USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
The plains of Long Island, are considered by some to be alluvial, and to have been formed by the Gulf Stream. The same persons would fain induce us to believe, that the whole coast southerly from Sandy-hook, had been formed by the same agent In another part of this work we intend to show the fallacy of this hypothesis.
STATE OF, NEW-YORK .. 37
CHAPTER IV.
VALES AND VALLEYS.
THE Vale of Oneida and Seneca is bounded on the east by the upper part of the valley of the Mohawk, on the south by the rising grounds and the hills lying south of Erie canal, on the west by the termination of the valley of Canandaigua river and the champaigns, lying south and north of that valley, and on the north by a ridge of moderate acclivity, lying between Seneca and Oneida rivers, and Oneida lake on one side and lake Onta- rio on the other, and the foot of the Highlands of Black river and Hassencleaver mountain, situated between Oneida lake and the Mohawk and Black rivers. It is between eighty and nine- ty miles in length from east to west, and from two to sixteen in breadth from south to north, and contains about nine hundred · square miles, of which ninety are water. Oneida, Onondaga and Cross lakes, together with some ponds, are situated within it. The Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca and Oswego, are the cheif rivers. It comprises parts of the counties of Oneida, Madison, O,wego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne, and touches upon the county of Herkimer, The lands which it contains, ex- cept those along the Mohawk and Oswego rivers, rise very gradually on all sides from the shores of Oneida lake and the banks of Oneida and Seneca rivers, and terminate in the hills, ridge and champaigns environing them. This vale in its whole extent is extremely flat, so much so that a hill one hundred feet high can scarcely be pointed out. The rivers and streams with which it is so bountifully supplied, wind in thousands of sinuosi- ties, and inundate large tracts in the vernal and autumnal floods, whence the waters drain off very tardily. The soils are diver- sified, consisting of alluvions, vegetable earth, marls, clays of different tenacities, loams, sand, gravel, &c. now separated, and
-
:38
HISTORY OF THE
then huddled together. The swamps and marshes are numer- ous, and occasionally of considerable extent. 'The swamp con- tiguous to the village of Rome, Sullivan swamp, and that along . Seneca river below the Montezuma marshes, severally contain many thousand acres. The Montezuma marshes comprise not far from twenty thousand. -
This vale has very much the appearance of having once been the bottom of a large lake, which has been left bare by the low- ering of the rocky barriers on the sides of the Oswego and Mo- hawk rivers, which at present are the only egresses for the pas- sages of the waters that congregate in it.
More than three-fourths of this vale is still covered with woods and without inhabitants. The settlements already made, are mostly on or near the line of the canal, and along the Mohawk. It contains the villages of Utica, Whitesborough, Oriskinny, Rome, Vernon, Canestota, Syracuse, Salina, Liverpool, Geddys- burg, Jordan, Weeds Port, Buckville and Montezuma. These are, with the exception of Vernon and Liverpool, either upon or near the banks of the canal.
The whole vale is naturally divided into three parts : the first is towards and at its east end. It embraces the country along the Mohawk, from Frankfort, in the county of Herkimer, westwardly to Rome, and is eighteen or nineteen miles in length, and from two to six in breadth. A portion of the Great Swamp lying south of the village of Rome, is in it. The swamp, at this place, is nearly three miles broad. It is timbered with cedar, and is partly submerged. Its sedentary waters drain off very leisurely into the Mohawk river and Oneida lake. The second embraces all the country around Oneida lake and along its out- let, and is about forty miles in length from east to west, and from six to sixteen miles in breadth from north to south. On the east it comprehends the lands along Wood creek, from the Rome summit level westwardly ; the lands along Fish creek al- most up to its forks, and the lands along Oneida creek, as far as the castle, together with the lands between those streams. On the south side of Oneida lake it includes the lands southwardly to the canal, and in some instances south of it. The canal, how-
$9
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
ever, may be considered a tolerable boundary west of Oneida creek, as far as the Montezuma marshes. On the north side of the lake, the lands extend back to the foot of the hills, and the declivity of the ridge or spine, five, six, or more miles. Along Oneida river it includes the lands between the ridge on the north, and the canal on the south. The third lies along Sene- ca river, around Onondaga lake, and along the lower parts of Canandaigua and Seneca outlets, and is twenty-eight or thirty miles in length, and from five to fourteen or more in breadth. . The hills bound it on the south, and the ridge lying between Lake Ontario, Seneca and Oneida rivers on the north. In travelling westwardly on the great road leading from Utica to Buffalo, we have several extensive views of this vale. The first is from the hill west of Oneida creek ; the second is from a hill in Lenox ; the third is from Chitteningo hill in Manlius; the fourth is from Onondaga hill; and the fifth is from a hill in Cam- illus. Combining these several views, we take in the greater part of the vale, the whole appearing an almost uniform level, mostly covered with woods, and surrounded by hills and emin- ences. The views from Chitteningo and Onondaga hills are the most extensive and the best, because we take, in the widest ranges.
