Scioto County, Ohio - Chapter 1 (1 of 3 so headed), 1903

Chapter 1

OUTLINE: SKetch of Title Boundaries Topography Trees and Plants- - Grasses and Flowers Animals~ - Birds Serpents and Fishes- - Geology-Oiland Gas- - Soils and Forests - Formation of Hills and Valleys -

The name "Scioto" is a Shawnee Indian name. A number of definitions have been given to the term and the Editor is unable to determine which is the correct one. "Falling \Water," "fresh water" and "hairy" are all given as definitions of the word. The Editor is more likely to believe that the first definition is the correct one. The Shawnee Indian language was never reduced to writing and is now among the dead languages, of no use or value whatever. The only terms which survive are-certain names of localities. The first we hear of this country in any manuscript is in the Second Charter of Virginia issued _ by King James of England, 'the wisest fool in Christendom," May

1609. In that document there are about 10,000 words of unnecessary verbiage, as was customary in those times, but for our purpose it is sufficient to say that on that date he granted certain persons and societies, named in the charter, all the land along the coast of the Atlantic from Old Point Comfort two hundred miles north and fromthe same point two hundred miles south and hence west and northwest from sea to sea. In other words the north and south lines of this grant were at right angles to the general trend of the Atlantic coast, this language included all of Southern Ohio and much more country. Augusta County, Virginia, was created on the rst day of November, 1738, by the General "Assembly of the Colony of Virginia. It was named for the Princess Augusta, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George IT and the father of George III. Frederick County was created the same year. The Act separated all the territory west of the Blue Ridge and extended in other directions to the utmost limits of Virginia. It is said in Waddell's Annals of Au- gusta County, Virginia, to include nearly all of the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia. Ilinois, and, as contended by Virginians, a part of Western Pennsylvania. In point of fact the country was not fully organized until October 30, 1745, When the Governor issued a "Commission of the Peace" and named the first Magistrates of the County, twenty-one in number. The first of them was James Patton, second, John Lewis, and amongst others Robert Poage and Robert Cunningham. James Patton was the first Sheriff of the County, appointed by the Governor. The Justices met December 9, 1745 and took the oath of office. The first will presented in Augusta County was that of Robert Wilson. It was executed November 3, 1745 and was proved and admitted to Probate on February 11, 1746. The first deed recorded was that of Andrew Pickens to William McPheeters for 12% acres of land for five shillings. In 1749 Robert McClanahan was time. Prior to 1751, Colonel Richard Henderson and Company claimed to have purchased the territory embraced now in Scioto County and perhaps a hundred times as much more from the Shawnee Indians. Colonel George Croghan was at the mouth of the Scioto river, at Alexandria, in 1752. When he learned of,this claim he communicated it to the Governor of Virginia and the General Assembly of Virginia passed resolutions to investigate it and did so. In 1777 a great deal of testimony was taken, among others the great Patrick Henr are Dragging Canoe, Oconostoto, Raven Warrior and others. While ~ the colony took a great deal of interest as to what Colonel Henderson would say, he never came forward to substantiate his claim and hence the matter was abandoned. See page 270 et seq. of the Virginia State Papers, 1652 to 1781. In 1769, a new County was created in Virginia known as Botetourt and then it was that the territory now embraced in Scioto County became a part of Botetourt County. It was named in honor of Norborne Berkeley, Lord Botetourt. He was Governor ot

Virginia in 1768. Scioto County remained a part of Botetourt Coun- Dae ty until December 20, 1783. It is said there are deeds on record in "8 3 q that County which embrace lands in Adams and Scioto Counties. On _ the date just mentioned Virginia ceded its territory north of the Ohio river to the United States and appointed Commissioners to execute - the deed which was executed by the Virginia Commissioners on March 1, 1784 On July 13, 1787 Congress passed the Ordinance of 1787 creating the Northwest Territory. July 27, 1788, Washington County was proclaimed. | It embraced all of Scioto County east of the Scioto | river. On July 10, 1797 by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, Adams

