Vinton Township (part 1 of 8)

Table Of Contents

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IV. Middle Kittanning coal in Brown, Madison, and Knox townships Facing page MeOiland gas in Vinton Gounty..... csccch2 esc oe ene Facing page

Introduction

Vinton County was settled in 1802 when cabins were erected and clearings made largely in Elk and Vinton townships. The region soon became prominent through the discovery of buhrstone which was plentiful in the hills along Raccoon Creek and its western tributaries and which was first quarried and worked into millstones about the year 1807. This was the first industry in the county and the product known as Raccoon millstone found a ready and extensive market. For more than thirty years the revenue from the quarries alone was not less than $20,000 annually. The business caused an influx of workmen, hence McArthurtown, laid out in November, 1815, rapidly developed into a thriving village. Vinton County was finally organized as a separate division of the State, March 23, 1850, from parts of Athens, Hocking, Ross, Jackson, and Gallia counties.

The mineral resources next to be worked in a vigorous way were the iron ores, the.demand for which became active with the erection of Eagle Furnace in 1852, Vinton, Cincinnati, and Hope in 1853, Hamden in 1854, and Zaleski in 1858. These furnaces were operated successfully for more than twenty years. The trade in iron ores, however, continued brisk until 1888, after which it declined rapidly.

Coal mining, on a large scale, began soon after the completion of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad (now the Baltimore and Ohio) in 1856 and was further extended by the construction of the Ohio and West Virginia Railroad (now the Hocking Valley) in 1880. The search for oil and gas in Vinton County began in 1867 but results were not especially favorable until the large Clinton gas field was opened about 1899 in the western part of the area. Since then drilling has been active and great quantities of gas have been taken from deep-seated rocks. Some oil also has been secured.

The limestones of the county have been of value not only for industrial purposes but more, through their decay, for soil enrichment. The calcareous soils are excellent for fruit and grazing. Native clays were first turned to profitable account about 1845 when stoneware shops were built on Potters Ridge and at other places within the county. The ware was turned by hand on the potters' wheel and burned in small kilns with wood as fuel. Such factories were operated until 1903. The ceramic industry, however, was established on a modern basis with the erection of a brick plant at McArthur in 1905 and another at Hamden in 1908. The local sandstones were used for constructing bridges, furnaces, and mills.

The future development of Vinton County through its natural resources is assured, as it is especially rich in clays and coals. The clays have high purity, occur in large quantities, and are well distributed. The coal reserve is large, amply sufficient for all domestic and industrial needs for many years.

Location And Area

Map I. Shows the position of Vinton County in the State, and other counties for which bulletins have been issued by the Geological Survey of Ohio.

by Hocking, on the west by Ross, on the south by Jackson and Gallia, and on the east by Meigs and Athens counties. It 1s composed of twelve townships. Elk, Vinton, Knox, and Madison townships were secured from Athens County; Jackson, Swan, and Brown from Hock - ing County; Harrison and Eagle from Ross County; Richland and Clinton from Jackson County; and Wilkesville from Gallia County. According to the latest figures of the Government, the total area of Vinton County is 415 square miles, giving it a rank of 62nd in size in the State.

In order to appreciate the physiography or surface features of Vinton County some attention should be given to the cause of its relief and the various forces which are at work modifying it. Some of these agencies are quite apparent but others are more vague. Most of them, however, have left certain imprints on the surface such as poorly drained valleys; narrow, constricted gorges; flat-topped ridges; and broad terraces through which the history of the region is at least partially revealed. Preceding the work of the dynamic agencies in carving the land to its present form, however, came the building of the various rock strata by physical and chemical processes and then their elevation to land surfaces by diastropic forces.

All the consolidated rocks now appearing at the surface in Vinton County are of sedimentary origin, and were laid down in or by the agency of water. Most of them were deposited in the sea, but some were formed in extensive marshes, either brackish or fresh water. In general, during these periods the floors of the basins were slowly subsiding, thus allowing the successive accumulation of strata in great thickness.

Shales were formed from silts and sandstones from sands that were carried by streams into the basins from highland areas in which older rocks were undergoing decay. Through differential separation by moving water the sand was deposited near the mouths of streams and along the shores of the basins, whereas the finer materials were carried farther away to the deeper or to the more quiet places. By consolidation the sand became sandstone and the silt became shale. The substances that form the limestones, both marine and fresh water, were precipitated from the water or gathered from the soluble matter of the seas or lakes by lime-secreting animals and plants that flourished where the conditions of light, warmth, food, etc. were favorable for their growth and multiplication. As the organisms died, the calcareous parts of their bodies settled to the bottom and subsequent changes consolidated the matter to firm rock. Plant life that grew in marshy places, where it was preserved under certain conditions of humidity, produced the coal.

building processes, acting through long periods known as the Mississippian and the Pennsylvanian, finally accumulated the thick mass of strata now appearing at the surface of Vinton County. These rocks, however, remained beneath the water until the great revolution in late Permian time which produced the Appalachian Mountains and the wide plains to the west bordering the major uplift. The force was so great that the strata were not only elevated but were bent, tilted, and locally faulted. Further uplifting occurred again in Cretaceous and Tertiary times.

The combined thickness of the various strata which appear at the surface somewhere in Vinton County is approximately 1,360 feet. These rocks belong to the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian systems. The drill has yielded some information regarding the deep-seated rocks from the lower part of the Mississippian on through the Devonian and Silurian to about the middle of the Ordovician. The thickness of sedimentary rocks thus known in Vinton County is close to 5,000 feet.

Directly upon the establishment of land surfaces the many destructive forces of nature, such as streams, weathering, solution, etc., began disintegrating and removing recently elevated rocks. If this process had contjnued to completion all the land would have been reduced to sea level. This was not the case but it proceeded far enough to modify the surface of the entire area. Extensive plains standing but slightly above sea level called peneplains were formed along drainage lines, whereas hills of conspicuous elevation, called monadnocks, were left along main divides. Two peneplains and a strath, which is an immature cycle of erosion producing only broad valleys, are evident in Vinton County. These will be treated at greater length under Surface Features.

Dip Of Strata

The surface rocks in Vinton County have a rather uniform dip both east and south. The eastern dip is much greater than the southern. The inclination of strata is not local but regional as it is present throughout all eastern and southern Ohio. The main syncline, in a general way, is along the Ohio River as the rocks in Ohio and in West Virginia both dip in that direction.

Dip to the east. - The average dip of the rocks to the east, as measured by the Lower Mercer limestone and the Clarion coal, is about 25 feet per mile in northern Vinton County. It appears also to be fairly constant. In the central part of the area the dip varies somewhat but is about 27 feet per mile. The irregularities are local in extent and are not large. In the southern part of the county the eastward inclination of the rocks increases to nearly 32 feet per mile.

Physiography 11

Dip to the south. - In western Vinton County the southerly dip of the rocks is nearly 14 feet per mile, in the central part it 1s approximately 12 feet, and in the eastern part it is about 10 feet. The mean southern inclination of strata throughout the entire county is about 12 feet per mile and it is rather uniform. The maximum and minimum dips in this direction, except for minor variations, 1s 18 and 8 feet per mile. No anticlines except very local ones with small elevations are present within Vinton County.

The greatest dip of the strata in the area is in the general direction of a line 23° 12' south of east along which the average inclination is 33 feet per mile. The strike of the rocks which is at right angles to the dip is therefore 23° 12' east of north.

Relief

Irregularities or inequalities of land surface, considered collectively, is known as the relief of a region. The chief features of Vinton County are long lines of rather rugged hills, and narrow valleys separating them. No pronounced difference between one area and another is evident, not enough at least to warrant dividing the county into subdivisions. The variations are minor and local. The most rugged hill lands are found in the eastern part of the county in Brown, Knox, Madison, and Vinton townships and in the western part in Eagle, Harrison, Jackson, and Richland townships. This is due to several causes, the chief of which are the character of the rock strata, immaturity of drainage, and positions of original water divides. Where the present streams have cut from one preglacial valley to another or where they have been deflected along minor tributaries of the original drainage, bordering hills are usually steep and bold. This is especially true where a large part of the strata dissected are massive sandstones. Examples of this rugged type of topography along constricted valleys are found along Raccoon Creek in the northwestern part of Brown Township, in northeastern Elk Township, and from Hope past Moonville, Knox, Bolin's Mills, and Arbaugh to Hawk or even to Minerton. Conditions are much the same also along Elk Fork from Vinton Furnace to its junction with Raccoon Creek, along Wheelabout Creek south of Zaleski, and along Pierce Run from Oreton to Radcliff. The rough hills along Sandy and Little Sandy runs in Brown Township, along Tedroe and Russell runs in Knox, along Alman and Zinns runs in Vinton, and along Rockcamp and Indiancamp runs in Wilkesville are due to deepening of the valleys caused by changes in drainage

Factors most effective in developing a rough caposanten in Jackson, Eagle, Harrison, and Richland townships are, first, the character of the rock strata which for the most part are siliceous shales and sandstones of the Cuyahoga, Logan, and Pottsville formations, and second, the mature dissection of the region by streams which have been but little deflected but much rejuvenated by changes in the major drainage during glacial time. Most of the streams are now following the same courses that they did originally, but owing to changes elsewhere they were allowed to cut deeper into the country rock. The shales and sandstones in these formations are above the average in resistance to weathering, that is, they disintegrate slowly. On this account the streams have cut long, narrow valleys with many lateral intrenchments. In general, both medial and branch ridges are long and slender and terminate sharply. Broad uplands are seldom found in this part of the county. For the most part it is typical Waverlian topography.

