USA > Indiana > Greene County > History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Sullivan County > History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana > Part 1
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HISTORY
OF
GREENE SULLIVAN COUNTIES,
STATE OF INDIANA,
FROM
THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH INTERESTING BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, REMINISCENOES, NOTES, ETO.
ILLLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROS. & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1884.
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The reproduction of this book has been made possible through the sponsorship of the Sullivan County Historical So- ciety, Carlisle, Indiana.
Reproduction by UNIGRAPHIC, INC 1401 North Fares Avenue Evansville, Indiana 47711 Nineteen Hundred Seventy Five
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977.241 H629 1975
PREFACE.
UR history of Greene and Sullivan Counties, after months of persist- ent, conscientious toil, is now completed. Every important field of research has been minutely scanned by those engaged in its preparation, and no subject of universal public value has been omitted save where protracted effort failed to secure trustworthy results. The impossibility of ingrafting upon the pages of this volume the vast fund of the county's historic infor- mation, and the proper omission of many valueless details have compelled the publishers to select such matters as are deemed of the greatest importance. Fully aware of our inability to furnish a perfect history from meager public documents, inaccurate private correspondence, and numberless conflicting traditions, we make no pretension of having prepared a work devoid of blemish. Through the courtesy and the generous assistance met with everywhere, we have been enabled to rescue from oblivion the greater portion of important events that have transpired in past years. We feel assured that all thoughtful people in the counties, at present and in future, will recognize and appreciate the importance of the undertaking and the great public benefit that has been accomplished.
It will be observed that a dry statement of fact has been avoided, and that the rich romance of border incident has been woven with statistical details, thus forming an attractive and graphic narrative and lending beauty to the mechanical execution of the volume and additional value to it as a work for perusal. We claim superior excellence in our systematic mannet uf collecting material by workers in specialties; in the division of the sub- ject matter into distinct and appropriate chapters; in the subdivision of the individual chapters into sub-heads, and in the ample and comprehensive index. We also, with pride, call the attention of the public to the superb mechanical execution of the volume. While we acknowledge the existence of unavoidable errors, we have prepared a work fully up to the standard of our promises, and as accurate and comprehensive as could be expected under the circumstances.
May, 1884.
THE PUBLISHERS.
..
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CONTENTS.
PART I.
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY. CHAPTER I.
PAGK.
GEOLOGY
11
Agriculture
23
Analysis of Iron Ore.
15
Building Stone ...
22
Coal of Greene County.
16 2
Glacial Deposits ..
21 14
Limestone Development.
12
Massive Sandstone.
13
Mammoth Spring. 18
Richland Blast Furnace.
14
Topography.
CHAPTER II.
THE INDIANS.
Burial Vault, A
30
Copper Implements. 83
Cession Treaties.
25
Earlier Race, An
25
First White Visitors
Indian Conspiracies.
Missionary Work Among the Indians. ...
Pottery, Japanese Idol, Vases, etc. 82
Pre-historic Murder, A ..
81
Skull of a Mound-Builder
82
Unprovoked Murder, An
27
Resolutions Passed at Lincoln's Death. 107 Worthington Mounds .. 29
CHAPTER III.
COUNTY CREATION AND ORGANIZATION
Act of Formation.
Acts of County Board. 88
Bloomfield Founded ..
Burlington Founded ...
47
Noteworthy Acts of Board
47
Organization of County
86
Project to Form a New County
48
Report on County Seat .. 87
Relocation of County Seat .. 43
Volunteering. 120 Territorial Period, The ..
CHAPTER IV.
ORGANIZATION-CONTINUED.
49
Aiding Railroads
60
County Pauper 55
County Library.
50
County Seminary, The ...
52
Early Land Entries, The ..
19
Greene County Medical Society
McClure Library, The. 52
McKissick Ditching Company
Population of County .....
Railroada, The .
