USA > Michigan > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume I > Part 38
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2 feet down
7 feet down 54.47%
10 feet down
Calcium carbonate
54.54%
54.94%
Magnesium carbonate
42.75
43.59
42.84
Silica
2.00
.74
1.33
Iron oxide and alumnia.
.70
.98
.58
Difference
.01
.22
.31
MONROE STONE CO.
QUARRY FLOOR (WEST WALL) MONROE STONE COMPANY, SOUTH OF MONROE, 1909
284
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
MONROE QUARRIES
To the south of the city of Monroe there have been opened several quarries of more or less importance, chiefly in the immediate vicinity of Plum creek. Some of these furnished building stone and lime in an early day to the French settlers of this region. The main excavations are upon the north side of the creek and lie upon adjoining divisions of claim 498, belonging to Alex. T. Navarre and Mrs. Mary T. Navarre. The stripping consists of a stony, yellowish brown clay from three and one-half to five feet thick, deepening towards the west. In the north- eastern part of the irregular excavation two fairly well defined folds in- tersect one another, one bearing N. 45° E., and the other N. 60° W. From these ridges the rock dips in four directions from two to five degrees. In the A. T. Navarre the dip is approximately one to two degrees toward N. 61º W. Here four beds may be recognized, the upper one being termed the "white bed." This is a gray to creamy white dolomite, six to seven feet thick, thin bedded and fissured above, but thicker toward the base. Many loose pieces of this bed are in the clay stripping soft- ened upon the surface to a mealy powder. At the lower part of this bed it passes into a nine to ten feet stratum, which is very compact, even grained, somewhat laminated and sparingly streaked with blue. The rock is brittle, gives sharp edges, and coarse conchoidal fracture. Owing to its higher specific gravity it is known in the quarry as the "lead bed." Beneath this lies a two-foot "gray bed," made up of a fossilifer- ous light drag dolomite, carrying some films of carbonaceous material.
A local deposit of brecciated material similar to that found in the sink holes of the Monroe Stone Company quarry was observed at one place. Upon the south side of the creek the rock lies very near the sur- face and a linear excavation extends for a considerable distance parallel with the stream. It is here that the bed of oolite, previously described, appears. Above it is a creamy dolomite, becoming somewhat blue, while beneath is a compact, laminated bed, streaked horizontally with a rusty brown. Judging from the alteration in the mottled dolomite seen in the Little Sink quarry this bed is of the blue streaked variety. These beds underlie those above described, as well as those in the quarries north of the city.
One-half mile down stream a large quarry has been opened between the two railroad tracks by the Michigan Stone and Supply Company, the owners of the Woolmith quarry. The excavation is in the form of an irregular rectangle about four hundred and fifty by one hundred and twenty-five feet. At the time of the visit it was well filled with clear blue water so that the strata could not be examined. Toward the north side the depth is said to be thirty-two feet, penetrating a lower series of beds than are seen elsewhere in the county. The rock was used en- tirely for road purposes and a crusher was operated in connection with the quarry. For five years no work has been done here, owing, it is re- ported, to the damage done to neighboring houses by the blasting. The ledges exposed above the water are thin-bedded fissured dolomites, of a light color. In the stone pile at the crusher there are seen fragments of a compact, fossiliferous, drab dolomite; another of a bluish color and conchoidal fracture and a third blue shaly rock, friable and carrying carbonaceous seams. The former foreman says that the strata are very much disturbed in this quarry and "run every way."
During periods of low water in the Raisin rock is quarried directly from the bed opposite the city and for a distance of three to four miles above at frequent intervals. The lower beds thus exposed consist of gray and drab dolomites, the latter finely laminated. Opposite claims 65 and 88 (North River Raisin) the rock is a creamy yellow dolomite, in some
285
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
layers very finely laminated. Further up the river the higher beds occur and are seen to become more silicious as the Sylvania sandstone is approached. In Willow Run, at its mouth a thin layer of sandstone occurs, which much resembles the Sylvania except for the greater coarse- ness of its grains. Near the top of the series there occurs a stratum of bluish gray and brown chert, somewhat brecciated and carrying obscure fossil remains.
