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.pdf/49

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOQR COUNTIES OeOLCMW OF TH E WYOMING VALLEY

Columbia and Montour counties lie wholly within the W ilkes-Barre and Scranton basins of the anthracite region, known as the W yo­ ming a i 1 ey. T his section was ]>art of the ter­ ritory claimed by Connecticut and afterw ards awarded to Pennsylvania. It gains the name o f Wyoming from the Indian title o f Maughwauwama, a Delaware word, meaning large plains. Although hrokcn by lofty hills, the term applies very appropriately to this section of the Stale, owing to the broad and comparatively level valleys that lie lK*twecn the hitls. Few of these hills attain the dignity o f mountains, the high­ est being but t.6oo feet, but they afford charm­ ingly varied views o f a prosperous and pictures(|uc country from their different summits. The general geological structure of the rocks of these counties irxcTudcs the Pocono or Pottsvillc Conglomerates in the higher elevations, the Catskil] and Clicmung rocks in the lower hills, and in the valleys the outcrops of the Hamilton. I.ow er MeUlcrbcrg and Salina fo r­ mations. These rocks arc only included in the Older Sccondarv system and comprise the vari­ ous strata Nos. V to X I, inclusive, classifietl 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 (>cen o]iened and operated continuously for years in the ex­ treme southeastern part o f Columlna county. The anthracite veins are usually above the high­ est layers o f rock on the summits of the hills of these counties, therefore "out o f sight" in this immediate section, hut to the cast and south of the Ixirdcrs o f CoIumbLa the coal veins sink to points where they can lie profitably mined. The soft coal strata o f (he western ]>art of the State, which have made the fortunes of thousands, arc here complctelv eroded aw ay and arc theuretically at feet in the pir above us. The rocks o f (his section are not only com­ pressed and twisted into strange forms, hut they are forced up into steep ridges and basins, hut for which the operations of the miner would l)c more difficult and hazardous. T his uplift has forced many of the strata into the light and greatly assisted in (he work o f mineral research and exploitation, besides adding to the picturcsnue beauty o f (he cliffs and valleys. In addition to the action of the subterranean forces o f past ages the more recent (compara­ tively) erosion of the glaciers has further di­ versified the surface of these regions. T he end of the great glaciers or sea o f ice (hat covered all o f New Y o rk State and extended (o (he

Susquehanna was marked by a terminal moramc, or ridge, o f boulders and debris left by the melting of the ice. T his moraine was later torn apart and scattered in places over the bn d by the immense streams o f water that arose from the rapidly melting ice fields, so causing the deep beds o f 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 ri<)gc and other elevations. The mineral products of these counties are few, agriculture leading as a source o f wealth. Mow'cvcr, in the past the iron ores w'cre o f great industrial importance, and sup])licd the raw nutcria) fo r furnaces at Bloomsburg and Dan­ ville. These veins o f ore have been worked out in the last twenty years, or have been found to descend to such depths as to make exploi­ tation unprofitable. T h e iron ores of the l ^ c Superior region can be mined and shipped to this point for less than it takes to produce the native ores, and the old methods o f sinelting IxMiig replaced by the more simple modem ones caused the aliandonmcnt of the furnaces in this region. The quarrying o f slate fo r mantels and roof­ ing pur|>oscs was prosecuted in Hemlock town­ ship. Columbia county, but through lack o f knowledge of the business and deficiency o f ftinds the enterprise was al>andoncd some ycar.s 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. T he mining o f limestone f^>r burning pur­ poses >vas at one time the leading industry o f i)Oth counties, but at present the plants in use arc found only in the vicinity of Lim e Ridge, in Columbia county, alon^ the line o f Montour ridge, south o f Frosty Valley and as far west as [Jm esioneville, in Montour county. A t Lim e Ridge and west of there (wo firms are quarr>'ing the limestones for Ixillast and burn­ ing piiq>oscs, producing a fine grade o f hydrated lime and some small quantities of building stone. N ear Kspy, Rhone Trescott has a quarry in the Bossardville limestones which contains a thin vein of galena, from which he obtains several carloads o f ore per year, yielding a high [xrcentagc o f lead. T his is probably the source of the lead brought to (he Fishing creek neighborhood by the Indians during their occupation of the section o f country near Orangeville. .At that time the owners o f (he land believed that the lead was obtained at a nearer point. The onlv mines o f anthracite coal in this sec-