Early History

County was created. It embraced within its limits the whole of Scioto County and from that date until May 10, 1803 the territory of Scioto County was a part of Adams County. On April 30, 1802, Congress passed a law enabling the formation of the State of Ohio, and by an Act of February 19, 1803, the state was formally recognized by Congress. The first legislature of Ohio met on the 3d day of March, 1803. On the 24th day of March, 1803, the Legislature passed an Act to create the County of Scioto which reads as follows: "Be it enacted, ete., That all that tract of country comprehended in the following boundaries be, and the same _ is hereby erected into a county by the name of Scioto, to-wit: Beginning on the Ohio, one mile on a straight line below the mouth of the lower Twin Creek; thence north to the Ross County line; thence east with said county line to the line of Washington County; thence south with said line to the Ohio; thence with the Ohio to the place of beginning. That all actions, suits and prosecutions now pending in the county of Adams shall be determined in the said court; and that all fines, forfeitures and public dues, which have incurred to or which are due and owing to the county of Adams shall be collected by the sheriff or collector of said county, in the same manner as though no division had taken place. That until a permanent seat of justice shall be fixed in the county of Scioto, by commissioners for that purpose, Alexandria shall be the temporary seat of justice, ana courts held at the house of John Collins. That this Act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of May next. (Passed March 24, 1803). On the 6th of April the Legislature appointed for Associate Judges: John Collins Joseph Lucas and Thomas ' William Swenney. There are sketches of John Collins and Joseph Lucas herein, but oblivion has already secured Mr. Swenney. It is believed that he leit the County soon after its organization to go west, but whether for his own good, or that of his neighbors is not now known. However these judges did meet on the 1oth day of May, 1803, and organize the County as will be found in the work under the title, "Journal of the Common Pleas Court of Scioto County from 1803 to 1810." The south and west lines of' the County have never been changed. 'The original east line took in about 1-3 of Lawrence County and from 1-4 to 1-6 of Jackson and the north line included more than half of Pike County. In 1804 at the Second Session of the Legislature the east line of Scioto County was changed. That part of Gallia County lying west of the seventeenth range of townships was placed in Scioto County. That made the line of the County to start from opposite Ashland, Kentucky, and run due north to the upper line and took in 2-3 of Jackson County and retained 1-3 of Lawrence. In 1815 Lawrence County was created and the boundaries were as folfows : Beginning on the Ohio river, at the southeast corner of township number 2, in range 15 thence west to the southwest corner of said township ; thnce north to the northeast corner of township 3, range 10, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence north to the northeast corner of township 5, in range 17; thence west to the range line between the seventeenth and eighteenth ranges ; thence north to the northeast corner of township 4, range 18; thence west to the northeast corner of section 5, in said township; thence south to the northeast corner of section 5, in said township; thence south to the northeast corner of section number 29, in said township; thence west to the northwest corner of section 27, in township 4, range 19, thence south to the southwest corner of section 34, in township thence west to the northwest corner of section 3, in township 2 in said - range; thence south to the French Grant line; thence southeastwardly to the east corner of said grant; thence southwestwardly to the corner between fractional sections numbers 3 and 4, in township 1; thence south to the Ohio river; thence with the meanders up the river to the place of beginning."" This west boundary included the southeast and east sides of the French Grant and the north line of Elizabeth Township, Lawrence County to the southeast corner of Section 36, range 19, thence the line was west and north of Decatur township, Lawrence County and on the east line of Washington 'Township, Lawrence County as shown on the map.

The latitude of Scioto County is 38 degrees, 48 minutes north, - longitude 83 degrees west. 'The whole southern border of the County - is the Ohio river, whose course from Sciotoville to the southeast corner is east of southeast. From Sciotoville to Portsmouth, the river runs almost east to west, but from Portsmouth to the southwest part ot the County the general course is west of southwest. The result of this course of the river is that the City of Portsmouth, the County | Seat, while on the southern border of the County, is nearly in the center. The County is intersected by the Scioto river which empties at -

Scioto river, are Bear Creek which rises in Pike County and flows - some eight or ten miles and empties into the Scioto about three miles below 'the Pike County line. The next important tributary is Brush Creek which empties into the Scioto about eight miles north of Portsmouth. The principal tributary of this stream rises about two miles back of Rome, in Adams County, and flows south for several miles and then east until it strikes the Scioto County line, near the village ot Wamasleyville. This stream flows east to near Otway, where it is j by the waters of Rocky Fork coming from the southeast, At the north fork of the Scioto Brush Creek empties into the south f At Rarden, six miles northeast of Otway, there is a small stream comes in from the north called Rarden's Fork which rises in Pike County from the south a small stream empties called Dunlap, but the most i portant stream of the north fork comes to Rarden from the northwest rises in Adams County not far from Locust Grove. Below the mouth of Scioto Brush Creek, Pond Creek, a stream six miles long, empties into the Scioto two miles south of Brush Creek. There is a small stream called Dry Run which empties into the Scioto two miles rforth of Portsmouth. There are a few streams emptying into the Ohio between the west line and the city of Portsmouth. 'There is first, Lowei Twin, just above Buena Vista in Nile Township, then a mile further, Upper Twin, a small stream. 'Then Pond Run comes in nine miles from Portsmouth and flows along parallel with the hills for some time before it empties into the Ohio river. Six miles from Portsmouth, is Turkey Creek, which empties into the Ohio, and one mile below the City is Carey's Run. The Scioto has but few tributaries on its east side between the Pike County line and the Ohio river. The principal one is Miller's Run, which empties into the Scioto from the east, two miles above Lucasville. The other streams south of 'that and between that and Portsmouth are too insignificant for mention. Coming up the Ohio from Portsmouth, the first small stream is Munn's Run, four miles from Portsmouth, named for the Revolutionary soldier, James Munn, At Sciotoville is the mouth of the Little Scioto, which comes from the north and has its sources in Madison 'Township of Scioto County and Hamilton and Scioto 'Townships*of Jackson County. Long Run flows easterly for some five miles east of Harrisonville and is a tributary of the Little Scioto. 'There is one on the east side of Madison 'Township, another on the west side, the latter heing the largest tributary. 'The next important stream emptying into the Ohio in Scioto County, is Pine Creek which has its sources in Bloom 'Township and flows through Vernon and Elizabeth 'Townships, Lawrence County, back into Green 'Township and empties into the Ohio near Wheelersburg. 'There are no other streams worthy ot mention in the County except Genat's Creek which flows past Ohio Furnace and empties into the Ohio about two miles below Haverhill. Some of the roughest lands in the state of Olio are found in Scioto County and west of the Scioto river, Of this land the best specimens are found in the upper part of Nile 'Township and in the lower part of Brush Creek 'Township. 'The lands on the east side of the Scioto river are of a very different character from those on the west - side. The hills are less steep and rocky and more susceptible of cultivation. The whole country was timbered originally, including Scioto County, which timber will be described under the title following:

