USA > Ohio > Perry County > History of Perry County, Ohio > Part 2
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
northern part of the county, along the terraces of Jon- athan Creek are found numerous remains of coral formations. Some of them are very beautiful, but they are mostly small fragments.
Outside of the drift, the Perry county rocks are mostly sedimentary. The limestones were formed by the siftings of organic matter to the bottom of the an- cient ocean. The sandstones, likewise rose from the .sea. formed by the small particles of sand that settled from above.
The Conglomerates consist of pebbles, cemented to- gether. By silicious matter mixing with them and by pressure, they were crowded into a compact mass. Conglomerates are found in abundance south of Glen- ford at the Old Stone Fort.
The geologist Heilprin tells an interesting story of how a friend of his, an old sea captain, had sent him a bolt, that had no doubt come from a wrecked vessel. The bolt having been buried in the sand. the rust from the iron acted as a cement to the small pebbles about it. A sheath of pebbles was thus formed and the bolt could be slipped in and out of its pebbly sheath with ease. This explains the process of making conglom- erates, or "pudding stone" as it is sometimes called
Decomposed Rocks .- All our rocks are to a great- er or less extent decomposed. The process of decom- position is constantly going on. The mechanical action of water, the alternate contraction and expansion of particles of rock, and the work of the frost, are the silent laborers in the disintegration of the rock masses. The presence of iron in a great many of our native rocks is one of the surest methods of decomposition. The oxidation of iron in the sand rocks and shales of Perry county has done as much in tearing down its
14
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
hills after the water had exposed their sides, as any other agency. Some of our rocks were never solid; especially is this true of the shales. They, con- taining little or no sand, had not sufficient weight in themselves to become compact. Containing very little plastic material that could cement them, they are very easily eroded. They are altogether of the nature of decayed wood. In Pleasant, Bearfield and Monroe townships, especially in the latter, we find quite a num- ber of hills that are capped with shale deposits. Some- times we find on ridges, the remnants of these old shale beds standing out by themselves. All has been eroded except a small part which may easily be mis- taken for an artificial earthwork.
Concretions are plentiful among the sedimentary rocks. The Concretionary Rocks of Perry county are mostly of the iron ore variety, although concretions of clay and limestone may also be found. These forma- tions were caused by the collection of a mineral around a center. They assume different shapes, usually spher- ical or elliptical. , They are dispersed irregularly through other strata.
Ferruginous or iron nodules are frequently found in clay. They form quite often about some organic body, such as a fragment of plant, shell or bone. The writer, accompanied by his pupils, on a Geological Field Day, found an excellent specimen of iron nodule, about a mile south of Junction City. In the bed of a stream was found a stratum of pure clay or soapstone, The appearance of a circular rock of a different color, upon the surface of the white stone attracted instant attention. The clay stone being soft, it was an easy matter to remove it from the concretion, for such it proved to be. Upon removal it was found to be some
15
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
six inches long, about two and one-half inches in dia- meter at one end, gradually tapering toward the other The center of it looked like the heart of a tree. The conclusion was that when the clay stone was softer, a branch of wood lodged in it. As the wood decayed, particles of iron, percolating through the soap stone would take the place of the wood cells, until finally the iron had completely substituted itself. It was in real- ity an iron fossil. We were further convinced of the truth of our conclusion by finding a six-inch vein of the purest iron ore in the bank about three feet above the clay stratum. These iron concretions are some- times known as "kidney ore" from their shape. Upon breaking them open, a hollow center is found, usually containing a little clay dust. In these cases the center around which the concretions were made, has decayed, and as they are formed by building layer upon layer from the outside, the original becomes a cavity. The iron nodule referred to above was not formed that way. It built toward the center. The incasement of the wood by the clay prevented the concentric layers from being laid upon. it from the outside. The bark of the wood would decay first. Its cells would be filled by the iron. The ferruginous material, always being present, would enter the wood from above. The harder center decayed more slowly and only the finer particles of iron could find lodgment there and conse- quently the branch of the tree was almost perfectly reproduced.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Vertical Section of Rocks of Perry County.
