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/51

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

M ount Pleasant— The Chemung, L ow er Ile lderberg and Salina formations predominate here. T he limestones are slightly nugnesian and would make good Portland cement. Others can be bum ctl fu r lime. A t the forks of the road near Little Fishing crcck the highest (>oint above Uic sea, ju st above M ordansville, is 535 feet. H em lock— Alm ost a complete section from the Catskill form ation down to the basal beds of the G inton is found in this township along the banks o f Fishing creek. A large quarry w as form erly operated in the Hamilton shales, from which a fine grade o f slate for mantels and tables w as saw n, by the Thom as Slate Com­ pany. A t this quarr)- the M arccllus slates were also mined for roofing and school slates. T he I^ w c r H eldcrbcrg limestone w as mined at this place fo r the Bloom sburg furnaces, also about a mile cast o f Buckhom. T h e Blooms­ burg Iron Company and W illiam Neal & Sons quarried (he fossil iron ore in the Montour ridge. T h e highest elevation in this township is 9 75 feel. 3/onfo«r— Catskill, Chemung and Genesee shales are the range o f rocks in this township, covering a section o f 4.784 feet. Between C itaw issa bridge and Rupert the exposures along the D elaw are, Lackaw anna & W estern railroad, at the end o f M ontour ridge, are the most complete In the county. A student o f geology wjll find much o f value to obscrx here, and the lover of the picturesque will be gratific<l by the varied scenery to be found at this spot. Indications arc found here that the Susque­ hanna once flowed in a channel directly west­ ward lo Danville through the valley north o f M ontour ridge. T h e Bossardville limestone has been quarTic<l fo r agricultural uses by sev­ eral persons in this vicinity, but w as found too impure fo r building uses. T h e fossil iron ore w as also at one time mined about a mile and a h alf west o f Fishing creek. T h e highest point o f M ontour ridge in this township is 7 5s feet. Bloom sburg— T he G in ton, Salina, L ow er H eldcrbcrg and Hamilton formations are exposi^ along the banks o f Fish in g creek beside the Bloom sburg & Sullivan railroad tracks. A t many places outcroppings o f fossil iron ore are found and have been almost completely mined out in the past. T h e town o f Bloom sburg is located on three terraces composc<l o f deposits from stream s in the past. T h e highest terrace in Bloom sburg is on Second street, where the altitude is S7 S f«®L AftfiH—Cutting through Ncscopcck m oun­ tain, Catawissa crcck here exposes all of the Pocono and Catskill form ations. T h e Catskill

sandstones here were at one time quarried for building purposes. About 1,500 feet is the height of the mountain at this poin t Cataioissa— A ll of the different formations characteristic o f this county are shown along the Susquehanna from C ataw issa to tlx Bloom sburg bridge, along the bluffs o f Cata­ w issa (o r Nescopeck) mountain. None of the limestones here have been commercially worked. The height o f C ataw issa mountain is estimated at 1,600 fe e t Franklin — Only a few of the characteristic formations o f this county arc exposed in this township. A dividing ridge, part o f C all w issa mountain, separates the Susquehanna from K<»ring creek in the central part of the town­ ship. Elevations range from 900 to 1,400 feet above sea level. Locust— Little mountain, along the southern border o f this township, has an elevation of 1,040 feet, and cx|>oses the Pocono formation to some extent. O ther s tra u arc shown at various gaps in the hills and mountain, made by the branches o f R oaring creek. M ontour County Cooper— In the tunnel cut to drain the old quarry o f G rove Brothers, at G rovania, the ex­ posures o f Catskill and Chemung rocks are very complete. T he L o w er H clderbcrg lime­ stone is the one quarried here now fo r hm c, as it was fo r furnace uses in the past. Som e fossilifcrous iron ore w.as also mined in the past, but is now exhausted. T h e ancient valley of the Susquehanna, through which that river once flowed before il carved its w ay through the Montour axis, is shown in the center of this township, and form s the basis of the best farm s in this vicinity. T he elevation of the ridge here is about TOO feet. Mahonit^ —T he formations characteristic of Montour ridge arc to be found in this township. A number o f limestone quarries were form er y operated in this township to supply the fu r­ naces at Danville, but arc now idle. Iron ore w as also extensively mined, but has long since been cxhau.stcd. About 700 feet is the height of the ridge here. L ib erty —T h e lowest beds of the Clinton slates form M ontour ridge here, w hile the O riskany chert and the L o w er H eldcrbcrg lime­ stone make Lim e R idge in the northern border of the township. T h e Hamilton and B o ssard ­ ville limc.stoncs have here been extensively quarried. M ontour ridge stands 000 feet above sea level, while Lim e R idge is about 100 feet lower.