As to the distribution of timber on the mountains, there was, pine, chestnut-oak and chestnut. On the next lower bluffs, grew white-oak, red-oak, black-oak, cedar, gray-ash, blue-ash, elm, hickory and poplar. On the low grounds were the sycamore, cotton-wood,walnut, cher- ry, hack-berry, buckeye, linn and a few beech trees. In the Fall and Winter the line of the white limbs and bodies of the sycamore trees marked"the course of the streams, and anyone standing on the top of a hill or mountain viewing the landscape could observe the course and sinudsity of the streams by the white branches and bodies of the sycamore trees.

Popular Name

The author is indebted to the History of Ohio by Caleb Atwater, \. M., for the following list of flowers found growing wild by the carly settlers, This list was prepared by R. Buchanan of Cincinnati, - rginia Bulbosa, Anemone Thallictroides, Anemone Virginiana, Hrytheeonium albidum, kirytheonium Americanum, Tritium sessile 'Tritium pendalum, Trillium grandifiorum, Delphinium tricolored, poles exaltatum, Viola Cucullaria,

Viola Canadensis, Viola Pubescens, inenelon biternata, Monarda didyma, Monarda oblongata, Iris versicolor, Commelina Virginica, Houstonia cerulea, Houstonia purpurea, Pulmonaria Virginica, Dodecatheon tntegrifollum, Bpigelta Marylandica, Phiox divaricata,

Phlox reptans, Polemonium reptans, Campanula Americana, Lobelia Cardinalis,, Claytonia Virgintea, ' Gentlana saponaria, Gentiana orchrolenes, Gentlana quinqueflora, Gentiana crinita, 'Tradescantia Virginiea, Phalanglum esculentum, Lilium canadensis, Ljllum superbum, Lilium catesbel, Convallaria racemosa, Convallaria grandifiora, Saururus ceruleum, Oenothera blennis, Oenothera grandiflora, Cassia Marylandica, Cassia Chamachrista, Baptisia cerulea,

Linnean Name Common Name

False cowslip. Pink Root. . Karly sweet william. Barly prairie sweet william. Tall meadow sweet willjam, Tall meadow sweet willjam, mpotted stem owene soe am, ng sweet william, lives valerian, Bell flower, t ; Cardinal flower, searlet. . ' Spring beauty. + Blue gentian, Marsh gentian, | Marsh gentian, "ae Kringed gentian, an wort, ild hyacinth, e Meadow lily, Superb lily, Catesby's Ifly. er A Solomon's seal, Bos Large flowering. Lizard's tall, a Evening rose, 2 ghia Large primrose, . 3° Senna,

Scientific Name

Rubus odoratus, Sanguinaria canadensis, Saracenia purpurea, Nymphae odorata, Naphar advena, Aguilegia canadensis, Clematis Virginica, Clematis viorna,

Caltha palustris, Dracocephalum Virginianum, Scutellaria cordifolia, Euchroma cocinea, Ruellie strepens, Antirrhinum linaruia, Collinsia verna,

Aster, varous species of, Solidago, various species, Achillea millefolium, Helianthus, twenty species, Rubeckia purpurem, Rubeckia, various species , Silphium perfoliatum, Flabenaria incisa, Habenaria psychoides, Orchis spectabilis, Aplectrium hyemale, Asclepias tuberosa, Apoeinema canabinum, Asarum canadenis, Sweet Buckeye,

Common Name

COMMON NAME. Catch fly, scarlet color. Catch fly, meadow pjhk. Pride of the meadow. Pride of the meadow. indian physic. Indian physic. Small rose, Small rose, Many species. Rose flowering raspberry. Blood root. Side saddle plant. White pond lily, Yellow water lily. Wild columbine. Virgin's flower. Leather nhower, American cowslip, Dragon head, Scull cap, Painted cup. wainted cup. Snap dragon. Snap dragon. Shake head. Unicorn plant. 'rooth root. Crow foot, Swamp hibiscus. Blazing star. Gay feather. Blue eupatorium, Various species. New England Aster, many species. Star wort. Star wort. Golden rod, Yarrow, Wild sun flower, Wild sun flower, Wild sun flower, Ragged cap, Ragged cap, Ragged cap, Gay orchis, Putty root. Swallow wort. Indian hemp. Wild ginger. Pavia ohjensis.

