 Around 1 million years ago, just prior to the Pleistocene epoch, northern Indiana was covered by the Teays River system, which flowed northwest out of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, entering Indiana at Adams County and flowing about 49 miles south of what is now Syracuse Lake.After the last glaciation period, the land was left with kettle holes and hilly moraines.The land supported large vast "Picea" evergreen forests, and balsam poplar, which gave way to hardwoods of oak and hickory.