Licking County, Ohio - Chapter 17: ~ Topography, 1881

THE CHANNELS CUT BY THE BRANCHES OF LICKING RIVER - THE LICKING VALLEYS - THE TABLE LANDS - THE Ex- TENT AND ACREAGE OF THE CoUNTY - ITs PRIMITIVE SURFACE - PRAIRIES - SWAMPS - PONDS - LAKES - THE RESERVOIR - SPRINGS - RUNNING STREAMS - FLINT RIDGE - LICKING NARROWS AND BLACK HAND ROCK.

'*To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks The language of delight, of stenes most enchanting, Of the odorous wealth of her charming floral treasures, Of beauty most ravishing - of grandeur - of magnificence - Of winds musical with the far-away echoes of departing summer breezes."

HE same influences which shaped the topog- ; raphy of Knox and Richland counties, have left their impress upon that of Licking, have determined the direction of the water-courses, and have divided the county into several well-marked topographical areas. ~ A deep pre-glacial channel from the north enters the county a little west of the Sandusky branch of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, extending southward to Newark, and is now occupied by the northern branch of Licking river. At Newark it divides; one branch turning directly to the east, in the valley of Licking river, and one branch extending northwesterly, through what was evidently, at one period, a broad lake, and in which now flows the south branch of the Licking, with a reversed current to join the main stréam at Newark.

A smaller channel, coming from near Martinsburgh, Knox county, passes through Eden township and the valley occupied by the Rocky fork of the Licking, to its junction with the main stream. This channel is marked by debris of adjacent bluffs, and has had less influence upon the topogra- | phy of the county than the others named.

South and southwest of Newark these waterplains expand, covering a large area. Borings for wells indicate that the rock has been here excavated to a depth corresponding to that of the old channels, and that in the latter part of the glacial epoch a lake of considerable size covered the surface. These old flood-plains are exceedingly fertile. The surface above them is divided into four topographical areas.

In the district north of the Licking and east of Rocky fork, including the townships of Perry and _ Fallsbury, are a succession of hills rising to the rocks above the third coal seam, and are separted by the deep and narrow valleys of the streams, which generally have a rock bottom and bluff banks.

The slopes of the hills are usually covered with the debris of the local rocks. North of the Licking, and between the North fork and Rocky fork, are similar hills in Mary Ann township, rising to a _ height sufficient to catch the lower coal, and, in | Newton township, to the horizon of the carbonif erous conglomerate, which is here mainly rer | sented by a stratum of silicious iron ore.

In the southeastern part of the county are hills of like character; the surface diversified in a similar manner by a net-work of deep ravines, the channels of recent streams.

In the northeastern part of the county is a high, undulating table land, the rocks all Waverly, and in the northern and central part deeply covered with unmodified drift clay. The undisturbed, billowy surface of the original deposit still remains, except upon the borders of the streams and upon the southern slope, where the clay of the drift has all been carried away, and the evidences of its presence remain only in the pebbles' of the streams and occasional erratics of the slopes of the hills.

In the southwestern part of the county an irregular series of low hills project into the old waterplains of the valleys, in part covered with drift, the latter in places extending below the beds of the present streams.

The extreme width of Licking county is twentytwo and a half miles from north to south, and, in length, thirty miles from east to west. It contains six hundred and fifty-eight square miles, and was originally thickly covered with a great variety of huge forest trees, and a dense and almost impenetrable undergrowth of shrubs and bushes. The earth was also thickly clad with a luxuriant growth of indigenous grasses, weeds and trailing vines, with the exception of a very brief period during the winter months.

Among the principal of these was the Bowling Green prairie, or rather series of prairies, commencing about four miles below Newark and extending eastward along the Licking bottoms for a mile or more. Here it was that Hughes and Ratliff erected their cabins in 1798, and raised a crop of corn during that and a number of subsequent seasons, and which was the first corn ever raised by white men within the present limits of the county.

One mile below Newark, in the valley of the Licking, was another one, or more, on which Isaac and John Stadden raised corn in the year r8oo. There were several prairies of smaller extent down north of St. Louisville, called the Cranberry prairie, known, also, in early times, as the Warthen prairie. It was large compared with most of Licking county prairies, and in portions-of it partook © more of the character of a swamp than a prairie.

One of the most celebrated prairies in the county was situated a little over a mile west of Newark, and was generally known as Cherry Valley prairie. It was extensively used as a racecourse by the early settlers a number of years. Ultimately, most of its surface became measurably covered with water, and hence unfitted for tillage or horse-racing. In this condition it remained nearly thirty years, and until drained by ditching, when much of the area composing it became plough land, and most of the remainder good grass land for pasturage.

The a''Little Bowling Green" situated between the National road and the Perry county line, in Bowling Green township, on the waters of the Moxahala, was a small prairie. It was first cultivated in 1802, and was well known by the early settlers. It gave name to the township in which it is situated, organized in 1808.

