USA > Michigan > Kent County > History of Kent County, Michigan, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 12
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191
109
300
9
Sand rock, varying between hard, coarse and loose
309
66
Clay and sand rock of about equal parts. .
375
14
Coarse loose sand rock, water doubled and stronger
435
11
Clay rock.
446
18
Sand rock.
465
2
Clay rock, one foot of sand rock at 495 feet.
467
194
214
Clay rock continuing. Temperature of water in well 50.5 Fahrenheit
661
- -
118
137
Feb. 1, 1838, the Legislature passed a law directing the State Geologist to bore for salt at one or more of the State salt springs, and appropriated for the purpose from the internal improvement fund $3,000. Sept. 18, 1839, there was made a schedule of the property at the salt well on section 3, township 6 north, range 12 west, as follows : Steam engine and boring apparatus, blacksmith, carpenter and farming tools, traveling equipage, provisions, cooking utensils and household furniture. On the next day John Ball made an agreement with Richard Carroll to occupy the dwelling-house, use the blacksmith shop, and take care of the engine and all the prop- erty. July 9, 1841, he gave Lucius Lyon the first measurement, and July 9, 1842, he had bored to the depth of 650 feet.
It is evident from those early borings that the rocks composing this group are highly argillaceous. In following up the record of borings made subsequently, it will be seen that this stratigraphic conformation consists principally of clay beds and shale, thinly intercalated with limestone, and a persistent gypsum rock of from 10 to 20 feet in thickness. There is nothing in the confor- mation stratigraphically porous to insure a brine fountain ; but
FEET.
20
2
123
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
everything points out the existence of great channels of saline fluid extending through great fissures, worn in the sand rock, and striking the northeastern sand rock in the Saginaw valley.
Scribner's salt well, near the old railroad depot at Grand Rapids, is cotemporary with the well of the East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Company, being bored in 1859-'60, to a depth of 380 feet. The rocks pierced were as follows : Carboniferous lime- stone, below the "red layer," 51 feet; solid shale, one foot ; waterlime, or hard, blue limestone, two feet; argillaceous strata with beds of lime rock, and layers of sandstone from one to five feet in depth, 79 feet ; saliferous, gypseous and pyritiferous forma- tions, with layers of sandstone and limestone, 66 feet .. At a depth of 199 feet the first indications of salt were met. The stratum for five feet below the last formation is a highly ferrugin- ous and pyritous rock, exceedingly hard. At a depth of 204 feet the porous sand rock was struck, with a current of brine ; at 315 feet, a bed of clay, 10 feet thick, was pierced, after which the sand rock continued 55 feet, bringing the well to a depth of 380 feet.
Another well, put down at the instance of Messrs. Power & Martin, one-half mile northwest of Scribner's salt well, reached a depth of 156 feet. The first brine current was struck at a depth of 138 feet, and it was supposed that below this point brine was not obtainable. The stratification recorded is as follows :
Feet
Feet
Superficial materials. 16
Fire clay with streaks of snowy
Limestone, with spar crystals. 3 gypsum . . . 1
Red arenaceous limestone. 5
Limestone, shale and chert 32
Shale, pyritous, arenaceous, gyp. siferous. 18
Black, carbonaceous shale. 7
Shale, filled with grit. 4
Light-colored clay. 10
Shale, cherty and gypseous .. 7
Clay with effervescent substances. 8
Shale abounding in quatzose sand. 9 Dark, shaly sandstone .. 2
Dark greenish shale . 2
Shale with gypsum and sand
18
Dark, carbonaceous, shaly grit. 5 First salt water, clay and shale, S
At a depth of 156 feet a very liard silicious limestone was pierced. The salometer registered 100°, the supply being a half gallon per minute.
The salt well of R. E. Butterworth was bored in 1860, and a record of such boring kept by himself. This well was located at the Butterworth foundry, and reached a depth of 490 feet, striking brine 22 ° in strength at a depth of 325 feet. The strata pene- trated is as follows :
Feet
FIRST BRINE CURRENT.
Feet
Saliferous rock with gypsum beds 61
Very hard lime rock with gypsum 7 Lime rock. 1
Argillaceous strata 48
Clay slate. 1
Hard lime rock. 5
Lime rock and gypsum. 7
Blue gray sand rock.
Gray sand rock. 13
Argillaceous sand rock 19
Dividing shale. 10
FRESH WATER OURRENT.