In the central part of Vinton County in Swan, Elk, Clinton, and parts of adjacent townships, the country is less rugged. The hills are not so high and have longer slopes, whereas the ridges are wider. Two factors are evident. One of these is that the strata are largely shales, clays, and friable sandstones which are not especially resistant to weathering, and the other is that the region was traversed by several rather large preglacial streams which had cut wide valleys and effectively reduced the bordering highlands. Further, since that time the present streams have not been able to greatly deepen their channels as the sediments in the old beds have blocked their progress. Another region with similar topography is found in the southeastern part of Wilkesville Township.

The most elevated lands in Vinton County are the ridges in western Eagle Township in sections 7, 18, 19, 30, and 31. These ridges rise to more than 1,100 feet above tide and their highest knobs to 1,140 to 1,220 feet. As this group of hills lies close to one of the main drainage systems, the Scioto River, they have also the greatest relief. The plains along the streams here are 630 to 700 feet above tide, thus making the relief 450 to 550 feet or more. In western Harrison Township the medial ridges rise to about 1,100 feet or to approximately 460 feet above the valley plains.

East of this through Jackson, eastern Harrison, and Richland townships the relief is less, as the main water divide in which the streams rise extends nearly north and south through Jackson and Richland townships, and as erosion in this area has been sufficiently severe to reduce the ridges to 1,050 feet or less above sea. In a few localities, for example near Stella, prominent knobs have elevations of apProximately 1,100 feet. The general relief in Vinton County is least in

Physiography 13

Swan, Elk, and Clinton townships where few of the main ridges rise much above 1,000 feet and where the valley floors are 700 feet or more above tide, for which the influence of preglacial streams is largely responsible. Little variation, except local modification, is shown throughout Brown, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships. The heights above sea of the dividing ridges approximate 1,000 to 1,050 feet and that of the lateral ridges 900 to 950 feet. The plains along the major stream, Raccoon Creek, vary in elevation from 620 feet in southern Wilkesville Township to 760 feet in northern Brown.

In general, the relief in Vinton County is about an average for that in southern Ohio as it represents the normal inequalities of surface in both the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian groups of rocks. It shows neither extreme and nowhere prominent deviations.

Hills And Uplands

Owing to the mature dissections of Vinton County, the highlands consist of long, narrow ridges which are greatly indented by hollows and gullies where small streams have worked their way up the slopes. This gives rise to many minor projections on both medial and lateral ridges which present thus a very rugged or serrated appearance. The summits of the ridges, however, are not especially irregular in outline as few of them have been reduced far below the old peneplain stages. A prominent round-knob topography from weathering and erosion is not evident in any locality. The knobs, with few exceptions, are not high or steep and seldom rise more than 50 feet above the general level of the main ridge.. Wide, gently rolling uplands such as are found in eastern Ohio are not present in Vinton County. Those most nearly approaching this condition are found in local areas in Knox, Madison, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships where the rocks are largely soft shales and friable sandstones of lower Conemaugh age. Further, where such strata predominate, the slopes of the hills are more gentle and are often well terraced. Such areas afford excellent lands for pasturage and fruit raising.

In Swan, Elk, and Clinton townships the hills are usually 200 to 300 feet in height, have moderate slopes, and have well-rounded summits. The dissection is mature, giving rise to long lines of medial ridges with many laterals. The rocks are largely shales, soft sandstones, and clays of the lower Allegheny and upper Pottsville formations. Soil derived from such strata is rather lean but it responds readily to fertilization.

In western Vinton County in Jackson, Eagle, Harrison, and Richland townships the ancient highland plains have been so completely dissected by major streams and their tributaries that the remnants appear as a network of long ridges with narrow summits and with steep slopes. The hillsides are also indented with many ravines and gullies. The usual relief is between 300 and 500 feet. Shales and sandstones of Cuyahoga, Logan, and Pottsville age on reduction leave a poor residual soil. Farming is largely confined to summits of the ridges and to valleys. The hillsides are left for forests or are used for pasturage.

Valley Plains And Terraces

The most prominent and valuable valley plains in Vinton County are along Salt Creek and Pike Run in Eagle Township and along Middle Fork of Salt Creek in Harrison. Next to these are the preglacial valleys from Hamden to Dundas and from there northeastward toward Zaleski and northward past McArthur to Creola. The valley of Raccoon Creek broadens only locally. Its plains are moderately wide in southeastern Swan Township and from Zaleski to Hope in northern Madison and southwestern Brown. From Hope through Brown, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkesville townships to Ewington, Gallia County, the Raccoon Valley is narrow except where meanderings of the stream or the influence of tributaries have caused expansion in local areas. ;

Salt Creek Valley from the Vinton-Ross county line in Section 6, Harrison Township, to its convergence with that of Pretty Run in Section 22, Eagle Township, averages more than .5 mile in width. The variation is not large, being from about .3 to .8 mile. The gradient is close to 5 feet per mile. These plains are quite level except for low terraces which are usually local in extent. The valley of Pike Run from its junction with that of Salt Creek in Section 29, Eagle Township, to Jimtown, in Section 8, has an average width which is quite uniform of nearly .3 mile. The terraces are all low except remnants of the old preglacial valley, or Parker strath stage, which are clearly defined in the central parts of sections 30 and 29. The valley of Salt Creek from Eagle Mills northward narrows gradually to the col at the Pine Cottage School in Section 36, Salt Creek Township, Hocking County, where it is gorge-like in character. The plains along Pretty Run and its tributaries are generally narrow and uniform or they are about normal for streams in the Waverly group of rocks. Remnants of the floor of the preglacial stream are evident in the northern part of Section 23, Eagle Township. The most fertile land in Vinton County is that along Salt Creek, Pike Run, and Pretty Run. The soil is a light alluvium, very rich and well drained.

The lowlands along Middle Fork of Salt Creek in Harrison Township are very erratic in width, owing to meanderings of the stream and to deflections caused by preglacial drainage. From West Junc- tion through the northern parts of sections 31 and 32, Harrison Township, to the central part of Section 33, the valley is narrow and constricted, averaging not more than .25 mile in width. From Section 33 through sections 28, 21, 15, 14, 11, and 12 to the Harrison-Richland township line the valley plains average nearly .5 mile in width and locally expand to as much as 1 mile. Remnants of the old preglacial valley floor, now represented by high terraces, are present in northwestern Section 28, northern Section 21, northeastern Section 15, and western Section 12. Outlying round knobs more than 150 feet high are found in the central part of Section 21 and in the northwestern part of Section 14. The soil on the low-lying plains is an alluvial silt, rich and well drained, whereas that on the high terraces is a clay, highly leached and not especially productive.

The preglacial valley extending northward from Hamden _ to Dundas in Clinton Township averages nearly .6 mile in width but the floor is considerably dissected and locally terraced by present streams. The soil is a clay or sandy silt, both highly leached and generally sour, as the drainage is poor. The plains along Little Raccoon Creek northwest of Hamden are narrow but are made up of sandy silts of good quality. Small but well preserved terraces are especially prominent along this stream in sections 7 and 18, Clinton Township. Along the preglacial valley extending northeastward from Dundas to Zaleski and along that extending northward from Dundas, past McArthur, Elk Fork, Creola, and Orland to New Plymouth, the lowlands average about .3 mile in width. Some expansions are found where tributaries joined former streams and where present waterways have cut into adjacent uplands. Since both the preglacial and present streams have been active here, these plains are very uneven in elevation and show a variety of soil. The predominant soil on the plains of the preglacial streams is a clay, highly leached and poor, whereas that on lowlands of present streams is a sandy alluvium of good quality.

The plains along Raccoon Creek in its entire passage of nearly 59 miles across Vinton County are exceptionally narrow for a stream of this size as they average less than .2 mile and seldom expand to as much as .4 mile. In many places the valley is very constricted, thus limiting the lowlands to narrow, ribbon-like belts bordering first one, then the other side of the stream. 'This is especially true of the Raccoon plains from Moonville past Knox, Bolin's Mills, Vales Mills, and Arbaugh to Radcliff. The soil on them is a sandy silt, which for the most part is quite fertile. Raccoon Valley is widest along the upper part of the course from New Plymouth to Hope where it averages about .3 mile. The increase here is due to the influence of preglacial streams which flowed southward toward Dundas and which left their imprints by high terraces at many places. The stream is generally sluggish and much of the lowland swampy. From Radcliff southward to the Vinton-Gallia county line, the plains along Raccoon Creek are narrow, averaging little more than .2 mile. The soil is a sandy silt of fair quality. Elk Fork is another stream whose plains are exceptionally narrow for its size. They are best developed and of most value along the upper part of the course in Elk Township.

Drainage

Ohio River receives through Scioto River and through Raccoon Creek the run-off from all of Vinton County. Raccoon Creek, the largest through-flowing stream, drains Brown, Swan, eastern Jackson, eastern Richland, Clinton, Elk, Madison, Knox, Vinton, and Wilkes-. ville townships or an area of 291 square miles. Salt' Creek, a tributary of Scioto River, drains western Jackson, Eagle, western Richland, and Harrison townships or 124 square miles.

