Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 3

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 3

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In 1887, a well was sunk in the old Frey stone quarry immediately north of Buck Creek and east of Fountain avenue, and a "pocket" of gas was discovered, probably producing more gas than any other well that had been sunk in the coun- ty, for some time afterward it was allowed to burn and go to waste, when finally it was piped into Mr. Frey's house and was for some time used by him for domestic purposes.

In 1892, P. P. Mast sunk a well in the western part of Springfield, and in 1888, William N. Whitely also sunk one near what is now the Foos Gas Engine Works,

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

a few squares east of the C. C. C. & St. L. depot.

Wells have also been sunk near the village of New Carlisle, south of Vienna and west of Brighton, the latter two to the depth of 1,650 feet, but without pay- ing results. When the Mast well was be- ing dug, Dr. Lisle, a chemist of this town, made observations which were the subject of an article in the press at that time from which the following extract is made :

"Dr. Lisle has closely followed the well, and has analyzed the drillings as they have been brought up. He has 225 pack- ages of them all completely labeled. No small amount of labor is represented in the collecting, and when the tube is filled it will make a valuable study of 'the earth beneath.' "

The first three feet is drift, or ordinary soil, which is followed by 150 feet of Niagara, including about 30 feet of lime- stone, cap rock, chalk, etc.

The third division is 15 feet of bluish clay. Next is 20 feet of Medina shale of fine reddish structure which rests on Clin- ton rock. Through this the drill steadily worked its way 175 feet down; then came a deep bed of shales, a fine grained, slaty deposit, and the casing was lowered 769 feet before another solid stratum, the well- known Trenton, was reached. This, on thorough penetration, was found to be 633 feet thick and here, properly, the search should have ended. The State Geologist says, after long observation, that if Trenton rock does not contain a substance called dolomite, which is com- posed of calcium carbonate and magne- sium carbonate in equal proportions, there is no gas there. An analysis of the Trenton rock bored through in the Mast

well showed that it was composed of 80.84 per cent calcium carbonate, 9.11 magne- sium carbonate and the rest insoluble mat- ter. The proportion was convincing as to the absence of gas, but the syndicate was induced to probe further toward the nether regions by the fact that gas was found in the Whiteley gas well, which was sunk about four years ago until St. Peter's rock was reached. Still no gas. After prodding this solid formation 36 feet further the job was given up.

The salt water was struck at a depth of 1,815 feet. It is decidedly saline. A quantity of white sulphur and drift was precipitated from the sample, and the test naturally showed the presence of sulph- ureted hydrogen.

At 326 feet an odorless gas was met with, which burned five feet above the casing. At 580 feet another pocket was penetrated.

The temperature at 1,953 feet was 93 2/10 Fahrenheit, which accords with the theoretical rate of increase below the earth's surface.

As was noted above, gas was struck at a depth of 2,000 feet in the Whiteley well. The flow was continuous, but too light for material use, and the well has been plugged up. A depth of 2,533 feet was reached before the drill rested. Gas was first struck at 550 feet in blue shale.

It is curious to note the thicknesses of the strata. In the Whiteley well the drift was 125 feet deep. West of the city Clin- ton rock comes to the surface.

The Pettigrew well, which is located in the quarry at the foot of Plum street, was drilled four years ago (1887). It is 1,200 feet in depth, and also yields a

.24

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

light flow which has been found insuffi- cient for use.

The Frey well drilled in Frey's quarry, shortly after the Pettigrew, is perhaps the most important.

A depth of 1,700 feet was reached and salt water encountered. It yields a steady flow, and recent examination shows the pressure to be 185 pounds. Mr. Frey uses it in his residence.

From these observations made by Dr. Lisle, Prof. D. H. Snavely has prepared the following scale of geological forma- tion which by his kind permission is in- serted.

3 ft.

1888

1892

150 ft.

Limestone

Niagara

15 ft.

Bluish Clay

20 6

Medina Shale

175 ft.

Clinton Rock

769 ft.

Shales

1700 ft. deep

2000 “

633 ft.

Trenton Rock

70 ft.

Shales Limestone

36 ft.

St. Peters Rock 1871 ft.

