LOCAL HISTORY: Tarring S. Davis, History of Blair County, Volume I, 1931, Blair County, PA - Chapter 1 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ html file: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/1picts/davis/tdavis1.htm _______________________________________________ A HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA UNDER EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF TARRING S. DAVIS LUCILE SHENK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR VOLUME I HARRISBURG: NATIONAL HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, INC., 1931 CHAPTER I GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL RESOURCES GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, AND NATURAL RESOURCES 1 BLAIR County, located in central Pennsylvania, is said to contain some of the most interesting material for geologic study in the United States. The fact that the Department of Geology of Cornell University regularly maintains a summer camp within the borders of this county would give credence to this statement. Data on the topography and the geologic formations in Blair County is now being prepared for publication by the State Department of Geology. New approaches to the subject are considered. Causes for peculiar formations hitherto not wholly understood are discussed, and a clearer conception of natural changes presented than has been given heretofore. In 1885, the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, from field work done between 1874 and 1884, was reported upon and printed. Blair County, which has not changed materially, is discussed much as follows. Some changes in the text of the report have been made so that a more intelligible explanation for the reader who is unfamiliar with geologic terms may be available. The area of the county is 510 square miles. The Allegheny Mountain is the boundary on the northwest, and its many short, deep ravines, all containing the lowest productive coal beds at their upper ends, issue, between short projecting knobby spurs of Catskill and Pocono rocks, and lower down as Chemung and Hamilton vales, into the long transverse water bed of the Little Juniata flowing along the soft Marcellus outcrop, from Altoona northeastward to Tyrone. Here re- enforced by the similarly arranged Bald Eagle Creek, coming from Centre County, it turns and gaps the mountain, exposing the Oriskany Sandstone, Lewistown Limestone, Medina and Oneida Sandstones and the Hudson River Shale and Utica Slate formations, and crosses Sinking Creek Valley to the end of Canoe Mountain. The drainage of the southwest townships is more complicated. The mountain ravines here pour their rainfall into the Juniata through a hatchet-shape synclinal gap through Canoe Mountain to traverse the Canoe Valley limestone rocks to the gap in Tussey Mountain. Canoe Valley opens southward into Morrison's Cove, which is drained backward through McKee's Gap in Dunning Mountain into the river above Hollidaysburg. The vast anti-clinal arch of Nittany Valley dies southward up Sinking Creek Valley; while the equally huge arch of Morrison's Cove dies northward against it at Frankstown. Thus the important Lower Heidelberg limestone in its Lewistown Limestone outcrop, and the still more valuable Clinton ore beds, Clinton Shale, not only run the whole length of the county, but fold back into the Frankstown Cove, greatly increasing the exposure of ore and flux. Immense holes along the limestone outcrop of Lewistown Limestone (as at Blair furnace), have been filled with brown-hematite; while in Morrison's Cove on Roaring Spring Run, still larger 2 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY deposits of pipe and ball ore (occupying ancient caverns in the Trenton Limestone) long since uncovered by erosion, once stocked the furnaces of the vicinity, some using coke and others charcoal. The Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel through the crest of the Allegheny Mountain cuts through the Freeport upper coal bed (5' thick) with a westward dip of 1 ° the railroad gradient upwards in that direction being also 1°. Below it are six other coal beds from two to four feet thick, which crop out around the heads of all ravines along the mountain wall for many miles. The Mahoning Sandstone makes the range of knobs along the summit of the mountain; and the thickness of coal measures under it is 350'; descending we have exposed, at first with gentle and then with steeper and steeper dips until they become quite vertical in the Bald Eagle Mountain, the following formations: Pottsville Conglomerate and Coal Measures, 220'; Mauch Chunk Red Shale, 280'; Gray Pocono Sandstone, 1,240'; Catskill Red Sandstone, etc., 2,560'; middle and lower Devonian Chemung Shale, Portage Flags and Hamilton Shale, 6,520'; Oriskany Sandstone, 50'; Lewistown Limestone, etc., 900'; Clinton Red Shale and fossil ore, 1,330'; the three sandrock divisions of the Bald Eagle Mountain, Medina and Oneida Sandstones, 2,900'; the dark Hudson River Shale and Utica Slate, 900'; and a measured thickness of Canoe Valley limestone strata, Trenton Limestone, 6,600'; without