History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 12

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298

USA > Wisconsin > Richland County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 12
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 12

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).

. At Prairie du Chien, the upper and middle portions are exposed, but the entire thickness is not seen until about six miles above, when the lower layers are exposed. Proceeding up the river, the formation constantly occupies a higher position in the bluffs.

This limestone is always light-colored, em- bracing al! shades of yellow and gray, and is sometimes perfectly white. In texture it is hard and compact, the separate grains of which it is composed being seldom distinguish-

able. It usually presents an indistinct crystalline appearance, but the erystals are never large enough to present distinct faces or a clearage. Exposed surfaces of this formation always weather very irregularly by the removal of the lime through the usual atmospheric ageneies. Small irregular cavities and hollows are thus formed in all parts, and in cliff exposures small holes and eaves are sometimes seen, usually penetrating but a short distance.

The Lower Magnesian limestone always over- lies the Potsdam couformably; that is, no denn- lation of the latter appears to have taken place before the former was deposited. The line of demarkation between the two formations is sometimes very distinetly defined by beds of limestone devoid of sand overlying the white sandstone of the Potsdam. The transition beds are, however, usually present, and the Lower Magnesian sometimes graduates almost insensibly into the Potsdam. The stratifieation of the Lower Magnesian is very regular and uniform; in some of the exposures, as in the cliff's along the Mississippi river, the same beds can be traced continuously for long distances. The greatest thickness which the Lower Magne- sian is found to attain anywhere north of the Wisconsin river is 250 feet. The least thickness yet observed is 100 feet. This can be seen in the northwest quarter of seetion 5, township 9, range 5 west, (Seneca). Its average thickness may be stated at about 175 feet. These meas- ures of thickness refer to localities where the formation is overlaid by the St. Peters.

The following is a list of localites in Crawford county where the exposures of the Lower Mag- nesian limestone offer facilities for the study of the formation :

(1.) At DeSoto, on the Mississippi river, where the formation affords a fine, close-grained and durable building stone. It is of a very fight color, and often nearly white.

(2.) Section 6, township 7, range 6 west, (Prairie du Chien), where there are many fine cliff exposures overlaid with bluffs of St. Peters,

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

(3.) Section 18, township 8, range 6 west, (Eastman), where, along the Mississippi river, there are long, continuous cliff exposuresof the formation, overlying the upper beds of the Pots- dam, and affording good opportunities to exam- ine the transition beds.

No very extensive or valuable deposits of metallic are found in the Lower Magnesian formation in Crawford county. A few lo- calities of copper and lead exisit, which show that the formation is not entirely destitute of metallic contents. Copper has been found on the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter, and the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 26, township 8, range 5 west, (Eastman). This is in the valley of Plum creek, a small tributary of the Kickapoo, and about two miles above its junction with that stream. Here the copper has been mined.

The existence of copper ore here has been known for a number of years, and small quan- tities have been from time to time extracted ; but it was not until 1860 that any systematic attempt at mining was begun. In 1858, the land was purchased by a company of five per- sons, residents of New York city, who com- menced work in 1860, and abandoned it in 1861 on account of the war. Since then no work has been done in the Plum Creek Copper Mine, as it is called. About two car loads of ore were shipped. An analysis of some of the ore found at the mine gives only a little over ten per cent. of metallic copper, which is hardly a re- sult to justify additional expense in developing this mine.

The Copper Creek mine is on the northeast quarter of section 34, township 10, range 5 west, (Utica). The mines of this locality are situ- ate about three-quarters of a mile southwest of the village of Mt. Sterling, and on the side of a hill sloping toward one of the branches of Copper ereek. The deposit of copper ore was discovered, in 1843, by William T. Sterling. It was first worked by him and George Messer- smith they paying a tribute of one-sixteenth to

the United States. During this time, a speci -. men weighing 300 pounds was sent to the patent office. In the work performed by these men, 20,000 pounds of ore were taken out, when the best part of the deposit appeared to be exhausted and the work was suspended for two years. In 1846 the ground was leased to a German company who worked it about a year, their work being chiefly drifting and prospect- ing, after which time they abandoned it as un- profitable.