Southern Ohio was a great grass country, especially, along the rivers and in the prairies and barrens. Even in the woods, in many parts of the country, grasses grew abundantly. On the prairies, there were grasses, intermingled with flowers. There was a clover, called "buffalo clover," but the original native grasses have disappeared and

The following animals were found by white men when they first explored the country: Bison, elk, bear, black bear, black and yellow wolf, sometimes called the gray wolf, the panther, black and gray fox, red fox, catamount, wild cat, raccoon, opossum, polecat, beaver, otter, muskrat, mink, weasel, gray squirrel, a aise fox, squirrel and hare. :

Birds and Fow!ls. The following is a list of the birds and fowls found in the country when first visited by white men. The common name 1s given ' first and the technical name is given second.

Scientific Name. Common Name

There were two species of rattle snakes which had their dens in the hills, the small spotted rattle snake and the large black rattle snakes; two or three species of black snake; water snakes of several species ; and the common garter snake, copper-head and lizards.

Geology

To make an extensive chapter on this topic would be a fraud upon our patrons and readers, because we would necessarily have to reproduce something already written. The editor of this work is not a geologist and to assume to be one would be to quote from some one else. Instead of quoting and occupying space much needed for other subjects, it is best to refer to the works where a good descriptive geology will be found. The article on the Geography and Geology of Ohio, in Howe's Historical Collection of Ohio, published in 1889, in two volumes, contains an article by the late Professor Edward Orton, State Geologist, which gives the subject so full that it vould not he quoted here. In Geology, only the latest works are reliable and this is about the latest. No complete treatise on the Geology of Scioto County has ever been written and the editor could nct write one solely for this work; for two reasons: first, he is not fitted tor that task, and second, if he were it would not pay to do it for a work of this scope. Professor Orton's treatise beginning on page 61 occupies to page 89. In 1836, the State first began to study its geological formations and those studies have been pursued ever since. In r&69, the State had a second geological survey and again in 1881. The rocks and clays in Ohio grew, or were stratified in water. There are no igneous or metamorphic rocks in the State. All our formations grew in the sea. One time the waters of the Gulf of Mexico covered our State. The waters of the Gulf extended to Lake Erie and were warm. On page 64 of the work referred to is a good map of the geological formation of Ohio. On the opposite page is a map showing in what territories the various outcroppings exhibit themselves and in this article we refer to those maps as one and two. One has the vertical section of the rocks of Ohio, and two is entitled Geological Map of Ohio. The reader will please place those maps before him and then this article will be readily understood. Scioto County is in the Carboniferous System, nearest the top. It has under it the Devonian, the Upper Silurian and the Lower Silurian. The Carboniferous System is divided into eight parts of which Scioto County belongs to the Subcarboniferous limestone. It lies under six measures and has eleven under it. The lowest rocks in the state No. 1, Trenton Limestone, crop out 1t Point Pleasant in Clermont County where General Grant was born. The series count from 1 at the bottom of Map 1, to 18 at its top. No. 2 the Utica Shale, shows at Findlay, 800 feet below the surface. No. 3, Hudson river series, shows at Cincinnati. No. 4, Medina Shale, shows at many points in South Western Ohio. It produces the gas at Laneaster 1902 feet below the surface. It crops out only in Southern Ohio. No. 6, the Niagara group, is in Adams County, Clark, Miami, Montgomery and Green. 'The Dayton stone comes from this system. The Hillsboro sandstone is also the last upward element in this group.

No. 7, the Lower Helderberg, shows up at Greenfield, in Highland County, and at Lima in Allen County and in Lucas and Wood Counties. No. 8, the Upper Helderberg, yields the Columbus and Delaware | limestone. This is the finest limestone in Ohio. No. 9, is the Hamilton Shale. -No. 10, is the Ohio Shale, found in Cleveland and in Erie sandstone found near Waverly in Pike County. This is the same stone quarried at Buena Vista, by the Rarden Stone Company, at Rarden, Ohio, and the Henley Stone Company, at Henley, Ohio. No. 12,

