History of Montgomery & Fulton Counties by F. W. Beers & Co. Montgomery County, Ch 24

THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

CHAPTER XXIV.

FEATURES OF THE GEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF MONTGOMERY AND FULTON COUNTIES.

Though the counties of Montgomery and Fulton are less rich in minerals than some others in the State, yet the subject of their geology is an interesting one. The facts respecting this topic are derived from the report of the geological survey made under the authority of the State, the results of which were published in 1842. The two counties are considered together in this chapter to avoid the repetition which would result from treating them separately. The whole area of Montgomery and Fulton lies to the north of the Helderberg range, and contains a less number of rocks than the counties to the west through which that great elevation extends. The rocks are : 1, Gneiss of several varieties, granite, etc., being the primary rocks ; 2, Potsdam sandstone ; 3, the Calciferous group ; 4, the Black river limestone ; 6, Utica slate; 7, Frankfort slate, and its sandstone. Of these only Nos. 1, 3, 6, and 7 form important masses as to the surface which they cover. The primary rocks cover the northern part, their greatest breadth being to the northwest. They bound the Sacondaga valley at the northeastern corner of Fulton county, turning to the southwest a few miles below the line of Hamilton county, forming the high ridges known as Mayfield and Kingsborough mountains, turning west to the north of Kingsborough village, and joining Klip hill, the northern prolongation of the " Noses." They form Royal hill, and pass into Herkimer by an irregular line, inclining to the northwest. Beyond these limits the primary rock appears but in two places, on Zimmerman's creek, below Lassellsville, and on both sides of the Mohawk, forming the basis of the Noses.

The calciferous group forms three areas to the north of the river, nowhere extending more than a mile to the south of it. It forms the whole surface of the eastern part of these counties, excepting some partial overlying masses. It forms also the great south portion of the Noses, and the greater part of the space from the ridge east of Mother creek and the Little Sprite to the East Canada creek. The Utica slate separates the three areas of the calciferous, the eastern edges ranging conformably with the lower rocks, and the western unconformably, being the edges upturned by the uplifted rocks. The first of these masses forms that fine section of country near the centre of which Johnstown is placed ; the other is that through which Garoga creek flows from Ephratah to Palatine church. There are besides these two large areas on the north side of the Mohawk a few isolated patches, one on Frenchman's creek, in the town of Broadalbin, a second back of St. Johnsville, a third on East Canada creek, extending by Manheim bridge to the falls at the uplift, and a fourth on Little Sprite creek. That portion of Montgomery county south of the Mohawk, excepting a few strips near its border, is covered by the Utica slate and the Frankfort rocks, the latter occupying the whole southern half, and the former the space between these rocks and the river. These are the four important masses as to the extent of surface covered, the others occupy" ing very small areas. The Potsdam sandstone appears upon the primary at Klip hill between the two roads which lead to Johnstown. It is in small patches of one or two layers, being all that remains of a once continuous mass. The Birds-eye limestone is quarried in the town of Mayfield at a point in the old Claus patent. It appears in two insulated hills to the west of Eva's Kill, in the small quarry on the west side of the dam back of Amsterdam village, and at the quarries of Tribes Hill. The rock at these places is thin, and not suitable for heavy work. On the south side of the Mohawk it first appears at Fort Plain. It is there in thick layers, and was quarried for the canal; also on the opposite side of the river between the turnpike and the railroad, forming the surface rock for many acres of area. North of the river, the birdseye limestone is quarried in several places. This rock is also noticed in Garoga creek near the village of Ephratah.

The upper mass of the Black river limestone, of which the birdseye forms the lower part, embraces most of the grey limestone at Amsterdam village and several quarries along the Mohawk. The Trenton limestone is but little quarried, being preferred for making lime. This rock is seen in the town of Mayfield, in two places in Broadalbin, to the east of the great Vlaie, at Amsterdam, along the south side of the uplift of the Noses, at the dam in Canajoharie creek, at Fort Plain, and north east of the quarry on the opposite side of the river. The land slopes to the Mohawk on both sides of the river throughout its course in these counties, with the exception of the northeastern and northwestern portions, the former inclining to the Sacondaga river, and the latter to the East Canada creek. The country which is occupied with the primary rocks, is yet a wilderness, excepting some portions along its outside borders, and others again, where facilities for sawing and getting out timber exist, and it must remain uninhabited until conveniences for transportation are made. It is thickly covered with forest, and contains numerous lakes which are disposed upon its southern and western borders, showing the height of the level land from which the more elevated hills and ridges of the primary region usually rise. One of the first prominent points going east along the primary range is Royal hill. It is one of those high, long, narrow, north and south ranges, which rise abruptly like Klip hill, and others quite numerous in Saratoga county. It is composed of gneiss, similar to that of Little Falls, and in many parts divided by numerous joints into angular blocks. There was nothing extraneous discovered in this hill but a little plumbago and small garnets. This hill forms the west side of Pleasant Valley and extends up to near Garoga lake. The valley is covered with alluvion, but, it is probable, was once underlaid by the Utica slate, which may yet exist there, as watenvorn fragments of it are numerous at the foot of the high bank below Pleasant Valley village, which could not have come from any point south, no fact of the kind having been observed in the primary region.

