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1848 Chippewa Land District by Dr D.D. Owens Chapter 3 & 4 (Part 1)
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Saturday, February 9, 2008
Subject: 1848 Chippewa Land District by Dr D.D. Owens Chapter 3 & 4 (Part 1)
Time: 6:20:00 AM CST
Author: ondamitag
Mood: Chillin'
Music: wojb.org
Chapter 3
Formation of the Interior of the Chippewa Land District.
The protozoic strata pertaining to F 1 and F 2, which have been the subject of the first chapter, extend, as I have there shown as far as the falls of the eastern tributaries of the Mississippi. The average distance of their northeast line of limit from that river may be in direct course from fifty to seventy miles, or by the meanders of the streams ninety to a hundred miles. There the crystalline rocks emerge from beneath the watercourses.
This change in the geological formation of the country is accompanied by a corresponding change in it physical features. Just before reaching the igneous rages, the streams are usually hemmed in on either side by solid walls of sandstone, (F 1, a,) known, generally through that country, by the name of Dalles. A few miles beyond these a succession of low falls and rapids commence, which interrupt navigation, and render portages necessary before the traveller can advance even with a birch bark canoe. These obstructions are formed by outbursts of igneous rocks.
The elevating forces which have brought these to the surface, through the interior of the district, have not been sufficient to produce hills of any great height, such as are usually to be found in regions of crystalline rocks, that constitute extensive water sheds. On the contrary, through we here approach the dividing ridge, whence rise, on one side, many of the most important tributaries of the Mississippi, we find a level country, or at least merely a succession of low flat plains, rising twenty-five to thirty feet, one above another, with intervening ridges one to two hundred feet high. It is at the commencement and termination of the former that the principal falls and rapids set in.
Many of the rocks which compose these igneous ranges, though differing but slightly from each other in the ultimate elements of their composition, are still distinct in their structure and mineral character. Within a short distance may be seen many varieties of granite and sienite, greenstone, hornblende rock, gneiss and mica slate. Along with these are sometimes found chloritic and talcous slates, with others less distinctly marked in their character, which may be classed with the metamorphic strata.
The rank vegetation, the dense forest of pine, and the accumulation of drift, effectually conceal the extension of these igneous ranges beyond the immediate cuts of the rivers, so that there is little opportunity to investigate their nature any great distance beyond the banks of the larger streams; for this reason the mode of travelling which was adopted, in birch bark canoes, was undoubtedly the best that could be devised to gain a knowledge of the geological features of the country.
The most southwesterly exposure of granitic rocks on the tributaries of the upper Mississippi is on the Black River These were examined by Mr. A. Randall, to whom I assigned the townships on that stream for exploration. In his report to me, on that region of country, he lays down the locality of their first outburst on the northeast portion of township twenty-one north, range four west, of the fourth principal meridian, between six and seven miles south of the southern line of the Chippewa Land District. He predominating rock is a pure granite, and associated with it is a grey syenitic rock. South of this granitic range, that gentleman found nothing but a sand prairie, with a stunted growth of oak on the ridges. North of it, about one mile, a bed of greenstone trap, about thirty feet wide, crosses the bed of Black River, and is exposed a few feet above the water level. In contact with this are green and red chloritic schistose rocks on township twenty-one north, range four west, of fourth principal meridian; some of the latter is highly ferruginous, and passes gradually into heavy beds of brown oxide and magnetic iron. Here the magnetic needle has a considerable local variation over an area of several miles square. These magnesian slates show themselves on the river for the distance of nearly a mile, capped unconfromably by a pebbly sandstone, F 1,a. (See Mr. A. Randall's section, marked B.) Though the soil of this township is sandy, from drifted materials derived from the adjacent sandstone formation, still it is of much better quality than that further south and southwest, where F 1 alone occupies the surface. It supports a growth of yellow pine.
