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Felknek Island, Wabee Lake, Kosciusko County, Ind. 



By J. P. Dolan. 



Wabee Lake is in Kosciusko County, Ind., about one mile southeast 

 of the town of Milford. A good description of its physical features is 

 given by Prof. Blatchley (State Geological Report for 1900, pages 186-7). 

 Quoting therefrom — -"A small and very pretty island occurs in the south- 

 east of the lake." When Profs. Ashley and Blatchley visited the lake, 

 there was so little of the island above the water line that a title was 

 deemed needless. However, the protracted drought of the past season has 

 shrunken the lake away from the island, showing it to be of sufficient 

 dignity to bear a title, temporarily at least. 



"Felkner" is the name of its former owner and is associated with 

 the best history and development of Milford and its environment. 



The island at the highest point is six feet above the lake level and has 

 a dry area of about one acre. It is destitute of vegetation save for a few 

 tufts of stunted willows, a scraggy sycamore about five feet high, a small 

 patch of Canada thistle numbering about twenty individuals, and five 

 or six strong stalks of evening primrose besides a few species of grasses. 



Its general appearance is that of a coarse, undisturbed gravel bed. 

 There is no field of shallow water upon it. Its sides slope abruptly into 

 water twenty-five .to forty-five feet deep. One can stand at the water's 

 edge and with an ordinary cane pole fish in deep water. This body of 

 deep water extends almost to the shore on the north and west, while on 

 the south and east it is found to be a few feet shallower. Taking a radius 

 of five hundred feet and the island is surrounded by water forty feet 

 deep. Thus Felkner Island is removed from shore influences. 



In 1906 the Sandusky Portland Cement Company which is operating 

 a cement mill at Syracuse, a town six and a half miles east, became the 

 owners of the island. To satisfy themselves of the extent, character, and 

 distribution of the marl and clay said to be found there, a careful survey 

 was made of the lake, the island, and the adjoining marshes. The lake 

 was cross-sectioned at intervals of 100 feet. At these several points 