59
Township Boundary Alterations. 56
Township Libraries, The ..... 51
Timmons' Ditching Company ... 54
White River Bridge, The ...
CHAPTER V.
COUNTY PROGRESS. 61
Agricultural Societies 62
Bonds and Bridges 69
County Finances. 65
County Officers, The 78
Early Justices of the Peace. 72 165
Ninety-seventh Regiment, The. 72 Free School System, The .. 158
Importance of Drainage, The .. 61
Political Summary 76
School Funds, The ... 72
Wabash & Erie Canal, The .. 69
PAGE
CHAPTER VI.
THE BENCH AND BAR.
82
Ad Quad Damnum. 89
Black Creek Mill Dam, The 52
Eminent Lawyers ..
90
Execution of Hiram Bland, The 98
First Court at Bloomfield, The. 86 First Indictment for Murder, The. 85
Famous Slander Suit, The ... 85
Murder of Phæbe Graves, The 93
Mrs. Smith's Ferry .... 91
Murder of William Walker. 97
New Court House, The. 88
87
Rousseaus, The .. 91
CHAPTER VII.
THE BENCH AND BAR-CONTINUED. 99
"Auburn-Haired Child of Destiny," The. 109
An Old Lady's Opinion .. 10 Bennett-Patterson Slander Suit, The ... 107
Caris Land Suits, The. 111
Court of Common Pleas Established 90
Hardin Murder Case, The.
112
Log Chain Case, The .. 102
Mast Case, The .. 103
Murder of Jacob Sicker 110
Murder of Joshua Holding. 105
Murder of James Rainwater 104
Present Members of the Bar 114
·
CHAPTER VIIL.
MILITARY HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY. 115
34 Action at Bloomfield. 120
Army of the Potomac 126
County Militia. The ... 115
Company for Mexican War, The .. 117
Company for the War, The First. 122 Incidents in the Field. 126
Loyalty of Greene County, The 119
Public Sentiment in 1861. 118
Roll of Honor. 180
Veterans, The.
180
CHAPTER IX.
MILITARY HISTORY-CONTINUED .. 185
Banner Town of the State .. 187
Company C, Twenty-first Regiment 185
Company F, Thirty-first Regiment. 188 Company H, Thirty-first Regiment. 143
Company C, Forty-third Regiment. 144
Company A, Fifty-ninth Regiment. 147
Draft of October 6, 1862. 156
Fourth of July, 1861, The. 188
Thirteenth Battery, Light Artillery 149
War Meetings .. 185
CHAPTER X.
MILITARY HISTORY-CONTINUED. 158
Atlanta Campaign, The. 162
Battle of Mission Ridge. 161 Battle of Kenesaw Mountain. 164
Burning of Columbia. .....
166
Co. A, One Hundred and Fifteenth Regt. 177
Homeward Bound ... 169
Ladies in Camp ..
Ladies' and Soldiers' Aid Societies 180
162 March to the Sea. The ..
Off for the Field ...... 159
Record of Companies
172
Summary of Men Furnished ..
180
Six Months' Company
176
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Court House Completed ... Fairplay's Loss ..
26 28 25
First Case of Barratry. 102
Probate Court, The.
11
Economical Geology.
Iron Ore of the County
vi
CONTENTS.
PAGE
FAIRPLAY TOWNSHIP.
272
An Old Ferry. 276
Business of Fairplay 277
Bear Hunting by Indians. 275
Churches and Schools. 278
Dixon Station 277
Fairplay 276
German Settlement, The. 278 Names of Settlers. 273
Removal of the Indians. 274
Sweat Houses, Scalp Dances, etc. 274
CHAPTER XVIII.
CASS TOWNSHIP
279
Church Influences. 286
Coming of the Pioneers 279
First Schools and Teachers 287
Incidents of Interest 280
Marriages, First, etc. 283
Newberry 283
Noted Family, A 280
Old Time Preachers 279
Wabash & Erie C'anal.