2. Glacial Drift.
1. Carboniferous.
6. Upper Barren Coal Measures.
5. Upper Productive Coal Measures.
4. Lower Barren Coal Measures.
3. Lower Productive Coal Measures
2. Conglomerate Series.
1. Subcarboniferous Limestone.
Vertical Section of Sub-Strata at New Lexington Depot.
Alluvial, 16 feet.
Black Flint, 16-3.5.
Black Clay, 19.5-3.5.
Limestone, 23-10.
White Clay, 33-92.
White Sand, 125-15.
Black Shale, 140-100.
Sand. 240-12. Shale, 252-38.
Sand, Salt, Course, 290-55.
White sand, fine. 345-200.
Gray sand, medium, 545-5.
Shale, 550-300.
Brown shale, 850-33.
Berea sand, 883-28.
Bedford shale, 91I.
( Courtesy. E. W. Dean).
Section of Strata at Moxahala.
42. Coal. (7a).
41. Fire clay and shale. 40. Limestone.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
39. Sandy shale.
38. Limestone.
37. Fire clay, shale and iron.
36. Sand rock.
35. Fire clay.
34 Sand rock.
33. Shale.
32. Iron ore (Iron Point).
31 Fire clay.
30. Sand rock.
29. Shale iron ore.
28. Coal (Stallsmith) (Upper Freeport) (6 and 7).
27. Fire clay (Upper Freeport or Bolivar clay). 26. Sand rock.
25. Iron ore ("Sour Apple"), Limestone shales, (Upper Freeport or Buchtel Ore).
24. Coal (Norris) (6a) (Lower Freeport).
23. Fire clay with iron ore (Lower Freeport Limestone ).
22. Sand rock.
21. White shale.
20. Sand rock.
19. Shale, with ore ( Lower Freeport Sandstone).
18. Coal, Great Vein (Middle (Upper) Kit- tanning) (Upper New Lexington).
17. Fire clay and sand rock.
16. Iron ore (Phosphorous Ore of Hamden Furnace).
15. Sandy shale.
14. Fire clay.
13. Coal, "Lower Moxahala" (No. 5) (Lower New Lexington ). 2 H. P. C.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
12. Fire clay and sand rock (Kittanning sand- stone and clay ).
II. Ore (Ferriferous Limestone) (Baird Ore).
IO. Sandy shale.
9. Fire clay.
8. Sandy shale.
7. Sand rock. ..
6. Shale.
5. Coal.
4. Sandstone and shale.
3. Cherty limestone and coal.
2. Sandstone and shale.
I. Coal.
The Vertical Distance through which these strata pass is about 350 feet. - Ohio Geological Report. (The parentheses are the authors).
Section of Rock at McCuneville.
(Including Surface Horizons and the Strata Disclosed by Borings for Salt.)
18. Shales and sandstones.
17. Iron ore.
16. Sandy shale.
15. Limestone capped with ore.
14. Sandy sliale.
13. Coal.
12. Sandstone and shale.
II. Coal.
IO. Shale and sandstone.
9. Coal No. 6, Great Vein (Middle (Upper) Kittanning) (Upper New Lexington).
8. Shales with iron ore.
7. Coal with ore below.
6. Sandy shale or sandstone.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
5. Shell ore 10 feet below coal.
4. Iron ore.
3. Coal.
2. Shales and sandstone.
I. Coal.
o. Blue limestone with ore.
I. Shales.
2. Coal.
3. Shales.
4. Coal.
5. Sandy Shales.
6. Maxville Limestone.
7. Sandstone and shale, with salt water.
8. Shale.
9. Black Shale.
IO. White sandstone.