From the head of Oneida lake eastwardly to the Rome sum- mit level, a distance of thirteen or fourteen miles, the ascent is only sixty fect. A similar ascent is found to obtain at the Erie canal, distant in a southerly direction, from four to eleven miles. The ascent on the north side, to the foot of the hills and the ridge or spine already spoken of, is perhaps not greater. Between Rotterdam on Oneida lake and Great Salmon river, the summit level is only one hunderd and ten feet above the lake. The distance from the lake to the summit is seven miles, and the ac- clivity easy. The surface of Oneida lake is, about three , hun- dred and seventy feet above that of the ocean, and very nearly on a level with the surface of the Mohawk, at the head of the Little Falls in the county of Herkimer. The ascent up Seneca river is exceedingly gentle ; so is the ascent generally from that river to the hills on the south and the ridge on the north. The
1
40
HISTORY OF THE
few inequalities do not deserve the name of hills. Onondaga lake is only six or seven feet lower than Oneida lake. Cross lake hardly surpasses Oneida in elevation. The Montezuma 'marshes are not above ten feet higher than Oneida lake. On comparing the heights of Oneida, Onondaga and Cross lakes, and those of Oneida and Seneca rivers, the Rome and other sum- mit levels, and those of the Erie canal, it is obvious that the whole vale is nearly on a level ; and it is also obvious that sedenta- ry waters formerly covered it. Three dams thrown across its avenues, and raised to the height of from forty to sixty feet, would suffice to lay the whole under water, and render Oneida, Ononda- ga, Cross and Cayuga lakes, Oneida and Mohawk rivers, &c. invisible. A mound or dam on the Mohawk at Frankfort, where the hills advance upon the river, forty-five feet high, would raise its waters above the Rome summit level, and cause them to flow westwardly into Oneida lake. The narrow space between the Mohawk and Wood creek, at this approximating point, is almost a dead level .- 'The swamp south of Rome is absolutely so, its wa- ters flowing both ways. In former times before clearings were made along the Mohawk in these parts, and before its bed was- freed from drift-wood, during very high floods its waters used to spread over this swamp, and make their way westwardly into Wood creek, as well as eastwardly by their natural chanel, into the Hudson. A ditch ten or twelve feet deep, drawn from the Mohawk to Wood creek, and sloping in that direction, would di- vert the entire stream and occasion it to descend into Oneida lake. We shall enter into some particulars in relation to its marshes, swamps, &c. and shall then conclude with some gener- al observations.
The Montezuma marshes begin at the foot of Cayuga lake, and extend northwardly along the outlet and Seneca river four- teen miles, with an average breadth of two and an half, or three miles, exclusive of an island or tract of solid ground. The tract of solid ground is over against the village of Montezuma. It stretches from south to north six miles, and has a breadth from one mile to a mile and a-half. Three or four ridges with inter- vening swales diversify its aspect, The Erie canal passes by
1
41
1
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
the south end. That part of the marsh lying on the east side, is from two to two miles and a-half broad, and that lying on the west from half a mile to a mile. The whole breadth where the road crosses, including the solid ground, is rather over four miles. This road may be called a causeway, since it is raised . two or three feet above the surface. Seneca and Cayuga out- lets, and Canandaigua and Seneca rivers meander through these marshes. They are dark sluggish streams, whose waters are urged by no rapids, and enlivened by no murmurs. Nothing accelerates their movements on this almost dead level but the superior masses pressing upon the inferior. These marshes are clothed with grass which rises to the heighth of three or four feet. In summer they have a green tint, and at a short distance ap- pear like extended meadows. The surface is loose, yielding and humid. They are mostly environed by swamps and wet lands. The great Seneca Swamp commences where these end, and runs down Seneca river, occupying both its banks to Cross lake, &c. It is a mile or two broad. The marshes and swa ... ps have the appearance of having once been the abode of standing waters. 'The former have something peculiar in their formation, and seem to have been formed by the destruction of vegetable matter and animal remains, mixed with extraneous earths brought down by the streams. There are three distinct layers or strata. The first is vegetable earth, and has a thickness varying from two . to four feet and upwards. This constitutes the superficial lay- er, and is based upon marl. The second layer is marl, and has a thickness of from three to four feet or more. This supports the preceding. The third is composed of vegetable earth resembling the superficial stratum, with this difference, that it is more conso- lidated. Its thickness varies from three to four feet, &c. The layer of marl rests on it. Common earth, &c. supports the whole.