The valley of Garoga creek separates Royal hill from Klip hill, the prolongation of the Noses. From thence the primary mass rises to the east, and near Kingsborough village, attains considerable elevation. For about six or seven miles, the course of the range of primary rocks is to the north and east and its height uniform, the range appearing as a ridge. Beyond it is broken into rounded or curved masses of different elevations. There is a much greater variety of gneiss at the east than at the west end in that section of the country. About two and a half miles from Kingsborough, the stone has been quarried. It has a striped or ribbony appearance, being a well characterized gneiss, and contains numerous small red garnets, which give a brownish color to the rock, the mica being black ; also much green feldspar. Further north there is an abundance of beautiful porphyritic gneiss suitable for all purposes to which granite is applied, being but slightly stratified, which would favor its extraction. The hills or mountains, as they are here termed, rise about five or six hundred feet above their base, the latter being elevated about eleven hundred feet above the Mohawk, as was ascertained with reference to connecting the waters of the Sacondaga with the Mohawk.

The juncture of the primary and the calciferous sandstone from Royal Hill to Lassellsville consists of rounded elevations, sandy, loamy and clayey, between which the small water-courses of that section pass on their way to the Mohawk. East of the village there are sand hills, and from thence to Royal Hill gravel hills. The country is much broken by rounded and irregular elevations and depressions, showing from Royal Hill to East Canada creek a line of agitated waters resembling the one which extends along Black river to Boonville.

At Pleasant Valley the alluvion is of great thickness, its hills rising to about one hundred feet of elevation, and continues up to Garoga lake. The great mass of the chain of hills east of Garoga creek is of yellow sand, the same kind with that of the primary region. The Vlaie or natural meadow and swamp which extends along the creek of that name to near the Fish House, are the remains of a lake, and show the pre-existent state of that country; the" drainage of which happened at successive periods, as is beautifully shown and the extent of the alluvial action also) near where the upper and lower roads unite which lead from Cranberry post-office to the river, near the hill or mountain side. There four well defined alluvial banks exist, resembling great steps on the mountain side, which forms a semi-amphitheatre, changing by a curve from a northeast to a south-south-east direction. The upper bank of alluvion rises about a hundred feet above the river; the next below about eighty feet; the third, from thirty to forty feet; and the lowest, from ten to twelve feet. The upper one is of sand; the second, of bluish clay covered with sand; and the two lowest ones of sand and gravel. The Vlaies, or natural meadows, are numerous in many parts of the district, and are the prairies of the West on a small scale. Their soil being composed of fine earth is favorable for grass, the rapid growth of which smothers the germinating trees. This is represented as the primary cause why trees do not exist where grass is rank; the others are but subordinate ones. These natural meadows all show the same origin, having been ponds or lakes receiving the wash of the country which they drained, the finer particles of which being diffused through their waters have, by subsidence, formed their level bottom and their highly productive soil.

Along the borders of the Mohawk, through Montgomery county, there exists a series of parallel upraised masses, extending but a short distance south of the river. These uplifts or upraised masses consist of those rocks and groups whose position is below the Utica slate. They have been raised in places just as if they were composed of a series of parallel blocks under which a force was applied which caused them to pierce the slate and to appear at various heights above the common level of it. The uplifts vary as to length, breadth and height, some traversing the whole extent between oohe primary region and the river, while others are partial, occupying but limited areas. While some have been raised so high as to exhibit the whole series of rocks from the primary inclusive to the Utica slate, others show only the upper rocks of that series.

The first uplift is that of Flint Hill. The lowest part consists of the calciferous group which extends to Amsterdam village, and disappears under the Black river and Trenton limestones; the whole of which, further west, are lost under the alluvion. This uplift gave rise to quarries at Amsterdam.

The second uplift is at Tribes Hill, showing three elevations, the layers which are inclined from east to west, ranging parallel with each other. The first rise consists of the calciferous group, a quarry having been opened in this rock; the second consists of birdseye limestone; and the third, the intermediate mass to that rock and the Trenton limestone, the two forming with the Chazy limestone the Black river limestone group. They all dip west ten degrees south, and show the direction of their uplift and the effects of denudation in producing their insulation. Between the Trenton limestone and the river is the intermediate mass. It has been extensively quarried at this place, and on the hill near the village.

The tliird uplift is by the roadside east of Fonda, and is but partial, the Trenton limestone only appearing.

The fourth uplift is the Noses, which rise in the valley like a huge dyke or mountain barrier, and, except where broken by the river, show a long continuous wall which faces the east and slopes gradually along the river to the west. The Mohawk passes by a gap through the mass, showing on either side a cliff of the calciferous group, which often rises vertically to two hundred feet or more. The gneiss forms the base at the east end. It shows itself in three places on the south side and terminates its range east, rising probably one hundred feet above the river. On the north side of the uplift the calciferous has been uncovered to considerable extent, showing a surface averaging five miles in length from north to south. Further north the primary takes its place, showing patches of Potsdam sandstone for about two miles from where it emerges from under the calciferous. For some distance north of the river at the east end of the uplift, alluvion and soil conceal the surface rock, but beyond at many points the Utica slate appears dipping to the east at angles of about thirty degrees, the juncture of the gneiss and slate being covered with soil. The uplift of the Noses cannot be said to terminate along the river short of Palatine church, where the slate appears in the creek at its usual low level when not disturbed. The whole of the uplift is of great interest, exposing a vast mass of rock and the succession of the rocks either going west along the river or south. Quarries have been opened in its range at Canajoharie, Palatine Bridge, Fort Plain, etc. The creek at Fort Plain shows that the rocks on both sides have not the same elevation, those on the west side being higher than those on the east.

The fifth uplift extends from Palatine church to near East Canada creek, exhibiting a large surface of the calciferous group. At St. Johnsville the calciferous group forms a high cliff in the rear of the village, extending from Crumb beyond Zimmerman's creek in nearly an east and west direction. It is not the result of the wearing away of all the parts on its south side so as to give passage to the river, for at the foot of the cliff the birdseye is seen, but obscurely; next to it at the southeast are the lower layers of the Trenton, and east and north the Utica slate, all within a few rodsof each other.