II. Salt water in Waverly Sandstone.
12. Red shale.
13. Gray sand-rock.
14. Dark shale.
15. Hard shale.
The Vertical Section of Surface Horizons is about 300 feet.
The depths of the wells were about 900 feet.
The Maxville Limestone is II0 feet, below the surface.
The Great Coal Vein is 150 feet above the surtace of wells. - Ohio Geological Report.
Generalized Section of Perry County Strata.
13. Fresh Water Limestone ( Ferrell's Hill).
42. Ames Limestone-Found on tops of hills in Bearfield and Monroe.
11. Ewing Limestone or iron ore.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
40. Patriot Coal.
39. Cambridge Limestone-on the hill above Crooksville .
38. Upper Mahoning Sandstone.
37. Coal (No. 70)-traceable on tops of hills in eastern part of county ( Mahoning Coal).
36. Mahoning sandstone and shale.
35. Iron Point Ore.
34. Shales.
33. Upper Freeport Coal (Stallsmith) (Workable at Hamburg) (No. 7).
32. Upper Freeport or Bolivar Clay.
31. Upper Freeport Limestone or Buchtel Ore. (Shawnee), (Sour Apple).
30. Lower Freeport Coal (6a) (Norris).
29. Lower Freeport Limestone.
28. Lower Freeport Sandstone.
27. Middle ( Upper) Kittanning-Great Coal Vein-Upper New Lexington-No. 6.
26. Fire Clay and Sand rock.
25. Phosphorous Ore of Hamden Furnace.
24. Sand Shale.
23. Lower Kittanning Coal ( No. 5) (Lower New Lexington) (Lower Moxahala) ( Mined at Redfield).
22. Kittanning Clay and Sandrock.
21. Ore (Ferriferous Limestone ) (Baird Ore) (Clarion Coal, sometimes wanting) (4a).
20. Shales and Clay. 19. Putnam Hill Limestone (Flint Beds at New Lexington ).
18. Brookville Coal (Tracings found in drill- ing) (4). 17. Shale and Clay.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
16. Tionesta Coal (Cannel Coal of Monday creek ).
15. Tionesta Clay ( Worked at Roseville ) .
14. Upper Mercer Ore and Limestone.
13. Upper Mercer Coal (3a).
12. Upper Mercer Clay.
II. Sandstone or Shale.
IO. Lower Mercer Ore and Limestone.
9. Lower Mercer Coal (Seen on hill at Junction City ) (3).
8. Lower Mercer Clay.
7. Block Ore of Junction City.
6. Massilon Sandstone and Shale.
5. Quakertown Coal (Found in Mondaycreek north of Maxville ).
1. Sandstone.
3. Sharon Coal.
2. Conglomerate.
I. Sub-Carboniferous Limestone ( Maxville).
(Courtesy, S. W. Pasco).
Limestones.
The geological basis of Perry county is the Sub- carboniferous or Maxville Lime. The geological apex is the Ames Limestone that is found on the tops of the hills in Bearfield and Monroe townships. In all, our county carries six principal limestones. In the order of their ascending scale they are :
I. The Maxville ( white ).
2. Zoar ( blue).
3. Hanging Rock (gray).
4. Shawnee (buff).
5. Cambridge (black).
6. Ames ( crinoidal ) .
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
There are several accessory seams but they are un- important.
But little is known of the Maxville Lime. It shows in but a few isolated patches, and its appearance is varied in the different exposures. The Maxville ex- posure, however, is the most characteristic. It is of a white or light drab color, very fine grained and breaks with a conchoidal fracture, which makes it valuable for lithographic stone. It contains ninety per cent. carbonate of lime and can therefore be utilized for plaster and furnace flux. It is a stratum of about ten feet and lies exposed in the bed of the creek. It has been used for plastering purposes for over half a cent- ury. (See Lime Kilns ).
When Baird Furnace was built. the lime from Max- ville was hanled a distance of three miles, where it was used as flux for the furnace. The Maxville deposit is not rich in fossils, but when found they are usually very fine specimens. The sub-carboniferous Lime has also been quarried in Reading township near the Mays- ville pike. It is also found at Fultonham.