284
Wild Game.
282
Township Schools 285
CHAPTER XIX.
STAFFORD TOWNSHIP
288
'Churches and Schools
294
Early Condition 289
Early Industries
First Entries
292
294
First Settlement.
290
Hunting Incidents
293
Marco Village
295
Massey's Cotton Gin 291
CHAPTER XX.
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP .....
297
Accident, An Appalling 303
Big Tree, The .. 802
Early Ministers, Churches, etc. 300
List of Pioneers ...
298
Pioneer Customs.
801
Schools and Churches
302
Surface and Soll.
297
Township Militia.
CHAPTER XXI.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 803
Education.
808
First Settlers, The. 804
Formation of Township 803
Hunting Anecdotes 306
Indian and Fire Water 906
Land Entries, etc
804
Lyons ..
809
Primitive Industries
807
800 Religion
CHAPTER XXII.
WRIGHT TOWNSHIP.
811
Jasonville 314
Killing & Panther.
313
Organization of Township. 311
Pioneer Settlers .. 311
Schools and Churches.
815
Scraps of Interest
314
Wild Animals.
312
Wright, Richard, Death of. 318
CHAPTER XXIII.
GRANT TOWNSHIP. 316
Black Bears. 317
Business of Switz City
318
Early Events. 316
First School and Teacher 319
Graded School
319
Origin of Name 316
Religious Societies. 319
Secret Societies
318
Valuable Timber
260
Switz City
818
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XI.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP.
182
Bloomfield Press, The. 203
Bloomfield
188
Burlington ..
187
Business of Bloomfield, The. 193
County Seminary
197
Early Industries, Incidents, etc.
186
Fire of 1883, The.
194
Incidents of the Chase.
201
Residents of 1845.
193
Road Districts.
182
Schools and Churches.
198
Secret Societies.
195
Van Bayou and Newtown.
200
CHAPTER XII.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP. 205
A Remarkable Wedding. 207
Business of Worthington .. 216
Distilleries, Tanneries, etc .. 210
Early Residents of Worthington 215
Era of Settlement. 205
Fires in Worthington 217
First Schools. 210
Old Point Commerce. 212
Press of Worthington 226
Railroads
217
Secret Societies.
218
Tea Table Rock. 207
Watson's Station and Johnstown 229
215
Worthington
CHAPTER XIII.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP 282
Adventure, Stories of. 238
Business of Owensburg. 240
Coming of the Pioneers. 232
Churches of Owensburg. 240
First Store-keepers ..
238
Hatfield, The Hunter.
233
Manufacturing Interests
239
Election and Officers
297
Press of Owensburg. 241
240
Schools ..
CHAPTER XIV.
STOCKTON TOWNSHIP.
242
Account by Martin Wines 242
Churches. 249
First Settlers.
242
Industries of Linton 247
Linton, Town of.
246
Organization, First Officers, etc. 244
Prairie Fires ...
245
Residents of Linton. 247
248
Schools.
CHAPTER XV.
TAYLOR TOWNSHIP 251
Anecdotes of Hunters. 259 Business of Scotland. 256
Creation of Township. 251
Churches of the Township. 258
First Settlers.
252
Noted Localities.
253
Place of Holding Elections 251
Scotland. 256
Schools 258
CHAPTER XVI.
BEECH CREEK TOWNSHIP. 259
Beards and Politics. 265
Churches and Schools. 271
Early Settlements. 261 Life in the Woods. 266
. Murder of Osborn and Sickers. 270
Mr. Gaston's Letter. 262
Newark 270
Old Methods of Farming. 267
Solomon Wilkerson's Village. 265
Solsberry.
268
PAGE.
First Officers.
182
184
Richland Furnace.
vii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAPTER XXIV.
CENTER TOWNSHIP. 320
Bears and Hunters 822
Churches of Township. 825
Close Call, A.
823
Creation of Township.