Four to six miles northeast of the Falls of Black River, in township twenty-one and twenty-two north, range three west, of the fourth principal meridian, there are outliers of the above sandstone formation, forming hills of seventy to a hundred feet in height; on sections four and thirty-three, five and thirty-two, one and thirty-six, of the above township, some of its beds are impregnated with iron to such an extent as to render it impracticable to survey the country with any degree of accuracy with a common magnetic needle; the variation along the line between these townships is in some places even as great as 13° 35'.
After passing the east fork of the Black River, the crystalline rocks extend with few exceptions nearly to the tops of the highest hills, with only here and there a capping of pebbly sandstone. Through this granitic range Mr. Randall found the soil much improved; the land well timbered with hardwood and white pine of superior quality.
Immediately after crossing Cunningham's Creek, a gneiss formation takes the place of the granite and extends some five or six miles.
From O'Neil's creek, in township twenty-four north, range two west, to Wedge Creek, in township twenty-five north, range four west, the only rock observed was a single ledge of pebbly sand, twelve feet above the surface; even boulders, which are so numerous further north, are absent; but the character of the surrounding country is similar to that above the forks where granites are in place. Beyond Wedge's Creek the soil is more sandy, and pine timber more abundant, but not of as good a quality as that north of the east fork of the Black River.
In township twenty-six north, range two west, is an isolated hill one hundred and fifty feet high, composed of compact sandstone, (F1.) Other can be seen in the distance to the west and south. On the northeast of township twenty-six and township twenty-seven north, range three west, on the headwaters of the east branch of the Eau Claire, granite is exposed of similar color and structure to that on the Falls of the Black River and the Forks of the Eau Claire, becomes gradually more sandy. This is the boundary between the inferior sandstone of F 1 and the crystalline rocks, and the northeast margin of the sandy belt of country heretofore noticed in the description of the lower Chippewa River.
Conspicuous outliers of F 1 a, can be seen stretching away to the southwest, some of which, near the Eau Claire, are capped with a lingual sandstone.
The last rocks seen in place by Mr. Randall, on the headwaters of Black River, was on the northern part of township 28, between ranges one and two west. It is a low range of chlorite slate of a similar character and composition to that above the Falls of the Black River.
Beyond this, after passing the correction line, the country becomes flat and swampy, and, swampy, and, except limited spots, almost worthless for agricultural purposes.
No metallic veins were noticed by Mr. Randall traversing any of these crystalline ranges on the Black River, with in the limits of the Chippewa Land District; indeed their elevation above the water course is for the most part so little, that there is little or no prospect of there ever becoming valuable as mineral lands.
After the fourth principal meridian crosses the Black River, no rocks but boulders appear on the surface for sixty miles; indeed, it traverses an almost continuous swamp to township 40. Here the crystalline rocks again protrude and form precipitous cliffs on the upper rapids and falls of the Manidowish, of twenty to thirty feet in height. On this stream, where the meridian crosses it, the rock differs but little from the graphic granite of the falls of the Appomatoc. The feldspar which eaters largely into its composition is of a light bluish pink, with a glistening vitreous luster; disseminated through it is only a small proportion of quartz. Two miles below, on this river, the granite is traversed by veins of gneiss. Granitic and hornblendic rocks are exposed with little interruption along the course of the Chippewa, where the pebbly and lower sandstones of F 1 crosses the river. Below this the crystalline rocks are only seen on the surface for a sort distance, when they disappear beneath deposits of drift.
From the Manidowish to the north part of township 43, there are a succession of maple ridges and intervening tamarack, cedar and alder swamps, the former of the greatest extent; the latter varying from a quarter of a mile to mile in width. On the ridges, besides maple are found elm, birch, balsam fir, hemlock and hazel.