Within a distance of a half mile south of the Plum Creek quarries four small openings have been made and rock removed for local pur- poses. Some two hundred paces south a small field quarry has been opened upon claim 498, belonging to Alexander T. Navarre. From three to five feet of bluish to buff dolomite are exposed. Locally the strata are laminated, in places homogeneous. The rock weathers to a soft, mealy substance of a creamy color. Numerous fragments are loose in the clay stripping, which varies in thickness from a few inches to three feet. About one hundred paces to the southwest of this quarry Dennis Na- varre has a small field quarry into the same bed. Some of the rock shows the brownish mottled effect seen on Plum creek in the beds associated with the oolite. The two other quarries are upon the same claim and are upon the banks of Tamarack creek. The most westerly one belongs also to Dennis Navarre and is located near his residence. The opening is three to four feet deep and was filled with water at the time of the visit. The bed of oolite is here exposed and some of the overlying dolo- mite, which is creamy and slightly mottled. For a distance of about three hundred paces down stream the rock appears in outerop and an irregular quarry has been opened upon the property of Patrick Navarre. The rock is thin-bedded and fissured above, but the deeper layers attain a thickness of nine to ten inches. The upper strata are buff to gray and mottled with brown to a depth of four feet. Beneath this the rock is compact and of a drab color. The strata here dip 7º toward N. 16° E., both of which are abnormal.
LA SALLE QUARRIES
No quarries of any magnitude or especial importance have yet been opened far south of Plum creek, but the rock is near the surface in many localities and the railroads are near at hand to give the necessary ship- ping facilities. Excepting the bed of oolite previously noted, the rock is a gray to drab dolomite, generally compact and adapted for road metal, of which the region generally stands in great need. Within the limits of La Salle township to the south a number of minor quarries have been started, but unimportant in amount of production. The rock is the common type of drab dolomite in rather thin layers.
BEDFORD QUARRIES
Three small quarries have been opened near together and excavated to a depth of two to three feet at the center of Section 12. Bedford town- ship. These are of almost trifling importance and stand idle a con- siderable portion of the year, the excavations filling with water, as is the case when quarries are not operated. The rock samples show that . the rock is a somewhat incoherent and not homogeneous drab dolomite. The other small quarries in this township are not dissimilar in character- istics and may be simply named without detailed description as follows : The White quarry, the Willis quarry, Elisha Sorter, etc., etc. In the White quarry it is interesting to note that there are characteristics simi- lar if not identical with those of the Monroe Stone Company and the layer exposed at Stony Point.
286
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
WHITEFORD QUARRIES
There remain but two small quarries to be briefly described and these are located in the southern part of Whiteford township. Those lying above the Sylvania sandstone have been described in a previous section of this chapter. In each of these two quarries the oolitic stratum occurs in a peculiarly modified form, termed locally "bastard limestone." This is best seen in the quarry of Nelson Bush in the S. W. 1/4, S. E. 14, Sec. 25, just north of the east and west road. The rock here seems much disturbed and broken and suitable only for road work, for which it has been used. At the time of the visit a portable crusher was at work pre- paring stone for a road leading into the city of Toledo. The uppermost strata consist of a very compact bluish-gray dolomite which passes into the oolite, both forming a bed five to six feet thick. Beneath lies a gray compact bed which has been entered but a short distance. East a few rods considerable rock has had to be blasted from the bed of Bay creek, in order to suitably deepen it for drainage purposes. Large blocks of the oolite and compact dolomite are found upon the bank, along the stream, for a considerable distance.
The second quarry of this group belongs to Stephen Young and is situated in the N. E. 1/4, N. E. 14, Sec. 4 (T. 9 S., R. 6 E.) about twenty- five rods northeast of the owner's residence. The excavation is an irreg- ular quadrilateral about fifty feet long and has a depth of five feet. Near the center of the quarry the rock strata are said to have been horizontal, but about the sides appear much disturbed. The rock is the compact, modified oolite of a buff color and gritty feel, so that it is easily mistaken for a sandstone, upon superficial examination.
CHAPTER XXII
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
CLIMATE OF MONROE COUNTY-CONTOUR OF THE COUNTY-ELEVATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY-SURFACE DRAINAGE-PICTURE OF THE RIVER RAISIN-MACON AND SALINE RIVERS-THE HURON AND OTHER STREAMS-UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE.
The author wishes to express his grateful acknowledgments to Prof. W. H. Sherzer, of the Michigan Geological Survey, for valuable and in- teresting information and scientific data contained in his "Geological Report on Monroe County," a work of the highest order containing the fullest and most elaborate description of the general configuration and of the resources of the county that has been made public. He also desires to especially thank Prof. R. C. Allen, director of the Geological Survey of Michigan, for his courteous assistance, and permission to make use of the numerous fine illustrations accompanying this chapter, which is appreciated no less by the author of this history than by its readers. The tables of climatic data are from the same source up to 1871, to which are added the observations of Mr. John W. Morris of Grape, Raisinville township, kindly supplied by him for this chapter.