The property remained idle until 1856, when it was leased to a New York company, who worked it from May to September, producing 20,000 pounds of ore, at a cost of abont $4,000 ; since then the land has never been worked.

In an analysis of the ore made about thirty years ago less than twenty per cent. was metal- lic copper.

The existence of lead in Crawford county, in the Lower Magnesian formation, is confined to the vicinity of the lower part of the Kickapoo valley. The Little Kickapoo Lead Mine is located on the northwest quarter of section 10, township 7, range 5 west, (Wauzeka), in the upper part of the bluff on the north side of the Little Kickapoo, a small tributary of the Wiscon- sin. Lead ore was first discovered here in the year 1840, and was worked at intervals until the year 1850. There have been obtained from this mine from 25,000 to 50,000 pounds of ore. An analysis shows over eighty-two per cent. of metal- lic lead. This is equal to any found in Wisconsin. There are evidences of other deposits in the coun- try round about.

Wherever the Lower Magnesian is exposed, there is always an abundance of good building stone. Some of the best quarries in the county are those at Prairie du Chien. This formation also affords lime with as much facility as build- ing stone All parts of the formation which are free from flint will produce lime on burning. There are several places in Crawford county

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

where lime is burned in kilns of the simplest form and construction.

ST. PETERS SANDSTONE.

Owing to the elevation attained by the sever- al formations, through their gradual rise in a northerly direction, and to the great and general denudation to which the country has been sub- jected, the St. Peters sandstone is only found in isolated areas of comparatively small extent and confined to the highest parts of the ridges. The area of this formation begins in township 6, range 6 west, (Bridgeport), and extends in a northerly direction through the county. On the west it approaches to the Mississippi in town- ship 10, range 6 west, (parts of Seneca and Free- man), and may be traced along the bluffs of that river and all its tributary streams, in a belt varying from a mile in width on the north, to a quarter of a mile wide opposite Prairie du Chien; thenee, along the bluffs of the Wisconsin and its tributaries to the Kickapoo. On the eastern side of the divide, it is seldom found more than two or three miles from the principal ridge, but as the country descends more gradually to the Kickapoo than to the Mississippi, it covers rela- tively a much larger area than on the west- ern slope; and in township 10, range 5 west, (parts of Utica, Seneca and Freeman), it is the surface rock over about one-half of the town- ship.

The country just described embraces many fine exposures among which may be mentioned the following:

1. The mounds near Mt. Sterling, which are chiefly composed of sandstone. 2. A ledge fifty feet high near the quarter post of sections 15 and 22, in township 8, range 5 west, (East- man). 3. A mound on the southwest quarter of section 34, township 8, range 5 west, (East- man).

The following exposures are situated on the ridge between Knapp creek and the Kickapoo: 1. In township 8, range 4 west, (Marietta), the St. Peters is the surface rock in parts of the following sections: 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20,

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33 and 34. Its total area is a little more than seven square miles. There is one good exposure where it forms a mound in the southeast quar- ter of section 2.

2. In township 8, range 3 west, (Marietta), a branch of the same range is seen, extending through sections 6, 7, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 29, forming an area of about three square miles, with one fine ledge exposure near the center of section 7.

3. The same sandstone ridge continues in a northerly direction through sections 36, 25 and 24 in township 9, of range 4, (Haney), and through sections 31, 30, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 10, 9, 8, 4, 5 and 6, in township 9, of range 3 west, (Scott), and runs out in sections 31 and 32, of township 10, range 3 west, (Clayton), comprising a surface area of six sections. There is also an isolated area on sections 13, 14, 23 and 24 in township 9, range 3 west, (Scott), equal to one section.

4. In township 10, range 3 west, (Clayton), there are two large isolated areas: the first is on sections 22, 23, 26, 27, 35 and 36 having an ex- tent of two square miles; the second is on sec- tions 3, 4, 9, 16, 17 and 20 having an extent of one and a half square miles. On the latter are four prominent mounds of large size, which afford fine opportunities for studying the forma- tion.

TRENTON, OR BUFF AND BLUE LIMESTONE.

