The Valley of Grand River, Michigan. — Mudge. 285 
this important stream. It has its source in the southern part 
of Jackson county. Thence it flows nearly north, with a 
slight trend to the west, to the center of Ionia county, a dis- 
tance of about seventy-five miles by direct route. At this 
point it turns squarely to the west and continues in this gen- 
eral direction to lake Michigan. The distance from the point 
where the direction changes to the mouth of the river is about 
seventy miles. It is thus seen that the great bend is not far 
from the middle of the river's length. 
According to the railway surveys the depot in the village of 
Muir, located at the great bend, is 76 feet above the level of 
lake Michigan. The depot site is some ten or fifteen feet 
above the ordinary level, of the river, so that the elevation of 
the latter is only about 60 feet above its mouth. A little cal- 
culation will" show that the descent from this point to the 
lake is only about ten inches to the mile; and if the meander- 
ings of the stream are taken into consideration, the fall per 
mile will be reduced to probably six or eight inches. The el- 
evation of the headwaters of the river is from 450 to 500 
feet above the level of the great bend. This is an average of 
six feet or more per mile, by direct route, which would be re- 
duced to perhaps four feet per mile by following the river's 
course. Thus it is seen that the stream consists of ;i rapid 
northerly flowing portion, and a somewhat sluggish westerly 
flowing portion. 
In studying the early history of this stream, and the causes 
which established its northerly course, the surface configura- 
tion of the state and the direction of glacial movement must 
be considered. According to Prof. Chamberlin's glacial maps 
(U. S. Geological Survey, Sixth Annual Report, page 312, and 
Seventh Annual Report, page 155, showing all the southern 
drift boundary across the United States ), a glacial lobe of con- 
siderable prominence occupied Saginaw bay and valley during 
1 he departure of the ice-sheet, extending across the state south- 
westward nearly to the Indiana line. Directly across the path of 
this glacial stream, and extending from northwest to southeast 
across Jackson and adjacent counties, lies the watershed on 
the west side of which the St. -Joseph, Kalamazoo and Thorn- 
apple rivers originate. On the opposite side of this water- 
shed and parallel with it Hows the Grand river, passing sue- 