I871

All of which indicates that there must be gas somewhere in this region. The

subject has been one of speculation to geologists. Prof. Geiger says there is gas in Clark County's area and he can locate it on geological principles. He re- cently proposed to Mr. Mast that he (Prof. Geiger) should select a location, giving satisfactory reasons for doing so. If Mr. Mast should find gas there he should properly remunerate the professor, and if not, the obligation should be an- nulled. Mr. Mast may yet decide to act upon the proposition. Hitherto the loca- tions of the wells have not been made scientifically and the proceeding outlined above would be watched with interest.

GLACIAL DRIFT.

Clark County is in the line of the glaciers descending from the north in the glacial drift period, and to this fact owes the richness of its soil. The rock founda- tion being limestone, this valuable in- gredient became thoroughly mixed in the surface. Upon this question Professor Orton says :

"The other great division of the soils of Ohio, viz., the drift soils, are by far the most important, alike from their greater area and their intrinsic excellence. Formed by the commingling of the glacial waste of all the formations to the north of them, over which the ice has passed, they always possess considerable variety of composition, but still in many cases they are strongly colored by the forma- tion underneath them. Whenever a stratum of uniform composition has a broad outcrop across the line of glacial advance, the drift beds that cover its southern portions will be found to have been derived in large part from the for-

Frey Gas Well

Whitley "

Mast Gas Well 1871

-pressure 185 lbs. A. D. 1887

Drifts

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mation itself, and will thus resemble na- tive and sedentary soils. Western Ohio is underlaid with Silurian limestones and the drift is consequently limestone drift. The soil is so thoroughly that of lime- stone land that tobacco, a crop which rarely leaves native limestone soils, at least in the Mississippi Valley, is grown successfully in several counties of West- ern Ohio, 100 miles or more north of the terminal moraine."

Scattered granite bowlders are found in almost every part of the county, in- creasing in number toward the north- western part of the county. However, in no place are they found in such great quantity as to seriously impede agricult- ure. North, in Champaign County, the surface is more thickly covered with them, in some places making a serious impedi- ment in the way of the agricultural use of the soil. There is much to suggest in the formation of the Mad River Valley that between the hills upon the sides of this valley there flowed a mighty stream from the north, merging into a raging, roaring torrent from rock to rock south of the Masonic Home, west of the city. There is no evidence of any volconic ac- tion in the formation of the soil of this county.

This drift has been found to vary wide- ly in the depth of its formation in places not far apart, near St. Paris, Champaign County, Ohio. It has its maximum depth of 530 feet, while in the digging of the Mast well not more than 20 miles away, it was found to be only three feet. At the Whiteley well within less than a mile from the Mast well, the drift was 125 feet.

SINGULAR GROWTH OF TIMBER.

Undoubtedly the soil formation has much to do with the kinds of timber that has grown thereon, and a rather singular matter in reference to the growth of tim- ber has been observed along the borders of the Mad River Valley, more especially that part of it which is north of the City of Springfield. On the hills and uplands west of the valley the timber is beach, poplar, sugar, oak, hickory and walnut. While on the east side of the valley there is not a beach or poplar tree to be found and only occasionally a sugar, the pre- vailing timber being oak and hickory. From this fact the lands east of the river have received the designation as the "oaks" or the "oak hills" while the land west including German and Pike Town- ship has been designated as the "beech."

PREHISTORIC MAN.

While remains presumed to belong to another race may have been discovered in this county, there is no particular evi- dence of the existence of the prehistoric man, and upon this matter it may be in- teresting to quote Prof. Wright's opinion. It is the opinion now of scientists that man did exist in the glacial period. Prof. Wright says :

"In my original 'report upon the Glacial Boundary of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky,' I remarked that since man was in New Jersey before the close of the glacial period, it is also probable that he was on the banks of the Ohio at the same early period; and I asked that the ex- tensive gravel terraces in the southern part of the State be carefully scanned by

