140 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XVII, No. 5, 



The abundance of limestone lying in plain view and very- 

 accessible along the Scioto River cliffs invited quarrying for 

 building purposes; and the presence of wood made possible the 

 burning of the stone for lime. Thus the foundations of two 

 early industries were laid; the quarrying has persisted and 

 grown to the present, but the burning of lime has long ceased 

 because better lime could be made near by from rock of no 

 value for building. 



At an early date, also, waterpower was developed on the 

 Scioto and Olentangy rivers and on the Darby, Alum and 

 Walnut Creeks and even on some minor streams. Valleys nar- 

 rowing and widening as they passed from rock to drift and 

 again to rock, because they intersected buried interglacial 

 valleys, formed tempting sites for grist or saw mills. Many 

 more of these sites might have been used. 



Springs, and good wells where springs were wanting, have 

 furnished excellent waters which have made for comfort and 

 health from the days of earliest settlement. These wholesome 

 waters are possible because of the abundance of glacial drift 

 both stratified and unstratified. A few in the eastern part come 

 from the sandstones. 



Communication and transportation early demanded atten- 

 tion because the till, especially when wet, made rather treach- 

 erous roadbed. The abundant glacial gravels in out wash, kame 

 and esker deposits were used most extensively for wagon roads 

 over the till plain until a few years ago when crushed rock sprang 

 suddenly into almost universal use. The rock used for miles 

 around the capital is limestone, quarried and crushed at various 

 openings along the Scioto River within the area studied. Both 

 gravel and crushed rock have been extensively used for railroad 

 ballast also. By making use of these resources, here so abundant 

 and near at hand, a much better roadbed is made than could be 

 constructed of the other available materials, logs, planks, drift 

 and cinders. In this instance again the more close the adjust- 

 ment to the physical conditions — the more thorough the use of 

 resources — the better it is for the people. And, again, the 

 longer the people study the situation and work out their prob- 

 lem, the more they make use of their resources and become 

 adjusted to the whole environment. 



When the canal system was being constructed in Ohio, 

 Columbus citizens desired water connections with Lake Erie and 



