many years, but I am astonished at the 

 number of interesting beauty spots in Iowa and especially along the Des 

 Moines. 



LOWER DES MOINES. 



The following is from a letter from Chas. A. Wellman: 

 "I have just been talking to a few of the leading citizens here about a 

 well located rough tract of land, which is commonly known here as 

 'Monkey Mountain.' This land lies along the south bank of the Des 

 Moines river about three miles below Ottumwa, in sections 9 and 15, 

 Keokuk township, Wapello county. 



"Along in 1910 and 1911, the war department caused the Des Moines 

 river to be surveyed, Major Meigs was in charge, and he went upon this 

 beautiful hill and said it was one of the prettiest views he had ever seen 

 in Iowa. There is a rising bank, fully a hundred feet high, and a view of 

 ten miles, where the Des Moines river bends, with the fertile valley across 

 the river, crops, magnificent farm buildings, and in a distance the city of 

 Ottumwa. At the foot of this high bank is a good beach. 