reaching the Potsdam No. 1, which nowhere appears; i. e., 23,316 feet of Palaeozoic strata, all of them exposed in detail at many points in the county. The original height of the great rock arches over Sinking Creek, Canoe Valley, and Morrison's Cove must have been nearly five miles above the present surface; and the lowest limestone strata visible at Birmingham, Springfield, and Bloomfield must plunge vertically under Altoona to an equal depth beneath the Allegheny Mountain. The Nittany arch is broken between Birmingham and Tyrone city by a fault, and the Morrison's Cove arch by a similar fault along the east foot of Dunning Mountain. Two small transverse cracks throw the Bald Eagle rocks westward north of Tyrone city; and Canoe Mountain is still more apparently dislocated by a diagonal fault just north of Williamsburg. The range of picturesque roofed and unroofed caverns through which Sinking Creek finds its way in a straight line for three or four miles to the Little Juniata are fine examples of the combined chemical and mechanical erosion of past ages, still going on, which has removed the great Palaeozoic arches from over the present surface. The Springfield ore bank in Canoe Valley, and the Bloomfield ore bank in Morrison's Cove were two of the largest and richest in Pennsylvania in 1885. The great ore deposit in Leathercracker Cove near the Bedford County line is peculiar, because it is at the upper edge of the limestone next the Hudson River Shale and Utica Slate, at the foot of Tussey Mountain. The general topography of the county is mountainous. Included within its borders are the eastern slope of the Allegheny Mountains, which run north and south and extend beyond the western boundaries. On the east the western slope of Tussey's Mountain and Bald Eagle Ridge divide Blair County from Huntingdon. Brush, Canoe, Short, Cove and Lock Mountains together with smaller hills and knobs are also in Blair. The main watercourses are the Little GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, AND NATURAL RESOURCES 3 Juniata, Beaver Dam and Frankstown Branches of the Juniata River. Many small streams and runs water the entire county and flow into the Juniata or its several branches. The Little Juniata rises in Logan Township and follows a course northwest through Antis and Snyder Townships to Tyrone. There it makes a sharp southeast turn, skirts the boundary of Tyrone Township and becomes the boundary between Blair and Huntingdon Counties for three or four miles. The Beaver Dam Branch of the Juniata is formed by the junction of several smaller streams arising in Logan and Allegheny Townships. It flows through Blair Township, through Hollidaysburg and joins the Frankstown Branch near the old town of Frankstown. The Frankstown Branch of the Juniata has its source in the high lands of Greenfield Township and in Bedford County. It flows northeast through Greenfield, Freedom and Blair Townships, fills the canal reservoir near Hollidaysburg and flows on to the junction with the Beaver Dam Branch near Frankstown. Thus combined, these streams flow in a general northeasterly direction through Frankstown Township and form for a great part of the distance the boundary between Woodberry and Catharine Townships. Then crossing Catharine Township to Morris Township, Huntingdon County, it becomes the boundary between Blair and Huntingdon Counties, to a point near Water Street where it flows into Huntingdon County. Other streams in every township help to form the Juniata River. In Snyder Township flow Bald Eagle Creek, Moores', Sinking, Hutchinson's, Elk and Three Springs Runs. Antis Township is watered by Taylor, Bell's Gap, Laurel and Beaver Dam Runs. Tyrone Township includes the famous Arch Spring, Sinking and Elk Runs. Homer's, Mill, Kittanning, Burgoons and Brush Runs flow in Logan Township. Allegheny Township has Blair Creek, Sugar and Brush Runs. In Frankstown Township, Canoe Creek, Oldtown and Robinson's Runs flow. Catharine Township is watered by Canoe Creek, Fox, Roaring and Yellow Springs Runs. Clover and Piney Creeks flow through North Woodberry, Huston and Woodberry Townships. In Taylor Township, Halter and Plum Creeks flow, while in Blair Township there are Poplar and Brush Runs. A number of runs including Poplar, McDonald, Dodson's, South Dry and Paw Paw flow through Freedom Township. Juniata Township includes Bobb's Creek, Blair Creek and Blue Knob, Poplar and Dry Runs. Greenfield Township has ten small streams, Beaver Creek, Polecat, South Poplar, Amelia's, Bobb's, Diamond, Queen Esther's, Pine, Smokey and Roaring Spring Runs. Certain sections of the county have always retained more interest than others for travelers and naturalists. Sinking Spring Valley is one of these sections. The lead mines developed there in Revolutionary times supplied much of that raw material for the local troops. Three miles east of Tyrone, Sinking Valley is formed by a rugged chain of mountains, Canoe Ridge on the east and Bald Eagle Mountain on the west. Sinking Creek from which the valley gets its name emerges from the Arch Spring and loses itself frequently. In some places