For fourteen or fifteen miles north of Manidowish, on the meridian line, no rocks but boulders were seen on the surface. On sections one and two, township 44, a granite is again in place, possessing the character of that on the Falls of Black River. This is the most northerly outburst of granitic crystalline rocks, which was observed on the fourth principle meridian
The igneous ranges first show themselves in the beds of the east branch of the Chippewa. This stream was explored by Dr. Litton. The substance of his report to me of his observations on the Eau Claire, is as follows:
"Dalles formed of the sandstones of F 1 a, commence almost immediately on entering the river, but extend on a few hundred yards. For twelve miles above the mouth, coarse quartzose sandstone is the only rock visible; this extends in every case, from the level of the river to the very highest point that I found rock exposed. About fourteen miles above the mouth, the crystalline rocks are in rocks are in place. They present themselves on one side or other, at distances varying from two hundred yards to me a mile, up to the falls, which by the course of the river are twenty miles from the mouth. At the falls the rock is composed chiefly of hornblende, and possesses a crystalline structure; it is exposed on both sides of the river, but does not rise higher than twenty feet above the river. The general level of the county is about sixty of seventy feet higher. Associated with the hornblende rock above the falls are both gneiss and chlorite slate; the former in a state of decomposition. These are exposed for seven or eight miles, never rising to a height of more than twenty feet above the rive bed, and frequently not more than ten feet, or even less. Everywhere, except on the riverbank, these igneous and metamorphic rocks and covered with a drift of sand.
"Four miles above the falls a pink granite was observed, containing large plates of grey mica and masses of flesh colored feldspar. Sixteen or seventeen miles above the falls are Dalles similar to those below the falls. They are not formed by the crystalline rocks, but by the same coarse-grained sandstone observed below the falls, which rises to the height of sixty of seventy feet above the level of the river, and extends along the river some two hundred yards.
"Twenty-five miles above the falls the intrusive rocks are again in place for at least eight or nine miles, and form a chain across the river, producing a succession of rapids that obstruct its navigation, known as the Little Falls.
"Two miles above the Little Falls, and about thirty above the main falls, pebbly sandstone of F 1 a rests upon decomposed green, grey, and reddish clayey materials, derived from the decomposition of a rather close grained granite, destitute of mica, but containing abundance of feldspar.
"So great is the body of sand which overlies the igneous rocks here as elsewhere on the Eau Claire, that the soil derive little fertilizing chemical principles from the intrusive rocks. The soil is generally but little better than that of the sandy region of the Chippewa above and below the mouth of the Menomonie.
Dr. Litton, who also explored the Menomonie, did not observe on this western branch of the Chippewa any crystalline rocks in place on the surface in any part of its course, as far as he ascended it, viz: to the forks of the two small branches which proceed from a series of lakes forming its headwaters. There is, however, reason to believe, from the observation on the streams east of it that they cannot be far beneath the surface here, especially as Mr. Randall found at the pipestone locality, fifteen to twenty miles east of Menomonie, beds partially metamorphosed, such as we have usually found lying in close proximity to the crystalline formations.
Dr. Litton also ascended the Prairie a la Crosse fifty miles above its mouth by the course of the stream, and the Mountain Island River ninety to a hundred miles; and Mr. B.C. Macy explored the Buffalo River for about forty miles. One none of these streams were any intrusive rocks found in place.
On the main branch of the Chippewa, the first crystalline rocks, which were observed on the surface, were just above the Dalles, about ninety miles by the course of the river from the mouth.
On the east side of the Chippewa, about twenty or thirty feet above the bed of the river and short distance below Allen's Mills, is a deposit of the earth brown oxide of iron, which appears to be extensive. It is of a variety that would be easily wrought in the furnace.
The quartzose granite, at the falls immediately above, contains but little mica. On the northwest side of the river a considerable portion of flesh colored feldspar enters into its composition, and is disseminated in veins: its structure is rather sub-cuboidal. On the southeast side the feldspar is lighter colored and the rock of the character of gneiss, whilst other parts of the great flood which occurred just at the time we were there, I had not an opportunity of examining the rock to advantage since very little of it was exposed above the water.
