Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 6, 1976.
Hunting, Trapping Thrived At River
Untamed ‘Grand Marsh’ Held Ecological Key
By MURL M. NICHOLS
THE KANKAKEE RIVER is the southern boundary line of Porter County. The lowland lying along the north side of the river is a part of the original Grand Marsh. At one time this marsh served as a huge sponge, soaking up and holding much of the surface water that drained in from the surrounding higher ground during the periods of excessive rain. This water would gradually seep into the ever-winding Kankakee River where it would move very slowly westward into the State of Illinois.
Maybe we should go back a few years and see just how our Grand Marsh was changed into farmland. This original Kankakee River area was one of the most efficient ecological systems in the world. If there was ever a balance in nature, this area was surely outstanding. The river and the marsh contained plenty of water and a rich soil that was conducive to supporting an abundance of plant and animal life.
We should also mention here the numerous sand ridges that dotted the marsh area and played such an important part in this ecological system. These sand ridges provided campsites for the Indians and also furnished a habitat for animal life not able to adapt to the wet areas.
THE BIRD LIFE in the original territory was huge and many species were a great aid to the early farmer in helping to control insects in gardens, orchards, and crops. At present, a lack of suitable habitat for birds has greatly reduced their numbers, and we are becoming more dependent on insecticides for insect control in our growing of crops.
A few of the other animals that were abundant in the old swamps and ridges were fish, deer, frogs, clams, crayfish, muskrats, mink, otter, rabbits, raccoon, squirrels, opossum, groundhogs, skunks, snakes, lizards, ducks, geese, and many other species of waterfowl. For the hunter and trapper, the fur-bearing animals and the waterfowl were the most popular game, with some deer also being hunted. Some of the local people made good money by guiding hunters and fishermen in the Kankakee River area. More than one early settler bought land with money earned from the sale of game and fur shipped to nearby cities.
Marsh hay and timber were natural crops harvested in the early days.
The American Indians were probably the first people to make a living from this area; and the loss of their beautiful life, which supported the land, is a sad story indeed. The true story of the Indian is rarely told because the white man wrote the history books. I only mention the foregoing information to show that the marsh did provide a living for man but in a different way from that of the present time.
MAN WILL PROBABLY never be able to improve upon nature, but able to improve upon nature, but many seem to be motivated in the direction of making a change. Some call it progress, and we sometimes have to wonder what the end results of progress are going to be. Anyway, the white man was determined to tame the Grand Marsh and the related submarginal lands for farming.
In 1850 Congress gave the Kankakee Marsh area to the State of Indiana. In 1889 the Indiana State Legislature passed measures that permitted the sale of lands along the river. The sale of this land was to help Indiana pay for the initial drainage operations on the marshland. Some drainage of submarginal lands was tried around 1858, but the main straightening of the Kankakee to speed the water out of this drainage basin was completed in the early 1900s.
Straightening of the river was only the beginning of making new farmland. Many drainage ditches had to be dug in the submarginal areas before the land could be made suitable for the planting of crops. Even today, the marsh can become flooded from an over-abundance of rain and many lateral ditches have been constructed so that mechanical pumps can force the water into the main ditches, thus lowering the water table on the farmland. There seems to be a constant battle going on between nature and the farmer over the floodwater that flows in after heavy and frequent rains.
ONE OF THE FIRST crops to be raised on the new farmland was buckwheat. This crop was planted after the wet season and usually could be expected to mature before a killing freeze. However, because of better drainage methods, the growing season is a little longer now and other crops with a longer maturity period can be grown. The most popular crops now being raised in the lowlands are corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, hay, and pasture.
Besides grain farming, some of the other enterprises are dairying and the raising of beef cattle, hogs, and sheep. There are also some vegetable and fruit crops. Herbicides have aided the marshland farmer in controlling noxious plant life in the crops being raised.
THE MAIN TYPES of soil in the marshland are much, sand, and gumbo. The soils of lighter texture are subject to wind erosion under dry conditions if planted crops are not yet established. The farmer has learned to keep the soil surface in a somewhat rough condition to keep wind erosion to a minimum. Water erosion is also a problem at times. An early frost is usually more damaging in the marshland than it is on the higher ground. I do not wish to imply that the farmer in the marshland has any different problems from those of the farmer on higher ground; but there is a greater problem from high water.
Man is a consumer in his environment, and the farmer is becoming aware of the necessity of taking good care of the soil that produces food. There has been much controversy in the past over whether or not the marsh should ever have been drained; and because this is an article on farming, we are not going to debate the issue from either camp.
I’m sure that the farmer who owns land in the marsh area is glad for the opportunity to earn a living for his family, and he is adding much to our food supply. He has also learned to handle his farming problems in a most efficient way and is constantly trying to improve his farming methods.