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

archaeologists, adding that when ob- servers became familiar with the forms of these rude implements they would doubtless find them in abundance. As to the abundance, this prophecy has not been altogether fulfilled. But enough has been already discovered in Ohio to show that man was here at that early time when the ice of the glacial period lingered on the south side of the water partings be- tween the lake and the Ohio River. Both at Loveland, and at Madisonville, in the valley of the Little Miami, Dr. C. L. Metz, of the latter place, has found this ancient type of implements several feet below the surface of the glacial terraces bordering that stream. The one at Madisonville was found about eight feet below the surface, where the soil had not been disturbed, and it was in shape and appearance al- most exactly like one of those found by Dr. Abbott in Trenton, N. J. These are enough to establish the fact that men, whose habits of life were much like those of the Eskimos, already followed up the retreating ice of the great glacial period when its front was in the latitude of Tren- ton and Cincinnati, as they now do when it has retreated to Greenland. Very like- ly the Eskimos are the descendants of that early race in Ohio.

PREHISTORIC ANIMALS.

valley of Buck Creek; not far from Ca- tawba Station, and near the Columbus Road, on a farm of William E. Yeazell, in the southeastern part of Pleasant Township, and also near Brooks Station. Some of these remains are in a fair state of preservation and I believe are now in possession of Wittenberg College.

MOUND AND MOUND-BUILDERS.

That there was a race of people in- habiting this county prior to the red men, is abundantly testified to by the mounds that are scattered over this county. I think they number not far from forty. Who or what these people were, or what object they had in view in making these various works can only be conjectured. The largest of these mounds is the one situated near Enon, this county.

It is frequently referred to as "Knob Prairie Mound," and is on the line of march of General Clark on his way to the battle of Piqua. His officers ascended its summit to reconnoiter the surrounding county. This mound is several hundred feet in circumference with a height of forty-five or fifty feet and is located in a level field and shows forth quite promi- nently. Some years ago the mound was dug into and one of the investigators gives the following as a description of what they found.

"We found top soil all the way for thirty feet, when we came to a cave of curious construction; it was the shape of a bake-oven, and high enough for a man to stand upright in the center. It tapered down on the sides. On one side there was a door, that had evidently led from a

There is no doubt that prehistoric ani- mals, if I may use the term in that way, those that existed in the mammalian period or age, wandered over much of the territory occupied by this county, the remains of mastodons having been found in the lands west of the Urbana Pike, near the Franklin School House, and in the ground entrance into the cave. In the

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

middle of the cave was a pile of dirt and it had been taken from the ground, it stone resembling an altar; on these were crumbled into dust by action of the air upon it. bones, charcoal and some pieces of de- cayed wood, and one piece of partly There are several of these mounds in Springfield. One being what is now used as the Soldier's Mound in the cemetery, and is described as follows by Prof. Snavely in giving an account of some in- vestigations made there. charred wood in a good state of preserva- tion. This wood was preserved, but the bones would not stand moving. After the party had satisfied their curiosity, they cut their names and the date on the altar, filled up the excavation and left."

One of these mounds was situated in the City of Springfield and is well de- scribed by Hon. O. T. Martin as follows:

"A few rods east of the intersection of Spring and Washington Streets, there was a mound of earth about fifty yards in size across its base and of conical shape. About this period (1818), several white oak trees and clusters of bushes stood up- on its side, and a number of large stumps indicated that other trees had grown nearer its apex."

During the work upon the Dayton & Sandusky Railroad in 1847, this mound was entirely removed for the earth it contained. As the delvers in it penetrated its interior, they found it had been the burial place for a former generation of people. It was a huge sepulcher full of human bones. As the bones had by this period of time to a great extent be- come intermingled with the earth, the entire mass was carted to the railroad · and formed part of the road bed. While the work was in progress, there was picked up what seemed to have been a section of the lower jaw bone of a wild animal containing a stout, crooked tusk or tooth. The bone had been ground away so as to be firmly grasped by a human hand. It had no doubt been used as an instrument of warfare. A few days after

"After sinking the shaft four or five feet from the top a hard shell of baked clay was struck, and a hole made therein, which revealed an oven-shaped chamber, or vault, in which appeared large quanti- ties of bones, ashes, charcoal, etc. The bones, when taken in the hand, crumbled to dust, and could be blown away with a breath. Among the skeletons were found a wooden chain-apparently black locust -about seven inches long, of perhaps five or six links, and a fine bone of about three by· one and a half inches in size. The size of the vault can be estimated from the statement that one could turn a ten-foot rail around endwise on the in- side quite readily. The hole was left open for some. years afterward and finally closed of its own accord, as it appeared when the ground was sold for cemetery purposes. What became of the relics is forgotten, as are also the names of the students who made the investigation."