These two formations, which are usually con- sidered collectively, are occasionally found north of the Wisconsin river. They usually attain their average thickness, which is about twenty-five feet each. There are no useful ores found in this formation north of the Wisconsin. The blue limestone would furnish an excellent material for burning to lime; but it is not used for that purpose.

A very singular deposit is to be seen at the village of Seneca, in the lower part of the buff limestone. It forms a small eminence a short distance north of the village. The deposit con- sists of a conglomerate, formed of quartz peb-

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

bles of small size, and sand in large rounded grains, firmly united with iron as a cementing material. The pebbles are seldom more than half au inch in the longest dimension, consisting always of white or transparent quartz, and al- ways smoothly rounded, evidently having been rolled by the action of water.

The extent of the deposit is small, covering only about an acre and not exceeding five or six feet in depth. Several pits have been sunk in it, and numerous large masses of the conglom- erate taken out in attempts to utilize it as iron ore; but, on account of the large amount of quartz ore material, which constitutes nearly one-half of the entire bulk, it is useless as an ore. This deposit derives its chief interest from the fact that it is the only ore of the kind found anywhere in the formation

1. The Trenton forms the surface rock in sections 3, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30, 31 and 32, in township 9, of range 5 west, (Seneca). On section 20, the Galena limestone appears, and buff and blue form a belt surround- ing it. This belt, commencing on section 20, runs southwest to the bluffs of the Mississippi; thence south along that stream and all its tribu- taries; thence east and north about the upper parts of the Grand Gris, Little Kickapoo and Plum creek; thence north to the head of Otter creek to the point of departure. Compared with this large tract all the other areas are small.

2. The blue limestone is found on sections 13, 14, 21, 22, 23 and 28 in township 8, of range 4 west, (Marietta), lying on the crest of the ridge in a long strip about half a mile in width, comprising an area of about two sections.

C. There is also a semi-circular strip, on sections 1 and 2, in the same township, extend- ing into section 6, of township 8, in range 3 west, (Marietta), and forming an area equal to one square mile.

4. In township 10, range 5 west, (Utica), the two small mounds near the village of Mt. Ster- ling are capped with buff limestone.

5. In township 11, range 5 west, (Utica), is an area of about two square miles, surrounding the village of Rising Sun, lying on sections 14, 15, (in Vernon county), 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 35, and on the divide between the Mississippi and Kick- apoo rivers.

GALENA LIMESTONE.

This sub-division of the Trenton period is found in a strip averaging about a mile in width, occupying the highest part of the ridge between the Kickapoo and Mississippi, extending from section 20, in township 9, of range 5 west (Sene- ca), to section 28, township 7, of range 6 west, (Prairie du Chien), a distance of about fourteen miles. From this ridge, the formation extends west, towards the Mississippi, in three small, subordinate ridges; and on the east, it extends for a short distance on the ridges between the Grand Gris, Little Kickapoo, Plum and Pine creeks. This formation is usually hard and com- pact in texture, of a yellow color and contains numerous flints disseminated through it. It is almost devoid of organic remains, and has not been found to contain any ores or minerals . of value.

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE UNDERLYING FOR. MATIONS OF CRAWFORD COUNTY. [By T. C. Chamberlin, State Geologist. ]

I .- Potsdam Sundstone.

After the great Archæan upheaval, there fol- lowed a long period, concerning which very lit- tle is known-a lost interval in geologieal his- tory. It is only certain that immense erosion of the Archæan strata took place, and that in time the sea advanced upon the island, eroding its strata and re-depositing the wash and wear be- neath its surface. The more resisting beds withstood this advance, and formed reefs and rocky islands off the ancient shore, about whose bases the sands and sediments accumulated, as they did over the bottom of the surrounding ocean. The breakers, dashing against the rocky cliffs, brought down masses of rock, which im- bedded themselves in the sands, or were rolled and rounded on the beach, and at length were