LIST OF FOSSILS FROM THE MAXVILLE LIMESTONE.
1. Zaphrentis. A small, undetermined, curved, conical species.
2. Scaphiocrinus decadactylus.
3. Productus pileiformis.
4. Productus elegans.
5. Chonetes. Undetermined species.
6. Athyris subquadrata.
7. Athyris trinuclea.
8. Spirifer ( Martinia ) contractus.
9. Spirifer. Undetermined fragments of perhaps two species.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
IO. Terebratula. An undetermined, small, oval species, showing the fine punctures under a lens.
II. Aviculopecten. Undetermined species.
12. Allorisma. Undetermined fragments, appar- ently like A. antiqua.
I3. Naticopsis. A small undetermined species.
14. Straparollus perspectivus.
15. Bellerophon sublævis.
16. Pleurotomaria. A small, undetermined cast.
17. Nautilus. A small, undetermined, compressed, discoidal species, with very narrow periphery trun- cated.
18. Nautilus. A large, sub-discoid, undetermined species, with an open umbilicus, and only slightly em- bracing volutions, that are somewhat wider trans- versely than dorso-ventrally, and provided with a row of obscure nodes around, near the middle of each side.
The writer, in company with Supt. DeLong, in the summer of 1901, found an excellent specimen of the last named fossil, at Maxville.
About a hundred feet above the Maxville stratum is the very persistent horizon of the Zoar or the Blue Limestone. It has an average thickness of about three feet. It is not so compact as is that at Maxville and it weathers readily. It is of no use as a building stone and it is so rich in silica, that it cannot be utilized for furnace flux. In fact its silicious tendency is often so great that it is known as flint. It is highly fossilifer- ous and carries with it a great amount of iron. Where the iron predominates it has been mined for iron ore. This was the case at Junction City, where it was known as "block-ore." Its horizon is in the valley below Baird Furnace, from where it was first taken for flux. As it
24
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
proved a failure for that purpose, it was subsequently mined as block-ore and its iron extracted.
The Hanging Rock or Gray Limestone is found throughout the southern part of the county, at least as far north as Bristol. Throughout the remainder, of the county, it is represented by the Putnam Hill Limestone, which is quarried at New Lexington under the name of Flint or Chert. This lime is highly fer- riferous, and in many places is known as iron ore. Where it appears as such it has been designated as the Baird Ore and it is what was used at Baird Furnace and at others of the smelting works near the Perry county line. It lies about one hundred and ten feet above the Zoar Lime and is quite persistent. We find its horizon at McCuneville where it is denominated "bastard lime."
Something over a hundred feet above the Gray Limestone we find the Buff. Shawnee or Upper Free- port. It is rich in carbon and was therefore used as a flux in the Shawnee furnaces. It is only a few feet in thickness, is non-fossiliferous, and carries several accessory seams which are better known as iron ores.
The Cambridge Limestone is a fossiliferous stra- tum of about two feet. It is often known as flint and this is especially true in our county. It is found in the eastern townships and its most westward outcrop is north of Rehoboth in Clayton township. It was this lime that was used in paving the streets of Crooksville.
The Ames Limestone almost misses Perry county. In the extreme eastern part we find it only on the very tops of the highest hills. It is highly fossiliferous, consisting mostly of crinoid stems. It is from this fact that it is called by geologists "crinoidal lime- stone."
25
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Iron Ores.
With the exception of the Ames Limestone, each of the six strata mentioned in the foregoing, carries with it an iron ore. In fact iron often substitutes itself for the lime. There are, however, some other seams of iron ore in the county, since we have not less than fourteen well recognized strata.
The first one we find in the scale is at Maxville, where it lies over the Sub-carboniferous Lime. The same stratum can be found in the same relative posi- tion in Reading and Madison townships. This ore is known as the Maxville Block.