'The first and third layers are as yet very imperfectly decom- posed, and appear to be chiefly composed of vegetables, such as lake and marsh grass which grew on the spot. The decom- position is so very incomplete, that we can readily, on examina- tion, dicover the grassy fibres. These earths have very little cohesion, and may be termed lake and marsh peat. The third VOL. I. 6
--
42
HISTORY OF THE
belongs to the former, and the first to the latter. They were formed at two distinct and distant periods.
Several theories have been advanced in order to account for these formations and fillings up, but they do not appear reason- able and satisfactory to us. According to that which has been generally received, and which has the most plausibility, Cayu- . ga lake has had two subsidances and one rising. This theory supposes that the vegetable earths were formed during the sub- sidances, and that the marl was transported from a distance in the course of the rising. Without attempting to refute this the- ory, we shall venture to propose one, which we think will ac- . count for these formations ; but we shall not have recource to risings and fallings, and extraneous agents.
i
.
The filling up of lakes, the lowering of their issues, their re- duction and subsequent effacement, are among those splendid operations in nature, which are always marching onward, and which endeavour to render the surface of the whole earth dry, and to facilitate the course of rivers from their sources to their mouths. As long as a river passes through a lake or part of it, the alluvial matters which it carries down, will be mostly de- tained. This must have been the case with Cayuga lake in its original state. Then Seneca outlet and Canandaigua river dis- charged their waters where these marshes are at present. The redundant waters of the lake also passed off over them. Then most of the alluvial earths brought down by these streams must have been arrested and detained. In the lapse of time the bot- tom became more and more elevated by these annual deposi- tions : the issue or drain of the lake by abrasion became lower and lower ; and the water consequently became less deep. We think that three distinct periods may be designated in the for- mation of the layers. We shall take them up one by one.
In the first period, the bottom of these marshes, owing to the depositions, the subsidance of the water, and the depression of drain, became covered with aquatic grass, probably such as now grows and abounds about the outlet of the lake in its shoal wa- ters. This was subject to annual decay and re-production .- The growth or produce of one year died and fell upon that of the
1
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
43
-
preceding, and so in succession during that period. The allu- vial and other matters which came along with the annual fresh- ets, were stopped and detained, and became confounded with the grass, and formed a kind of cement. In the second period, fresh water shell fish succeeded the grass, and nearly, or quite ex- tirpated it. These, it is well known, multiply in prodigious num- bers, in shoal waters, which are not much agitated by winds and currents, which was the case here. Considerable numbers have found their way into the Erie canal. These would have, cov- ered its bottom in certain places, had not the waters been drawn of every year at the close of the navigation, which has occasion- ed their destruction in a great measure. We have simply in- troduced this example, to show the rapid production and re- production of these animals. 'The destruction of shell fish in the course of this period, must have generated large quantities of calcareous matter : the streams must also have brought down considerable quantities of alluvial matters. These subsiding, coalesced with the recrements of the shell fish, and forined the stratum of marl. Fluviatile shells produce calcareous beds, which ·are not often much consolidated, which is the condition of this bed or layer. Its colour is a pale yellow bordering upon white. To this, however, there are exceptions. In some places the marl is of a greyish or blueish colour, while in others, the shades are intermediate. The difference in the colour is occasioned by the alluvial depositions and the destruction of grass which grew on the spot. At the close of the second period, the bottom, ow- ing to the formation of the stratum of marl, and the deepening of the issue, and the consequent decrease of the water, became 60 much elevated as to be nearly bare, and the shell fish being un- able to live in its shallow waters, died. The third period comes down to the present time. Grass succeeded the shell fish. This grew up every year, and then died and fell down and decayed. The annual alluvial matters were stopped as usual, and min- gled with it. The same process is still going on, only there are not so many alluvial depositions.