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

buried, in either case, to tell their own history, when they should be again disclosed by the ceaseless gnawings of the very elements that had buried them. In addition to the accumula- tions of wash and wear that have previously been the main agents of rock formations, abund- ant life now swarms in the ocean, and the sands become the great cemetery of its dead. Though the contribution of each little being was small, the myriad millions the waters brought forth, yielded by their remains, a large contribution to the accumulating sediments. Among plants there were sea-weeds, and among animals, pro- tozoans, radiates, mollusks and articulates, all the sub-kingdoms except the vertebrates. Among these, the most remarkable, both in nature and number, were the trilobites, who have left their casts in countless multitudes in certain localities. The result of the action of these several agen- cies was the formation of extensive beds of sandstone, with interstratified layers of lime- stone and shale. These surrounded the Archa- an nucleus on all sides, and reposed on its Hanks. On the Lake Superior margin, the sea acted on the copper and iron-bearing series. which are highly ferruginous, and the result was the red Lake Superior sandstone. On the oppo- site side of the island, the wave-action was mainly upon quartzites, porphyries and granites and resulted in light-colored sandstones. The former is confined to the immediate vicinity of Lake Superior; the latter occupies a broad, irreg- ular belt bordering on the Archæan area on the south, and, being widest in the central part of the State, is often likened to a rude crescent. It will be understood from the foregoing description, that the strata of this formation lies in a nearly horizontal po-ition, and repose un- conformably upon the worn surface of the crys- talline rocks. The close of this period was not marked by any great upheaval; there was no crumpling or metamorphism of the strata, and they have remained to the present day very mueb the same as they were originally deposited, save a slight arching upward in the central por-

tion of the State. The beds have been some- what compacted by the pressure of superineum- bent strata and solidified by the cementing ac- tion of calcareous and ferruginous waters, and by their own coherence, but the original char- acter of the formation, as a great sand-bed, has not been obliterated. It still bears the ripple- marks, cross-lamination, worm-burrows, and similar markings that characterize a sandy beach. Its thickness is very irregular owing to the unevenness of its Archæan bottom, and may be said to range from 1,000 feet downward. The strata slope gently away from the Archæan core of the State and underlie all the latter for- mations, and may be reached at any point in southern Wisconsin by penetrating to a sufficient depth, which can be calculated with an approx- imate correctness. As it is a water-bearing for- mation, and the source of fine artesian wells, this is a fact of much importance. The inter- bedded layers of limestone and shale, by sup- plying impervious strata, very much enhance its value as a source of fountains.

II .- Lower Magnesiun Limestone.

During the previous period, the accumulation of sandstone gave place for a time to the forma- tion of limestone, and afterward the deposit of sandstone was resumed. At its close, without any very remarked disturbance of existing con- ditions, the formation of limestone was resumed, and progressed with little interruption till a thickness ranging from fifty to 250 feet was a :- tained. This variation is due mainly to irregu- larities of the upper surface of the formation, which is undulating, and in some localities may appropriately be termed billowy, the surface rising and falling 100 feet in some cases, within a short distance. This, and the preceding sim- ilar deposit, have been spoken of as limestone simply, but they are really Dolomites, or Mag- nesian limestones, since they contain a large proportion of carbonate of magnesia. This roek also contains a notable quantity of silicia, which

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

occurs disseminated through the mass of rock; or, variously, as nodules or masses of chert; as crystals of quartz, filling or lining drnsy cavi- ties, forming beautiful miniature grottoes; as the nucleus of oolitic concretions, or as sand. Some argillaceous matter also enters into its composition, and small quantities of the ores of iron, lead and copper, are sometimes found, but they give little promise of value. The evidences of life are very seanty. Some sea-weeds, a few mollusks, and an occasional indication of other forms of life, embrace the known list, except at a few favored localities where a somewhat am- pler fauna is found. But it is not, therefore, safe to assume the absence of life in the depos- iting seas, for it is certain that most limestone has originated from the remains of animals and plants that secrete calcareous material, and it is most consistent to believe that such was the case in the present instance, and that the dis- tinct traces of life were mostly obliterated. This formation occupies an irregular belt skirt- ing the Potsdam area. It was, doubtless, orig- inally a somewhat uniform band swinging around the nucleus of the state already formed, but it has since been eroded by streams to its present jagged outline.

III .- St. Peter's Sandstone.

