The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 46

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082

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Township 16 north, of Range 15 east (Rosendale) : Rosendale Station, 313 feet ; West Rosendale Station, 304 feet ; Rubicon Station, 440 feet ; Section 4, southwest quarter, 288 feet ; Section 4, southwest quarter, quarry, 278 feet ; Section 28, northwest quarter, river, 271 feet ; Section 32, southeast corner, 345 feet.

Township 16 north, Range 18 east (Taycheedah) : Lake Winnebago, 162 feet ; Section 5, middle north line northwest quarter, 305 feet; Section 5, center, 386 feet ; Section 22, south- west corner, hill, 450 feet ; Section 22, middle north line, 438 feet ; Section 25, north line, hills, 408 feet; Section 25, north line, valleys, 358 feet ; Sections 29, southwest quarter of southeast quarter, 341 feet ; Section 32, north-northwest quarter, railroad, 219 feet.

Township 14 north, of Range 15 east ( Waupun) : Waupun Station, 314 feet ; Horicon marsh, 280 feet.

312

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

ARTESIAN WELLS.

The term artesian is frequently applied to deep wells, without regard to whether water flows at the surface or not ; but it will here be confined to flowing wells, without regard to depth. Flowing wells depend upon these requisite conditions : There should be an impervious stratum to prevent the escape of the water below ; a previous water-bearing stratum upon this to furnish the flow of water ; a second impervious layer upon this, to prevent the escape of the water above, it being under pressure from the fountain-head. These must dip, and there must be no adequate outlet for the water at a lower level than the well. There must also be a suffi- cient collecting area or reservoir in connection with the porous stratum, and it must have suffi- cient elevation to act as a fountain-head. Wells of this description in Eastern Wisconsin are divided into six different classes, according to the formation from which they derive their flow : (1) Those that derive their flow entirely from the drift; (2) those that derive their flow from the junction of the drift with the indurated rocks below; (3) those that originate in the Niagara limestones ; (4) those that arise from the Galena and Trenton limestone ; (5) those from the St. Peters sandstone; and, (6) those from the primordial zone. The wells of Fond du Lac County belong to the first, second, fourth and fifth elasses. In number and variety of source, these flowing wells of the county stand pre-eminent.

In the city of Fond du Lac, there are three classes of comparatively shallow wells that derive their flow from within twenty feet of the surface of the galena limestone rock, either above or below it, it being from two to nearly one hundred feet beneath the soil. In the first, flowing water is found in the blue elay which underlies the superficial red clay. The water is usually reached in a stratum of quicksand, from six inches to six feet in thickness. In the second, the flow is obtained between what is locally known as "concrete" and the rock. This concrete, which varies from two to twenty feet in thickness, is the lowest member of the drift at this point, and seems to consist of partially cemented sand and gravel. The first flow of water is usually accompanied by a green or brown sand. The flow of the third class originates in the same rock, within from six to twenty feet of its surface and is unaccompanied, in general, by sand of any kind. The vast majority of the wells of the city belong to one of these three classes.

" Hunter's Magnetic Saline Fountain " derives its flow from the deeper limestone strata, as is shown from the following sections :

Red clay.

Blue clay, bowlders and concrete.

First water-course at.

Brown limestone

Second water-course at

Brown limestone.

Third water-course at ..

110

White limestone.

Fourth water-course at ..

140

Crystalline cherty limestone

Cherty limestone.

Fifth, water-course at 187

Total depth 187

The following is an analysis of the rock taken from this well:

Lime.

28.80

Magnesia.

Protoxide of iron. 2,19

Soda. .20

trace.

Sulphuric acid.

.10

Carbonic acid.

45.51

Total

97.66

20.76

Chlorine ..

Feet.

313

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

From this it appears that this rock, in common with nearly all the so-called limestone of Eastern Wisconsin, is really a dolomite. The following is an approximate analysis of the water of this well, leaving off decimals in calculating the proportions :

1. Carbonate of lime.

2. Carbonate of potaslı.

3. Carbonate of magnesia .. 6

4. Carbonate of soda. 4

5. Sulphate of lime. 12

6. Sulphate of potash.

7. Sulphate of magnesia

8. Sulphate of soda.

9. Chloride of sodium

10. Chloride of potassium

11. Silica.

12. Traces of iron.

13. Traces of bromine.

14. Free carbonic acid.

Waste.

Total 100

The water has been extensively used for its remedial qualities.

