Excerpt from History of Wapello County, Iowa, Vol. 1
Wapello County in many of its topographical features is similar to the state as a whole, which consists of level or rolling prairies, with occasional deep valleys, with gentle or abrupt slopes according to the depth the streams lie below the prairie, and the character of the material through which they have carved their courses.
The Des Moines River traverses the county from northwest to south east, having, with its numerous tributaries, cut its way through the overlying strata of clays, shales and coal beds, down to the limestones, thus exposing to view and making accessible a vast amount of mineral wealth.
Untold ages were required for the forces of nature to make this prep aration for the habitation of man, but many more thousands of years inter vened, of which there is little or no record, before civilized man appeared on the scene.
The present history endeavors to give a record of events within the county, beginn . CLICK HERE TO START DOWNLOAD