32S THE GEOLOGY OF MLXXKSOTA. 



[Topography, 



said to be two good mill privileges between the Oronoco mills and the 

 main stream; another is at Genoa, and another at High Forest. The mills 

 at Chatfield are enumerated in the preceding chapter. 



Topography. The surface is much diversified, and the natural scenery 

 very pleasing to the eye. The surface is generally rolling or undulating. 

 The contour-lines of the county plate express the frequency of changes in 

 the elevation of the surface. Along the streams bluffs are found sometimes 

 nearly two hundred feet high. These bluffs are usually steep, level-topped, 

 and characteristic of the rock-formation that makes them. They are most 

 common in the central and eastern parts of the county. Rochester lies in 

 a valley, with bluffs all around it, rising gently at some distance on all sides 

 except toward the west where it climbs the bluff. Dover Center, Marion 

 and Chatfield lie in similar valleys. Eyota and Byron are on elevated undu- 

 lating prairies nearly thirteen hundred feet above the ocean. Curious 

 isolated mounds are common, especially along the east side of the Zumbro in 

 Farmington and Haverhill townships. They are also found in Elmira. In 

 the western portion of the county the surface is nearly level but also more 

 elevated. Much of Rock Dell township is like the prairies just south and 

 west of it, but in its northern part are narrow rocky gorges formed by the 

 south branch of the Zumbro, which gave name to the town. 



Elevations. The following elevations are mostly on a proposed line ot 

 railroad from Wabasha to Austin, from notes of Horace Horton, the sur- 

 veyor who ran the line. They have been referred to sea-level by com- 

 parison with elevations determined at Plainview, Brownsdale and Austin. 



derations, from the notes of Horace Horton. C. E. 



Above the Missis- ,, . 



sippi river at low F f {* above 



water at Wabasha. 



Head of East Indian creek, five miles northeast of Plainview (Wabasha county) 529 1191 



Street of Plainview (Wabasha county) .518 1175 



Elgin (Wabasha county) - 385 1047 



Summit of Lone Mound, sec. 11, Farmington, within 10 feet of Plainview level, 513 1175 



Near center of sec. 14, Haverhill, - - 611 1273 



S. W. corner of sec. 24, Haverhill (rock seen some feet above) 547 1209 



Base of Sugar Loaf, sees. 31 and 32, Haverhill, - 367 1029 



College street bridge, Rochester, - 317 979 



Surface of water beneath, - - 302 964 



S.E. corner sec. 10, High Forest, - 644 1306 



Low water at High Forest village, - - 547 1209 



Sec. 29, T. 1O4K., R. 15 W., Mower county, i mile south of John Rowley's house, 734 139fi 



Dr. ThornhilFs farm, 4 miles east of Brownsdale, in Mowercounty, - 707 1369 



Southern Minn. R. R. at Brownsdale (Mower county) - 609 1271 



St. Paul and Milwaukee R. R. track at Austin (Mower county) - - 535 1197 



Pleasant Grove, about 644 1306 



Creek near the school-house in sec. 15, Cascade, about - 342 1004 



N. W. corner of sec. 10, Cascade, - 477 1139 



(Quarter stake, sections 33 and 34, Oronoco, - - 467 1129 



Center stake, sec. 21 , Oronoco, - 442 1104 



Surface of river at Oronoco, - - 292 954 



