Nature gave Banner county the significant distinction of having within its borders several features of geological interest. Evidence points out that Horse creek formerly flowed south of Sixty-six mountain and down the valley of the Pumpkin. The wind drift of ages swept over and buried it in the west end of the county, but the flow of much of its water is through the sands and subterranean channels of the Pumpkin valley to this day.

Wildcat and Hogback mountains are the two highest mountain peaks in the state of Nebraska, being 5038 and 5082 feet above the sea respectively. Hon. W. W. Cox made a trip through here in the early years and remarked: "What, a mountain in Nebraska? It surely is, and it sure is a daisy."

The Flowerfield Swell is the highest land in the state of Nebraska. Near the head of Bull Canyon on the Wyoming line is the only place in the state that can be said to be a mile above the sea. Should the commonwealth evenly sink a mile the entire state would be under water except a small area on the Flowerfield swell.

So far as has been shown, the Mastodon was the first settler in the valley of the Pumpkin; and that was when the surface of that part of the world was many feet below its present level. In the well being put down on the homestead of S. B. Shumway, at a depth of sixtyfour feet, the remains of one of these primitive monsters was encountered. How much of it is there no one knows, but it is certain that we removed a part of the upper jaw containing two back teeth. These grinders weighed about eight pounds each, and were eight inches long by four in width on the grind-