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/50

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES tiooare to b e found in B eaver and Conyngham townships, Colum bia county, although it was fonncrly thought that coal could be developed in briarcrcek township, while in 19 14 discover­ ies of coal h ave been made in the v k in ity of Exchange, M ontour county. T h e mines arc treated in the separate sketches of these town­ ships. CEOLOCY OF T IIK U irp e R E N T DIVISIONS

Following a rc s)iort review s of the charac­ teristic fonnation and elevations of the town­ ships and boroughs o f Columbia and Montour counties. Columbia being the first in order o f description. Colum bia County

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of the glacier that at one time covered the State o f New Y o rk and extended as fa r south as Berwick. M ifflin— T he rocks o f this town.ship extend from the Pocono beds in the summit o f Nesco])cck mountain to the Low er H eldcrbcrg lime­ stone ill the bed of the Susqueluniia opposite Mifilinvillc. T he glacier that came as fa r south a s Berw ick did not cross the river to this town­ ship, but ])ourcd its melting icc stream s into the Susquehanna. L ater stream action caused the deposits o f, rounded boulders and gravel to cover the su rface o f this section. T he crest o f Ncscopeck mountain, which form s the southern la r d e r of the township, is 1,625 feet above sea level. S u g a rlo a f— 'I'he rocks o f this township be­ long to the Catskill form ation, with the excep­ tion o f a n.'irrow belt o f Pocono which forms the summit o f N orth mountain. D rift hc.ips and gravel licds cover most of the area. T he highest elevation in this township is 1,275 Benton— T h e Catskill and Chemung rocks predominate here. D rift and gravel beds pre­ dominate. T he greatest altitude in this town­ ship is 850 feet. Jackson — Catskill and Chemung red sand­ stones arc found here, with many boulder beds. Glacial remains abound. T h e greatest altitude is 1 ,280 feet. F in e — C hem ung, C atsk ill and H am ilton fo r­

Most of the strata of the Clinton and Heldcrbcrg form ations arc exposed in this township along M ontour ridge. F ossil iron ore was form erly extensively mined at several points, but is now exhausted. Several quar­ ries were at one time operated along the ridge fo r lime burning, but are now abandoned. T he highest elevation o f M ontour ridge in this township is 900 feet. C m tre— Most of the form ations character­ istic of this part of the State are shown in this township, along Montour ridge and Hunting­ ton mountain. T h e Bossardville and L ow er m ations predom inate in this section. G enesee Heldcrbcrg limestones are extensively m in ^ shales and T u lly lim estones are also fo u n d. T h e for lime burning and cement purposes, while greatest elevation is 1, 3 1 5 the Bastard limestone between, which caused so Greem oood— Chem ung and Hamilton rocks much trouble in the past to auarrym en by r e a -. here predominate. There are also found areas son of its hardness and aw kw ard location, is o f Genesee black shale. In the Chemung sand­ now broken into a fine quality o f road material. stones a quarry w as once operated near the I,ead and zinc w*ere found in granular state in Mount Pleasant township line, furnishing small pockets in the U pper Salina limestone rough building stone. T h is township is prac­ beds, and w ere supposed to warrant exploita­ tically free from boulders. T h e land is gener­ tion, but although thousands o f dollars were ally free from stones, and the rocks are of the spent in investigation there were no tangible black shale. T he highest elevation is near results. T he entire valley o f this township M illville—^ 5 feet. south of Lim e R idge is covered with boulders Fishin gereek— Pocono, Catskill, Chemung, and gravel, deposited in the past by glacial Genesee and Hamilton rocks are here exposed. and alluvial action. T he highest point of the G lacial deposits form the great plain along Huntington mountain in the township is about Huntington crcck. T h e highest pomt is H unt­ ington mountain, 1.500 feet above sea level. 1.500 feet. BriartTfek— H ere the M ontour a x is passes Orange— ^Thc rocks in this township run under the town o f Berw ick, while Hamilton from the Pocono to the base of the Chemung and Knob mountains pass almost entirely across form ation. G reat heaps o f rounded boulders the area of the township. Both elevations are are scattered over the hill summits and give about t,5oo feet above the sea. G lacial action evidence o f llie sea having covered this section cut the ralley between these mountains and re­ of the State in past ages. From the summit o f mains of ice deposits o f boulders and trash are K nob mountain an extensive view is had of the to be abundantly found. T hese w ere the ac­ counties o f M ontour and Columbia. T h is alti­ cumulations from the great terminal moraine tude is 1,430 feet.