Lying about fifteen feet below the Zoar Limestone is found the Lower Main Block Ore. This was mined extensively at Junction City.
Just over the Zoar Limestone is a seam that is always present but at times so thin that it is not work- able. It is the most widely distributed ore of the Hanging Rock District. Its name is the Main Block Ore.
About thirty feet above the latter can be found a valueless vein in the most of our hills. It is sometimes called the Rough Block Ore.
From ten to twenty feet above the last named, an- other Block Ore occurs. It is carried by the Gore Limestone, an accessory of the Zoar. We find this seam in the extreme south of the county. At Mc- . Luneville the lime with it is almost an ore in itself, since it contains twenty per cent metallic iron.
Thirty feet higher in the scale, in the south of the county. is the vein that corresponds to the Putnam Hill Limestone at New Lexington. At the latter place
26
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
about ten feet below the Lime is a kidney ore which is its accessory.
The next vein is the Limestone Kidney Ore. It can be found at McCuneville in connection with a lime, whence its name.
The most important of all our ores comes next. It rests upon the Hanging Rock Limestone. It is bet- ter known, however, as the Baird Ore. It was the one most generally used, since at one time, more than sixty furnaces in southern Ohio utilized it.
Above this is the Black Kidney which is not always present. It occurs in patches and is of little value in our county.
Passing above the Great Coal Seam and closely connected with the Norris Lime is an ore by the same name.
Thirty feet in ascent brings us to the ore invested with the Shawnee Limestone. It has been mined extensively at New Straitsville, and has received its name therefrom.
The Sour Apple Ore received a Perry County ap- pellation because of the presence of an apple tree near its outcrop in the neighborhood of Moxahala. It was laden with luscious looking fruit, but the members of the Geological Survey were somewhat disappointed when they tested it.
The greatest of all our ore deposits is the one that lies about one hundred and fifteen feet above the Great Coal Seam. Its general name is the Black Band. It is locally named the Iron Point or the Bowman Hill Ore. It was mined at Bristol, Moxahala, and also on the Hone farm east of New Lexington. Its aver- age thickness was found to be from three to five feet.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
In many places it showed a frontage of seven and eight feet.
There are a few unimportant strata in connection with the Cambridge Lime. They are for the most part valueless in our county.
Coals.
The lowest coal measure in our county is the Sharon, overlying the conglomerate of the Sub-car- boniferous Limestone. Its outcrop can be seen in the bed of Mondaycreek, northeast of Maxville. It is usu- ally a thin vein but in Section 14, Hopewell township, there is a small area that can be mined. It must be remembered that the Maxville Limestone can be seen topping the hill above Glenford on the farm of Plum Reed.
The Quakertown is the next seam in the ascending scale. It lies about fifty feet above the Sharon and is very thin. It can be seen in the ravines of western Mondaycreek and Jackson townships. At times it has been found to be two feet in thickness and farmers have quarried it.
Connected with the Lower Mercer Limestone is a thin stratum of coal which has received the same name. It is less than a foot thick.
Above this is the Upper Mercer which is known in many places as the "16-inch vein."
The Tionesta Coal (3b) is found on Coalbrook in Mondaycreek where it has been known for years as Cannel Coal. It is rich in oil and has a thickness of two feet. The outcrops of this coal are also found throughout southern Jackson.
Twenty feet above the Putnam Hill Limestone is a vein often wanting. It is from eighteen to twenty-two.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
inches thick and of a good quality. In the clay bank at the New Lexington Brick Plant and several miles north of this point the horizon is plainly shown. It lies beneath the Ferriferous or Baird Ore. In the ore diggings in Mondaycreek it was often found.
We now come to the workable coal measures. The Lower Kittanning may be considered the base of such coals. It is known by-different names - No. 5, Lower New Lexington, and Lower Moxahala. It has been mined at New Lexington and is now mined at Nugent- ville and Redfield. At Bristol Tunnel it was worked in the same hill with the No. 6 above it, and was loaded over the same tipples. It is about four feet thick and is a valuable steam coal.