In some remote geological period there was an upheaval from the workshops of Vulean in the center of the earth, under Tennessee, Kentucky and Southern Ohio, and this created the Cincinnati anticlinal, or arch. The Trenton limestone is the floor of the formation described, and the roof of the anticlinal. The dip is thirty feet to the mile westward in our locality. Under this anticlinal is the petroleum and natural gas. The shales of the Waverly sandstone region and the \Vaverly stone itself are permeated with petroleum. Petroleum is found in paying quantities within fifty miles southwest of Scioto County, in the Bath County, Kentucky oil fields. It is not in our province to discuss how petroleum and natural gas are formed in the bowels of the earth, or the various qualities of each. Newton Robinson distilled the finest of oil, from the oil bearing shales at Buena Vista and would have made a fortune at it but the discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania ruined his enterprise. There must be a porous rock to contain the oil and an impervious or nonporous rock to hold the oil down as a cover. This condition must exist before oil can be found in paying quantities. Salt water is always found in connection with oil and gas. To find oil there must be the source, reservoir and cover. 'The cover of the oil rock is usually a fine grained impervious clay shale. If this shale is found the rock underneath, if a sandstone, or limestone, contains oil. It is likely to be found at the surface of the Trenton limestone or at the bottom of the Ohio shale, No. 10, in the series given. Oil and gas oceur in all rocks which have a heavy shale cover. The oil is associated with salt water in the stratum which contains it. The oil is pressed upward by gravity until it reaches the cover of shale which holds it down; when that is penetrated it escapes. Clay is an ayency in the primary accumulation of petroleum. 'his is true in eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Sandstone rocks are sure receptacles for oil and it is sometimes called "oil sand" but it is really a sandstone rock. In the Findlay gas and Lima oil fields, limestone is the oil sand, but it has the same shale cover as elsewhere found. The pressure which drives the gas to the surface with such a mighty force, when the roof of the gas cover is penetrated is not fully explained by scientists. The pressure of the water about and under the gas reservoir is the best theory of the force which drives the gas to the surface. Wheu gas and oil wells are exhausted, salt water follows and hence it is supposed that water is the force which drives the gas and oil to the surface with such great force. This water pressure is falsely termed rock pressure and the term has been adopted. It is 750 pounds in the Pennsylvania wells and 400 pounds in the Findlay wells. Sources of Gas and Oilin Ohio.

In Lancaster, in Southern Ohio, the largest pressure of gas exists. At 2,000 feet wells have yielded 1,000,000 cubic feet of gas per day when first struck, but wells there cannot be sunk for less than $3,000 to $4,000 each. Gas and oil were discovered at Findlay, in November 1884. There were surface indications of gas and oil at Findlay long before it was found. In one instance the gas had been used to light a dwelling for forty years before the discovery. The first flow was at 1,100 feet, but the great find was in November 1886, when the great Karg well showed a daily yield of 14,000,000 feet. In the Findlay field, oil was discovered first and after that gas. The substance of the matter is that in 14 of the North-western Counties ot Ohio, under the black swamp, at a distance of 1,000 to 2,000 feet below the surface, the Trenton limestone has a different chemical composition from what generally characterizes that stratum. The limestone is of a dolomite character. In these rocks the lime is 50 to 60 per cent. In the usual and ordinary Trenton formation the lime is 80 and go per cent. In other words, in the latter case, the rocks are unfit the salt water and in the arches of the T rentonreck. Where the strata of the covering rock is uniform, oil and gas will not be found. There must be a change in the porous rock to find it. Natural gas is a stored power and nature will not renew it as rapidly as it is now used. Some day it will be and must be exhausted and by that time we shall have an artificial substitute.

and non glacial. .\ map of the glacial and of the non glacial and of Ohio is shown on page g1, 1st Volume of Howe, before referred to. In this map Adams, Pike, Scioto, Jackson and the South-eastern portion of Ross are non glacial. Like Neptune they rose out of the sea and were seaborn. The non glacial soils are especially adapted to forest growth, and in the primitive state, were covered with dense forests. The forests have been destroyed to an almost entire extent and it seems shameful and wasteful to find how the forests in Clermont, - trown, Adams, Scioto, Pike, Jackson, Lawrence and Gallia Counties have been destroyed. They do not cxist and have disappeared ~ in the past fifty years. These soils are fit for the growth of lumber, for rearing sheep and cattle, for fruits and vegetables. They are no longer, generally, fit for wheat and corn. The upland clay land favors the white oak tree. White oak land is good, but requires intelligent treatment. The hills of Southern Ohio should never have been denuded of their forests, and nature will take terrible revenge for this forest destruction. The generations now on earth will have to begin forest planting and keep it up. First class land in Ohio was covered by the sugar tree and walnut, second class, by white oak, and third class, the swamps, by elm and red maple. The last class when drained makes the best of land.

was from the lands of Harrison Furnace that the clay now used at Sciotoville for fire bricks was first used. There is a vein of coal ong foot four inches in Harrison Township.

In Bloom Township there is a vein of coal eighteen inches, and three feet of sandstone containing iron ore, and three feet of fire clay on the Henning farm. It is of good quality and is used at South Webster. There.is three feet of fire clay in Joseph Spitnagle's place.

In Porter Township the principal geological deposit is fire clay used in the manufactories at Sciotoville. There is a six foot vein in the township. It is hard and of a light ash color. The bricks made are in high repute and command a ready sale. An analysis of No. 1 clay from this Township is as follows:

The writer then compares these with the fire clays of Europe and Great Britain, and comes to the conclusion that the Scioto County fire clays will compare favorably with the best foreign clays. The ideal in a fire clay is pure silicate of alumina. It is almost infusible. The per cent of silica in the Sciotoville Fire Clay compares favorably with foreign clays. The per cent of impurities is small. The impurities, oxides of iron, magnesia and alkalies, which can be present without rendering the material useless for its finer applications, contain from 2 to 3% per cent of these bases. Sciotoville Fire Clay rises from .9o to 2.90 per cent. of these. In foreign clays, the aggregates are larger.

