Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.djvu/49

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES GEOLOGY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY

Columbia and Montour counties lie wholly within the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton basins of the anthracite region, known as the Wyoming valley. This section was part of the territory claimed by Connecticut and afterwards awarded to Pennsylvania. It gains the name of Wyoming from the Indian title of Maughwau- wama, a Delaware word, meaning large plains. Although broken by lofty hills, the term applies very appropriately to this section of the Stale, owing to the broad and comparatively level valleys that lie between the hills. Few of these hills attain the dignity of mountains, the high¬ est being but 1,6oo feet, but they afford charmingly varied views of a prosperous and picturesque country from their different summits.

The general geological structure of the rocks of these counties includes the Pocono or Pottsville Conglomerates in the higher elevations, the Catskill and Chemung rocks in the lower hills, and in the valleys the outcrops of the Hamilton. Lower Helderburg and Salina formations. These rocks are only included in the Older Sccondary system and comprise the various strata Nos. V to XI, inclusive, classified by the second geological survey of the State.

Columbia and Montour counties are just outside of the mining region of the anthracite fields, although many mines have bcen opened and operated continuously for years in the extreme southeastern part of Columbia county. The anthracite veins are usually above the highest layers of rock on the summits of the hills of these counties, therefore "out of sight" in this immediate section, but to the east and south of the borders of Columbia the coal veins sink to points where they can lie profitably mined. The soft coal strata of the western part of the State, which have made the fortunes of thousands, arc here completely eroded away and are theoretically at 35,000 feet in the air above us.

The rocks of this section are not only compressed and twisted into strange forms, hut they are forced up into steep ridges and basins, hut for which the operations of the miner would he more difficult and hazardous. This uplift has forced many of the strata into the light and greatly assisted in (he work of mineral research and exploitation, besides adding to the picturesque beauty of the cliffs and valleys.

In addition to the action of the subterranean forces of past ages the more recent (comparatively) erosion of the glaciers has further diversified the surface of these regions. The end of the great glaciers or sea of ice (hat covered all of New York State and extended (o (he Susquehanna was marked by a terminal moraine, or ridge, of boulders and debris left by the melting of the ice. This moraine was later torn apart and scattered in places over the and by the immense streams of water that arose from the rapidly melting ice fields, so causing the deep beds of sand and grave) all over this section. The glacial rivers also cut the deep clefts in the strata to be seen where the rivers and creeks force their way through Montour ridge and other elevations.

The mineral products of these counties are few, agriculture leading as a source of wealth. Moreover, in the past the iron ores were of great industrial importance, and supplied the raw material for furnaces at Bloomsburg and Danville. These veins of ore have been worked out in the last twenty years, or have been found to descend to such depths as to make exploitation unprofitable. The iron ores of the Lake Superior region can be mined and shipped to this point for less than it takes to produce the native ores, and the old methods of smelting being replaced by the more simple modern ones caused the abandonment of the furnaces in this region.

The quarrying of slate for mantels and roofing poses was prosecuted in Hemlock township. Columbia county, but through lack of knowledge of the business and deficiency of funds the enterprise was abandoned some years ago. The raw material is still there and. with modern machines and a cultivated market, would probably make it well worth while to revive the industry.

The mining of limestone for burning purposes was at one time the leading industry of both counties, but at present the plants in use arc found only in the vicinity of Lime Ridge, in Columbia county, along the line of Montour ridge, south of Frosty Valley and as far west as Limestoneville, in Montour county. At Lime Ridge and west of there two firms are quarrying the limestones for ballast and burning purposes, producing a fine grade of hydrated lime and some small quantities of building stone. Near Espy, Rhone Trescott has a quarry in the Bossardville limestones which contains a thin vein of galena, from which he obtains several carloads of ore per year, yielding a high percentage of lead. This is probably the source of the lead brought to (he Fishing creek neighborhood by the Indians during their occupation of the section of country near Orangeville. At that time the owners of the land believed that the lead was obtained at a nearer point.

The only mines of anthracite coal in this sec-