There were several prairies along the southern borders of Union township, one being of considerable magnitude; also one er two, separated by a narrow belt of timber, at the junction of, the Bloody run and Brushy fork, in McKean township, called Plum prairie, and sometimes Plum orchard. It was famous for its abundant yield of prairie rattlesnakes.

Besides these there were a number of others in different sections of the county, but they were generally of very small size. The county may, therefore, be considered as belonging to the class known as wilderness, or, heavily timbered; the superficial area of prairie bearing too insignificant a proportion to the timbered land to be taken into account.

Of swamps there were many, but mostly small. Most of the prairies had the characteristics of swamps as much as of prairies, rendering their correct classification somewhat difficult.

Some of the most notable swamps were on the Bowling Green, five miles below Newark, and at several other points in the Licking valley; one a

Archibald Wilson, where he settled in 1806; also the Bloody Run swamp, near the Fairfield county line, as well as others in the same township, and those in the vicinity of the reservoir; besides many others of smaller size; one in the southeastern part of Lima, Wolf swamp in Liberty, and several in the southern portion of Hartford township.

_ Ponds were numerous but not of large size. The Goose pond, two miles northwest of Newark, covering from fifty to sixty acres, was one of the largest. The Deweese ponds in the southern part of Union township; the Log pond a mile northwest of Newark; and the famous pond that ornamented the public square of Newark as late as 1830, were among the principal ones.

Of lakes, there is but one, so small, however, that it should be called a lakelet. It is situated near the mouth of Lake fork, in Washington township, and covers fifty or sixty acres.

It abounded in fish, aquatic plants, some amphibious animals, as well as wild geese and ducks, and was the scene in early times of much sport for anglers and hunters. The water is of very considerable depth in places. It is generally known as "Smoot's lake," a gentleman of that name being owner of most of it.

If the reservoir may be included in the category of lakes, it makes the second, though only a portion of it is in Licking county. It is located in the southern portion of Licking and Union townships, and in the counties of Fairfield and Perry; and now embraces an area of more than three thousand acres; probably one-third belonging to Licking county. Its limits were somewhat extended in 1828 by the construction of the Ohio canal, of which it is a feeder, and made navigable to. Thornport from the canal. The depth of water is considerable, and in early times it was regarded as a paradise by the sportsman.

_ Springs are numerous, but there are few of large size. The Big spring upon the farm originally settled by General John Spencer, in Newton township, in 1805, is among the most noteworthy. It is made up of the united waters of several springs, and the volume of water was sufficient to propel the machinery of a grist- and saw-mill for many years after the first settlement of the county. It has yielded to the general law, and now discharges a'reduced quantity of water, no longer furnishing motive power for machinery, although there is still sufficiency of water for that purpose on a more limited scale.

Among the large springs are several north of Centerville street, in Granville township; and another, or rather two that form one, on the Welsh hills, being the head or source of the Goose Pond run. The two rise within two feet of each other, and flowing together, make one spring. The one is what is called hard water, and the other soft water, thus presenting the anomalous feature of being hard water on one side and soft water on the other. It is on the farm of William Cramer in Granville township. It had a copious flow of water in early times, and was reckoned among the largest springs of the county.

One or two of the largest springs are situated about a mile north of Newark, near the North fork, on the farm first settled by Mr. Jacob Wilson. Of chalybeate or mineral springs, there are none of any note.

Of running streams the county is eshee furnished. Nearly all the waters of Licking county flow into the Muskingum river, by way of the Pataskala or Licking river, and the Wakatomika. The exceptions are that the rains falling upon the southern portions of Hopewell, Bowling Green, Franklin, and Licking townships, run into the Moxahala or Jonathan's creek, which, after passing through a portion of Perry county, empties into the Muskingum three miles below Zanesville; and the rains falling upon the western portions of the townships of Hartford, Monroe, Jersey, Lima, and Etna flow, by way of the Black Lick and Big Walnut creeks into the Scioto river.

The South fork of Licking rises in the northwest corner of Jersey and runs through Lima, Harrison, Union, Licking and Newark townships, passing, in its meanderings, a short distance into Fairfield county, and unites with the North fork at Newark, the two forming the Licking river.

The Raccoon or Middle fork, another tributary of the South fork, has its sources in the townships of Hartford and Monroe, and after passing through the townships of St. Albans, Granville.and Newark, empties into the South fork half a mile above the junction of the latter with the north fork at Newark.

The Otter fork rises in Knox county, passing through Hartford and Bennington into Burlington township, where it, with other small streams from Knox county, flows into the North fork of Licking.

Lake fork rises in Bennington and Liberty townships, and after passing through Burlington township, discharges itself into the North fork two miles south of Utica, in Washington township.

Clear fork and Brushy fork rise in Liberty town. ship, and both find their way into the North fork; the former at Vanattasburgh, and the latter one mile further south, both in Newton township.