In Vernon township there is three feet of a coal vein, a second of the same and a third of one foot. There is one foot of red black ore and another ore vein of six inches.

As we look at the broad and beautiful valley of the Ohio, walled in by the rugged hills, we seldom stop to think of the powerful forces that nature has used in thus carving it out. This region at one time was the bed of the ocean. 'The internal forces caused it to rise slowly, and finally it became land. This upheaving with periods of rest and sinking continued for a great period of time but finally ceased and the land has remained nearly stationary since. From-the time the land first appeared the powerful forces of weather and erosion have constantly eaten away at the land. These agencies have denuded the land from a level plain to its present irregular form. At first small channels and streams appeared which gradually deepened as the land rose. Weathering and erosion widened and deepened these channels into valleys and cut down and rounded their banks into hills. Our hills and valleys are the result of these forces. They were not formed from foldings of the earth's crust like the great mountain systems along the Atlantic and in the Western part of the United States. The strata of rock in this country are not distorted, but lie in approximately level planes. A stratum occuring in a hill on one side of a valley occurs in * the hill on the opposite side and it will be in the same plane. Often the strata occurring low in the hills can be traced several miles. They do not at any place vary much from a plane, but slight bends or rolls are common to all strata. No where in this country are the strata bent to conform with the outline of the hills and valleys. Along the hills facing the river, a certain stratum may be easily traced for several miles. However there is a general uniform dip, south of east. This dip has not been accurately measured but it amounts to several feet to the mile. The eastern dip is greater than 20 feet to the mile while . the southern dip is not more than 10 feet . Before the glacier period, the land was higher and the valleys deeper than at present. The valleys were filled up by the debris from the glacier. So the denudation here has been very great as our broad valleys and_ sculptured hills show. There is evidence that the tops of the highest hills do not represent the surface of the original plain. Strewn about on the top of a very high hill near Sciotoville may be found pieces of a conglomerate which are not in place but which are the remains of a stratum that - when in place was above the hill top. The surface of this plain was above the highest hill tops. The valleys were cut from it and many ot the hills have been worn far below its original surface. The amount } of material carried away has been very great. Evidence seems to point to the fact that the Ohio river at one time - took a different route from its present one. It flowed across Dogwood Ridge, up what is now the Little Scioto, down what is now Beaver Creek in Pike County. The large nearly level tract of land on Dogwood Ridge, the appearance of the hills on either side, the presence ot boulders of foreign materials, the kinds of clay, the size of the Little Scioto and Beaver Creek valleys, all point to this conclusion. At what - period or for what length of time the river took this course is not | known, but the valley seems to be very old. The lapse of time necessary to have produced such changes must have been very great. If we go to some high cliff and look at the large amount of sand and fragments fallen to its base, our ideas of time fade and become meaningless. We may be able to see where a few fragments have fallen off in the last year or where the rocks have been washed bare by the last heavy rains hut no great change appears. Where the rocks are protected by soil or mold the changes are less rapid. Vegetation gives the rock a good protection from the elements. Only percolating water and roots affect it there. Ina life time, the changes are so slight they furnish no means of comparison by which to arrive at the length of time required to form such valleys. The true glacier scarcely touched this county. The terminal morain lies north of it. Small portions of the glacier ice may have crossed into the county in the northern part, as we find deposits of gravel and boulders that would indicate the presence ot ice. The most marked effect was on the water ways. The general courses were not changed to any extent but the beds were filled up from 100 to 200 feet which "changed them from narrow to broad, fertile and beautifully terraced valleys. This is shown from the facts that trunks of trees, leaf beds, charcoal and coal are mixed with the deposits of pebbles and sand. The presence of these pebbles, being of foreign materials, can be accounted for in no other way. The formation of this deposit in this country was accomplished by two things, one, the ice dam across the Ohio above Cincinnati, the other, the washing down of material from the glacier ice sheet. 'The material was carried down by the water from the melting glacier. The Big Scioto, the only stream in this county extending past the terminal morain, was filled up by material direct from the glacier and consequently it is the only stream, excepting the Ohio, containing flint gravel in any quantities. The deposit in the Ohio was carried down by. the Scioto and other large streams east of here which take their rise beyond the glacier morain. The water was about 400 or 500 feet deep in the Ohio valley. This gave the smaller streams a way to fill up. The material in them was _ deposited from the water backed up from the Ohio. 'The soil of the Little Scioto, Pine Creek, and Turkey Creek valleys is fine sand and clay which settled from the still water. The gravel scattered through this clay was dropped by floating ice. 'The terraces on these streams were formed by the water at different stages of height subsequent to the highest formation. 'This soil was eroded by the water of the streams during the last stages of the glacier period. 'The flora and fauna were confined to the tops of the 'hills as the water covered all _ the low lands. Only the plants and animals that could withstand the -cold existed; the others either became extinct or retreated south to more favorable localities. . Clays.