The fountain on First street, belonging to B. Wild & Co., represents a yet more decp-seated system. This well is 326 feet deep, and passes entirely through the galena and Trenton lime- stones, reaching the St. Peters sandstone below, whence it derives a flow of forty-eight gallons per minute. The stream has been carried by pipes fifty-three feet above the surface. It flows with such force, that, with hose and a quarter-inch nozzle attached, it projects a stream from thirty to thirty-five feet high, and forty-eight feet horizontally.

The following is an analysis of the water of this fountain :

Lime.

0.063

Magnesia.

0.040

Soda.

0.061

Siliea ..

0.013

Sulphuric acid.

0.049

Chlorine.

0.045

Carbonic aeid.

0.090

Combined as follows :

Chloride of sodium

0.074

Sulphate of soda ..

0.073

Line ...

0.010

Bicarbonate of soda.

0.105

Magnesia.

0.083

Silica

0.012

Total. 0.357

The following is the section of the well on the IIigh School grounds :

Feet.

Drift, red and blue clay

Magnesian limestone (Trenton and galena) ..

195

St. Peters sandstone

135

Total 425

The section of S. B. Amory's well is as follows :

Feet.

Soil, 3 feet.

Drift

Red clay, 37 feet. 93.0

Blue and bowlder, 53 feet.

202.0

Limestone ..

Trenton, 60 feet.

131.3

St. Peters sandstone.

2.0

Lower magnesian limestone

Total. 428.3

Galena, 142 feet.

Lime.

314

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

In searching for the fountain-head of the wells that belong to the first class-those belong- ing entirely to the drift-possible sources are found on almost every side, to the east, south, west and northwest. To the east and south, there lies a large ledge of Niagara limestone, under- laid by impervious shale, from the surface of which issue frequent springs. The clay deposits of the basin in which the city of Fond du Lac lies, abut against and overlap this shale. The junetion is, in all probability, permeable to water, which would thus reach the porous strata of sand and gravel that are found within the blue clay. That this is the true explanation of the artesian wells of Taycheedah and Byron is more than probable. To the west, the blue clay rises to the surface, and lies upon, or graduates into, the more gravelly drift hills of that region, and may not improbably derive thence its water supply.

The fountain-heads of the second and third classes-those that rise from the " concrete " and from the limestone-are doubtless the same, or at least their fountain heads are associated, except perhaps those of the deep wells, whose reservoir is more distant; in all cases, it is probably to the westward. Lamartine and adjoining towns furnish favorable conditions. The surface of the rock, as well as its layers, rise in that direction. The slight local exception to this in the western portion of the city is not sufficient to affect the general problem. The rock appears at the surface to the southwest, along Seven Mile Creek, at an elevation of 122 feet above Lake Winnebago. The general surface of the town of Lamartine is about 150 feet above the lake, and consists of low hills and ridges interspersed with marshes. The surface drainage is very imperfect. The hills and ridges are composed of the varying mixed material of the unassorted drift, and are more or less permeable to water.

Phenomena connected with the boring of wells in this region, show that certain of the layers of the underlying magnesian limestone are practically impervious to water, while others are not. These with the clay above furnish the necessary pervious and impervious strata, and complete the requisite conditions. The fountain head of Mr. Wild's well is to be found along the line of outcrop of the St. Peters sandstone, within which its reservoir undoubtedly lies. Near Ripon, the St. Peters sandstone outcrops at an elevation of about 325 feet above Lake Michigan, or about 150 feet above the surface of the well, thus giving an abundant elevation. The flowing wells of Taycheedah are from sixty to seventy feet deep, but do not reach the rock. It seems most probable that they derive their flow from veins having their origin at the surface of the shale beneath the ledge, as already explained. The water in some of the wells is highly impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen. In the town of Byron, adjoining Fond du Lac on the south, on the farms of Henry Bush, D. D. Jones and Mr. Searles, there are several wells having a rather scanty and variable flow. They are not, however, immediately affected by rains. The wells belonging to Mr. Jones are seventy feet deep. Roek was struck at Mr. Searles' at a depth of 170 feet-but did not yield a flow. The fountain head of these is probably in the bluffs to the south.

The artesian wells of the town of Oakfield are located in Sections 9, 15, 16 and 17. and occupy an extensive depression stretching northeastward to Fond du Lac. H. D. Hitt has three wells from sixty-eight to seventy-four feet deep. The following is a typical section : 1, surface soil ; 2, marl: 3, blue clay ; 4, small vein of sand ; 5, alternate blue clay, sand and gravel ; 6, rock at from forty-eight to fifty-four feet from the surface.