820
First Land Purchase 821
First Officers. 320
Jonesborough 823
Scraps of History .. 822
Township Schools.
CHAPTER XXV.
SMITH TOWNSHIP
826
Dayhoff Reminisence. 828
Deer and Buffalo Licks. 329
Early Residents .......... 328 First School Teachers 331
First Settler, The ...
828
Formation of Township. $26
Lone Tree Prairie. 832
Re-division of Township. 827
. Scaffold Prairie.
826
PART II. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Beech Creek Township. 889
Cass Township .. 406
Center Township. 487
Fairplay Township .. 401
Grant Township
484
Highland Township. 417
Jackson Township .. 370
Jefferson Township. 356
Richland Township 835
Smith Township. 440
Stafford Township.
413
Stockton Township. 375
Taylor Township .. 381
Washington Township. 428
428
Wright Township.
PORTRAITS.
Cavins, A. G. 128 Cavins, S. C ..... 41
Mullinnix L. P.
PART III.
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY. CHAPTER L.
GEOLOGY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY .. 447
Carlisle Well, Section of .. 460
Coal Measures ..... 447
Coal, Analysis of ... 462
Coal, Distribution of .... 459
Limestone ... 449
Loess, The 458
Report of E. T. Cox, Extract from 461
Shafts, Sections of. 458
Sullivan Oil Well, The .. 448
CHAPTER IL.
THE INDIANS AND MOUND-BUILDERS 466
Azatian, Fort ..... 472
Dudley Mack Massacre, The 467
Earthworks, Pre-historic. 471
Fairbanks' Defeat. 468
Morrison's Defeat.
409
Mounds, Description of .. 479
Mounds, Sepulchral 471
Pottery, Implements, etc. 476
Saved by Prayer. 468
CHAPTER III.
ORGANIZATION OF SULLIVAN COUNTY. 478
County Seat, Change of 484
Court House Built, The. 487
Court House Remodeled, The .. 491
Counties of White River and Logan 489
Land Patents ..
485
Miscellaneous Items.
488
CHAPTER IV.
COUNTY DEVELOPMENT ... 492
Agricultural Societies, The. 492
Academies .... 506
County Medical Society, The ... 496
County Library, The ...
501
County Teachers' Institute, The
505
County Officers .. 509
Old Settlers' Meetings 496
Paupers, Population, etc ..
498
Railroads.
507
Seminary, The County. 503
Township Libraries. 502
Taxes, Recapitulation of. 514
CHAPTER V.
HISTORY OF THE BENCH AND BAR. 517
Attorneys. The First 520
Bench and Bar, The 517
Bar, Members of the. 524
Common Pleas Court, The First. 626
Mal-practice Suit .... 881
Manslaughter of McGee, The. 518 Personal Sketches. 528
Practices, The Early. 519
Probate Courts, The First. 621
CHAPTER VI.
THE BENCH AND BAR-CONTINUED. 633
Circuit Court, The First. 634 Courts Under the New Constitution 509
John Doe vs. Richard Roe .. 541
595 Lost Documents, How Supplied ...
Murder of Underwood, The 549
Old Jail Building, The .... 588
Personal Notes .... 596
Todd, Execution of. 544
Wooly va. Wooly
540
CHAPTER VIL
THE BENCH AND BAR-CONTINUED. 5.05
Chancellor Kent, Opinion of 548
Circuit Court, The ..... 550
Crime, Prevalence of
Court of Common Pleas Abolished .. 500
Ejectment Suits 549
False Imprisonment Cases .. 554
Murder of Lloyd, The. 554 Murder of a Stranger.
557 Murder of Engle, The ........ 565
Murder of Mary De Hart. 562
Murder of a Negro .... 558
Railroad Cases, The 566
Supper Party, the Bar 558
Vincennes University vs. Samuel Judah ...
CHAPTER VIII.