The clay deposit extends over the eastern part of the county from the Scioto river to the eastern line. Near the Scioto river the clay lies high up on the hills and gradually dips south of east till in the eastern part of the. county it lies low down near the base of the hills. _ Along its western outcrop it lies only on the highest hills and only in small quantities. But litttle workable clay lies east of Munn's and Long Run. Some good clay has been worked west of these runs, but the supply is nearly exhausted. The region fron these runs to the Little Scioto has furnished the most good clay. This section was well covered with fine clay. The clay of this region is of a very fine quality. It is a hard flint clay, white or light colored, fine grained, and quite free from impurities. It compares favorably or even outclasses the finest clay from Fayette, Pa., Mount Savage, Maryland, or St. Louis, Missouri. It ranks high with the best German and English clays. The deposit is usually from 1% to 11 feet thick with an average of about 3% or 4 feet. The thick deposits from 6 to 11 feet are confined to small areas. The brick works at Sciotoville and the Star yard get their supplies from this region. The first brick plant in the county was at Sciotoville. Adams' yard at Portsmouth got clay fromthis region for a number of years. The clay on the front hills is largely exhausted, but farther back there are large undeveloped deposits of fire clay which can be obtained at small cost. The clay directly east 01 the Little Scioto is usually of a blue color and contains much sand, Some deposits contain enough iron to make the clay worthless for fire brick. Here the strata is lower in the hills and consequently there 1s greater clay area. Some good clay has been taken from the hills near the Ohio river. The deposit extends over the whole eastern part of the county and outcrops near the base of the hills. This clay is usually high in sand and contains too much mica to be of any value for brick. - It is of a dark blue color and rather soft, having lost its flinty nature. Still the best of it makes good fire brick. There are large brick plants at Webster and Scioto Furnace. The Webster plant makes building brick principally. The Scioto Furnace plant makes fine brick largely -

Baltimore & Ohio railway and down Frederick. The Webster Blast Furnace plant at Sciotoville gets clay from this region. They make blast furnace brick and some high grade fire brick. This clay region has been developed only along the Baltimore & Ohio track and get by railroads as it is run from the bank and dumped into the cars. - This makes the cost of hauling very low. Along the Ohio river, it outcrops near the base of the hills. It can be traced from Franklin Furnace to the Lawrence County line. The clay is very sandy and con- - tains a large amount of mica. It is blue in color and quite soft in the outcrop. This region has never been developed. On Lick Run it outcrops but has never been opened to determine its quality. Out croppings also occur at Ohio and Junior Furnaces. Occuring with the hard flint clay called No. 1 is a soft clay called No. 2. This clay is very soft and has a fine grain. It generally lies above but may be found under or between two strata of No. 1. The deposit is usually larger

This is used as a bonding material in the manufacture of fire brick son e paving and building brick. In the fire brick a certain part 2 as, mixed with the No. 1 to make it plastic enough to be ; oy the paving brick made at Sciotoville and the building th Webster, it is used as the bonding material. It alone ce fide brick as it fuses easily and shrinks too much, but in it makes them more vitrified and durable.. This clay is consequently it is obtained at a small cost. Clay was yw, wet marshes. In fact it is the mud of these old swamps. 1g in these swamps removed from this mud most of the which would have spoiled it for fire brick. Sodium and potassium were the principal elements removed. The clay stratum con- 'Mtoe ssions of roots, stems and leaves of carboniferous plants. 7 ve t is a small deposit of coal which in some places is several layer of coal proves conclusively that the clay was n rer a swampy region as coal is only deposited in low wet ind at no great depth as the plants would not have grown. clay used at the Oakes' tile works at Haverhill and the Bell works rsburg is of glacier origin. It was deposited when the river A flooded with the water from the glacier. The clay was erived of foreign material. It is the fine sand and clayey naterial "brought down by the glacier and deposited here by the It is taken from the low bottom land near the Ohio. The supply is abundant. It has a mottled appearance, varying in color 'ly white to a dark brown. Its general appearance is a light ; "ground and mixed. It is fine grained and free from coarse contains enough iron to make the tile and brick a dark red + ware is solid, durable and does not weather. In the hills : side of the Scioto west of Lucasville is a deposit of clay. in Jarge quantities and has a fine appearance, being light grained and free from iron. It has never been fully test- Shcitek's clay. } Iron Ores. : h iron ores are in the lower coal measure. 'The ore strata are and are of the guinea fow] or a block type. They have been the eastern part of the county to the Scioto river. But now as they run too low in iron. The litne ore in the been worked up till recently at Ohio Furnace. This Hanging Rock. It is a better ore and more readily coniron than the other types found here, as it contains lime it sore flux easily. During and for several years after the there were many small charcoal furnaces in the county, Lake Superior and Missouri fields were opened, these down. It cost too much to make the iron as wood bed the ores ran only about half as much iron as the