Limestone and clay alternately ... .
15
Sandstone with shaly partings. 128
Brown, hard limestone with spar. . 4 Shales and flag-stones. 50
At a depth of 30 feet fresh water began to flow ; at 57 feet the first brine was struck ; at 129 feet the brine was found capable of
Limestone. 12
Soft sand rock.
5
Clay.
Shale.
8
Calcareous sand rock.
37
Unctious, pyritous clay .. 9
124
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
producing one bushel of salt from 95 gallons; and at 261 feet the water began to flow at the rate of 350 gallons per minute.
The Indian Mill Creek Salt Company's well, 25 rods north of Powers & Martin's, was bored in 1860. The company comprised John Ball, J. H. McKee, Luther Colby and D. P. Clay. The drill. after penetrating 81 feet of gravel, sand and a vein of clay four inches in thickness, penetrated rocks, comprising three feet of white gypsum, eight feet of clay and shale, four feet of hard rock, 34 feet of soft clay, seven feet of hard sand rock, four feet of clay, nine feet of coarse gravel, seven feet fine gravel, four feet very hard sand rock, 42 feet gypsum and clay, two feet black sand rock, nine feet wate-lime layers, 105 feet of soft sand rock, 15 feet of shale and clay, 29 feet of sand rock, two feet black iron sand, 59 feet of sand rock, and ten feet of clay with layers of sandstone. The record of this boring was kept by Ball, Clay & Co. The well reached a depth of 434 feet. The first brine current was struck at a depth of 128 feet. The supply of brine at 214 feet was10 gallons per minute, the salometer registering 19º. Eighty- one feet deeper the number of degrees registered was 27. The discharge of water at a depth of 434 feet was 135 gallons per minute.
The well bored in 1860, under direction of J. W. Winsor, was located in section 12, township 7 north, range 12 west. The record of the boring is as follows :
DESCRIPTION OF ROCKS.
of
Interven-
ing Thick-
ness.
of Forma- 1 Thickness
tion.
Superficial materials
0
43
43
Limestone, eight inches of clay and gravel at 53 feet. Drill went down rapidly 15 inches at 57 feet.
43
21
21
Dark and blue shale resting on eight inches of hard limestone
64
8
Very hard, yellow and gray sandstone.
72
4
Shale, gypsum and clay.
Sandstone.
SS
1
Clay, shale and gypsum.
89
10
Greenish clay and shales with black streaks
99
9
Gypsum alternating wi h shale.
108
24
Blackish blue shale.
132
20
Gypsum.
152
4
Black shale. First brine at 164 feet
156
10
Gypseous clay, very salt, resting on salt shale, alternating with gypsum.
166
13
Black, very hard rock.
179
4
"Dark, flinty beds. interlaminated with clay and gypsum
183
57
Very hard pyritiferous rock, with gypseous clays.
240
8
Sand rock. Brine 16° at 259 feet ; 20° at 278 feet ; 17° at 319 feet.
248
79
Clay and sand rock, followed by clay with very hard streaks. Sal. 26 ..
327
22
Sand rock, white. Sal. 316 at 391 feet. The overflow 24°.
349
74
Argillaceous sand rock, fine. Brine remaining the same .. .
493
23
97
minu'e ..
446
184
101
Same continuing. Discharge of water about 35 gallons per
At Depth
12
125
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
The well put down by Mr. Taylor in 1860 near the Grand Rapids railroad depot, reached a depth of 402 feet. It was subsequently deepened with the intention of penetrating the Onondaga salt group, but the record of the additional boring is not at hand.
THE GYPSUM,
as found in Kent county, is exceptionally pure, containing only 1.5957 parts in 100 of impurities, such as sulphuric acid, soda and potash. An analysis of the gypsum quarried near Grand Rapids was made in 1860 by Dr. S. P. Duffield, of Detroit, showing the following constituent parts : Water 19.00, lime 32.67, sulphuric acid 44.44, and organic matter 3.89. The first plaster was manu- factured by Jones & Ball. Williams & Butterworth succeeded, and the latter sold out to the Boston Company. Bernard Court- ney induced John Ball to invest in a plaster quarry, and to erect the Emmet Mills. Freeman Godfrey discovered plaster subse- quently, bought the lands in the neighborhood, and entered upon the preparation of gypsum. He erected a mill on Plaster creek, and within a short period raised the young industry . to an impor- tant position. Within the year the Detroit market was supplied with 6,030 tons of prepared gypsum, while the older quarries of Sandusky sent thither only 4, 661 tons.