At the close of this sandstone-making period there appears to have been an interval of which we have no record, and the next chapter of the history introduces us to another era of sand ac- cumulation. The work began by the leveling up of the inequalities of the surface of the Lower Magnesian limestone, and it ceased before that was entirely accomplished in all parts of the State, for a few prominences were left project- ing through the sand deposits. The material laid down consisted of a silicious sand, of uni- form, well-rounded-doubtless well-rolled- grains. This was evidently deposited horizon- tally upon the uneven limestone surface, and so rests in a sense unconformably upon it. Where the sandstone abuts against the sides of the limestone prominences, it is mingled with ma-

terial derived by wave action from them, which tells the story of its formation. But aside from these and other exceptional impurities, the for- mation is a very pure sandstone, and is used for glass manufacture. At most points the sand- stone has never become firmly cemented and readily crumbles, so that it is used for morta r the simple handling with piek and shovel being sufficient to reduce it to a sand. Owing to the unevenness of its bottom, it varies greatly in thickness, the greatest yet observed being 212 feet, but the average is less than 100 feet. Un- til recently, no organic remains had ever been found in it, and the traces now collected are very mcagre indeed, but they are sufficient to show the existence of marine life, and demon- strate that it is an oceanic deposit. The rarity of fossils is to be attributed to the porous nature of the rock, which is unfavorable to their pres- ervation. This porosity, however, subserves a very useful purpose, as it renders this pre-em- inently a water-bearing horizon, and supplies some of the finest artesian fountains in the State, and is competent to furnish many more. It occupies but a narrow area at the surface, fringing that of the Lower Magnesian limestone on the south.

IV .- Trenton Limestone.

A slight change in the oceanic conditions caused a return to limestone formation, accom- panied with the deposit of considerable clayey material, which formed shale. The origin of the limestone is made evident by a close exam- ination of it, which shows it to be full of frag- ments of shells, corals, and other organic re- mains, or the impressions they have left. Count- less numbers of the lower forms of life flourished in the seas, and left their remains to be com- minuted and consolidated into limestone. A part of the time the accumulation of clayey matter predominated, and so layers of shale al- ternate with the limestone beds, and shaly leaves and partings occur in the limestone lay- ers. Unlike the calcareons strata above and below, a portion of these are true limestone

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

containing but a very small proportion of mag- nesia. A sufficient amount of carbonaceous mat- ter is present in some layers to cause them to burn readily. This formation is quite highly metalliferous in certain portions of the lead region, containing zinc especially, and consider- able lead, with less quantities of other metals.

The formation abounds in fossils, many of them well preserved, and, from their great antiquity, they possess uncommon interest. All the ani- mal sub-kingdoms, except vertebrates, are rep- resented. The surface area of this rock borders the St. Peter's sandstone. Its thickness reaches 120 feet.

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER III.

ANCIENT INHABITANTS.

The first people of Crawford county, who were they? The question, of course, can never can be answered. We know that, scattered over it in various directions, there once lived a race, concerning which all that has come down to us is exceedingly shadowy. These people are denominated the

MOUND BUILDERS.

Vestiges of the labor of the so-called mound builders still exist in Crawford county, in the form of earthworks consisting of mounds; some 'udely representing animals; others seemingly like low battlements; while a third variety are simply elevations, usually conical in shape.

ANCIENT MOUNDS .*

On the questions of the origin and design of these monuments of antiquity, I have but little at present to say. On these questions much has been said and written, but from it all the world has become but little the wiser or better. Their existence, together with the evidence we have of design, taste or ambition to perpetuate the memory of some noted event or honored indi- vidnal, give ample evidence of intelligence far in advance of the Aboriginees found here by the Anglo-Saxon race, who at present occupy the country.

The trees frequently found growing upon them of 400 years' growth declare their antiquity and the recent discoveries in the cop- per region of Lake Superior of mines over which trees of the same age are growing, makes it

probable that the same race who wrought those mines also built these mounds.

Who these ancient people were, whence they came and what became of them, have been ques- tions of deep and abiding interest for the last fifty years, or since the whites have been set- tling the great valley in which their works abound; and various methods have been re- sorted to to derive some plansible answer to eich question, but all to no purpose. Indeed, he who can answer one can answer the others. But nothing has, as yet, come to light satisfac- tory to the publie mind on this engrossing sub- jeet.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 12

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1298

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298