Another eye witness of a later date and excavation says: "In digging the graves for the burial of soldiers, burnt clay, ashes and charcoal were found, and also wood that had thoroughly decayed almost be- yond recognition was discovered and seems to have served the purpose of pro- tecting the burnt clay, which may have been used for burial purposes, but no hollow place or any evidence of one were

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

noticed. Still, as the first row of graves, where these relics were found, begins at twenty-two feet from the center of the new mound, and as the center of the old mound is sixteen feet south and three feet west of it there may be a possibility that the burnt clay, which was found in dig- ging the graves, is at the limit of the vault and the rotten wood was the rem- nant of the protection afforded during the. construction of the old mound.

"In forming the new mound no in- vestigation was made of the interior of the old mound, but a record was made of the exact location.

"It is 410 yards north from the margin of the creek at an elevation of 100 feet, or, in exact figures, from engineer's sur- vey, height of level surface base above creek level. 102 feet; height of top of mound, 107.5 feet, which made the Indian mound at the time of survey, 1863, 5.5 feet high and had a probable diameter of 30 or 32 feet."

The present mound is 200 feet in diam- eter and the center is 16 feet north and 3 feet east of the center of the Indian mound: and in height 7 feet, and sur- mounted by an iron flag-staff, 112 feet high, and 8 feet in the ground.

The same person gives the following contribution as to Bechtle Mound situate near the park.

THE BECHTLE MOUND,

is located about four-fifths of a mile (4,200 feet) from the cemetery mound, nearly southwest. It is about the same distance from the highest point of Gray's Hill, nearly south of the mound (from

which we may now look), and also the same distance to the Indian burying ground (gravel pit), in Snyder's prairie, north of west.

It is about one and one-tenth miles (5,775) feet to the mouth of the Lagonda (Buck) Creek, southwest; the same dis- tance to the mouth of Mill Run, east, and to the hill on which Wittenberg College stands.

It is about one and three-fifths miles (8,450 feet) to the mouth of Mill Creek, southwest; to the Indian burying ground on Snyder's hill, northwest; and to the hill on which the public library stands, southeast; near which site stood another mound some forty years ago.

Other distances and directions can be compared, with equal or greater inter- est and satisfaction. These mounds were not placed here at random by an ignorant people, any more than the great pyramid of Egypt was placed in its situation by ignorance and superstition.

The mound is situated on the south side of the creek, distant 750 feet: its sum- mit is 70 feet above the level of the water. It crowns the east end of a clayey ridge, which is some 500 feet in length and about 28 feet above the adjoining level surface. This level surface extends south to Main and High Streets, and from Factory Street to near the Hydraulic, on the west; an area of about half a square mile, chiefly red clay.

Possibly the beds of clay which were so extensively used in the manufacture of modern brick, were also utilized by the prehistoric people in their manufacture of pottery, and in the burial of their dead.

The mound has an elevation of 12 feet

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

above the surface of the ridge on which it rests. Its north and south diameter is 69.8 feet at base. And its east and west diameter is 63.8 feet. The circumference is 210 feet; and its contents approximate- ly are 1,750 cubic yards.

In shape it is nearly a cone; the south side is somewhat irregular. The top is depressed in the center, caused possibly by the interior sinking, as no knowledge of any extended excavation exists.

Large trees still surround it and have a growth of several hundred years; but that does not indicate any age of these earth works; for all accepted authority places the Mound Builders' era too far in the remote past to make timber growth a factor of much importance. The latest authority places the era at 800 years ago. A. D. 1092.

According to the classification, this is a sepulchral mound, but the theory is ad- vanced that the site was A KING'S THRONE and dwelling place, a signal station, and. at his death, the mound was erected over the remains. So, it may also be classed as a memorial or monumental mound.