COUNTY MILITARY HISTORY. 8.67
Buena Vista, Battle of ...
Company, The First .... 672
Company, The Second 578 Company, The Third. 580
Fourth of July, 1861, The 577
Mexican War Company, The .. 567
Public Sentiment in 1860 ..: 570
Relief, Refusal to Grant 577
Union Mass Meetings ....... 570
War Meetings. 575
CHAPTER IX.
MILITARY HISTORY-CONTINUED. 582
Aid Societies, Bounty, oto ..... 584 602 Company, The Fourth ......... 582 Company, The Fifth ...
Company, The Sixth .... 586
Company, The Seventh
588
Company. The Eighth. 589
Company, The Ninth ..... 591
Company, The Sixth Months'. 504
Coulson's Battery ....... 586
Conscript Officers, The 592
Company, The Eleventh. 59€
Democratic Meeting, The 591
Surveyors, The First 486 Draft, the First. 598
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$24 Politics.
515
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CONTENTS.
PAGE
Draft, The Second.
599
Mingled Joy and Sorrow 601
Recruiting. 595
Summary of Men Furnished. 602
Volunteering
587
CHAPTER X.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP. 608
Banking
616
Business Interests. 618
Catalogue of Pioneers 604
Country Schools and Churches 605
Court House Square, The. 609
Early Residents of Sullivan 608
Flat-boating at Caledonia. 604
High School Building, The .. 611
Indian Trails. 605
Merchants 608
Press of Sullivan, The. 617
Sullivan .. 606
Schools of Sullivan
609
Wall's Deed, The
606
CHAPTER XI.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP CONTINUED ..... 619
Additions to Sullivan. 629
Baptist Church, The 621
Christian Church, The.
621
Catholic Church, The.
624
Incorporation of Sullivan 6:27
Methodist Church, The. 619
Presbyterian Church, The ..... 623
Population, Postmasters, etc. 628
Secret Societies
624
Streets and Sidewalks .. 630
CHAPTER XII.
HADDON TOWNSHIP 631
Carlisle, Laying out of ... 637
Carlisle, Incorporation of. 641
Churches ..
648
Dudley Mack Massacre.
634
Indian Depredations
633
Noted Characters.
646
Organization of the Township
837
Old Settlers, The.
Paxton.
650
Pioneer Preachers
639
Representative Men 645 Natural Wealth 699
Shakers, The ...
640
Old Settlers.
698
Secret Societies.
649
Schools, The
702
CHAPTER XIII.
CURRY TOWNSHIP 651
Adventists, The. 660 Epidemic, A Fearful. 706
Currysville and Burchard 661 First Settlers, The .. 704
Distillery. A
655
Early Schools 657
First Churches 656
Farmersburg. 659
Noted Hunters. 653
Present Churches. 657
Settlement, The 652
Shelburn ..
658
658
CHAPTER XIV.
GILL TOWNSHIP. 661
Big Hail Storm, The .. 662 Churches, The .... 669
Defiant Robber, A. 671
Era of Settlement 661
Indian Depredations 662
Mills, Distilleries, etc.
663
Turman Township. 795 Merom .. 664
New Lebanon
663
New Lebanon Academy. 667
Newspapers ... 672
Public Schools of Merom 667
Secret Societies
665
Union Christian College 668
CHAPTER XV.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP 672
Climate and Timber 673
Churches and Preachers 675
Milling, Merchandising, etc. 679
Names of Pioneers 675
Pleasantville .. 600
Schools and Teachers 676
Secret Societies.
681
Township Creation ...
672
Trials and Hardshipe. 673
CHAPTER XVI.
TURMAN TOWNSHIP ...
Bears and Bee Trocs. 688
Cemeteries .. 689
Death of Clark 688
Early Milla ...
First Settlers. 632
Graysville 685
Log Rollings, Amusementa, etc ..
Old Stage Coach 684
Religious Organizations 687
Schools.
Statistics.
