Mar., 1917] Columhiis, Ohio, Quadrangle 141 



with the Ohio River but the divide between them and the lake 

 is high, hence neither of the through lines selected traversed the 

 capital. One line did, however, come from Newark to Lock- 

 bourne and proceed southward to Portsmouth, and the Colum- 

 bus people took advantage of one side of the Scioto flood plain 

 for an easy canal route south to Lockbourne, as shown on the 

 topographic* map. From that town, the main canal led down 

 the flood plain about five miles, and then at a point where the 

 river crowded close to the canal- (east) side of the flood plain the 

 canal turned aside into an abandoned glacial overflow channel 

 and continued southward out of danger from the menace of 

 the river. 



CULTUR.\L LOCATIONS GEOGRAPHICALLY DETERMINED. 



Houses. — Outside of the towns the houses are usually placed 

 with reference to some physiographic feature. A number are 

 located on alluvial fans, partly because the fan furnished a little 

 elevation above the flood plain, allowed better drainage or a 

 more inspiring view than the lower plain, partly because it was 

 desired to build at the junction of two valleys or two valley- 

 determined roads. 



Throughout the eastern sixth of the area many house sites 

 were selected because of the proximity of a spring. Springs are 

 common here, the water rising from the sandstones. Essentially 

 all spring water is softer than well water from the drift, and it 

 is always cool. 



Along the Scioto, Olentangy and Big Darby a number of 

 houses have been built upon rock terraces. f (Fig. 2.) These 

 afford pleasing outlooks, and a residence far enough above the 

 flood plain to be out of danger of floods yet not as far away 

 from the flood plain fields as would be a residence back on the 

 upland. A spring at the rear of the terrace has given some 

 terraces an advantage over others, and some parts of large 

 terraces over other parts. 



Bluffs overlooking the flood plain have proven very attractive 

 to both Mound-builder and Caucasian. At Arlington, west of 

 Columbus, the best residences fringe the bluff from the Marble 



*At this point and many others the readers will find it advantageous to have 

 at hand the four local topographic maps published by the U. S. Geol. Survey and 

 the physiographic maps in the folio Xo. 197 and the Ohio Survey Bulletin 14, 

 mentioned in the opening paragraph. 



fOhio Nat., Vol. IX (1908-09), pp. 397-403. 



