Native people told the Sturdevants of a beautiful valley along the Cedar River several miles above Independence, and that knowledge helped guide them toward the area that would later become part of early Waverly. Drawn by those descriptions, they traveled north through the Big Woods and nearby settlements until they reached the river near what is now Cedar Lane north of Waverly.

When they arrived, they were met with a landscape that made a lasting impression. To the west, waving grass and prairie flowers stretched across the open land, with trees mainly following the Cedar River. To the east, the land was thickly wooded, creating a striking contrast between open prairie and dense timber. From the higher ground near the river, the area stood out as both scenic and distinctive, shaped by the meeting of river, prairie, and woodland.