Stock and Grain. 684
CHAPTER XVII.
CASS TOWNSHIP
690
Buell, Town of.
698
Churches.
096
Dugger
First Settlers. 697
691
First Birth Marriage and Death.
692
First Mill ..
Hunting and Hunters. 691
Important Events 698
Living Old Settlers ...
697
Pioneer Supplies
691
Wolf Story, A 695
CHAPTER XVIII.
FAIRBANKS TOWNSHIP. 698
Churches, The. 701
Early Occupations. 700
631 First Birth. 701
Fairbanks, Town of.
702
Hunters and Fishers. 700
Sportsmen, The Early
704
Township Organization, etc.
703
Timber, Coal, etc ... 706
PART IV. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Casa Township .. 808
Curry Township. 765
Fairbanks Township. 816
Gill Township.
780
Haddon Township. 744
711
Hamilton Township
Jackson Township .. 820
Jefferson Township.
786
PORTRAITS.
Akin, R. W 643
Coulson, Sewell. 529
Spencer, J. W 463
O'Haver, W. P.
677
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CHAPTER XIX.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP
708
Pittsburg and Other Towns 707
Early Preachers
655
Schools and Churches ..
706
Township ;Officers
PART I.
GREENE COUNTY
HISTORICAL.
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PART I. HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
BY PROF. B. T. COX, STATE GEOLOGIST."
THE SURFACE FEATURES SUBCARBONIFEROUS LIMESTONE-MASSIVE SAND- STONE-CARBONATE, LIMONITE AND SILICEOUS OXIDES OF IRON-ANA- LYTICAL TABLES-PERCENTAGE OF IRON-THE RICHLAND BLAST FUR- NACE-THE COUNTY COAL-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS SHOWING PERCENTAGE OF CARBON-COAL OF THE EASTERN AND THE WESTERN PARTS-FOSSILS -FIRE CLAY-ECONOMIC QUESTIONS-THE GLACIERS-QUICK-LIME- OCHER DEPOSITS-TIMBER, ETC.
THE county of Greene is hounded on the north by Clay and Owen T
Counties, on the east by Monroe and Lawrence Counties, on the south by Martin, Daviess and. Knox Counties, and on the west by Sulli- van County. In shape, it is a parallelogram, and contains 540 square miles. The principal stream of water is the West Fork of White River, which runs in a southwesterly course through the county, and divides it into two nearly equal parts. The main tributaries of White River in the county are Eel River, Latta's Creek and Black Creek on the west side, and Richland Creek, Doan's Creek and First Creek on the east side. Indian Creek, with its tributaries, waters a portion of the eastern border of the county, and empties into the East Fork of White River.
The county east of White River is quite broken, with hills from 120 feet to 300 feet in height, whereas to the west of the river, with the ex- ception of a ridge running from Eel River on the north to White River on the south, near Fairplay, and passing a short distance to the west of Worthington, the county is generally level, or slightly undulating, a con- siderable part of it being prairie. Latta's Creek Marsh, Bee-hunters Marsh and Goose Pond contain in all about nine or ten square miles of land subject to overflow during freshets. These marshes can be drained, and thus by aeration furnish to agriculture a large body of very fertile land. Previous to the completion of the Indianapolis & Vincennes Rail. road, the county was without a direct and practicable means of communi-
*This chapter, with slight variations, is taken from the report of the State Geologist, Mr. Cox, to whom the proper and customary acknowledgments are hereby tendered. Many additions could be made to this report of 1869, as the mineral resources of the county have been quite extensively developed since the report was made, but this would require months of costly labor. The report is very full and complete.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
cation with the distant centers of trade, consequently up to that time there was no incentive or inducement offered the citizens to attempt any development of its mineral resources. And even with the coming of this road, and later of the Narrow Gauge Railroad, the wealth of natural minerals has been slow of development, but enough has been discovered to render it certain that Greene is one of the richest counties in the State in stone and coal, in valuable clays, ocher beds and iron ores. The geo- logical formations represented by the succession of strata in this county are: 1. Subcarboniferous limestone period. 2. Millstone grit epoch. 3. Coal measures epoch. 4. Glacial epoch. The continuous vertical sec- tion of the coal and subordinate limestone formation are similar to those of Clay County.