'Raccoon Creek is formed from two branches which unite south © of New Plymouth in Section 36, Brown Township. One of these, West Branch, rises to the northwest in central Washington Township, Hocking County, and the other, East Branch, heads to the northeast in central Starr Township, Hocking County. From New Plymouth, Raccoon Creek flows southward through the western part of Brown Township to Section 32 where it is deflected southwestward across the corner of Swan Township. In Brown Township, the only tributary of much size is Twomile Run which drains a few square miles in the north central part. Brushy Fork which joins Raccoon Creek in central Section 35, Swan Township, is more important as it drains most of Swan Township and northeastern Jackson. Southward from Swan Township the course of Raccoon Creek is very erratic for a distance of more than 12 miles or to Hope in Brown Township. It makes large bows which are caused by the deflection of the stream from one ' preglacial valley to another. The course is southeastward across the corner of Elk Township, thence northward past Zaleski in Madison Township to Section 25, Brown Township, where the stream has so doubled back on itself that the distance across the bow is only about one-sixth of that around the loop. Wheelabout Creek, rising in northeastern Madison Township, and entering Raccoon Creek near Zaleski, is the largest tributary in this part of the basin.

Through southern Brown Township the course of Raccoon Creek is northeastward to Hope, thence southeastward past Moonville to Section 12, Knox Township. The largest tributaries are Hewett

Physiography 17

Fork rising near Carbondale, Athens County, and joining Raccoon Creek near Moonville, and Sandy Run which drains the central part of Brown Township and joins the major stream near Hope. From Moonville the general direction of flow of Raccoon Creek is southeastward to the village of Knox in Section 35, Knox Township, thence with many flexures southward past Bolin's Mills and Vales Mills to Section 4, Vinton Township, where the stream with many meanders is deflected westward to Arbaugh. From Moonville to Arbaugh the laterals are all small, the most important being Onion Creek, Flat Run, and Brush Fork from the east and Tedroe, Merritt, Russell, and Long

In northeastern Section 15, Vinton Township, Raccoon Creek is joined by Elk Fork, the largest tributary it receives in Vinton County. Elk Fork rises in Section 24, Jackson Township, and flows southeastward through Elk, southwestern Madison, and central Vinton townships. The length of the stream is 20 miles and the gradient 13.5 feet per mile. It drains an area of 60 square miles which is small for a stream of that length. This is due to the fact that Elk Fork is made up most largely of what were small tributaries of the preglacial streams. Its tributaries are all small, the largest being Puncheon Fork, Wolf, Flat, and Alman runs. Raccoon Creek from central Vinton Township flows with many flexures southward past Hawk and Clarion to Minerton in Wilkesville Township, thence southeastward into Gallia County near Ewington. In this part of the basin the eastern tributaries are Zinns and Flatlick runs and the western laterals are Pierce, Rockcamp, Indian camp, and Karr runs.

From the place in Section 36, Brown Township, where Raccoon Creek is formed by the union of East Branch and West Branch to where it leaves the county in Section 2, Wilkesville Township, the distance in a direct line is 24 miles but the course of the stream through the many meanderings is 59 miles or nearly two and one-half times as much. The gradient of the stream is only 2.5 feet per mile. On this account Raccoon Creek throughout most of its course is very sluggish and the valley much filled with silt and sand which have been brought in by the more active tributaries. Rapids or. rifles are short in length and few in number. The largest are confined to the upper course of the stream in western Brown Township. Most of the peculiarities of Raccoon Creek are due to the influence of preglacial drainage, the present stream occupying parts of several of the older valleys. Aside from its tributaries, Elk Fork and Little Raccoon Creek, the major stream drains an area in Vinton County of 193 square miles.

Little Raccoon Creek heads in the hills in Section 2, Richland Township, flows southward across eastern Richland, thence southeastward across southwestern Clinton, and enters Jackson County near Lake Alma. From this place its general course is southeastward across Milton and Bloomfield townships, Jackson County, and Huntington Township, Gallia County. It unites with the main stream about 2 miles south of Vinton. Little Raccoon Creek in Vinton County has a length of nearly 12 miles and drains an area of 38 square miles in eastern Richland, southwestern Elk, and western Clinton townships. In Richland Township it is free flowing but in Clinton it is sluggish and silt laden owing to the influence of preglacial streams. Tributaries are small, the most important being McConnel, Johnson, and Tripp runs.

Salt Creek is the largest stream in western Vinton County. It flows in a deeply entrenched valley and with its tributaries is actively engaged in reducing the highlands which are now maturely dissected. This stream rises in northwestern Hocking and southeastern Pickaway counties, flows southeastward across western Hocking County, and enters Vinton County in Section 11, Eagle Township. From this place its course is deflected southwestward across the central part of Eagle and the northwestern corner of Harrison townships into Liberty Township, Ross County, thence southward across Liberty and southwestward across Jefferson townships to the Scioto River ~ near Richmondale. The area drained in Vinton County is 44 square miles which includes most of Eagle, northwestern Jackson, and northwestern Harrison townships. The length of this part of the course is 9 miles and the gradient is about 4.5 feet per mile. Pike Run which drains northwestern Eagle Township and Pretty Run which drains northeastern Eagle and northwestern Jackson townships are the largest tributaries.

Middle Fork of Salt Creek rises on the uplands in central Jackson Township, Vinton County, flows southwestward across: the northwestern corner of Richland Township, thence with many meanderings on southwestward across Harrison Township into Ross County where it unites with Salt Creek near West Junction. In Vinton County this basin covers central and southern Jackson, southeastern Eagle, western Richland, and eastern and southern Harrison townships. The area drained is 80 square miles. The length of the stream in Vinton County is nearly 22 miles and the gradient not far from 16.6 feet per mile. Noteworthy features are the abnormal contraction and expansion of the valley and the erratic meanderings of the stream in Harrison Township, both due largely to the influence of older drainage systems. The largest tributary is Pigeon Creek, which, however, drains only small areas in southeastern Harrison and southern Richland townships. Other laterals are Stevens Branch, Riley Run, and Kelley Branch. Both the main stream and its larger tributaries throughout most of their courses flow on or not far above bedrock and are degrading their valleys.

Physiography 19

Before the advent of the great glaciers in North America in Pleistocene time all southern Ohio and adjacent parts of West Virginia and Kentucky were drained by a system of rivers the general trends of which were northward instead of westward, as are those now present in the area. Of these the master stream was the Chillicothe River which was formed at Waverly by the union of the Teays and Portsmouth rivers, and which flowed northward from this place, past Omega, Richmondale, Vigo, Londonderry, Chillicothe, and Circleville to the northern part of Pickaway County, where it was joined by the Newark River rising far to the east in Coshocton County. The Teays River rose in the New River Basin in North Carolina and Virginia and flowed northwestward past Charleston and St. Albans, thence westward along the route now followed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway past Milton and Barboursville to the present valley of the Ohio River at Huntington. From this place its course was much the same as that of the present stream, the Ohio River, to Wheelersburg, Ohio, where the two courses change radically. The present stream flows westward towards Portsmouth and Cincinnati whereas the preglacial Teays River continued northward past Harrisonville, Stockdale, Glade, Beaver, and Givens to Waverly where it united with the Portsmouth River to form the Chillicothe, the major stream. The headwaters of the old Portsmouth River were near Manchester, in southern Adams County, Ohio, and in northern Lewis County, Kentucky. 'This river flowed eastward, along the present valley of the Ohio River, past Rome, Vanceburg, and Buena Vista to Portsmouth, thence northward, along that of the Scioto River, past Lucasville, Wakefield, and Piketon to Waverly where it united with the Teays River to form the Chillicothe.

In southern Ohio the most important tributary of the Teays River was the Marietta River, which, rising in Monroe County, Ohio, and in Tyler County, West Virginia, followed the present course of the Ohio past Marietta and Parkersburg to Little Hocking, thence, leaving the Ohio, it flowed southward past Torch, Coolville, Tuppers Plains, and Chester to Hartford, West Virginia, where it crossed the present valley of the Ohio River. This stream then flowed southwestward across northern Mason County, West Virginia, to Cheshire, Ohio, thence southward along the present valley of the Ohio to Gallipolis where its course was deflected northwestward past Rodney, Rio Grande, Centerville, Clay, Camba, Keystone, Jackson, and Cove to Glade in

'For drainage changes see U. S. Geol. Survey Professional Paper No. 13. Drainage Modifications in Southeastern Ohio and Adjacent Parts of West Virginia and Kentucky, by W. G. Tight.

western Jackson County. At this place the Marietta River joined the Teays which at Waverly united with the Portsmouth to form the Chillicothe.