the pits through which the creek is visible are several hundred feet deep and many of them are seen along the stream. At one point it enters a large cave flowing 4 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY for 300 yards through a channel 20 feet wide. When the cave widens the creek turns and is plunged into a cavern where the waters are whirled about and churned terrifically. Sticks and large pieces of timber carried on the stream disappear. In Tyrone and 30 miles to the north in Centre County, other streams disappear in the same way as the Sinking Creek. Sherman Day in his "Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania," published in 1843, presents the following article describing the Sinking Spring Valley. It is said to have first appeared in the Columbian Magazine in 1788. "Bald Eagle Valley, (on the frontiers of Bedford County, state of Pennsylvania,) or, as it is commonly called, Sinking Spring Valley, is situated about 200 miles from Philadelphia. It is bounded on the east by a chain of high, rugged mountains, called the Canoe ridge, and on the west by another called the Bald Eagle, or Warrior Mountains, and forms a fine, pleasant vale of limestone bottom, extending about five miles in the widest part. This valley contained, in the year 1779, about sixty or seventy families, living in log-houses, who formed, within a space of seven or eight years, several valuable plantations; some of which were extremely agreeable on account of their situation, but possess, notwithstanding, very few inducements to an inhabitant of the more settled parts to sojourn long among them, on account of the proximity of the Indians. So little provision is made, indeed, against the attacks of hostile tribes, that instead of forming societies, whereby defence might easily be obtained, the settlers dwell, in general, remote from one another - few plantations being within less than two or three miles distance of its nearest neighbor so that when any disagreement takes place, the greater number are left exposed to the enemy before it is practicable to spread the alarm of their approach. "This place, during the contest with Great Britain, was made remarkable on account of the numerous lead mines said to be there; and as the want of that article daily increased, and supplies grew more and more uncertain, it was deemed of so much moment as to induce a company, under the promises of the state, to settle in the valley, with a view to establish a regular set of works. In pursuance of this scheme, a large fort of logs was erected, and some miners employed, by whom regular trials were made of such places as were thought the most promising, and a considerable quantity of ore was produced, from which lead enough was made to give a competent idea of the real value of the mines in general. On account, however, of the danger of remaining in this situation while an Indian war continued - added to the consideration that the miners were all old countrymen, utterly unused to this mode of life - reasons were suggested for quitting the service, and the whole undertaking fell to the ground. "The lead ore, from samples repeatedly produced, was of many kinds, some in broad shining flakes, and others of the steely texture. Several regular shafts were sunk to a considerable depth, one of which was in the hill upon which the fort was erected, and from which many large masses of ore were procured, but because it did not form a regular vein, this was discontinued, and another opened about one mile from the fort, nearer to Frankstown. Here the miners continued, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, AND NATURAL RESOURCES 5 until they finally relinquished the business. When they first began, they found in the upper surface, or vegetable earth, several hundred weight of cubic lead ore, clean and unmixed with any substance whatever, which continued as a clue, leading them down through the different strata of earth, marl, etc., until they came to the rock, which is here in general of limestone. The shaft first opened, was carried down about twenty feet - from which a level was driven, about twenty or thirty yards in length, towards the Bald Eagle Mountains; but as strong signs of ore were observed behind the first shaft, it gave occasion to sink another, which fully answered every expectation; and when they had arrived to the depth of the first level, they began to drive it into the first shaft, intending, as soon as they had formed that opening and cleared it of ore, to begin a shaft lower down - the vein of ore showing itself strongly upon the bottom of the old level. This intention, however, was likewise deserted. Another place was begun on the road towards Huntingdon, about one hundred yards from the fort, upon the top of a small hill. The people of the valley had made the first attempt, but the excessive hardness of the stone obliged them to give over their undertaking. Upon clearing away the first rubbish, the vein was discovered overlaid with mundic of the grayish steel-grained kind; and this work was continued with much success, to the depth of 12 feet, until the fall