Water flowed in a small stream before the rock was struck. Mr. Whittaker seeured a fine flow in a vein of sand beneath blue elay, at from twenty to twenty-two feet from the surface. S. Seovil, residing on Section 17, has two flowing wells, one forty-eight and the other seventy- five feet deep. The first mentioned is thirty-seven feet in blue elay and twelve feet in limestone. It is situated near the western extremity of the depression before mentioned, where the surface gradually rises toward the drift hills that form the " divide " between the Mississippi and St. Lawrence basins. The latter lies somewhat farther eastward, and penetrates fifty feet of pure elay, without seams of sand or gravel, and extends twenty-five feet into the limestone beneath. This well has a brisk, steady flow, about one inch in cross section, and is not noticeably affected by rains. The former one is much affected by rains, the change being noticeable within twenty-four hours.

315

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

The wells of Mr. Hatch and Mr. Weils are similarly affected. These do not penetrate the rock. There are two systems here, the more superficial, whose veins lie near the junction of the drift and limestone, being sometimes above and sometimes below, and whose reservoir is in the vicinity and is superficial ; and the deeper one, whose fountain-head is more distant. The reservoirs in both cases are probably to the westward and northwestward. At the mill of W. N. Davis, on the shore of Lake Winnebago in Calumet, are two fine wells, giving a copions flow of clear, cold, sparkling water, impregnated with considerable iron and some sulphuretted hydrogen. It is about ninety feet in depth. All the drift wells in Fond du Lac County may be considered as constituting one group, owing their origin to the basin-shaped depression occupied by Lake Winnebago, the superficial layer of which is impervious and prevents the water from escaping into the lake until pierced.

The deepest artesian well sunk in the county was put down by J. Dobbins, at the village of Elmore, Section 15, town of Ashford. The upper coral bed was at the surface.

FEET.

Depth of Niagara limestone

245

Depth of Cincinnati clay

242

Depth of Galena and Trenton limestone

214

Depth of St. Peters sandstone ..

101

Depth of Lower Magnesian limestone

202

Depth of Potsdam sandstone

214

Total depth.

1,248

Surface of the well above the ocean.

989

Depth of the bottom of the well below the sea level.

259

WATER POWERS.

The great Interior and the West are laboring under an error, which intelligent action may remove. They produce vast quantities of crude material needing manufacture. This bulky and heavy matter they transport a thousand miles to be worked up. They likewise produce immense quantities of food. This they carry the same thousand miles to feed those who manu- facture the other material. They then bring back the manufactured article, murmuring at its expense, and praying for cheaper transportation. More simply and truly stated, the situation is this : At one end of a thousand miles is a man and his tools: at the other end is the heap of crude material he is to manufacture, the bulky food he is to eat, and the market for his prod- ucts ; and the problem is, " Shall the mountain go to Mohammed, or will Mohammed come to the mountain?" An intelligent, practical answer to this will go some way toward solving the problem of cheaper transportation. Agriculture, mining and manufacture, form a triangle of industries that are mutually dependent, and the nearer they can be brought together, the more successful will each be. The question then-What facilities for manufacturing does our State present ?- becomes one of the highest importance, especially as to our preponderating agri- cultural interests. Chief among these is water-power. In Eastern Wisconsin (and Fond du Lac County is to be considered in that district or portion of the State) there is a vast amount of water-power situated in the heart of an exceedingly rich farming country, with abundant facilities for transportation ; and this is not by any means a subordinate consideration, in the midst of an intelligent, cultured society. What is needed is for capitalists to fully realize that the natural facilities for manufacturing in the Interior must, in the immediate future, be utilized to their utmost capacity. A Washburn in another State, and a Meyer at home, are gifted with sufficient prescience to foresee this, and the legitimate result is an unbounded success.

But what of the water-powers of Fond du Lac County ? A comparison of the streams and smaller marshes as laid down on the Government plats, with what we now see, shows important changes in their size. Large areas that are represented as marsh on the plats of the United States surveys, are now comparatively dry and arable. Many of the smaller streams have dis- appeared or become mere periodical runs. These changes have been much more marked in the forest regions of the country than in the prairies or openings, and are so intimately connected

316

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

with the clearing-away of the timber, that it is a fair inference that this is the main canse. The timber in some portions was very heavy and consequently permitted but a very feeble under- growth. The removal of the trees left the surface almost entirely bare, and a large portion was put at once under cultivation. The effect of so great a change naturally made itself felt upon the drainage of wooded portions of the county. To the extent to which this has gone thus far it has, doubtless, on the whole been a benefit, as it lias induced a drier, lighter, warmer soil, and more healthful atmosphere. But the limits of benefit in this direction may be assumed to have been reached, and the danger now to be apprehended is that it will proceed to an injurious extent. This, however, can be avoided by fostering the growth of forest trees.