Mr. Morris has furnished the observations at Grape, which is the geographical center of the county, for many years, and his tables are perfectly accurate and reliable. He has been most obliging and cour- teous in furnishing to the local press from time to time such informa- tion as would be of value and interest to the public.
CLIMATE OF MONROE COUNTY (1871-1911)
The geographical position of Monroe county, its proximity to Lake Erie, its topography and the prevailing direction of wind combine to make it one exceptionally favored so far as productive climate is con- cerned. It corresponds in all essential particulars with the noted fruit belts of western New York and northern Ohio. Lying low and flat, hemmed in on the west and northwest by morainic ridges, with the great body of water, which forms its entire eastern boundary, slowly radiating its summer heat, fall frosts are delayed sufficiently for crops to mature. Upon an average not until October 12 does the first killing frost occur in the center of the county. During the past ten years the earliest date at which this has occurred was September 21 and the latest was October 30. During the greater part of each year the wind blows from the quar- ter of the compass lying between south and west. In consequence, the mean temperature is higher than it might otherwise be and the annual precipitation is abundant. According to statistics published in Wall- ing's Atlas of Michigan by Dr. A. Winchell, the average annual precipi- tation at Monroe for eighteen years (1853 to 1870 inclusive) was 31.8 inches, with a minimum of 26.17 inches. This was distributed through the seasons as follows: Spring, 8.11 inches; summer, 9.85 inches; fall,
287
288
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
8.27 inches; winter, 5.56 inches. During the past twelve years at Grape the precipitation has averaged about three inches less, being 28.724 inches. At Toledo where approximately the same weather conditions pre- vail, as in the southeastern part of Monroe county, the mean annual pre- cipitation for the past twenty-nine years is 30.68 inches, rather evenly distributed throughout the year. During the winter months, of course, some of this is precipitated as snow, ten inches of which are regarded as equal to one inch of rain. The average snowfall for the fifteen years previous to 1900 has been 33.6 inches, the greatest fall occurring during the winter of 1895-96, giving a total for the year 63.7 inches. The least snowfall during this period of years occurred during 1889-90, when there fell the surprisingly small amount of 6.0 inches. It is evident from the figures that even during winters of greatest snow fall the bulk of the moisture received from the air is precipitated as rain. During the twelve years over which the records have been kept at Grape the maximum amount of rainfall in twenty-four hours, consecutively, equaled 2.94 inches, which fell on September 13, 1892. This was nearly equaled in August 21, 1890, when 2.92 inches fell. February is generally regarded as the "snow month" of our winters and observation records show that the minimum is reached during the last week of the month. Following is the average monthly temperature and precipitation, 1871 to 1909:
Month.
Temperature. Precipitation.
January
25.8º
2.03
February
27.8
2.02
March
34.8
2.23
April
47.6
2.19
May
59.2
3.39
June
69.1
3.29*
July
73.1
3.10
August
70.7
2.60
September
64.0
2.38
October
52.4
2.32
November
39.6
2.84
December
30.6
2.29
Of great importance to the agricultural interests of the county is the question of temperature, particularly its distribution through the year, and the minumum reached during the winter. At Grape, during the ten years ending in 1870, the mean annual temperature as deter- mined by standard instruments has averaged 49.14° and for twenty- nine years the average was 49.6°. The lowest temperature recorded at Grape from 1890 to January 20, 1892, was 18° below zero, while the highest temperature at the same place was 99° on June 4, 1890. The summer isotherm of 70°, which marks the theoretical position of the sugar beet belt, cuts diagonally across the county. The annexed table shows the mean temperatures and snow-fall and total precipitation, 1871 to 1909:
Year.
Mean
Total
in Inches.
Total
Snowfalls
in Inches.
Prevailing
Direction of Wind.
1871
49.5
31.38
Southwest
1872.
48.1
27.56
Southwest
1873
49.3
35.52
. . .
Southwest
1874.
50.1
25.83
....
South
..
Temperature.
Precipitation
.
This may be assumed to approximately represent the meteorological conditions that prevailed in Monroe county during the period named.
Passing over the intervening time between the last date given and the year 1911, the present year offers some characteristics of tempera- ture and meteorology, which are of interest and which are taken from Mr. Morris's observation at Grape.
It is a noteworthy fact that during 1911 there was no zero weather and for six months and six days consecutively there was no frost. The record for 1911 is tabulated below. TEMPERATURE
Max.
Min
Prec.
January
49
3
1.33
February
58
4
1.58
March
66
7
1.13
April
75
18
3.06
May
97
28
1.20
June
96
46
4.09
July
100
47
2.70
August
90
45
3.16
September
90
40
4.33
October
71
26
3.90
November
68
11
3.00
December
58
10
1.99
Precipitation
in Inches
Snowfalls
in Inches
of Wind. Prevailing Direction
1875
46.4
28.03
Southwest
1876
49.0
34.55
Southwest
1877
50.7
35.17
Southwest
1878
51.8
32.67
....