of a heavy rain filled the springs so as to prevent all further discovery. A level was intended to be driven from the lowest part of the hill (having signs of ore) up to the shaft, but was, as the rest, given over for want of assistance. "Among other curiosities of this place, that called the Arch Spring may be particularized, as it runs close upon the road from the town to the fort. It is a deep hollow, formed in the limestone rock, about 30 feet in width, with a rude arch of stone hanging over it, forming a passage for the water, which it throws out with some degree of violence, and in such plenty as to form a fine stream, which at length buries itself again in the bowels of the earth. Some of these pits are near three hundred feet deep; the water at the bottom seems in rapid motion, and is apparently of a color as deep as ink, though, in truth, it is as pure as the finest springs can produce. Many of these pits are placed along the course of this subterraneous river, which soon after takes an opportunity of an opening to a descent, and keeps along the surface among rocky hills for a few rods, then enters the mouth of a large cave, whose exterior aperture was sufficient to admit a shallop with her sails full spread. In the inside, it keeps from eighteen to twenty feet wide. The roof declines as you advance, and a ledge of loose rugged rocks keeps in tolerable order upon one side, affording means to scramble along. In the midst of this cave is much timber, bodies of trees, branches, etc., and are to be seen lodged quite up to the roof of this passage, which affords a proof of the water being swelled up to the very top during the time of freshets, etc.; its mode of escape being, perhaps, inadequate to the prodigious quantities which must sometimes fall from the mountains into this channel, swelling it up to the very surface, as several places over the side seemed to evince the escape of water at times into the lower country. This opening in the hill continues about four 6 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY hundred yards, when the cave widens, after you have got round a sudden turn, which prevents its being discovered until you are within it, to a spacious room, at the bottom of which is a vortex, the water that falls into it whirling round with amazing force. Sticks, or even pieces of timber, are immediately absorbed and carried out of sight - the water boiling up with excessive violence, which soon subsides until the experiment is renewed. "On the opposite side of the valley, a few hundred yards from the fort, and about half a quarter of a mile from the mountain, is a remarkable bog, composed of a black rooty mud, without any intermixture of stone whatever, although surrounded by amazing quantities. This place is about twenty-five or thirty yards over, and below its margin are large beds of iron ore, of a honeycomb texture. The solid parts of it, where fresh broken, are a fine glossy brown, and contain much iron - as was experienced in the lead furnace, where they used the ore by way of an addition or flux, when it produced so much as to oblige them to pull down the front wall of the furnace to remove the iron out of the earth. It was so malleable as to bear the hammer. Early in spring, the spot upon which the bog stands is readily found; for it produces a most luxuriant plenty of a long sedge grass of a beautiful color, and a considerable time before the effects of spring are visible in any other part of the valley. This seldom fails to attract the notice of the poor cattle, which are sure, however, to pay dear for their attempt to obtain a mouthful of its produce, as in less than an hour it totally swallows and covers them. Five cows were, at one time, nearly conveyed out of sight of which three were totally dead, the other hardly recoverable." Morrison's Cove in the southeastern section of the county was a part of Bedford County prior to the formation of Blair in 1846. It seems to have attracted settlers principally because of the fertility of its limestone soil. Since the days of the Revolutionary War grain and dairy products have been raised here in abundance. The land near Hollidaysburg and in the Scotch and Canoe Valleys is also fertile and supports agriculture. Elsewhere in the county mountains make this occupation impractical. But Blair County is not wanting in other natural resources. In Catharine, Woodberry and Frankstown Townships ganister rock, used in the manufacture of fire bricks for furnace linings, forms the basis for a leading industry. Bituminous coal is mined at Kittanning Point in Logan Township and at Tipton in Antis Township. In Snyder and Tyrone Townships and in Morrison's Cove extensive limestone quarries have been developed. The chimney- like rocks near Hollidaysburg have always attracted visitors because of their natural beauty. Iron ore has been mined throughout the county. In 1880, eleven furnaces were in full blast in Allegheny, Catharine, Woodberry, Freedom, Taylor, Frankstown and Juniata Townships and at Hollidaysburg. The development of these resources will be the subject of discussion in later chapters.