HOUSTON COUNTY. 211 



Elevations.] 



able. It widens, the rock is seen exposed in a nearly continuous escarpment 

 along the tops of the now more distant bluffs, the descent is easy, the stream 

 flows with a winding course, and is perhaps fringed with a small shrubby 

 growth, the lower slopes of the bluffs on either side are turf-covered, and 

 finally a rich alluvial soil, spreading out over the bottoms, shows here and 

 there as a spot that has been cleared and cultivated. This character then 

 extends to, and follows, the whole course of Root river to its mouth, the 

 valley constantly increasing in width, and showing a terraced condition, 

 where ancient floods or periods of high water have stood, and whence, after 

 vast accumulations of alluvium, have retired, reducing the river at last to 

 its present insignificant dimensions. This is the general character of the 

 valleys tributary to Root river, but this succession of changes can be seen 

 within Houston county only in those tributary valleys on the south side of 

 Root river. Those on the north side enter on the St. Croix sandstone before 

 leaving Winona county. The best agricultural portion of the county is in 

 the center and southwest quarter. The valleys throughout the county are 

 generally wooded, and in the eastern part of the county a great deal of the 

 upland is also wooded. Taken altogether the county may be denominated 

 rolling, broken and hilly, though there are also some fine prairies that are 

 simply undulating. All the farms are well drained naturally. 



Elevations* on the Southern Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paid railway. 

 From George B. vVoodworth, assistant engineer, La Crosse. 



Distances In miles Hights in feet 

 from La Crosse. above the sea. 



Low water in the Mississippi river at La Crosse 618.5 



Junction with River division west of bridge 645. 



La Crescent 0.7 639. 



C., D. & M. Junction 3.0 633. 



Eootriver bridge , 4.2 640. 



Hokah 6.2 641. 



Root river bridge 11.0 655. 



Mound Prairie 12.2 652. 



Root river bridge 14.0 661. 



Houston 18.7 671. 



Root river bridge 22.3 695. 



Money Creek 23.2 691. 



Elevations on the Caledonia and Mississippi railroad. 



This road runs from the Mississippi river westward fourteen and one-fourth miles up the 

 valley of Crooked creek. These levels were furnished by Mr. Till, engineer of the road. The 

 datum is the level of the track of the C. D. & M. railroad just north of Crooked creek, section 35, 

 town 1O& north, range 1 west. 



*A11 elevations above the ocean in this report are referred to mean tide sea-level, and are corrected in accordance 

 with the recent determination of the elevations of the great lakes and Chicago by the U. 9. lake survey, under Lieut. -Col. 

 C. B. Comstock. 