But the water-power of the county has not been benefited by the change; on the contrary, it has been injured by it. There are, however. a number of streams in the county which fur- nish good powers, but their efficiency is not remarkable in any particular instance. The surface of the country nowhere rises to any great altitude ; while four rivers-the Manitowoc, the Sheboygan. the Milwaukee and the Rock-have more or less of their head-branches within the county limits. The streams flowing into Winnebago Lake are of inconsiderable length, and have no great fall. The most efficient powers, therefore, must be sought for outside the county-down the rivers just mentioned, and particularly upon the Lower Fox. But the lack of superior water-powers is compensated by easily and readily attainable steam-powers, which are rendered available as well as profitable, because of the abundance of cheap fuel.

GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS.

Arehean Roek .- The northern part of the State is occupied by the upper portion of the Archean rock, called the Huronian, the lower or Laurentian series being nowhere visible in Wisconsin. These rocks dip to the south and east, and form the ground floor on which lies the paleozoic formation, consisting of sandstone and limestone, which constitute the upper formation in this part of the State. Its average depth beneath the surface of Fond du Lac County is about 1,000 feet. The artesian well sunk by John Dobbins at Elmore penetrates the Archean rock to the depth of twelve feet.

Potsdam Sandstone .- On the great floor thus formed lies the Potsdam sandstone to the depth of 200 to 250 feet, but nowhere does it come to the surface in this county.

Lower Magnesian Limestone .- Upon the Potsdam sandstone lies the lower magnesian limestone. This is very irregular in thickness, varying from 60 to 150 feet. It appears at the surface in the town of Ripon, west and north of the city of Ripon in high bluffs, and has been bored into in the city of Fond du Lac, in the sinking of the artesian well at the high-school building, at the depth of 420 feet, and at S. B. Amory's well on Division street, at a depth of 426 feet, 3 inchies.

St. Peters Sandstone .- Upon the wavy and irregular surface of the lower magnesian limestone, rests the St. Peters sandstone. It is the only sandstone which outcrops in the county, and then only iu two towns, in Section 31, town of Metomen, and in the town of Ripon, west and north of the city of Ripon. In Section 17, it is cut through by the Sheboy- gan & Fond du Lac Railroad, and in Section 9 by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. It is exposed in several places in the bluffs west of Ripon, and is everywhere a soft, crumbling sandstone, usually white or yellow : being permeable to water, it forms the reservoir for the principal supply of the deep wells in the city of Fond du Lac and vicinity. At the high-school artesian well, it is 293 feet from the surface, and 130 feet deep ; at S. B. Amory's, 295 feet from the surface, and 131 feet thick.

Trenton Limestone .- There lies on the St. Peters sandstone the Trenton or blue lime- stone, about seventy-five feet thick, which only outcrops in the west tier of sections in the towns of Alto and Metomen, where it is much covered with drift and soil, and in the town of Ripon, where the lower beds, which are partly buff colored, are well displayed ; also at the falls within the city of Ripon, caused by the waters of Silver Creek running over the limestone and wash- ing away the St. Peters sandstone from beneath ; also a few rods west of the business part of that

317

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

city, where the lowest layers of this rock are about forty feet higher than at the falls, and along the bluff in the west part of that city where the lower beds are twenty to thirty feet higher, from which point they dip south until they disappear beneath Crystal Creek.

North and east of Ripon City, the formation becomes quickly covered with deep drift and soil and is but little exposed.

Gulena Limestone .- Immediately upon the blue or Trenton limestone rests the gray or galena limestone, possessing similar characteristics. It derives its name from the fact that it is the main formation that bears galena or lead in the southwestern part of the State. It differs from the Trenton in being deeper bedded and having a more irregular texture, weather- ing into rough, craggy forms, sometimes with a rotten appearance. The galena forms the surface rock of the west half of the county, embracing some of its most fertile towns. It underlies the towns of Friendship, Fond du Lac, north half of Byron, the north half and west half of Oakfield, Lamartine, Eldorado, Springvale, Waupun, Alto, Metomen and the east half of Ripon.