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Subject: 1848 Chippewa Land District by Dr D.D. Owens Chapter 3 & 4 (Part 1)
Time: 6:20:00 AM CST
Author: ondamitag
Mood: Chillin'
Music: wojb.org
Chapter 3
Formation of the Interior of the Chippewa Land District.
The protozoic strata pertaining to F 1 and F 2, which have been the subject of the first chapter, extend, as I have there shown as far as the falls of the eastern tributaries of the Mississippi. The average distance of their northeast line of limit from that river may be in direct course from fifty to seventy miles, or by the meanders of the streams ninety to a hundred miles. There the crystalline rocks emerge from beneath the watercourses.
This change in the geological formation of the country is accompanied by a corresponding change in it physical features. Just before reaching the igneous rages, the streams are usually hemmed in on either side by solid walls of sandstone, (F 1, a,) known, generally through that country, by the name of Dalles. A few miles beyond these a succession of low falls and rapids commence, which interrupt navigation, and render portages necessary before the traveller can advance even with a birch bark canoe. These obstructions are formed by outbursts of igneous rocks.
The elevating forces which have brought these to the surface, through the interior of the district, have not been sufficient to produce hills of any great height, such as are usually to be found in regions of crystalline rocks, that constitute extensive water sheds. On the contrary, through we here approach the dividing ridge, whence rise, on one side, many of the most important tributaries of the Mississippi, we find a level country, or at least merely a succession of low flat plains, rising twenty-five to thirty feet, one above another, with intervening ridges one to two hundred feet high. It is at the commencement and termination of the former that the principal falls and rapids set in.
Many of the rocks which compose these igneous ranges, though differing but slightly from each other in the ultimate elements of their composition, are still distinct in their structure and mineral character. Within a short distance may be seen many varieties of granite and sienite, greenstone, hornblende rock, gneiss and mica slate. Along with these are sometimes found chloritic and talcous slates, with others less distinctly marked in their character, which may be classed with the metamorphic strata.
The rank vegetation, the dense forest of pine, and the accumulation of drift, effectually conceal the extension of these igneous ranges beyond the immediate cuts of the rivers, so that there is little opportunity to investigate their nature any great distance beyond the banks of the larger streams; for this reason the mode of travelling which was adopted, in birch bark canoes, was undoubtedly the best that could be devised to gain a knowledge of the geological features of the country.
The most southwesterly exposure of granitic rocks on the tributaries of the upper Mississippi is on the Black River These were examined by Mr. A. Randall, to whom I assigned the townships on that stream for exploration. In his report to me, on that region of country, he lays down the locality of their first outburst on the northeast portion of township twenty-one north, range four west, of the fourth principal meridian, between six and seven miles south of the southern line of the Chippewa Land District. He predominating rock is a pure granite, and associated with it is a grey syenitic rock. South of this granitic range, that gentleman found nothing but a sand prairie, with a stunted growth of oak on the ridges. North of it, about one mile, a bed of greenstone trap, about thirty feet wide, crosses the bed of Black River, and is exposed a few feet above the water level. In contact with this are green and red chloritic schistose rocks on township twenty-one north, range four west, of fourth principal meridian; some of the latter is highly ferruginous, and passes gradually into heavy beds of brown oxide and magnetic iron. Here the magnetic needle has a considerable local variation over an area of several miles square. These magnesian slates show themselves on the river for the distance of nearly a mile, capped unconfromably by a pebbly sandstone, F 1,a. (See Mr. A. Randall's section, marked B.) Though the soil of this township is sandy, from drifted materials derived from the adjacent sandstone formation, still it is of much better quality than that further south and southwest, where F 1 alone occupies the surface. It supports a growth of yellow pine.