Hydraulic limestone, stone for quick-lime, plaster, alabaster of varied color, and many other useful rocks and minerals, known in economical geology, are found within the limits of Kent county.
The fossil remains found in connection with the rocks of this county, and particularly with the Carboniferous limestone, com- prise the Lithostrotion mammillare, the L.longiconicum, the Cyatho- phyllum fungites, and the Syringopore, all belonging to the Polypi class. The only evidence of the Echinodermata is fur nished by the remains of common species. The Bryozoa class is represented in this limestone by no less than seven species, the Brachiopoda by eighteen species, the Lamellibranchiata by six species, the Trilobites by two very distinct species, showing the tails. The remains of fish and reptiles are found to be very com- mon. Human remain's are uncommon in the strata, though in other States of the Union they have been found mysteriously com- mingled with some of the first formations.
ARCHEOLOGY.
The archæologist must be forever a speculator. Since it is impossible to state precisely the facts connected with the origin of the vase, stone ornaments, hatchets and arrow-heads, which his industry brings forth from their hiding-places, he can never enter on the paths of the historian, nor find a true time or cir- cumstance upon which to base the philosophy of archaeology.
Kent county is singularly fortunate in possessing men who dis- covered many relics of a race, the memory of which is lost in
126
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
oblivion. They formed a valuable collection of antique remains, . and placed them at the disposal of the Scientific Institute of the county. An account of their explorations was furnished to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and printed in the record of the proceedings of that body, August, 1875. The paper was prepared by Wright L. Coffinberry and E. A. Strong, from facts established by them and other members of the Institute during their archaeological researches in this county. These
gentlemen say: "Recent explorations and excavations among the numerous ancient mounds in the vicinity of Grand Rapids, undertaken by the Kent Scientific Institute of that place, and car- ried forward by the authors of this paper, with the assistance of other members of the Institute, have developed some facts of interest, to us at least. It is the object of the present paper merely to give, in brief topical form, certain conclusions derived from these explorations."
Eight groups of tumuli, containing in all 46 mounds, have been seen and inspected more or less thoroughly, of which number 14 have been excavated and explored with great care. A typical group of 17 mounds on the farm of Cap- tain A. N. Norton, about three miles below the city of Grand Rapids, on the bank of Grand river, was carefully surveyed and platted, and several of them thoroughly explored. The mounds examined vary from two to 152 feet in height, and from 10 to 102 feet in diameter. In all cases they are more or less nearly conical, somewhat flattened at the top, with a broad "talus" at the base,-such a form as any conical mound of earth will assume after long exposure. In no case does the outline of the group show any appreciable figure or totem.
The material of which the mounds are composed seems in most cases to be gathered from the surface about the base, over such an extent as to leave no appreciable depression. Each mound is nearly homogeneous, and is usually composed of surface or allu- vial soil. Only in a few cases has resort been made, in their construction, to the underlying gravel and clays. In most cases it is sufficiently evident that no great interval of time elapsed between the beginning and the completion of each mound.
That the mounds are very old can be easily established. Trees are growing upon the Norton mounds equal in size to some of the same species standing on the same kind of soil, which had 260 rings of growth ; while at their base are lying the remains of still larger trees, which must have been giants while the former were saplings. More conclusive evidence of the great antiquity of these structures is found in the condition of the articles which many of them contain. Human bones are decomposed almost beyond recognition ; only in favorable cases will they bear their own weight when exhumed. Even the dense shafts of the long bones of herbivorous animals are sometimes so tender that they can be rubbed to powder between the fingers. Copper is encrusted with a thicker coating of the carbonate than pieces of the same
127
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
material found at the depth of several feet in the heavy drift in the same vicinity. Heavy marine shells, as well as those of the larger Unios, are in a friable or pulverulent condition. Wood, bark, and all fabrics are entirely decomposed, and returned to their native elements.
One single mound, or rather the remains of one, has been observed, which might come under the designation of "refuse" heaps. It was entirely removed some years ago to make way for the dock and mill at Spoonville, Ottawa Co. It is described, by those who removed it, as a huge pile of ashes, shells, and fish- bones, about 15 feet high, 45 feet wide, and 100 feet long, and is, in part at least, recent.