This old system of rivers, including the Chillicothe, Teays, Portsmouth, and Marietta, with their tributaries, drained all of southern Ohio and adjacent parts of West Virginia and Kentucky before the advance of the Illinoian glacier which appears to be the first great ice sheet covering northern and western Ohio and which inaugurated the present system of drainage by obstructing or burying the lower courses of the older system. The barriers produced slack-water conditions, attended with heavy silting, along the old valleys, and forced the impounded waters to seek new passages, the general trends of which were westward instead of northward. Through these changes the Ohio River and its important tributaries began to assume their present forms. In doing this the present streams frequently have cut passages from the headwaters of one old stream to another, now flow in reversed order in the old channels, or occasionally have excavated independent beds across wide areas. The problem of interpretation is quite complex as causes for such modifications are often obscure. The outlet of the new system of drainage was much lower in elevation than that _ of the old, consequently rejuvenation took place not only along the major streams but also along most of the important tributaries. This resulted in the newly-formed streams eroding their channels far below the level of the old ones, remnants of which are now found as elevated terraces, upland plains, and much dissected, high-level valleys. This cycle therefore included obstruction by glaciation, silting up of the old channels, cutting of new outlets, and excavation, through rejuvenation, of the beds to lower levels. Both the early and late Wisconsin ice sheets caused many important changes within the glaciated area but only minor ones beyond the border of the ice. Streams heading at or within the terminal moraine were filled with thick deposits of outwashed silt, sand, and gravel which also caused silting of the tributaries thus obstructed to corresponding levels. This led eventually to the gradual widening of the valleys through meandering of the streams and to the formation of slender terraces through removal of a part of the filling. Further, minor deflections in the courses of the streams are evident in some localities. Map II shows the general outline of the main drainage system in preglacial time.

On the basis of preglacial drainage, Vinton County may be divided into two districts, the western part which was drained by tributaries of the Chillicothe River, and the eastern part, including about seventenths of the entire area, by laterals of the Marietta River. The waters from these basins now go to the Scioto River and to Raccoon Creek respectively. The main divide separating them passes northward through sections 3, 34, 28, 21, 15, 22, 14, 11, 2, and 1, Richland Town- hip, and sections 36, 35, 26, 23, 13, 14, 11, 2, and 1, Jackson Township. Preglacial drainage east of this watershed was much different from that at present but west of the divide the original system was not greatly altered. Various modifications will be considered in a more specific way. Salt Creek. - Salt Creek now heads far within the glaciated area in Clear Creek Township, Fairfield County, and flows southeastward past Tarlton, Pickaway County, to Adelphi, Ross County, where it is joined by Laurel Run which rises northeastward in Laurel Township, Hocking County. The valley shows abnormal features which are well described

"The present valley of Salt Creek at Adelphi is about one mile wide and is very much obstructed with heavy glacial deposits. A view from the cemetery hill at Adelphi towards the northwest and north shows the broad expanse of the outwash apron from the strong morainic ridge of one of the later (Wisconsin) ice invasions. While the deposits of till in the immediate valley at Adelphi seem to be of much earlier (Illinoian) date than the morainic ridge which lies some distance northwest, the headwater streams of Salt Creek above Adelphi are all distributed over the outwash apron and the morainic ridges of the more recent (Wisconsin) glacial deposits. The broad valley formed between the moraine and the Carboniferous hills is described by G. Frederick Wright in his writings on the terminal moraine through Ohio.

"To the southwest extends a long range of Carboniferous hills, over which is a more or less irregular veneering of glacial till; but it is evident that these hills offered effective resistance to the southward movement of the ice, which was not able to surmount them to any large extent.

"To the east the view extends into the mouth of the valley of Laurel Run, which is a rather broad valley bounded by rock walls having very mature contours. The direction of the valley is opposed to that of the present Salt Creek Valley but normal to the restored drainage.

"To the southeast the view is down the valley of Salt Creek, but the features of the valley indicate clearly that the view in that direction is up the stream which was instrumental in shaping the valley, for the valley diminishes in width gradually in this direction and resembles very closely the view which is obtained in looking up the Laurel Run Valley, except that the former is somewhat larger. The till which blocks the valley at Adelphi is accumulated in hillocks rising about 125 feet above the present stream, and it appears as if these deposits had at one time formed a complete barrier across the mouth of the valley, but had more recently been cut through by the action of the stream, The till, where exposed, is of light yellow color and is weathered very deeply, in some places as much as 6 or 8 feet, and contains stones which are very much decayed 'even when obtained from several feet below the surface. Some sections of the till are bowldery, containing stones of granite, syenite, diorite, and limestone, ranging up to 3 or 4 feet in diameter. Below the weathered zone of yellow till is a light-blue till of undetermined thickness. Many of the contained stones are beautifully striated. In a few places the till shows some stratification, as though it might have been deposited in connection with a body of water.

"Passing down the present stream, or up the old valley, as it were, there appear to be two systems of terraces; an upper set, which corresponds in a general way to the elevation of the till deposits that block the valley at Adelphi and that slope somewhat rapidly as they pass down the stream; and a second set, which lies at a much lower

'Tight, W. G., Drainage Modifications in Southeastern Ohio and Adjacent Parts of West Virginia and Kentucky, U. S. Geol. Survey Professional Paper No. 13, pp. 19-22.

level and which appears to pass westward beyond the obstructions that block the valley and to be associated with the outwash apron of the outer moraine. These two sets of terraces differ also materially in their structure. The upper terrace is made up largely of very heterogeneous material, in most cases showing considerable water action in the process of its deposition, but in others resembling closely a typical till. These terraces are much more irregular and heterogeneous in structure, and are composed of coarser material, next to the morainic deposits in the mouth of the valley, and increase in the fineness of the material and in the amount of stratification as the distance from the till hills increases. A section about a mile from Adelphi shows, in the upper part, a weathered zone of about 6 feet of finely stratified silt; below this the material is somewhat coarser for about a foot; then comes a large lenticular mass of very coarse material about 4 feet in maximum thickness, embedded in a 15 or 20 foot bed of very fine sand; below this is a very regular belt of well-washed gravel about 2 feet thick; and below that about 20 feet of very coarse materials, showing very little stratification and yet evidently waterlaid. Scattered somewhat irregularly through the whole deposit - peppered in, as it were - are numerous stones and bowlders, a few as much as 3 feet in diameter. Some sections a little farther down the valley showed a deposit of 30 to 40 feet, composed almost entirely of very fine silt. At Haynes the valley is less than three-quarters of a mile in width, and the upper terrace deposits in this vicinity are composed entirely of fine silts and sand. In a few cases the sand is so coarse that it might almost be classed as gravel, and is as well sorted as if it had been run through a sieve. While the upper terraces are extensively preserved in the portion of the valley near Adelphi, down the stream they have been more largely removed, and in the vicinity of Haynes almost the last indication of them may be noted in a group of sand hills. north of the village, almost in the mouth of the valley of a tributary creek (Pine Creek). From the nature of this material it is easy to understand how the valley has been swept almost entirely free of the deposits. These sand hills near Haynes are very interesting remnants of the old terrace, as they have slopes of about 25 degrees and are conical in form, rising one above the other in a progressive series to an elevation of about 200 feet above the valley floor. Below Haynes scarcely a remnant of these deposits was observed,

"The terraces of the second or lower series are composed almost uniformly of wellwashed coarse gravel. They slope down the stream, the material of the terrace becoming considerably finer and the terraces themselves entirely disappearing a short distance below Haynes.

"A few miles below Haynes, Salt Creek turns abruptly southwestward, while the valley continues eastward, growing rapidly smaller to South Bloomingville and beyond. In this section of the valley there are deep silt deposits, which are very finely laminated, showing their deposition in slack water. These silts are leached to a great depth, so that they show no acid reaction at least 10 feet below the surface. Their material seems to be entirely of local origin, being the outwash from the neighboring Carboniferous shales and sandstones. At the point where this tributary joins Salt Creek the two valleys are about a quarter of a mile in width. From this point down stream the valley of Salt Creek gets rapidly narrower and its walls become steeper and more precipitous until it reaches its minimum width near the Pine Cottage School in Section 36, Salt Creek Township, Hocking County, where it is a veritable gorge. Below this place at broadens again to Eagle Mills where it unites with a tributary (Pretty Run) of about similar size which comes in from the east. From Eagle Mills the north fork of the valley widens gradually downstream. Its floor is deeply covered with gravel deposits in the form of high terraces. Just at the place where the stream emerges from the gorge, near the Lebanon M. E. church at the mouth of Pretty Run, these terraces are about 25 feet above the present stream; they are composed of well-rounded gravel, all of which has undoubtedly been washed from the original deposits in the upper section of Salt Creek Valley through the gorge. From the characters of the valley from Adelphi to the gorge near the Vinton County line and of the tributaries, it seems certain that in preglacial times there was a col in the old divide at the Pine Cottage School in Section 36, Salt Creek Township, Hocking County, and that the drainage of the section of the valley north of this col was the reverse of that of present Salt Creek. The nature of the deposits in the upper portion of this valley, around Adelphi and to the northwest, would seem to indicate that at the time of the maximum advance of the ice its front stood across the valley at Adelphi and offered a complete obstruction to the northwestward discharge of Adelphi Creek, thus impounding the waters until they rose over the col at the Pine Cottage School. Into these waters were discharged the great burden of glacial debris which formed the upper terraces. The coarser materials would naturally be deposited nearest the front of the ice, and the material would be finer farther down the stream. In the portion of the valley beyond the main current - that is, beyond the point where the present stream turns to the southwest - the waters were almost quiet, except for the slight currents produced by the small tributaries, and in these quiet waters the heavy deposits of silt were laid down. As the col at the Pine Cottage School was worn away, the flood waters from the ice removed part passu the terraces previously deposited, but on account of the smaller volume of water in these small tributaries the silts in the blind end of the valley were not so completely removed. It would seem that this stage was followed by a recession of the ice from its position at Adelphi which would probably mean a cessation of the supply of material, but, at least for a time, a continuation of the flood waters. Following this there must have been a readvance of the ice, or, what seems more certain, the advance of ice of another epoch, which reached the position of the outer moraine northwest of Adelphi. The outwash apron from this moraine extends to the deposits at Adelphi and passes down the valley of Salt Creek as a gravel train; but these gravels which form the lower series of terraces, did not rise nearly to the height of the older series. After the deposition of these terraces the supply of material was stopped, while the food waters continued, and the deposits were worn out to the level of the present stream or nearly so. Since the falling off of the glacial floods the present stream seems to have accomplished little but the meandering of its course over the valley floor, with a certain amount of silting of its flood plain, as the stream is now on rock bottom, or nearly so, in the gorge at the col at Pine Cottage School. A comparison of the deposits in the mouth of the old valley at Adelphi and the neighboring moraine beyond the apron would indicate a great difference in the age of the two moraines, and would suggest that the modifications of drainage in the Salt Creek Basin and the reversal of the old Adelphi Creek were accomplished at the time of the earliest ice invasion of the region. This may be correlated with the Illinoian of the western region, and possibly with the Kansan, while the outer moraine would seem to belong to the Wisconsin."