Southwest
1880
52.0
35.72
....
West
1882.
51.1
33.03
.. ..
South
1883
48.6
34.24
....
Southwest
1885
47.0
33.19
41.9
Southwest
1886
48.1
32.70
51.9
Southwest
1887
48.9
32.01
36.2
N. E. & S. W.
1888
47.6
25.86
25.2
Southwest
1889
49.8
21.84
18.7
Southwest
1890
50.7
33.64
22.9
Southwest
1891
50.3
27.12
26.7
Southwest
1892
48.6
36.70
30.1
Northwest
1893
48.3
23.81
44.9
Northwest
1894
51.1
21.34
20.9
Southwest
1895
48.2
25.31
58.6
Southwest
1896
50.0
33.10
44.5
Southwest
1897
49.6
30.35
31.5
West
1898.
51.0
28,10
20.9
West
1899
50.0
27.06
28.4
Southwest
Average
49.6
30.68
33.6
Southwest
289
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
Year
Mean
Temperature
Total
Total
....
W. & N. E.
1879
50.4
30.27
. ...
Southwest
1881.
51.6
45.91
S. & S. W.
1884
50.0
28.43
...
31.47
Vol. 1-19
.
LAKE ERIE SAND RIDGE, SHOWING STUNTED GROWTH OF OAK AND EVERGREENS
291
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
The condensed record for 1912, up to February 28, is given : Highest temperature in January, 38°; lowest, 17º below; with eight inches of snow. Number of days in which rain or snow fell was nine; Clear days, 6; cloudy, 17; partly cloudy, 8. Number of days when temperature fell to zero or less, 12, nine of which were consecutive, from the 5th to the 13th. On the 28th the minimum was 7º below.
In February to the 12th the record was as follows: The 3d, 13º below ; the 4th, 9º below; the 5th, 1º below; the 8th, zero; the 9th, 7º below; the 10th, 22° below and the 11th, 7º below.
Average rainfall for 23 years, 1888 to 1911 inclusive was 30.022. The two minimum years were 1895, 20.07; and 1910, 21.82; the maxi- mum were 1892, 36.82; and 1902, 36.34.
Minimum temperature of the month of January for the last twenty- one years as follows; January, 1890, zero; 1891, 3º above; 1892, 18º below; 1893, 10° below, the 15th; 1894, 4º below the 25th; 1895, 6º below the 28th ; 1896, 5° below the 5th; 1897, 19º below the 25th ; 1898, 6° above the 2d; 1899, 10° below the 31st; 1900, 4º below the 31st; 1901, 4° below the 3d; 1902, 1º below the 28th; 1903, 8º below the 12th ; 1904, 15° below the 5th; 1905, 9° below the 29th ; 1906, 10° above the 9th ; 1907, 6° below the 26th ; 1908, 7º below the 4th ; 1909, 6º below the 13th; 1910, 1º above the 4th; 1911, 3º above the 5th; 1912, 17º below the 13th.
There were no zero days in January, 1898, 1906, 1910 and 1911, nor any zero at all during the year 1911. That in 1871 or 1873, he makes the statement from his records, one day in the month of March the ther- mometer reached 28° below zero!
CONTOUR OF THE COUNTY
Relative to the general configuration of the county, Mr. Sherzer, in his report, notes the following facts: "If it were not for the local mounds and irregular ridges which characterize the sand hills in the eastern portion, as well as the eroded stream valleys, the entire county would present the appearance of a nearly unbroken horizontal plain. From the northwest corner, towards the southeast, there is an average down- ward slope of about seven feet to the mile, which is so slight as to be imperceptible to the eye. A very gentle rise marks the position of "Stony ridge" which extends from Sylvania to Stony Point, varying in width from one half mile to a mile. This peculiar flat effect has been produced by wave action, which cut down the natural eminences and filled in the depressions, thus grading the surface of the county until it retained barely enough slope for its own drainage. The irregularities referred to as now seen, have been impressed upon the surface after this wave action over the region affected had ceased. * The * * average grade within the limits of the county, along the Lake Shore Railroad is 5.5 feet to the mile, and along the Ann Arbor line only about 4 feet. A thorough system of drainage in the county has over- come to a great extent the disadvantage of this too great level, and other extensive drainage plans are now decided upon for 1912.
ELEVATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY
Data relating to altitudes have been procured from four different sources, more or less reliable, and from these it has been possible to con- struct a map upon which the approximate elevations are represented by a system of contour lines, drawn at intervals of ten feet above mean tide level (A. T.) at New York City. This would not have been possible in a county with broken surface features, without a much more accurate topo-
292
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
graphic survey. The contour lines must be regarded as only approxi- mately located and are much smoother than they would appear if de- termined by detailed work with a spirit-level. Over the sand areas no attempt was made to represent the position of the numerous mounds and ridges of blown sand. These are frequently rapidly changed through the agency of wind and water and ordinarily their height falls within the contour interval. Upon each contour line its elevation above Lake Erie is placed in parenthesis.
(a). U. S. Survey levels. For all practical purposes the elevation of Lake Erie at the present time may be taken as 573 feet. The mean elevation for the period 1870 to 1898 is more accurately 572.721 feet. The highest level of which there is definite record was reached in 1838, when it equaled 575.2 feet; the lowest was attained in November, 1895, being then but 570.79 feet. During this sixty years the fluctuation has been 4.41 feet, enough to produce a marked effect upon the low-lying shores of the lake. Within the memory of the older residents flat-bot- tomed boats were loaded where now the land is under cultivation. The board of engineers of the deep waterways commission has recommended the regulation of the lake level by the construction of weirs at the foot of the lake just below Buffalo harbor, so as to maintain a level of 574.5 feet, and insure a sufficient amount of water for navigation purposes in the fall when the traffic is greatest and the water liable to be lowest.
A geodetic station is located in the cemetery of the Monroe county poor farm, about four miles west of the city, the elevation of which has been confused with that of the city itself. The geodetic point is a small hole drilled in the top of a stone post set in the ground, the elevation of which at the base of the post is 43.9 feet above the mean level of Lake Erie. This mean level referred to is one that was earlier determined than that given in the above paragraph and equaled 572.86 feet. The elevation of the land there at the point indicated is 616.76 feet above tide.
(b). Railroad levels. Owing to the drowned condition of the mouths of all the rivers which empty into Lake Erie, the level of the Raisin here represents approximately the mean level of the lake. The figures ob- tained from the Lake Shore office are regarded as elevations above mean Erie level and, upon this supposition, are in substantial agreement with those of the Michigan Central and the Pere Marquette, referred to the same datum.
In the case of the Ann Arbor road two sets of elevations were ob- tained about a year apart. In one case the datum was given as the mean level of Lake Michigan (582 feet) and in the second case was stated to be unknown. At its junction with the Adrian-Monroe branch of the Lake Shore, according to the profile of the latter road, which is assumed to be practically correct, the elevation of the rail is 93.07 feet above Lake Erie level. With Lake Michigan level as a datum the profile of the Ann Arbor road gives the same point an elevation of 112.4 feet above Lake Erie. The profile of the road was assumed to be approximately correct within the limits of the county, the actual elevation of the junction with the Lake Shore, at Federman, was regarded as 93 feet above Lake Erie and the difference adjusted along the line in either direction. This brings these elevations into substantial agreement with those of the Pere Marquette, in both the southern and northern part of the county through the Detroit and Lima Northern. In the case of the latter road the datum could not be secured, but the series of actual elevations was obtained similarly by knowing the elevation of its junction with the Pere Mar- quette at Carleton. Upon the above basis the approximate elevation of the rail at the following stations has been computed. The elevation above mean sea level may be obtained by adding 573 feet to each.
293
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
ALTITUDES OF RAILROAD STATIONS (Approximate elevation of rail above Lake Erie)
Feet.
Feet.
Azalia
102
Lake Shore 19
Carleton
41
Ottawa Lake 119
Cone
141
Petersburg 105
Dundee
95
Rea 116
Federman
93
Samaria
71
Grafton
41
Scofield
52
Ida
70
South Rockwood- Michigan Central
14
Lake Shore
17
Steiner
41
P. M.
25
Lulu
83
Maybee
61
Lake Shore 24
Milan
122
Strasburg 53
Monroe-
Temperance 46
Michigan Central 15
Vienna-
Lake Shore
16
Lake Shore 13
P. M.
28
Michigan Central 13
Newport-
P. M.
24
Michigan Central
18
(c). Elevated beach levels. At periods when the waters of the Great Lakes stood at successively higher levels a series of beaches was im- pressed upon the surface of the county. These beaches thus mark actual physical contours, the approximate elevations of which are known from outside data. Their position is indicated where they furnish a check upon the accuracy of the work based upon the railroad levels. These beaches will be described in another connection and it may simply be said here that the highest marks the altitude of 170 feet above the lake, the second that of 121 feet, the third about 85 feet and the lowest about 42 feet.
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