About one-third of the number of mounds examined were clearly places of sepulture. The uses of the others or the motives which led to their construction can be only conjectured. It is quite reasonable to suppose that they were either monumental or commemorative, or were erected as observatories, the last suppo- sition being the least probable. Mounds of this class can in no way be distinguished from burial mounds. They are simply empty and structureless piles of earth, mingled confusedly with burial mounds.
The late Louis Campau and Rix Robinson, both of whom passed their lives with the Indians of the Upper and Lower Pen- insula, possessed their confidence, and were familiar with their manners, customs and languages, stated that their Indian friends uniformly declared that the mounds were not built by themselves, -that they did not know their origin, but that they all regarded them with reverence, and preferred to be buried near or upon them.
The material found in the mounds of Kent county may be de- scribed under the following heads: Organic Remains, Fabrics, Pot- tery, Drinking Cups, Stone Implements, Bone Implements, and Cop- per Implements. Such materials were intimately associated. Where human remains were wanting, nothing was found ; while in no case were skeletons exhumed without revealing something else of interest, often of all of the above kinds.
Human remains were invariably found in an elongated, concave, irregular oval pit, a foot or two below the natural surface of the ground, surrounded by whatever objects of interest the mound con- tained, the relative situation of this material being essentially as in the ordinary English barrows. The skeleton is not oriented, but the feet are turned indifferently in any and every direction; nor is there any uniformity in the position of the body, or in the position of the members. A half sitting or reclining posture has been observed, and in one instance a position similar to that of the skeleton from the cave of Menton, figured in Dana's Geology and elsewhere. More commonly, however, the limbs are violently flexed upon the body, or, as still more frequently the case, the bones of the skeleton are confusedly mingled. Frequently the larger bones are only found, and not one complete skeleton has
128
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
been seen. Portions of a skull may be wanting, the long bones may be broken and the pieces dissevered, or some of the pieces may not be present. In every instance the skull is found flattened as if by the pressure and settling of the soil in the direction of the vertical axis of the mound, and this without any reference to the position of the skull.
The existence of fabrics at this time cannot be questioned. All the copper articles found bear traces of having been wrapped in a coarsely woven cloth, which, uniting with the encrusting carbon- ate, has been at once preserved and obscured by it. In several instances where the earth has been carefully cleared away from bone spears, flint implements, or even the common fragments of quartz pebbles, impressions of fabrics have been clearly visible. The impressions are such as would be made by coarse, loosely woven cloth, having about 12 or 14 untwisted or slack-twisted fibers to the inch.
Several large marine shells were uncovered. They were hollowed out apparently for carrying or storing water, and in one instance perforated at the upper edge on opposite sides for suspension by a cord or thong A few fragments of usual coarse pottery were also found, with external markings. The upper part of the vessel appears to bear marks of having been formed by revolution as upon some kind of wheel ; while the lower part is irregularly con- vex, and usually has three or four strong bulges or protuberances. The rim is well made, somewhat thickened, neatly beveled or rounded at the top. and often ornamented with a check pattern, produced by quick, diagonal strokes of a pointed instrument. Below this is a plain band bordered by grooves or rows of tri- angular pits, or both. The lower part of the vessel is ornamented with a variety of patterns, usually having some reference to the protuberances above mentioned.
The vases or vessels are small, having only a capacity of one or two quarts, and were found, in all cases, scattered in fragments as if they had been thrown, or placed, in the pit before it was filled, and while it was being filled. One only seemed to have been crushed by the settling of the mound, as the pieces were nearly in place. It contained a mass of irregular flint chips, such as is often found in these barrows.
In the exploration of the Norton group of mounds, nothing of recent deposit was found. In a mound on Royce's farm, parts of a skeleton, consisting of a few broken pieces of the cranium, the sacrum, a few teeth, and some other pieces much decayed and burned, with charcoal in close proximity, were discovered. Both charcoal and bones were not more than 18 inches below the top of the mound. The mound itself is about six feet high, and 40 feet in diameter at the base. Below the surface, or about seven feet below the capital of the mound, was found a copper needle, encrusted with green oxide, and surrounded with a few flint chips.
