HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
CHAPTER 1

THE ST. LOUIS CHERTS AND LIMESTONES

The St. Louis limestones and cherts are the surface rocks in the northeastern part of the county, and cover an irregular tract of about seventy-four square miles, being all of Northeast, nearly all of Orleans, the northeast corner of Paoli, and the northern part of Stampers Creek Townships. This region of country is broken by a range of bluffs, which sets in at the sink of Lost River, thence extends to Carter’s Creek Church, thence south to Lost River. The bluffs are forty or fifty feet high, and appear to be a continuation of the lower Chester limestone hills. They are, doubtless, the results of a general system of erosion to which the whole country has been subjected, and, if so, had their existence prior to the drift period. Scattered over this tract of country are, also, basin- shaped cavities known as sink-holes, which are from a few inches to forty or fifty feet in depth, and from a few yards to five or six acres in area. The larger ones have fragments of chert on the sides, more especially on the northern and eastern parts, the.other sides having the greatest depth of clay and soil. A noticeable feature of this tract of country is the absence of springs, brooks, or any continuous and unbroken system of drainage. The excess of rain collects in the sink-holes, but soon escapes into subterranean channels, though in some places, where the channels have become closed, lasting ponds are found. This is the case generally where red clay is washed in, and made the bottom of the ponds.

THE BITUMINOUS LIMESTONE

The upper members only of the St. Louis group are seen in Orange County, and these are so obscured by coverings of clay and sand. The vermicular limestone of Prof. Collett seems to be the most northeasterly of those rocks. The bituminous limestone (No. 15 above) may be seen on the west bank of Carter’s Creek, on the farm of C. Wires. Section 32, Township 3 north, Range 1 east, the section there being as follows:

At this place and near the county line on Lost River the bituminous limestone is even, heavy-bedded, dark-bluish or black, and emits a feted odor when struck with a hammer. On exposure to the weather it exfoliates and splits into thin laminae. It outcrops in the deep holes along the bottom of Carter’s Creek to Island Church, and down Lost River to Trimble’s Graveyard. Above the bituminous limestone is a thin seam of impure cannel coal. rarely as thick as four inches. It may be seen in many places along Carter’s Creek. It burns quite readily, but will not be found in quantities worth working.

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