SUBCARBONIFEROUS LIMESTONE.
At the mouth of Fish Creek, in the northern part of the county, limestone belonging to the Chester group of the subcarboniferous lime- stone formation outcrops on the bluff bank of the creek, and is exposed to the depth of fifteen or twenty feet, and is at this place overlaid by drift, but at a short distance southwest it is increased by the addition of two to five feet of shale, with an irregular thin seam of Coal A and the millstone grit. Some of the layers of this limestone contain a few fos- sils, but they are difficult to obtain sufficiently perfect for cabinet speci- mens. The following comprise all that could be recognized: Orthis um. braculum, Archimedes Wortheni, Athyris subtilita, Pentramitis obesus, P. pyriformis, Spirifer incrassatus, Productus carbonarious, P. Cora, and an abundance of encrinite stems. It belongs to the upper member of the subcarboniferous limestone, and is designated by Prof. A. H. Worthen in the Geological Report of Illinois as the Chester group.
The greatest development of this limestone seen in Greene County is on Beech Creek, a branch of Richland Creek, on Section 12, Township 7 north, Range 4 west, where it forms a great mural precipice, capped with a massive sandstone of the millstone series. The following section was obtained at this locality:
Brownish gray sandstone, in thick beds, which has the appearance of being most excellent building stone. 25 feet
Shale, which thickens up to many feet, and in some places contains Coal A. 1 inch
Buff-colored limestone, in which were seen Pen- tramitis obesus, P. pyriformis and Archimedes Wortheni . .20 feet
Gray siliceous shale, partly covered. .25 feet Bluish limestone (in which could be discovered no fossils), with intercalations of sandstone, mostly covered by talus. 50 feet
Total 120 feet 1 inch ..
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
At the junction of the sandstone and limestone at this locality, there gushes forth a mammoth spring of good, cool water, which was at one time utilized to run an overshot wheel that propelled the machinery of a grist mill. The subcarboniferous limestone makes its appearance at the base of the hills along this creek for a distance of several miles, and is overlaid by'a few feet of shale and the massive sandstone at the base of . the millstone grit. It also makes its appearance at the ore banks on Ore Branch of Richland Creek, in Section 28, Township 7 north, Range 4 west, and on the eastern border of the county, near the Virginia - Blast Furnace (now abandoned), and south from the furnace along Indian Creek.
MILLSTONE GRIT.
This epoch follows the subcarboniferous in regular sequence, and is principally represented by a massive sandstone, usually in two benches, and separated from each other by a bed of shale, varying from a few inches to four feet or more in thickness, and at some places carries a thin. coal, B. This massive sandstone is, apparently, in the position ocon- pied by the conglomerate sandstone most usually found at the base of the coal measures, yet in this part of the State it is, so far as 1 have been able to discover, entirely free from the admixture of quartz pebbles, which give rise to the latter name. The millstone grit covers fully. three-fourths of the county. Its boundary on the west may be approxi- mately laid down as passing from Johnstown, on Eel River, across the county in a southwesterly direction to Marco, on the Indianapolis & Vin- cennes Railroad, while the irregular margin of its eastern outorop is in Monroe County, some miles east of the Greene County line. Between this massive sandstone and the subcarboniferous limestone there is inter- posed a bed of argillaceous shale varying from a few inches to thirty feet or more in thickness, that contains in many places a bed of good, block coal A. Above the sandstone are argillaceous and siliceous shalee. with benches of flags and other stones of good dimensions for building purposes. In all, this group may attain a depth of 300 feet or more in Greene County.
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