On the farm of Peter McCauley, in township 8 north, of range 9 west, on a high hill or ridge surrounded by beautiful lakes, and
129
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
overlooking them all, was a group of six ancient mounds. These were explored in August, 1876, by Wright L. Coffinberry, with the result of finding, at a depth of 18 inches below the land level, a bed of charcoal, so ancient that it resembled a layer of lamp- black, with the exception of some few pieces which were so little disintegrated as to exhibit the woody fiber. Mica plates rested over this bed, and were almost decomposed when found, as if exposed to the action of a cremating fire. A small quantity of red ochre was found in the second mound, supposed to correspond with the war-painting material of the savages. The third mound contained a copper chisel one-fourth inch thick, one-fourth inch wide, and two and one-half inches long, encrusted with a very thick coating of green oxide, as if placed near a fleshy or acidu- lous substance. A portion of a vase, evidently of great antiquity, was also found in the mound. The fourth, fifth and sixth mounds of the Grattan group did not yield up' relics of a by-gone race, but afforded substantial proof to the explorers that within them were buildings constructed by men of the dim past. One of these mounds was four feet in height, circular and conical in form, with a breadth at the base of 40 feet.
During the winter of 1877-'8 Mr. Coffinberry found in the neigh- borhood of the mounds just noticed, a peculiar work of barbaric art, of the following description : The notches are all on the corners of the same side of the stone, and the date 1584 on the opposite side. The figures are fine, thin marks, and appear to be the work of a novice in the way of engraving, using as a chisel the broken blade of a large pocket knife. The notches on the corners of the stone are the proper size and number ; the holes were evidently made with a blunt flint drill, as they are counter- sunk on both sides, and in making did not exactly meet; so this had to be modified subsequently by the engraver. The stone is about one-fourth inch thick in the center, and tapers thinner toward both ends, with square edges, worked off smooth, and shows marks of being ground down, as is the case in most relics of that character. The color is a rich brown, the stone exceed- ingly hard. There is one thing singularly strange connected with this souvenir of the past : the date given evidently points out the year of the Christian era. The explorers account for the existence of the figures from the fact that an early French missionary found the relic and engraved the figures upon it.
The volcanic glass arrow-heads, copper needles, pipe stems, even a copper beaver tooth, found within the city of Grand Rapids, point to a people dwelling here in pre-Indian times. In the museum of the Kent Scientific Institute, as well as among the private collections of antiquaries, there may be found a hundred mementoes of the early occupation of the valley.
The garden beds of this portion of the Grand river valley were laid off in ridges 12 feet wide, 74 feet in breadth, and extending in a southwesterly course 156 feet. Many of such fields existed
130
. HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
here before the plowshare of the American pioneer leveled their relief features.
A fact mentioned by Dr. Lapham furnishes a species of evidence as to the relative antiquity of the garden beds as compared with the animal mounds. They were found overlying the latter ; from which he infers, of course, a more recent origin. It may also be supposed a considerably more recent age, since it is not likely that the race could have thus encroached upon the works of another until long after these had been abandoned and their religious or other significance forgotten.
The date of the abandonment of the beds may be approximately fixed by the age of the trees found growing upon them. One of these, mentioned by Schoolcraft, cut down in 1837, had 335 corti- cal layers. This carries the period back as far as 1502, or some years prior to the discovery of this country by the French. How long these labors were abandoned before this tree commenced its growth may not be susceptible of proof. Early French explorers do not appear to have been interested in the question, and it does not seem to me necessary to go further back than the three cent- uries during which that tree flourished, for a period quite long enough to have crumbled into indistinguishable dust every trace of wooden dwellings and implements, as well as of the bodies of their fabricators, if the latter received only simple earth burial.
At the time of the arrival of the French the country was in pos- session of Algonquin tribes, who emigrated from the St. Lawrence about the middle of the 16th century. They were ignorant of the authors of these works, and were not more advanced in the arts of culture than the other known tribes. It is probable that the few defensive works mentioned were erected by this settled and peaceful race of gardeners, as places of temporary refuge for the women and children, against the raids of the warlike tribes living eastward of them. The larger one may have served for the gen- eral defense in a time of sudden and great emergency. It is prob- able that on some such occasion they were surprised by their savage and relentless foes, and were overwhelmed, scattered or exterminated. It is perhaps useless to regret that these most interesting and unique relics of a lost people have so completely perished, through the greed of the dominant race ; or that they could not have received, while they yet remained, the more exact and scientific scrutiny which is now being applied to the antiqui- ties of our land. Much that might then have been cleared up must now remain forever involved in mystery, or be left to con- jecture.
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