The Ohio Black Shale which underlies this county furnishes a large part of the oil and gas obtained in Ohio. ~The shale is rich in carboniferous matter, approximately 13,per cent. The deposit here is about 500 feet thick. The conditions for gas or oil fields are a carboniferous shale capped by a dome or cup shaped layer of some solid material as a heavy clay or limestone which is impervious to oil or gas. The oil and gas are found in a stratum of sand, or coarse ed lime, beneath this solid impervious layer. Then as the oil and gas are distilled by the internal heat from the shale it collects beneath these

After thousands of years, these cavities become filled and when piereed by an opening furnish the flow of gas and oil. In this county we have the shale, but in the western part it outcrops. This exposure allows the oil and gas to escape as fast as generated. This shale outcrops on Stony Run, Turkey Creek and the Scioto. So all the oil and gas deposits derived from this shale in this county must be very small and local. The flow may last for a long time or continually, but it will be very small. A large flow may be obtained for a short time from some local deposit. The wells put down to this shale give a small flow of gas and oil. The wells at Munn's Run, Sciotoville, Wheelersburg and near Lucasville show gas and oil. If any large deposits are struck here, it will be far down in.the Silurian rock. Places for.Collectors and Observations.

Fossil ocean shells are on the George Arnold farm one and one half miles west of Rushtown. 'They are found in an old quarry northeast of his house. 'This is one of the best places in the county for research as the fossils are readily obtained and moderately well preserved. Near Sciotoville on the rock bar in the Ohio, above the mouth of the - Little Scioto is a good location. The fossil ocean shells occur in concretionary deposits and are well preserved, making good specimens for study. They consist chiefly of brachiopods (abundant), lamellibranchs, crinoid stems, gasteropods, cephalopods, corals (common) and trilobites (rare).

For plants, Reitz's quarry is a good place especially for fucoids. 'These rocks are also ripple marked. The coal measure plants are found in the clay and in the shale above the clay. Nearly any clay deposit - shows them. 'They also occur in the conglomerate which lies from - 5 to 15 feet under the clay, but they are not very perfect, being derived occur conostichus and asterophycus and also calamites. These may be found on the Munn Hill, one mile north of Sciotoville. fossil plants are abundant in many localities in the United States. _

At Patton's Run, three miles east of Wheelersburg, on the Ironton : pike, is an old shore deposit. It is the beach of the old Carboniferous - _-

The Ohio Black Shale is the lowest strata exposed in the county. It outcrops in the western part at Turkey Creek, Stony Run and along the Scioto. It is a black fine grained shale high in carbon. Some being nearly rich enough to burn. It underlies the whole county. This is one of the great oil and gas producing shales. It was deposited by a great sargasso sea during the later part of the Devonian age, but it may be said to mark the beginning of the great coal deposit which followed in the next age. In Kentucky during the early settlement of the country, kerosene was distilled from this shale, but now the products distilled by nature are obtained by boring and pumping the oil from the rock. It is then refined and utilized. The fossils are mostly marine, being shells and fish. Some fossil plants can be detected. The carbon was derived from floating plants from the shore and small marine plants.

The reader of this article is supposed to have before him Volume 2 of the Geological Surveys of Ohio, open to pages 80 and 81, which is an excellent illustration of the Geological formation of the State in the Carboniferous district.

There is a plain line of demarcation of the geological formations of Scioto County, at the Scioto river. The fire clay is the first direct evidence of tbe carboniferous system. It occupies the place and is closely lined to coal vein No. 1, which is Jackson shaft. All measures in this district dip to the southeast, fifty to sixty feet to the mile. This dip gives us in the southeast, part of the county coal veins as high as No. 6. They are numbered from bottom to top. 'The coal more particularly worked in Scioto County is No. 4, known as limestone. _ The next above that is No. 5. 'These coals are found in or near Bloom and Pioneer Furnaces and southeast from Webster. The deposit of lime lying between Nos. 4 and 5 veins of coal measures is known as Putnam Hill, and is the lime being worked by Moses Morgan, at Eifort Switch. A section showing these coals will be found on Page 80 and 8r of the Geological Surveys of Ohio, Volume 2. 'This section shows thirteen coals. The Pittsburg vein is coal No. 8, on that diagram, which crosses into Ohio in many points. This county is in the lower fertile coal measures and is shown in the diagram right below the lower barren coal measures. .

The best of the fire clays of Scioto County are found in a position underlying coal No. 1.in the diagram. We have a very good fire clay underlying coal No. 5. This clay is worked at Oak Hill, Jackson County, Ohio. The fire clays in Scioto County are along the outcrop used abroad. The fire clay seams in Scioto County are three to feet. Only two of them are of any practical valve, No. 1 at The best specimens of No. $e in the water aia le $ The best specimens of No. 5 are in the nace. 'The seams in Kentucky are one and the same as th County. i regard to the Waverly sadtone ing wet ofthe S er, ia eor Uke Poruacats 6c are alon the line of the Cincinnati, Portsmouth & ) thickness of the stratification is the greatest of any place® sh vi Ohio, and a greater number of workable seams oF layers appears. 'Otway, some of the seams are six feet thick. :