The col near Pine Cottage School in Section 36, Salt Creek Township, Hocking County, is one of the most definite in this part of the State as is shown by the trend of dividing ridges, the gorge-like character of the valley, direction of flow and size of the tributaries of Salt Creek in this locality, widening of the valley both to the north and to the south from this place. South of the col Salt Creek with its tributaries, Pike and Pretty runs, forms a basin which is normal in every respect and in harmony with others in the general region.

Southwestward from Eagle Mills to the Vinton-Ross county line the valley of Salt Creek is, on the average, nearly one-half mile in width and is quite uniform throughout. Terraces are not conspicuous except small ones on the flood plains. In Section 31, Eagle Township, Salt Creek is joined by Pike Run which rises in southwestern Salt

Creek Township, Hocking County, and flows southward in a valley that widens gradually in a downstream direction. 'The trends of the laterals are also normal to that of the main stream. The most noteworthy features are long finger terraces that project far into the valley in the central parts of sections 20 and 29, and stand from 30 to 70 feet above the flood plains. These are composed of rock with a covering of fine sandy silts and soapy clays, both highly weathered. They represent the floor of the stream that flowed in this valley in preglacial time. These remnants are parts of the old floor that escaped destruction through the rejuvenation of the stream by the reversal of the drainage

A modification of Salt Creek of note is the abrupt deflection of the course from southwestward to southward in Section 12, Liberty Township, Ross County. The preglacial stream that occupied Salt Creek Valley here continued on southwestward through the broad plain in Section 11 to where it joined the major stream, Chillicothe River, just north of Londonderry. The floor of the old stream in Section 11 is overlain by clays and silts, normal deposits for the beds, and, above these, by fine sand and gravel, outwash from the Illinoian glacier. . The cause for the change of drainage is quite evident as this early ice sheet completely blocked the outlet, which was the Chillicothe River, about 3 miles west of Londonderry. Waters from the Salt Creek Basin were thus compelled to find a new outlet, which they did, by turning south in Section 12 and excavating a channel through a projection of the highland area. This appears to have been accomplished by crossing a low divide between a tributary of old Salt Creek and another of the Chillicothe River. The position of the col is indicated near Point Lookout by the tortuous course of the present stream, the abruptness of the walls and the absence of terraces and silts thereon, the presence of bedrock through this part of the course, and the direction of the main dividing ridge. From this place the new course of Salt Creek was along the eastern margin of the old Chillicothe Valley to the Scioto River near Richmondale.

Middle Fork of Salt Creek. - The Middle Fork of Salt Creek rises near the village of Stella in northeastern Jackson Township, flows southwestward past Allensville, Richland Township, and Ratcliffburg, Harrison Township, to Section 21, thence southward to Section 33, and thence westward to West Junction, Section 36, Jefferson Township, Ross County, where it unites with Salt Creek. That part of the basin above Allensville is normal in every respect and the streams in it were little affected by the general reversal of drainage except that their channels were deepened somewhat, thus making them more active. The main valley widens gradually in a downstream direction and the laterals enter at the proper angle.

Physiography 20

Riley Run, a tributary entering the main stream at Allensville and flowing from the southeast, shows some modifications near its headwaters. The divide of the old stream appears to have been near the northern part of Section 15, Richland Township, whereas that of the present one is just south of the Wyckoff Crossroads in Section 22. The valley at the latter place is evidently an old stream bed rather than a divide eroded to such a low level, as it is filled with highly leached sand and gravel and continues, well-defined, on southward past the Darby School to Little Raccoon Creek. This shifting of the divide was occasioned by the west-flowing stream being more active than the east-flowing one.

Along Middle Fork west of Allensville the first feature of note is the high terrace just east of the Persimmon School in central Section 7, © Richland Township. This is a remnant of the floor of the preglacial stream as is indicated by its elevation and by the character of sediments upon the bedrock. From the Persimmon School these terraces and flats of the preglacial stream continue southwestward through the southwestern part of Section 7, Richland Township, and thence northwestward through southeastern Section 12, Harrison Township. The old stream made a wide bend here whereas the present one continues on straight westward, thus leaving an isolated hill between the two courses. The rock floor in the old valley south of this hill has an elevation of about 700 feet and is overlain by 30 feet or more of highly leached deposits. Next to the rock is a layer of sand with much flint from the upper Pottsville and lower Allegheny beds to the east. This is overlain by sands and sandy silts above which is present the fine-grained, soapy silts deposited during the slack-water stage when these valleys were finger lakes. Through the rejuvenation following the reversal of drainage the stream took the more direct course from central S=zction 12, Harrison Township, to central Section 7, Richland. The present valley here is about normal in width but is somewhat youthful in appearance as it has rather steep walls and is not bordered by terraces.

A remnant of the old floor in the form of a long finger terrace projecting far into the valley is well preserved in western Section 12, Harrison Township. It stands about 60 feet above the flood plain and has steep walls with a flat top. It is composed of rock the upper surface of which has an elevation of about 680 feet. The silts upon this terrace are of the type characteristic of old drainage lines.

From Ratcliffburg in Section 11, Harrison Township, the preglacial stream that drained the basin of Middle Fork flowed southwestward across central Section 15, southeastern Section 16, and northwestern Section 21, thence westward across the central parts of sections 20 and 19 to Section 24, Liberty Township, Ross County, where it united with the major stream, the Chillicothe River. The old course is well defined throughout the entire way and is heavily silted with fine sands and soapy clays. The rock floor shows a low gradient towards the west. At Ratcliffburg the present stream did not follow the old valley but by tortuous meanders it passes around an isolated hill, formerly connected to the main ridge to the east. The deflection here was probably due to the influence of small tributary streams and to heavy silting which raised the waters above low divides. Similar features are also present in Section 21, where Middle Fork has excavated a new channel through a projection of the highland area, thus leaving a conical hill standing far out in the valley.

The course of Middle Fork from the central part of Section 21, Harrison Township, is southward across Section 28 to central Section 33, through a valley that is rather tortuous in outline but about normal in width. The walls, however, are steep and little dissected, indicating the youthfulness of the excavation. Further, the silt terraces are low and the materials composing them are not highly leached. No col is sharply defined but projections from the main ridges indicate that a low divide was formerly present in central Section 28. All the features tend to show that this part of the course is new, or that it was cut during the reversal of the drainage caused by the Illinoian glacier. i

Middle Fork,at its junction with Pigeon Creek in Section 33, Harrison Township, makes a direct turn of more than 90 degrees and then flows westward to Section 36, Jefferson Township, Ross County, where it unites with Salt Creek. In this part of the course the valley is much below normal in width as it averages only about half what it does farther upstream. The size of the valley and the direction of the course are more in accord with that of Pigeon Creek on eastward past Ray to Byer. During the drainage changes, Middle Fork thus appears to have cut a new channel from its old course in Section 21, Harrison Township, to the valley of Pigeon Creek in Section 33, and then to have followed this on westward to Salt Creek near West Junction, Ross County.

Hamden Creek. - The central and northeastern parts of Vinton County were formerly drained by streams the courses of which were much different from those of the present time. Many changes are evident throughout the entire area. Headwaters of the preglacial stream were in Washington and Starr townships, Hocking County. These united near Orland, Vinton County. From here the general course of the stream was southward past Creola, Elk Fork, and Mc- Arthur to Dundas, thence southwestward to Hamden, thence southward past Wellston, Roads, and Ridgeland, to Rocky Hill, Jackson County, and thence westward to Keystone, where it united with the preglacial Marietta River. This valley is quite distinct most of the way from Orland to Keystone. As it is especially well defined near

Phy Siography 27

The headwaters of Hamden Creek were much the same as those of the present stream, Raccoon Creek, that is, it received the waters from the basin in Washington and Starr townships, Hocking County, now drained by East Branch Honey Fork and West Branch. Some deviation is found between preglacial and present streams. East Branch formerly flowed westward from Starr over the low, heavily silted divide at New Plymouth to Orland, where it united with West Branch. The outlying hill at New Plymouth is another example of slight shifting of course common to these preglacial valleys. The changes along West Branch are not conspicuous, except that the present stream flows up what was the former course of East Branch from Orland to New Plymouth. This preglacial stage of drainage is represented by deposits of highly leached silts and clays locally present along the borders of the valley. Such accumulations occur mainly between elevations of 790 and 830 feet.