The most general coal and the one most valuable is the Great Coal Vein or Middle ( Upper) Kittanning. This is the seam mined at Shawnee, New Straitsville. Congo and Baird Furnace, where its thickness is from ten to fourteen feet. At Dicksonton, McCuneville, McLuney and along the C., S. & H. R. R. in Bearfield township it is only about four feet. It is known too as the Upper New Lexington.
In many places, about fifty feet above the Great Vein, is often found the mere tracings of a seam. It is the Lower Freeport or 6a. In Perry county it is locally known as the Norris Coal, because it was for- merly mined at Millertown by a man of that name. It often reaches a maximum thickness of six feet but it usually is much less.
The Upper Freeport Coal is not known in the western or northern part of the county. It is a seam of about five feet and is mined at Hamburg. Its local name is the Stallsmith. Its rank in the series of coals is No. 7.
29
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
On the tops of the hills in the southeastern part of the county is often noticed a thin streaking of coal "blossom." It is the horizon of Coal No. za. This is the highest of the coal strata in the county. This seam was once mined near Chapel Hill under the name of the "patriot coal."
Buried Channels.
The Ohio strata of rocks are usually persistent. There have been no orological convulsions to twist the strata from where they were originally deposited. The general dip to the south east is regular. Any departure from the established method is apt to cause consider- able conjecture. Borings for coal have revealed the fact that often it is absent or very thin. The cause of this is, in many cases, the presence of an ancient chan- nel, now buried under the silt of subsequent ages. When the water poured through these channels, just after the Carboniferous Age, it eroded through the coal measure and carried it away, just as our streams are doing to-day. In the course of time these chan - nels were filled with gravel and sand-by the setting back of the water in them and the stopping of their currents. All through southern Ohio there is ample evidence of these ancient water courses, showing that they are continuous and connected, forming a system of drainage. The Muskingum River runs in a great measure over such a buried channel. This has been discovered by building dams in the river. Our county has such a water course. The diagram on the map shows its approximate course, without its tributaries. Many tracts of land where coal was supposed to exist have been found to be utterly destitute of that mineral. The miners at the Congo mine frequently find that the
30
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
coal is absent. We are thus able to follow the devious windings of this ancient stream, that plowed its way through the strata, when old Mother Earth was some- what younger than now.
Clays.
Clay is the product of the decomposition of felspar through the agency of the atmosphere. There are two classes of clays and both are represented in our county, viz : clays proper, and shales. All shale becomes clay when moistened. Soap-stone is a clay stone and slate is only a harder variety of the same substance.
As to varieties, clays may be divided into Fire Clay, Potters Clay and Brick Clay. There are no less than a dozen well recognized strata of clays in Perry county, all of which are workable. All varieties are repre- sented. Their relative positions may be seen by ex- amining the vertical sections of horizons in different parts of the county. Many of these seams are of great thickness and the supply is inexhaustible.
Petroleum and Gas.
The Oil and Gas field is in the Townships of Monroe, Pleasant and Bearfield. The surface of this territory lies in the Lower Productive and Lower Bar- · ren Coal Measures. As has been stated in previous topics, the Ames Limestone has its horison on the tops of the hills. The Sundaycreek valley, which is the deepest in the neighborhood, cuts its way through the Great Coal Vein north of Corning. Corning, itself, is at the level of the Upper Freeport Coal.
The oil is found in the Berea sand, which has been found to have an average thickness of about 30 feet.
31
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Through the courtesy of Mr. Geo. DeLong, the fol- lowing "log" of a well drilled on his lot in Corning is given. The top of the well lies at the base of the Mahoning Sandstone. The elevation is practically the same as given for the Corning Depot. (See ele- vations ).
Thickness of Stratum. Feet.
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