North fork rises in Knox county, and after flow- 'ing through the townships of Bennington, Burlington, Washington, Newton and Newark, unites at the city of Newark, with the South: fork, the two forming the Licking or Pataskala river, the main 'stream of the county, which, after passing through Madison and Hanover townships, empties 'into the Muskingum river at Zanesville.

Brushy fork and the Clay Lick are both tributaries of Licking river. The former has its source 'in Muskingum, and after winding around through the valleys and rocky, mountainous regions of Flint ridge, passes through Hopewell and Hanover townships, and empties, in the last named township, into the Licking. Clay Lick rises in Hopewell, and after passing throug Franklin empties into the Licking at the township line between Madison and Hanover.

Rocky fork heads in Washington township, and after meandering through the deep gorges, precipitous banks, abrubt slopes and steep bluffs of Eden, Mary Ann and Hanover townships, empties into the Licking at the head of the "Licking narrows" in Hanover.township.

The "Flint ridge" is a section of country of a mountainous character, situated principally in Hopewell township, extending entirely across it from east to west. It slopes off into Muskingum county on the east, and on the west into Franklin township, Licking county; making its extreme length from six to eight miles, and its average breadth less than two miles from north to south, not counting the length of the spurs that diverge from both sides of it, into the more level land.

It is extensively covered with flints and buhrstone, the latter being largely used by mill-owners, in pioneer times, as a substitute of the French buhr, for making flour.

The Licking narrows, when the pioneers first settled here, was probably one of the most picturesque places in Ohio. It was a romantic, gloomy gorge, about two miles in length through which flowed Licking river.

trees, and shrubbery or undergrowth peculiar to mountain regions. The north, or left bank of this dark ravine was formed by a line of nearly solid, sandy rocks, generally from fifty to sixty feet high, and varying in position but slightly from perpendicular, rising out of the water, which washed their base in many places, and no where left more than a narrow strip of land, of a few feet between this bank and the river. This stream had an average breadth of a hundred feet or more, and the branches of the trees which stood on its banks almost ran together; indeed in places they interlocked, carrying the grape-vines, growing on one side, into the branches of the trees which stood on the other, thus giving the Narrows, during the season of full foliage, a dark, gloomy, cavernous appearance. In places on the left bank, this bed of gray sand-rock stood in a position not perpendicular, but overhanging the water in a sort of semi-circular form. On the face or front of one of these overhanging rocks had been rudely drawn, probably by Indians, the outlines of various animals, and also the form of a large human hand; hence the name of "Black Hand Narrows," be which the place was known by the early time hunters and pioneer settlers. They found on the front surface of this projecting rock, some ten or fifteen feet above its base, at the water's edge, the impression of a large hand and wrist, the thumb and fingers distended, and being in dimensions about double that of the hand of a common-sized man. It had been chiseled or scratched out, probably with a sharp-pointed, or thin-edged flint wedge or chisel, and the hollowed grooves thus made had become blackened from the action of the atmosphere; or perhaps the growth of a coat of black moss had given it its color.

This curious black hand pointed east, and was destroyed by the blowing away of the rock on which it was inscribed; this much-to-be-regretted act becoming a necessity in the construction of the Ohio canal; the river the whole length of the Narrows being made slack-water, by means of a dam at the lower end. The Black Hand rock was removed to make room for the towpath. This slack-water canal arrangement was effected by means of a lock at the upper end and a dam, as already stated, at the lower. The interest of the Narrows was also increased somewhat by a beautiful miniature cascade on the left bank of the river, formed by a small gurgling rill which fell over this perpendicular bank of rock, sixty feet in height, into the stream below.

The Licking Narrows was a spot abounding in interest to the pioneers, and was the scene of many an ancient legend - of wild hunting stories and thrilling, romantic adventures. The scenery in its primitive state, before man laid his heavy destructive hand upon it, was surpassingly grand, gloomy, picturesque and magnificent. Nature here presented such a splendid exhibition of her her works as to command the admiration of all votaries, under whose observation they came. Here, indeed, is one of Nature's master-pieces

The presence of marine shells and other diluvial deposits, together with many other geological indications, seem to favor the opinion that these Narrows were formed by the waters of the valley to the west, which were believed to have been a lake or sea at some period of remote antiquity, the surface of which was on or above the level of the tops of the banks forming the Narrows, and discharged its surplus waters over them, gradually washing out and deepening the channel as time rolled on, thus ultimately draining the sea or lake, leaving only the stream that now flows through the gorge, as the outlet for the waters that accumulate in the valley above - a valley extending almost to the western limits of the county, and northward, beyond its limits, embracing an area of hundreds of square miles of most fertile and beautiful lands.

This may account for the sandy condition of the soil of the larger part of Licking county - it was once the bed of a lake. At what period of time this lake existed is unknown; probably many centuries have intervened.

Another deeply interesting locality in the topography of the county is the region of the Rocky fork, and especially, of Rain rock in Eden township. These localities will receive attention in the