Pipestone County, was originally a stretch of rich upland prairie. Ecologically, our region is known as the Tall Grass Prairie. It was virtually devoid of trees, with native grasses growing as tall as 6 to 8 feet throughout much of the county. Pipestone County is situated atop the "Coteau des Prairies", a watershed divide ranging in elevation from 1700 to 2000 feet above sea level, some of the highest land in the state. Waters east of the Coteau flow into the Mississippi River, and those west flow into the Missouri. Animal inhabitants included bison, elk, cougar, wolves, prairie chickens, and the county's numerous acres of wetlands abounded with water fowl and other birds. This was the homeland of the Dakota Indians, nomadic hunters, who lived in close harmony with nature as they traveled through this area.