Such seems to have been the origin of the three layers. The +perations of nature were slow, constant and steady. No cx-
I
44
HISTORY OF THE
terior agent could have participated in their formation. . The pro luction of each was natural and uniform. The layers have an identity in extent and thickness; at least, such as might be experted in such works.
-
The other beds or formations of calcareous marl, so frequent- Jy found in the Oneida and Seneca vale, appear to have been formed in the same manner. In all the beds that have been opened, shells have been found in such perfect states of preser- vation, that not only the order, but the genera and species could be determined. At Rome, Manlius, Camillus, and other places on the line of the Erie canal, and around Onondaga lake, where excavations have been made since 1816, great numbers have been seen. Many now reside in the shoal waters of the latter lake. and in other collections of standing water. The shoals of this lake, and the bottoms of the other collections of water, where they now exist and propagate, consits of the same kind of marl. Onondaga lake is surrounded by a belt of marl which is covered with water every spring. Since the lowering of the drain of this lake, most of the belt is bare in dry times. The marl of this belt has very little cohesion or firmness. It yields under the feet when you walk upon it. The want of cohesion and firinness is mainly owing to the newness of the formation. The external part of the belt has most, and the internal least.
At the outlet of Onondaga lake, lignites or submerged wood have been found wrapped in the marl, from two to six feet be- low the surface. Some of the logs were entire, and little if at all flattened or distorted. The swamps and wet grounds com- prise nearly all the country along Seneca and Oneida rivers, and much of the country around Cross, Onondaga and Oneida lakes The canal, in the town of Camillus, passes through a cedar swamp, which is upwards of three miles long. Marl un- derlays this swamp and constitutes the canal's bed. The cover of the marl is black vegetable earth. Sullivan Swamp, which is in the counties of Onondaga and Madison, on Chittiningo creek and its confluents, abounds with marl. It is chiefly on the north side of the canal. Its surface, including its ramifications, has nearly as much extent as that of the Montezuma marshes. The ,
.
1
-
45
STATE OP NEW-YORK.
superficial soil is a black vegetable earth bordering on peat .- Its thica ness varies from a few inches to some feet. All the ce- dar swamps have similar coverings. The swamp south of Rome, in the county of Oneida, occupies parts of the towns of Rome, Verona, &c. and is said to be still larger. The swamps along Oneida, Wood, and Fish creeks have no mean extent. Many of the swamps in the vale are timbered with black ash and black alder The soil of these swamps, especially where ash prevails, is finner and more cohesive than that of the cedar swamps.
The clayey, sandy and loamy tracts occupy considerable por- tions of the vale. The clays have different tenacities and vary in quality. In some places they are rich, and in others meagre. The same may be said of the loams. The only sandy tract de- serving of attention, is situated northwest of the village of Rowe. It is a plain about five miles long and three broad. It is not entirely in the vale. In' aspect and constituents, it re- sen bles the Albany and Saratoga plains. It is chiefly timbered with pitch pine. The humid, swampy and marshy spots con- tain bog iron ore. The basis rock of the plain is grey wacke slate. The sand has no great depth, since the streams often flow beneath it, and since wells are often sunk to the rock. The sand composing these plains, seems to have been brought from a distance.
The superficial soil of the vale of Oneida and Seneca is most- ly alluvion, or lake and river deposites, transported from the upper countries neighbouring thereto, by the many streams which formerly discharged their waters into it while it was a lake, and which still flow into it, and from thence into lake Ontario and the Hudson, by the rivers Oswego and Mohawk. These deposites con-isted then, as they now do, of earthy matters, taken up by the waters and carried down into the lake, where they subsided and formed beds and layers more or less thick and extensive .- By means of these deposites and subsidances, the bottom of the lake became every day more and more elevated ; the drains be- came every day more and more depressed. Hence the waters became shoaler and shoaler, and the circumference lesser and lesser. The streams which fell into it became longer and longer.