At present the East Branch and West Branch unite south of New Plymouth to form Raccoon Creek. This stream for about 2 miles flows southward through a valley which is locally constricted, and has rather steep and little dissected walls. This section of the course, compared to that elsewhere, shows immaturity or that it is not a part of the original drainage. From narrowness of the valley, abruptness of the walls, absence of silts, and trend of the main ridges, a col is indicated near the southern line of Section 36, Brown Township. Waters in this basin were formerly discharged southward from Orland over the low divide in Section 11, Swan Township, to Brushy Fork. In this abandoned valley the rock floor has an elevation of about 795 feet and is overlain by nearly 40 feet of silt, which locally, however, has been partially removed by erosion. In these deposits the lower layers are fine in texture, sandy in character, and yellow to gray in color. Above these are present highly laminated clays which are soapy and plastic and vary from yellow to bluish-gray. All the materials are highly leached. Along this part of the course the adjacent hills are low, well rounded, and maturely dissected. From Section 11, Swan Township, the Hamden Valley is clearly defined and widens gradually to Creola. The tributaries are normal in position and in direction of flow. Rock shoulders, remnants of the old floor with highly leached silt deposition upon them, are present at a number of places along the valley.

Drainage modifications are apparent at Creola where Brushy Fork changes its course from southward to eastward and flows with many flexures in a valley the features of which indicate a col in the central part of Section 34, Swan Township. Hamden Creek, the preglacial stream, continued on southward from Creola to Elk Fork. The old valley is well preserved. The floor has an elevation of about 760 feet and is overlain by thick deposits of sandy silts and finely laminated clays, the upper limit of which is about 830 feet above tide. In central Section 4, Elk Township, Hamden Creek received a tributary from the west. The old valley has been little disturbed and is therefore choked with deposits of silt and clay, characteristics of the older streams. The original stream drained what is now the headwaters of Elk Fork which shifted its course from this tributary of Hamden Creek to the one south in southwestern Section 5 and northwestern Section 8. This part of the valley is youthful in appearance compared to that elsewhere.

At Elk Fork, Hamden Creek received a rather large tributary from the east, the course of which is well defined most of the way. This stream rose near the Hocking county line in north central BrownTownship, flowed southwestward down Twomile Run, thence down Raccoon Creek to Section 35, Swan Township, and thence over the wide flats in Section 3, Elk Township, to the village of Elk Fork where it united. with the major stream. The valley of Twomile Run and that of Raccoon Creek widen gradually to Section 35 and the streams receive their laterals in the proper direction. The gradient of the old floor and also of the silt deposits is to the southwest or in the direction of flow. The first modification ,of special note is the sharp deflection of Raccoon Creek in Section 35, Swan Township, from southwestward to southeastward. Through sections 2, 1, and 12, Elk Township, this stream flows in a valley which has steep and little-dissected walls, is below normal in width, and is free from deposits of silts of the highly leached type. From these features and from the position of the main water divides, a col is evident in central Section 2, Elk Township. Its location here is further strengthened by the average length of tributaries received from the northwest compared to those from the southeast. The former flowing down the dip of the rocks are always longer than those flowing against the dip. The evidence thus favors the theory that the preglacial stream flowed on southwestward from Section 35, Brown Township, to the village of Elk Fork where it joined Hamden Creek. The valley through this area is clearly defined and its width is in accord with that farther upstream. On the wide flats in Section 3, Elk Township, the rock floor has an elevation not far from 750 feet and is heavily covered with sandy silts and soapy clays of the older drainage phase. This tributary of Hamden Creek had a length of more than 10 miles and drained an area of nearly 18 square miles.

The broad expanse of valley from the village of Elk Fork southward past McArthur to Dundas clearly defines the course of the preglacial stream, Hamden Creek. In this valley, where it has been little disturbed just north of McArthur, the rock floor has an elevation of about 735 feet and is overlain by 15 to 20 feet of silt, which is fine in texture, yellow to gray in color, and siliceous in character. In the basal portion many pieces of much weathered flint are present. The upper limit of the highly laminated, soapy clays is close to 830 feet. This valley all the way from Elk Fork to Dundas is well filled with such material. The changes along the present streams, Elk Fork and Puncheon Fork, are worthy of attention. Elk Fork enters the Hamden Valley from the northwest in Section 16, Elk Township, and is then deflected southeastward through a tortuous course to Section 26, where it again crosses another abandoned valley. Most of this part of the valley is youthful in appearance. Its erosion probably commenced during the slackwater stage when the circulation was deflected over low divides separating tributary streams. At that time the water in the old valley at McArthur stood above the 830 foot contour as the fine, laminated silts extend to this level. Cols are indicated in the northwest corner of Section 22, Elk Township, and in north central Section 27. Puncheon Fork rises in Section 36, Jackson Township, flows southeastward past McArthur, and joins Elk Fork in Section 22, Elk Township. The preglacial stream rose in the same highlands but flowed southeastward diagonally across sections 18, 20, and 21 to McArthur. The Chillicothe-McArthur road now follows this old drainage way which is deeply filled with silts and clays to an elevation of 830 feet or more. Instead of following the old course, the present stream, migrating southward with the dip of the rocks, cut a new channel from one minor tributary to another. The presence of soft sandstones in bedrock aided in the work.

Zaleski Creek. - Near Dundas, Hamden Creek received from the northeast an important tributary which for convenience in describing and on account of its prominence near- Zaleski is designated Zaleski Creek. The headwaters of this old stream were those of Sandy Run in northeastern Brown Township. Its general course was southwestward past Hope Furnace, Zaleski, and Vinton to Dundas where 'it joined the major stream. A number of noteworthy features are found along Zaleski Creek. Passing down Sandy Run from its headwaters, the valley is normal in appearance and in arrangement of laterals to Hope Furnace, where it makes a wide bow before continuing on in the same general direction. From Hope Furnace, Zaleski Creek passed on southwestward over the low divide whereas the present stream cut a new channel from one old tributary to another. The rock floor on this divide has an elevation of 780 feet and is overlain by stream-deposited material. Well preserved terraces at an elevation of 750 to 770 feet are present along Sandy Run near its mouth and along Raccoon Creek south of this. At Hope, the old stream was joined by a tributary from the east which rose near Moonville. One col, since eroded by Raccoon Creek, was in central Section 7, Brown Township, and another on Hewett Fork was located in northwestern Section 7. From Hope to Zaleski, the valley is quite wide through the united efforts of old Zaleski

Creek and of the present stream, Raccoon Creek, which flows in a reversed direction to that of the preglacial one. On the high terrace, Brewer Cut, that projects far into the valley in Section 19, Brown Township, the floor of Zaleski Creek is well preserved. The bedrock has an elevation of about 760 feet and is overlain by silts the basal portion of which contains much flint, highly bleached. The floor of this old stream with an elevation of 750 feet is again sharply defined by the high terrace which has been little disturbed and on which the village of Zaleski stands. The deposits here are of the usual kind, sand and silt with flint, sandy silt, and fine-grained clay. Along the wall of the valley stream-lain material is present to about the 800-foot contour.

Wheelabout Creek, a tributary of Raccoon entering at Zaleski, has also undergone modifications due to the change in drainage. It rises in northeastern Madison Township, flows southwestward for a few miles, then turns abruptly northwestward, and continues through a narrow valley with abrupt and little dissected walls. The general features indicate the position of a col in south central Section 29, Madison Township. The course of the preglacial stream is easily followed southwestward to Prattsville, thence westward to Zaleski Creek in » Section 25, Elk Township. This valley widens gradually in a downstream direction and is heavily silted most of the way with material derived from near-by sources. Where the old floor is little disturbed, as at Prattsville and on the low divide in the northwestern corner of Section 32, the elevations of the bedrock are not far from 760 and 750 feet respectively.

From Zaleski to Dundas the course of the preglacial stream, Zaleski Creek, was along the line now followed by the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad. The old valley is clearly defined as most of it has been little disturbed since the change causing abandonment. Thick deposits of stream-lain material, consisting of silt, sand, and flint, are present in sections 13, 23, 24, 26, 35, and 34, Elk Township. Overlying these are present locally the highly laminated clays of the slack-water stage. Many changes are evident. Elk Fork now crosses the old valley at nearly right angles in Section 26, Elk Township. Its course is along a western tributary from the col in the north central part of Section 27 to the main valley and then reversed along an eastern tributary through the col in southwestern Section 19, Madison Township, to another basin. Wolf Run, rising in the old valleys near Dundas, has excavated a new and tortuous channel across sections 35 and 36, Elk Township, to Vinton Furnace, where it unites with Elk Fork. From Dundas, Hamden Creek flowed southwestward to Hamden, thence southward past Wellston, Roads, and Ridgeland to Rocky Hill, and thence westward to Keystone, where it united with the old Marietta River. The rock floor gradually descends in the downstream direction and the old valley is heavily silted all the way.

Only minor changes are evident in the headwaters of Little Raccoon Creek north of Hamden, but the course of the main stream from this village southeastward across Jackson County to Vinton, Gallia County, is largely postglacial. Its channel has been eroded across the headwaters of several small tributaries of the older system.

