CHAPTER XIV. 



THE GEOLOGY OF FARIBAULT COUNTY. 



BY WAKREN UPHAM. 



Situation and area. Faribault county (plate 17) is the central one in 

 the tier of nine counties on the south side of the state, bordering Iowa. 

 The distance from its north line north-northeast to Saint Paul and Minne- 

 apolis is about 90 miles; and from its east line to the Mississippi river at 

 La Crosse is 120 miles. This county is a rectangle, its length from east to 

 west being five townships, or thirty miles, and its width from north to south 

 four townships, or twenty-four miles. Its area is 723.72 square miles, or 

 463.184.53 acres, of which 9,151.21 acres are covered by water. The largest 

 towns and villages are Blue Earth City, Winnebago City, Delavan, Easton, 

 Wells, and Minnesota Lake. 



SURFACE FEATURES. 



Natural drainage. The whole of Faribault county lies within the basin 

 of the Blue Earth river, which flows northerly through its two western 

 ranges of townships; while the East fork of this river, formed by Jones and 

 Brush creeks in the southeast part of the county, flows west through its 

 southern half and joins the main stream at Blue Earth City. The middle 

 part of the northern third of the county is drained by the head-streams of 

 Maple river, which is tributary to the Le Sueur and through that to the 

 Blue Earth river. Dunbar, the most northeastern township, is drained 

 principally by the Big Cobb river, also reaching the Blue Earth through 

 Le Sueur river. The general slopes of the surface thus descend northward; 