.
48
HISTORY OF THE
The principal places of deposite, that is, those adjoining the streams, shifted and followed the lake as it shrunk, till at length they reached the borders of the present lakes and the rivers which issue out of them. The same process is now going on, but upon a smaller scale, owing to less water, less declivity and · fewer materials, and will go on until the present lakes are filled up, and so obliterated, that nothing will remain of them but the beds of rivers and creeks. Oneida, Onondaga, Cross and Cay- uga lakes are only the fragments or ruins of a lake which cover- ed the whole vale. The means which nature employed in fill- ing up the bottom, levelling the barriers and obliterating the or- iginal lake, and which she is now employing in filling up, level- ling and effacing the small lakes which now remain, are analo- gous to those she employs in filling up swamps, marshes, pools and mill-ponds. The operations of nature are very nearly the same in all the cases cited. The main difference seems to be in the magnitude. In the case of lakes we cannot follow her, be- cause she consumes ages in a single operation ; but in the case of mill-ponds, &c. we can, because she performs it in less than an age. Here, then, there is no mystery ; nothing above human in- telligence ; nor would there be in the other case, were our exist- ence co-extensive with that of nature. The works of man are confined to a precarious age ; those of nature have no bounds.
Besides the marls, vegetable earths, alluvions, &c. enumera- ted, there are beds of shale, indurated clay, gypsum, water lime- stone, calcareous tufas, &c. The beds of shale and indurated clay are of frequent occurrence. In making the Erie canal several were met with. The gypsum is sometimes covered with clay and marl, and at others with a slaty rock. . It is a valuable manure or fertilizer. The fresh water limestone is impregna- ted with quartzose matter, and contains abundance of fresh wa- ter shells. It may be ranked among the newest rocks. It makes an excellent and durable cement. The tufas are in Manlius, &c. They are of late formation and are annually enlarging .- They are porous and compact.
Our most valuable salt springs are in this vale. May not the beds of salt which communicate the saline matters to the
1
47
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
-
-
waters of these springs, be situated within it or contiguous to it? Red sandstone underlays the strip of land which contains these springs. Patches of clay, of marl and gypsum occur in their vicinity. " Abundance of gypsum has been found associated with the salt water at Onondaga," &c. See an Essay on our Salt Springs, by Dr. J. Van Rensselaer. ì
VALE OF GENESEE.
THIS vale is upwards of thirty miles in length, and from two to four in breadth. It commences at the foot of the Alleghany . hills, about ten miles below Nunda, and runs down the river Genesee almost to the rising town of Rochester. On the east it is bounded by champaigns, on the south by hills, and on the west by the western plain ; indeed in some respects, it con- stitutes a portion of that plain, and as such, we have included it. The lands which it contains are very rich. The Genesee makes its way through this vale, in reaches and beautiful wind- ings, imparting to it richness. This vale occupies parts of Livingston, Genesee and Monroe counties. It is mostly, how- ever, in the first. The Agoneaseah possesed this vale till 1791. They had several villages and hamlets in it. On the richest bottom lands, they planted corn. The Canton called by us, the Seneca owned it. Throughout the extent of the vale the Genesee is navigable for boats. Geneseo and some other vil- lages and hamlets are in it.
VALE OF TONNAWANTA.
This vale is in the counties of Niagara, Erie and Genesee, and occupies both sides of Tonnawanta creek, upwardly about thirty miles. It is from two to four miles broad. The Reser- vation, of the Senecas is in it. Its surface is very level and uniform. It is mostly covered with woods. The lands which it contains are of various qualities. The southern steep crosses
48
HISTORY OF THE
this vale, and divides it into two parts. Tonnawanta runx through it, making many curves and sweeps.
The vale of Ithica, at the head of Cayuga lake, is about five miles long and two broad, where it opens into the lake. It is nearly environed by hills, which rise like an amphitheatre. The lands are fertile and well watered. Ithica, the shire town of the county of Tompkins, containing about 300 houses, is in it, about two miles from the lake. Large boats ascend Fall creek as far as the town.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.