Wilkesville Creek. - In preglacial time southeastern Vinton, western Meigs, and northwestern Gallia counties were drained by a stream which rose near Carpenter, in Columbia and Scipio townships, Meigs County, and flowed southwestward past Wilkesville, Vinton County, and Ewington, Vinton, and Harrisburg, Gallia County, to Rio Grande, where it joined the major stream, the Marietta River. As the old valley is exceptionally well preserved near Wilkesville, this tributary of the Marietta River is called Wilkesville Creek.

In the vicinity of Carpenter remnants of terraces on Leading Creek and Fivemile Run which were the headwaters of Wilkesville Creek indicate that the rock floor of the old stream has an elevation of nearly 720 feet. The valley, however, is best seen in southeastern Section 16, Columbia Township, where it has been little disturbed by recent erosive agencies. At this place the rock floor with an elevation of about 710 feet is directly overlain by a few feet of brown to yellow sand with gravel and pieces of bleached flint. Superimposed on this deposit are thick beds of sands and silts which vary in color from dark brown to light yellow and in texture from very fine to medium coarse. Locally these beds are 20 to 40 feet thick. The upper limit of such deposits along the valley walls is at an elevation of 760 feet. Wilkesville Creek from Section 16, Columbia Township, flowed southward across southeastern Section 21 and the central parts of sections 20 and 19 to northern Section 24, Salem Township. In this old valley in the south central part of Section 21 the following record was obtained:

The elevation of the floor in this part of the valley thus appears to be about 690 feet above tide. The deposits are molding sand types which are so characteristic of these old valleys. South of this in sections 20 and 19, along the tributary of Ogden Run, the old gradation plains are quite well defined by remnants of terraces along the valley walls. Similar features are present in southwestern Section 19 where the old floor has an elevation of nearly 700 feet and is overlain by 15 feet or more of rather coarse, reddish-brown sand. At this place Wilkesville Creek was joined by a tributary which rose near the Cottrill School in Section 12, Vinton Township, Vinton County, and flowed southeastward past the villages of Vales Mills and Point Rock to Section 24, Salem Township, Meigs County. Raccoon Creek crosses this old valley at Vales Mills. On the low divide in the central part of Section 34, Columbia Township, Meigs County, the rock floor of the old stream has an elevation of about 745 feet, and is overlain by 20 feet or more-of sandy silts. No deposits of slack-water clays were observed. The valley is narrow, indicating that it was occupied by only a small stream. It is in keeping with that of the tributary entering Raccoon Creek at Vales Mills. At Point Rock the old valley is rather wide and flat and has been little modified by recent erosive agencies. Exposures indicate that the bedrock has an elevation of about 725 feet and that the valley was filled with nearly 40 feet of sediments. The basal deposits are sands and sandy silts and the upper layers are soapy clays of slack-water stage. The gradient of the floor, the size of the valley, and the character of the sediments indicate that this was a tributary of Wilkesville Creek heading in the main water divide between this basin and that of Hamden Creek.

southward to Dexter Run in Section 23, thence southwestward across sections 29 and 34 to Wilkesville. The low plain in southeastern Section 24 shows the characteristic fluvial deposits. The rock floor was not exposed but a thin stratum of gravel, sand, and flint is present at an elevation of nearly 690 feet, thus indicating its presence only a few feet below. This basal stratum is overlain by 30 to 40 feet of fine-grained, ferruginous sands and silts. Similar deposits are present but poorly exposed in southern Section 29. In the vicinity of Wilkesville the old gradation plain is clearly defined as it has been little dissected by the present streams. The elevation of the floor is not far from 690 feet and that of the top of the plastic, highly laminated silts of the slack-water stage, found now only along the walls of the valley, is 750 feet. Exposures indicate that the thickness of this bed was at least 20 feet. The deposits between the rock floor and these slackwater clays consist of ferruginous sands and silts of various degrees of fineness. In general they are rather highly leached.

At Wilkesville the main stream received a tributary from the east and another from the northwest. The headwaters of the latter appear to have been at the main water divide in southeastern Madison Township. From Section 24, Vinton Township, the course of the stream was southeastward along that of the present stream, Elk Fork, to Raccoon Creek, thence along this across Section 15, to where it left the present valley in northeastern Section 14. From this place the gradation plain is quite distinct across sections 8 and 7, Vinton Township, dence of the old floor is now apparent but near the mouth of this stream and along Raccoon Creek rock terraces, highly silted, are present at an elevation of 720 feet. The following record taken in northeastern Section 14, Vinton Township, shows the character of the deposits

On the low divide in southeastern Section 12, Wilkesville Township, and on that in eastern Section 11, the rock floor has an elevation of nearly 700 feet and the highest silts have an elevation of nearly 750 feet. This preglacial stream evidently flowed southward as the valley widens perceptibly and the floor level decreases in that direction. Further, the tributaries enter at an appropriate angle for such a course,

From Wilkesville the course of the preglacial stream, Wilkesville Creek, was southward across the western parts of sections 3 and 2, thence westward to Raccoon Creek, thence southward along this valley past Ewington, Vinton, and Harrisburg to Rio Grande, where it joined the Marietta River. The gradation plains are only locally well preserved as the present streams have obliterated much of the old valley. They have left, however, a sufficient number of silt-covered terraces so that the route may be traced with confidence. Such remnants are present in southwestern Section 3, Wilkesville Township, and in western Section 2. The following record taken on the plain in southwestern Section 2 shows the general character of the alluvial deposits in this locality and the elevation of the rock floor:

Locally these argillaceous sands are overlain with 10 to 20 feet of fine, highly laminated clay, representing the slack-water stage. The upper limit of this material appears to be about 720 feet above tide. Near Ewington in Gallia County the old valley is well defined by the high flats and terraces present locally along Raccoon Creek. The deposits upon them consist of brown and yellow sands and leached silts which are so characteristic of these preglacial valleys elsewhere. The elevation of the floor is nearly 670 feet. From Ewington to Rio Grande the general features are not especially different except through modifcations by the present stream, Raccoon Creek. From Carpenter to Rio Grande the gradient of Wilkesville Creek is nearly 2 feet per mile as the rock floor in this distance of about 27 miles descends from 720 to 665 feet above tide. The deposits within the valley are similar throughout the entire way. The bedrock is directly overlain by a few feet of sand, containing more or less gravel and flint. The gravel is locally derived as it consists mainly of ferruginous shale and sandstone. The flint is also from near-by sources as the adjacent hills contain the Brush Creek limestone which is decidedly flinty in most of the basin drained. Superimposed on this stratum are thick deposits of sand, varying in texture from fine to coarse and in color from light yellow to dark brown. The coarser grained sands are loosely bonded with iron oxide which forms a thick, rusty coating on the grains. In those of finer texture argillaceous material is also abundant. These sands are very similar to the molding sand worked near Kerr and Evergreen in Gallia County. The highest deposits in these old valleys are slackwater clays which are fine grained, exceedingly plastic, and highly laminated. The color varies from light gray to blue, depending on the state of weathering. Such deposits are most abundant along the borders of the valley where the old gradation plain has been little disturbed. In Vinton County Wilkesville Creek drained small areas in southeastern Madison and southern Knox townships and nearly all of Vinton and Wilkesville townships. The preglacial drainage in Knox Township and in the eastern part of Brown was eastward into Athens County to streams the valleys of which are quite prominent near Albany and Athens. The direction of the main stream, however, has not as yet been definitely determined.

Surface Features

All of southern and eastern Ohio is hilly and rough due to degrading agencies that have been operative since these rocks were re-elevated at about the close of Cretaceous time. The upwarping, however, did not progress at a uniform rate. Periods of uplift were followed by periods of quiescence. The movement at any time was not great, that is, it was sufficient to raise the surface only a short distance. During a long period of repose, erosive forces were able to reduce the land to a relatively low, almost featureless surface, known as a peneplain. If another cycle of elevation and erosion occurred, a second peneplain would be produced at a lower level with partial or total obliteration of the older one. Such surfaces are independent of rock structure as they may extend across many formations. Most of the cycles were not complete, leaving remnants of the preceding peneplains. A wide valley resulting from stream action is known as a strath.

Phy Siography 35

ridges along the main watersheds and the presence of conspicuous terraces and flats, at lower levels, on most of the lateral ridges. Such modifications apparently resulted from the process of denudation at different periods. The physiographic history of the region, however, is far from clear definition as many original surface features have been partially or almost completely obliterated.

Near the close of the Paleozoic era, crustal movements resulted in the uplifting of the Appalachian Mountains and also in the emergence above sea of most areas bordering these highlands. During the Mesozoic era that followed this upwarping, these land areas were so eroded that they were reduced to a plain which was later uplifted and which is now represented by the plateau surface flanking these mountains. Succeeding this, other cycles of uplift and erosion produced peneplains and straths at lower levels of which the Harrisburg peneplain, Worthington peneplain, and Parker strath are the most prominent in eastern and southern Ohio.

Harrisburg peneplain. - In Vinton County and in adjacent areas the main ridges along the water divides rise to a rather uniform height, the mean of which is not far from 1,060 feet. The variation, however, is quite wide but it is commonly between 1,020 and 1,100 feet. This level appears to mark a peneplain surface which has been reduced to a very fragmental condition by subsequent erosion and which rises gradually eastward in Ohio to the position of the Harrisburg peneplain of Pennsylvania. The evidence indicates that it was formed by an upwarping of strata in early Tertiary time.

