MURRAY AND NOBLES COUNTIES. 523 



Elevations. Soil.) 



The highest land in Murray county is Buffalo ridge, in Chanarambie township, the top 

 of which is about 1950 feet above the sea. Other portions of the outer terminal moraine, in 

 this and Cameron townships, are from 1800 to 1900 feet in altitude, and it is crossed by the rail- 

 road to Woodstock at a hight of 1850 feet. At the northeast corner of Moulton this range is 

 intersected by Chanarambie creek, which is here more than 300 feet below Buffalo ridge. The 

 next six miles of this moraine southward are a comparatively narrow and inconspicuous belt of 

 gravelly and rocky knolls and small ridges of drift, 1700 to 1750 feet above the sea, or 75 to 125 

 feet above the Chanarambie valley. 



Des Moines river has its sources at an elevation of 1800 to 1900 feet above the sea. Lake 

 Shetek, and this river at its outlet, are about 1475; and its point of exit from Murray county is 

 estimated to be about 1400 feet above the sea. 



The lowest land of Murray county is the northeast part of Holly, 1250 to 1300 feet above the 

 sea, making the extremes of hight in this county differ by seven hundred feet. 



The highest portions of Nobles county, lying in Willmont, in township 1O3, range 43, 

 and in Summit Lake and the north part of Dewald, are 1700 to 1725 feet above the sea. Cham- 

 pepadan and Kanaranzi creeks cross the west line of this county at about 1475 and 1450 feet 

 above the sea. Little Rock river has an elevation of about 1475 feet, and Ocheyedan creek is 

 about 1550 feet above the sea, at the Iowa line. The lowest land in Nobles county is where Jack 

 creek crosses its eastern boundary, at a hight of about 1420 feet above the sea, some three hun- 

 dred feet below the crests of the morainic belt. 



Estimates of the average bights of the townships of Murray county are 

 as follows: Holly, 1400 feet above the sea; Dovray, 1480; Des Moines River, 

 also 1480; Belfast, 1460; Shetek, 1490; Murray, 1525; Lime, 1525; Bondin, 

 1530; Lake Sarah, 1540; Mason, 1575; Center, 1590; lona, 1610; Skandia, 

 1600; Lowville, 1640; Leeds, 1700; T. 105, E. 4,1700; Ellsborough, 1725; 

 Cameron, 1775; Chanarambie, 1800; and Moulton, 1660. From these figures 

 the mean elevation of this county is found to be 1590 feet, very nearly, 

 above the sea. 



The townships of Nobles county, with estimates of their average hight, 

 are as follows: Graham Lakes, 1460; Hersey, 1500; Lorain, 1560; Indian Lake, 

 1580; Seward, 1530; Elk, 1575; Worthington, 1625; Bigelow, 1625; Bloom, 

 1625; Summit Lake, 1660; Dewald, 1660; Ransom, 1600; Willmont, 1700; 

 T. 103, R, 42, 1650; Olney, 1580; Little Rock, 1540; Leota, 1640; Lismore, 

 1600; West Side, 1550; and Grand Prairie, 1500. The mean elevation of 

 Nobles county above the sea, derived from these estimates, is 1588 feet, 

 being almost identical with that similarly obtained for Murray county. 



Soil. These counties have nearly the same character as to soil and 

 agricultural value with all southwestern Minnesota, being very fertile and 

 well drained, yielding bountiful harvests of wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, and 

 the small garden fruits, and capable of producing every crop that belongs 

 in this latitude. Stock-raising and dairying are also beginning to be an 

 important part in the resources of the farmers through all this region. 