Four to six miles northeast of the Falls of Black River, in township twenty-one and twenty-two north, range three west, of the fourth principal meridian, there are outliers of the above sandstone formation, forming hills of seventy to a hundred feet in height; on sections four and thirty-three, five and thirty-two, one and thirty-six, of the above township, some of its beds are impregnated with iron to such an extent as to render it impracticable to survey the country with any degree of accuracy with a common magnetic needle; the variation along the line between these townships is in some places even as great as 13° 35'.
After passing the east fork of the Black River, the crystalline rocks extend with few exceptions nearly to the tops of the highest hills, with only here and there a capping of pebbly sandstone. Through this granitic range Mr. Randall found the soil much improved; the land well timbered with hardwood and white pine of superior quality.
Immediately after crossing Cunningham's Creek, a gneiss formation takes the place of the granite and extends some five or six miles.
From O'Neil's creek, in township twenty-four north, range two west, to Wedge Creek, in township twenty-five north, range four west, the only rock observed was a single ledge of pebbly sand, twelve feet above the surface; even boulders, which are so numerous further north, are absent; but the character of the surrounding country is similar to that above the forks where granites are in place. Beyond Wedge's Creek the soil is more sandy, and pine timber more abundant, but not of as good a quality as that north of the east fork of the Black River.
In township twenty-six north, range two west, is an isolated hill one hundred and fifty feet high, composed of compact sandstone, (F1.) Other can be seen in the distance to the west and south. On the northeast of township twenty-six and township twenty-seven north, range three west, on the headwaters of the east branch of the Eau Claire, granite is exposed of similar color and structure to that on the Falls of the Black River and the Forks of the Eau Claire, becomes gradually more sandy. This is the boundary between the inferior sandstone of F 1 and the crystalline rocks, and the northeast margin of the sandy belt of country heretofore noticed in the description of the lower Chippewa River.
Conspicuous outliers of F 1 a, can be seen stretching away to the southwest, some of which, near the Eau Claire, are capped with a lingual sandstone.
The last rocks seen in place by Mr. Randall, on the headwaters of Black River, was on the northern part of township 28, between ranges one and two west. It is a low range of chlorite slate of a similar character and composition to that above the Falls of the Black River.
Beyond this, after passing the correction line, the country becomes flat and swampy, and, swampy, and, except limited spots, almost worthless for agricultural purposes.
No metallic veins were noticed by Mr. Randall traversing any of these crystalline ranges on the Black River, with in the limits of the Chippewa Land District; indeed their elevation above the water course is for the most part so little, that there is little or no prospect of there ever becoming valuable as mineral lands.
After the fourth principal meridian crosses the Black River, no rocks but boulders appear on the surface for sixty miles; indeed, it traverses an almost continuous swamp to township 40. Here the crystalline rocks again protrude and form precipitous cliffs on the upper rapids and falls of the Manidowish, of twenty to thirty feet in height. On this stream, where the meridian crosses it, the rock differs but little from the graphic granite of the falls of the Appomatoc. The feldspar which eaters largely into its composition is of a light bluish pink, with a glistening vitreous luster; disseminated through it is only a small proportion of quartz. Two miles below, on this river, the granite is traversed by veins of gneiss. Granitic and hornblendic rocks are exposed with little interruption along the course of the Chippewa, where the pebbly and lower sandstones of F 1 crosses the river. Below this the crystalline rocks are only seen on the surface for a sort distance, when they disappear beneath deposits of drift.
From the Manidowish to the north part of township 43, there are a succession of maple ridges and intervening tamarack, cedar and alder swamps, the former of the greatest extent; the latter varying from a quarter of a mile to mile in width. On the ridges, besides maple are found elm, birch, balsam fir, hemlock and hazel.