One of the most noteworthy features is the fact that, as an observation station, it affords a fine view of the river valley nearly to Westville, with Tremont, Eagle City, the bridge over Mad River and farms between; also of the creek and its valley, for several miles ; the city and pub- lic buildings; and the fine residences on the ridge along West High Street; part of the Millcreek Valley, and hills beyond; the river valley for miles towards Dayton ; and the vicinity of Enon, Snyder's and Cold Springs, near Tecumseh's birth- place.

THE MOUNDS NEAR ENON AND IN HARMONY TOWNSHIP.

The mound near Enon, the railroad cut at the south boundary of the Masonic Home grounds ; this mound and the ceme- tery mound are all in a nearly direct line southwest and northeast, so that smoke or light can be easily seen at either place, day or night, if such signals were made.

The springs near this mound, with those along the creek to Market Street and beyond, one or more near every street that terminates or crosses at the creek, their relation to the construction of these earthworks, and their value in the serv- ice of a dense population in their vicinity, could be interestingly reviewed in support of the opinion that Springfield and the vicinity was a favorite and endearing locality to the Mound Builders, as well as to its present inhabitants.

And concerning a mound on the New- love farm in Harmony Township, Prof. Snavely gives the following description :

"To describe one of the most interest- ing of these hunting grounds is the object of this paper. Between the old London road, three miles east of Harmony and the national road, eight miles east of Springfield, on the Newlove farm, is what people now generally call an 'Old Indian fort.' A half-mile northeast, just beyond the eight-mile stone, the national road was cut through a large Indian mound, part of which still remains. Nearly a half mile south of this mound and about the same distance east of the 'old fort,' are several artificial depressions, or large pit- holes and near these was once an Indian trail whose direction was from northwest to southeast.

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

"To the south of the 'old fort,' about entrances face toward the east-a little a half mile among the hills, stands the 'north of east -- and can be seen plainly Newlove residence, built many years ago, from the top of the mound a half mile and here is the key to the whole situation. northeast, and from the crest of the hill range between. This valley is about three-fourths of a mile long nearly due north and south, and is nearly closed at the north end by the eastern elevation curving abruptly to the west, and by boggy land between it and the western elevation.

"The construction of these earthworks® is the most remarkable because it has a striking miniature resemblance to the con- struction of that part of the earthworks at Newark-the southern elliptical en- closure in which the fair grounds are now located. The area contained by that is over twenty-five acres. while one of these contains over one acre.

"It is at this end of this valley, and on the west side, that the earthworks are situated. It may also be stated here that the boggy land extends for a long dis- tance east and west from this point, and borders Beaver Creek, which flows west between here and the national road and joins the Lagonda (Buck) creek six miles below.

"The southern enclosure consists of an ellliptical ditch twenty feet wide and from five to seven feet deep, the excava- tions having apparently thrown upon the outside, making an embankment from four to six feet high, and at present from twen- ty to twenty-five feet wide. The distance

"The abrupt curve of the eastern eleva- tion of the valley also slopes gradually toward the creek, and makes the only na- from the bottom of the ditch to the top tural fordable place for several miles up or down the stream. This ford was used often, not only by the Indians, but by the early settlers, and, no doubt, by the buf- falo, deer and other wild animals as well. of the embankment, therefore, is from nine to thirteen feet. The ends of the ditch do not meet at the east by some thirty or forty feet, nor do the ends of the embankments by twenty-five or thirty feet, making a wide entrance to the island- like inside, which gradually slopes or as- cends to the opposite end, upon which is a small mound.

"The 'old fort' or rather enclosures, consist of two elliptical embankments, and resemble somewhat, on a large scale, the tracks of a horse's front feet, made while standing or in a leap against the side of the hill. Both are of the same area, but the bank and ditch of the one north are not so high or deep as the one south, and it is on more level ground. The western half of the one north is under cultivation. The remainder of both is covered with heavy timber, as are both sides or borders of the valley. Both 'toe' to the south of west, or rather the longest diameters are in that direction. The openings or

"The outside circumference is 1,020 feet. The long diameter is 325 feet and the short diameter 234 feet. A rectangle of three or four acres would likely con- tain both enclosures, as the one north is a duplicate of the one south, but shallower. The distance of each enclosure bank (at their nearest approach to each other) is but twenty or twenty-five feet.

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Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 3

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 1086

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086