This rock is easily disintegrated by atmospheric action, while it loses a part of its lime and magnesia (being a dolomite). It produces a valuable clayey soil for agricultural purposes. The thickness of the rock is abont 125 feet, it being penetrated for artesian wells in different parts of the county and yielding a considerable number of flowing wells. There are quarries of this rock in different parts of the western towns. The stone at Waupun is the most valuable for building purposes, dressing well but coarse under the hammer and chisel. The most eastern outerop in the county is at Moore's quarry in the Third Ward of the city of Fond du Lac. There are also beds of this stone open in Sections 7 and 16 in the town of Fond du Lac, and at Seven Mile Creek in the town of Lamartine. .

The galena rock underlies the soil of the beautiful prairies, fine groves and oak openings which, in a state of nature, so highly adorned the county.

Cincinnati Shales and Limestone .- The galena limestone is succeeded by a series of shales and limestone known as the Cincinnati group, which constitute the upper series of the Lower Silurian period. This formation is about one hundred and fifty feet thick, and protrudes immedi- ately from beneath the ledge. Its disintegration forms a most tenacious clay soil, on which flow the springs and brooks which so abundantly water the plain beneath the ledge. This formation outcrops through the entire length of the county, from Calumet Mills on the east side of Lake Winnebago to Section 32 in the town of Oakfield, traversing the county in a northeast and southwest direction. The soil from this formation forms the most valuable grazing land in the county. The shales, which form a part of this formation, bear such resemblance to the shales of the coal fields that there was some boring for coal in and beneath it. There never has been any native mineral coal found in any formation as old as this. The carboniferous formations are much more recent than the Silurian series which form the surface rock of the county.

Upper Silurian Series .- This formation rests upon the Cincinnati clays, and is the most prominent and important rock formation in the county. It forms a bold ridge throughout the length of the county, elevated about two hundred feet above the level of the valley beneath.

This formation is well exposed, the ledge traversing the towns of Calumet, Taycheedah, Empire, Eden, Byron and Oakfield, and the rock underlying the towns of Marshfield, Forest, Osceola, Ashford and Auburn. In the latter towns, it is not much exposed, being covered heavily with glacial drift, some places 300 feet deep. In this State, the Upper Silurian series consists of the Clinton iron ore and the Niagara group.

The Clinton Iron Ore is absent or nearly so in this county, being nowhere visible 'as an outcrop.

The Niagara Group, which forms the rock in the east part of the county, consists of the Mayville beds, the Byron beds and the lower and upper coral beds.

The Mayville Beds, being the lowest member of the group, resting immediately on the Cincinnati clay and forming the principal portion of the front of the ledge, are the best exposed rock in the county. East of the village of Taycheedah, at the old brewery, it is quarried

818

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

extensively, and also at the Berry farm, Section 5, there is a good quarry. The rock is much used for heavy foundations in Fond du Lac City and vicinity. This rock is, in general, a rough, coarse, gray magnesian limestone, possessing the same general character throughout its entire area.

The best stone is almost a pure dolomite, consisting of about 52 per cent of carbonate of lime and 43 per cent of carbonate of magnesia, and has been much used for the manufacture of lime in the towns of Tavcheedah and Oakfield. The Mayville beds are about sixty feet thick. The beautiful marble stone which forms the front of the Patty IIotel in Fond du Lac City, was obtained from the rock in the town of Taycheedal.

Byron Beds .- Reposing upon the coarse-textured Mayville beds last described, lies a somewhat thicker series of beds, bearing a strong contrast to them in color, texture, stratifica- tion and general character. The ledges of the former are rough in aspect, and dull in color, these of the latter are usually smooth and white. The texture of the former is generally coarse, and often very uneven, that of the Byron beds is always fine, and sometimes so close and compact as to be lithographie in character. The color, when not white, is a light gray or cream tint. The texture is either very fine, close and compact, or fine grained. The bedding is either thin, producing excellent flagging, or attaining more considerable dimensions, and furnishes cutting and building stone, the very best in the State. The lower beds of this forma- tion are thin bedded, while in the upper portion, the beds are thicker. The rock is called the Byron, because its best development in Wisconsin is in the town of Byron, in this county. The purity of the rock admirably fits it for the manufacture of lime. It makes a strong and white article, and is among the best in the United States. In selecting stone for this purpose, the granular variety is generally to be preferred, from its superior purity, and because of its porons nature it allows the carbonic gas that is discharged in the burning to escape readily, thus facili- tating an easy and complete calcination.

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The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 46

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1082

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082