For fourteen or fifteen miles north of Manidowish, on the meridian line, no rocks but boulders were seen on the surface. On sections one and two, township 44, a granite is again in place, possessing the character of that on the Falls of Black River. This is the most northerly outburst of granitic crystalline rocks, which was observed on the fourth principle meridian
The igneous ranges first show themselves in the beds of the east branch of the Chippewa. This stream was explored by Dr. Litton. The substance of his report to me of his observations on the Eau Claire, is as follows:
"Dalles formed of the sandstones of F 1 a, commence almost immediately on entering the river, but extend on a few hundred yards. For twelve miles above the mouth, coarse quartzose sandstone is the only rock visible; this extends in every case, from the level of the river to the very highest point that I found rock exposed. About fourteen miles above the mouth, the crystalline rocks are in rocks are in place. They present themselves on one side or other, at distances varying from two hundred yards to me a mile, up to the falls, which by the course of the river are twenty miles from the mouth. At the falls the rock is composed chiefly of hornblende, and possesses a crystalline structure; it is exposed on both sides of the river, but does not rise higher than twenty feet above the river. The general level of the county is about sixty of seventy feet higher. Associated with the hornblende rock above the falls are both gneiss and chlorite slate; the former in a state of decomposition. These are exposed for seven or eight miles, never rising to a height of more than twenty feet above the rive bed, and frequently not more than ten feet, or even less. Everywhere, except on the riverbank, these igneous and metamorphic rocks and covered with a drift of sand.
"Four miles above the falls a pink granite was observed, containing large plates of grey mica and masses of flesh colored feldspar. Sixteen or seventeen miles above the falls are Dalles similar to those below the falls. They are not formed by the crystalline rocks, but by the same coarse-grained sandstone observed below the falls, which rises to the height of sixty of seventy feet above the level of the river, and extends along the river some two hundred yards.
"Twenty-five miles above the falls the intrusive rocks are again in place for at least eight or nine miles, and form a chain across the river, producing a succession of rapids that obstruct its navigation, known as the Little Falls.
"Two miles above the Little Falls, and about thirty above the main falls, pebbly sandstone of F 1 a rests upon decomposed green, grey, and reddish clayey materials, derived from the decomposition of a rather close grained granite, destitute of mica, but containing abundance of feldspar.
"So great is the body of sand which overlies the igneous rocks here as elsewhere on the Eau Claire, that the soil derive little fertilizing chemical principles from the intrusive rocks. The soil is generally but little better than that of the sandy region of the Chippewa above and below the mouth of the Menomonie.
Dr. Litton, who also explored the Menomonie, did not observe on this western branch of the Chippewa any crystalline rocks in place on the surface in any part of its course, as far as he ascended it, viz: to the forks of the two small branches which proceed from a series of lakes forming its headwaters. There is, however, reason to believe, from the observation on the streams east of it that they cannot be far beneath the surface here, especially as Mr. Randall found at the pipestone locality, fifteen to twenty miles east of Menomonie, beds partially metamorphosed, such as we have usually found lying in close proximity to the crystalline formations.
Dr. Litton also ascended the Prairie a la Crosse fifty miles above its mouth by the course of the stream, and the Mountain Island River ninety to a hundred miles; and Mr. B.C. Macy explored the Buffalo River for about forty miles. One none of these streams were any intrusive rocks found in place.
On the main branch of the Chippewa, the first crystalline rocks, which were observed on the surface, were just above the Dalles, about ninety miles by the course of the river from the mouth.
On the east side of the Chippewa, about twenty or thirty feet above the bed of the river and short distance below Allen's Mills, is a deposit of the earth brown oxide of iron, which appears to be extensive. It is of a variety that would be easily wrought in the furnace.
The quartzose granite, at the falls immediately above, contains but little mica. On the northwest side of the river a considerable portion of flesh colored feldspar enters into its composition, and is disseminated in veins: its structure is rather sub-cuboidal. On the southeast side the feldspar is lighter colored and the rock of the character of gneiss, whilst other parts of the great flood which occurred just at the time we were there, I had not an opportunity of examining the rock to advantage since very little of it was exposed above the water.
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