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[1859 - 60?]
Chapter I.
Physical Geography. By I. A. Lapham.
It seems proper to commence this volume of Geological Reports with some facts respecting the physical features of the state, thus enabling the reader to appreciate more fully ^what is presented in regard to the. rock formations beneath the surface. Wisconsin has a remarkable place on the globe - being situated ^in the interior of the N.American continent on the 45 the degree parallel of latitude, half way between the Equator and the north poll; on the 90 th degree of west longitude, one quarter of the circuit of the globe (six hours time) from London; the largest and next to the largest bodies of fresh water and next to the with but one Exception the largest river in the world for her boundaries. Lake Superior forms part of the northern, Lake Michigan part of the Eastern, and the Mississippi river, the Great Father of Waters, part of the western boundaries of this new tate; the great water=shead between the waters of the Lakes and those of the Mississippi, passing through it in such manner, that about two fifths
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of the area is drained by the former, and three=fifths by the latter. The accompanying figure will show the general direction of this "divide" as it passes from ^near the south East corner of the state ^where it approaches very nearly to Lake Michigan. in a zigzag course to the north west corner, of the state not far from the Western extremity of Lake Superior. In the northern part of its course it has a direction nearly east and west, and parallel with the south shore of Lake Superior, until it passes around the sources of the Wisconsin river, whence it extends a little [into?] [Mc?] in a southerly direction to the portage between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers. Here it meets the high lands along the sources of Rock river and its tributaries and is deflected to the Eastwardly, to the "Mountain ridge" hereafter mentioned and From this point the watershed passes southward along the sources of streams running directly into Lake Michigan. The principal streams rising on the west of this great water=shed are the St. Croix, forming part of the Western boundary of the state; the Chippewa; Black river; the Wisconsin which is the largest river within in the state, running almost entirely through its central portions; and Rock river whose waters drain the southern border counties. - By far the largest area East of the great water=shed is drained into the waters of Green Bay, principally through the Wolf + Fox rivers.
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Wisconsin extends from Latitude 42 30 to 47 north; and from Longitude 87 30' to 92 30' west from Greenwich; its greatest breadth is about three hundred miles, and its is about the same distance from the south line to the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, which constitute its most northern limits. But the mean or average extent is considerably less than three hundred miles, the whole superficial area being about 55,750 square miles. Wisconsin is therefore one of the largest states of the American Union.
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Besides this there is a series of smaller streams leading directly into Lake Superior, and another series running into Lake Michigan. All these details are more fully represented by the accompanying figure.
The elevation of the watershed just described, above the level of lake Michigan varies considerably in different paths of its course. Between the south line of the state and a point some distance north of Portage City the elevation varies from two hundred to three five hundred feet; nort towards the north it rises to the height of eleven hundred and fifty feet; along the south shore of Lake Suerior. * It then falls away towards the west to about the height of five hundred feet at the western boundary of the state.
The greatest depression of this water=shed is at Portage City where the waters of the Wisconsin Fox river approach within half a mile of those of Fox river, and have an elevation of only 195 feet above Lake Michigan. When the Wisconsin river it at a high stage some
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x near the sources of the Montreal river