The Harrisburg peneplain in Vinton County is best preserved in the western part but scattered remnants are also present in the eastern part. In Wilkesville, Vinton, Clinton, central Elk, and southern Knox townships, erosion has removed nearly all the evidence of this upper peneplain surface. The area appears to be a part of a low basin which extends on southward through Gallia, Meigs, Lawrence, and eastern Scioto counties. The knobs on the main ridges rise to.a rather uniform elevation of about 1,030 feet in northwestern Knox Township and to 1,030 to 1,070 feet in northern and northwestern Madison. The position of the old gradation plain is more apparent in Brown Township. Here the crests of the dividing ridges rise to an elevation of 1,030 to 1,050 feet between Hewett Fork and Sandy Run, to 1,030 to 1,070 feet between Sandy Run and Twomile Run, and to 1,020 to 1,040 feet between Twomile Run and East Branch. The surface in most of Elk Township has been reduced considerably below the level of this old gradation plain. The parts that nearest approach it are the isolated knobs, 1,000 to 1,050 feet in height, in the northeastern part of the area in sections 1, 2, and 11, and in the western part in sections 7, 8, 18, and 19. In the eastern half of Swan Town- ship the remnants are also few and none rise to an elevation of more than 1,040 feet. The conditions are different, however, in the western part of this township for here most of the main ridges stand above 1,020 feet and many knobs on them reach 1,050 to 1,090 feet. The position of the ancient peneplain surface appears to be well indicated over most of Richland Township where the projections on the ridges rise rather uniformly to 1,020 and 1,070 feet. On account of the location at the head of important drainage basins, the highlands of Jackson Township rather definitely mark the position of the old Harrisburg peneplain as the ridges rise to a rather uniform height throughout the entire area. Along the main divide which deflects the waters eastward to Raccoon Creek and westward to Salt Creek and which extends in a north-south direction across the eastern part-of the township, the gradation surface falls between 1,050 and 1,100 feet. No broad uplands are present at this position but many flattened knobs are found not only on the main ridge but also on the laterals. The same is true on the divide between Pretty Run and Queer Creek in the northwestern part of the area and on that between Pretty Run and Middle Fork in the southwestern part. The highlands in most of Harrison Township have been rather severely eroded but the main plain between 1,030 and 1,100 feet. In Eagle Township the Harrisburg peneplain is rather prominent at the position of 1,050 to 1,100 feet above tide on all the main ridges and also on their laterals.

The constant repetition of the summits of the ridges in most of Vinton County rising to a rather uniform elevation between 1,020 and 1,100 feet with a mean approximating 1,060 feet is strong evidence of a peneplain surface at this position. When viewed from a high elevation, the regularity is striking, being repeated in one ridge after another. In all, several hundred swells on the ridges in this county alone project upward to these elevations. This old gradation plain, which is the work of a cycle of slight uplift with extensive erosion, is apparently somewhat uneven in that it slopes gently from the main water divides towards the interiors of the larger drainage basins. The variation, which is perfectly normal for stream-cut surfaces, can not be accurately measured but is probably less than 100 feet. Further, the watersheds were lowered so that little remains of the original plateau surface except in widely isolated areas where bold knobs and ridges stand out as monadnocks on the gradation plain. As has been stated previously, this peneplain apparently correlates with the Harrisburg of Pennsylvania and rises gradually in that direction from an elevation of 1,060 feet in Vinton County to 1,270 feet in Columbiana County, Ohio, to 1,400 feet in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to 2,200 feet in Potter County, Pennsylvania, which is the dome of greatest uplift.

In widely separated areas in southern and also in eastern Ohio are found isolated knobs and ridges that rise sharply from 130 to 200 feet or more above the Harrisburg peneplain. In southern Ohio such protuberances are present in the highlands just east of Chillicothe and in several localities in the hilly country west of the Scioto River in Ross, Pike, Scioto, and Adams counties. Whether these represent remnants of an older peneplain or of the original plateau surface has as yet not been determined.

Worthington peneplain. - In late Tertiary time the land which had been reduced during the Harrisburg peneplanation stage to an almost featureless surface not far above sea was again slowly uplifted about 100 feet before the action halted. During the upwarping the streams with renewed activities soon cut deep valleys in the former surface and during the long period of crustal quiescence that followed they gradually developed wide gradation plains along their courses and also reduced the water divides between many basins to much lower levels. This cycle of uplift and erosion resulted in the development of what is known in Pennsylvania as the Worthington peneplain. It is far less complete than the older Harrisburg as it left many remnants of the latter over wide areas. In Vinton County the Worthington peneplain stands at an elevation averaging nearly 960 feet above tide. The position of the old surface is nearly 990 feet near divides and about 930 feet near the central portions of the larger basins. In western Vinton County the peneplanation' during the Worthington stage produced simply broad valleys in the Harrisburg surface but in the eastern part it was far more complete, leaving only fragments of the older plain along divides.

In Wilkesville Township the ridges at no place rise above the general level of the Worthington peneplain. The highest part is along the water divide in the western part of the area where the flat ridge crests vary in elevation from 930 to 990 feet. Throughout the central and eastern portions the gradation plain is low as the highest knobs rise to only 880 to 930 feet above tide. This area is well within one of the old preglacial drainage basins. Over most of Knox Township the Worthington surface, 930 to 990 feet in elevation, is well represented and in the northwestern part much-eroded remnants of the older Harrisburg, rising to about 1,030 feet above tide, are also found. The ridge flats in all of Vinton Township are typical Worthington as they have a very uniform elevation not far from 950 feet. In Clinton Township the conditions are similar. Both the Worthington and the Harrisburg peneplains are present in Madison Township, the former appearing most prominent as flats on the long finger ridges projecting from the main highlands. Only a few isolated knobs in northeastern and west central Elk Township project above the general level of the Worthington stage.

In Brown Township the peneplanation in late Tertiary time progressed only to the erosion of broad valleys in the older surface and to a slight lowering of the main divides. The flats and terraces of the Worthington now stand at elevations varying not far from 960 feet and are best preserved on the long lateral hills. The general level of the ridges in eastern Swan Township represents Worthington degradation whereas that along the main water divides in the western part indicates Harrisburg. In Richland Township the high hills alone rise above the more recent stages the plains of which are fairly well preserved at elevations of 930 to 980 feet in the basin of Middle Fork and also that of Little Raccoon Creek. The highlands of Harrison Township are not especially different, both peneplains being evident over most of the area. In Jackson and Eagle townships the streams during Worthington time maturely dissected the old Harrisburg surface and cut broad valleys well towards their headwaters. The main ridges, however, represent older peneplanation. Nearly one-half of the total area of these townships is represented by either one or the other of these gradation plains.

most effective in the southeastern and central portions of the area where the older Harrisburg surface was quite largely destroyed. In the western part of the county the work was less complete, as the period ended before the streams had accomplished more than the development of broad valleys in the higher plain. The upwarping that inaugurated the Worthington cycle of dissection and base leveling was nearly 100 feet. The peneplain thus formed now stands at an elevation not far from 960 feet above tide. It is somewhat higher near the main divides and lower towards the central portions of the larger drainage basins. Later uplifts resulted in the destruction of much of the Worthington peneplain as the rejuvenated streams eroded new valleys to much lower levels. These peneplains, the Worthington and the Harrisburg, occupy about one-third of the total area of the county and afford much land suitable for farming, grazing, -and fruit raising.

Parker strath. - The third well-defined modification of the surface of Vinton County through the work of erosive agencies is the Parker strath which is the name applied collectively to the remnants of old valleys formed by stream action just prior to the ice invasion or in late Tertiary time. This new cycle of erosion was inaugurated by a slow uplifting of the land that brought to a close the long period of quiescence which resulted in the formation of the Worthington peneplain. As a consequence of this upward movement of the surface by internal forces the streams were rejuvenated and began carving valleys in the recently elevated plain. The Parker cycle was short compared to more remote ones but yet it was of sufficient duration for a large amount of work to be done. The streams maturely dissected the older gradation surfaces and lowered many of the water divides; they cut rather broad valleys with moderate slopes 200 to 290 feet below the mean level of the Worthington peneplain. The uplifting appears to have been gradual or at least without prolonged pauses as rock-cut terraces are not conspicuous at any position on the valley walls. The further development of the Parker cycle was arrested by the advance of the great glacier which caused general modifications and rearrangement of drainage systems of the entire region. Subsequent to this event the streams have been busily engaged in eroding valleys to still lower levels.

The Parker strath is well preserved in some parts of Vinton County and is in a very fragmentary condition in other parts. Where the present streams are following closely the courses of preglacial ones, this stage is marked only by isolated, rock-cut terraces along the valley walls. In this case the streams have thus been able not only to degrade channels to much lower levels but to widen new-formed valleys sufficiently to remove most of the older floors. Such strath remnants are not uncommon features along Salt Creek and its larger tributaries in the western part of the county. In regions where the drainage has -been radically changed by reversals, by cut-offs, by deflections along new ways, or by migration down the dip, the old beds are marked by wide terraces, by low, broad flats, and by long, poorly drained valleys such as are found near Wilkesville, Hamden, Dundas, Zaleski, Mc- Arthur, Elk Fork, Creola, Orland, and New Plymouth. The main physiographic aspects of the Parker stage have been recorded under old drainage modifications, hence only a brief description of its features need be given here.