Geography of Ohio- 149 



No arrangement was made, however, for operating the Hcks, but this 

 was done a few years later when the territory became a state. 



Early wells at these licks were quite shallow, varying from 20 to 30 

 feet in depth. The brine was correspondingly weak, from 600 to 800 

 gallons being necessary to make a bushel of salt. The product had a 

 dark color and was otherwise inferior, but it was so much better than 

 none that it commanded a high price. 



Other pioneer wells were located on Salt Creek about nine miles south- 

 east of Zanesville, on Duck Creek in Noble and Washington counties, 

 and in the valley of the Muskingum. In all of these the salt industry 

 started near the beginning of the nineteenth century, probably about the 

 time of the state's admission into the Union. It is worthy of mention in 

 this connection that several of these wells demonstrated the presence of 

 petroleum and natural gas, though advantage was not taken of the dis- 

 covery. 



April 30, 1802, Congress passed the enabling act preparatory to Ohio 

 liecoming a state, the act providing, among other things, that an area 

 of 36 square miles containing the Scioto salt springs shall be granted to 

 the state for the use of its inhabitants. The legislature was empowered 

 to frame regulations governing the use of the licks. The whole object 

 seems to have been to prevent individuals or companies from obtaining 

 a monopoly of them. 



The first state legislature met Alarch 1st, 1803, and soon considered 

 leasing the salt licks. An act became a law April 13. 1803, which pro- 

 vided : 



(1) That the state shall keep an agent for one year at the licks, who 

 shall issue license to salt makers, collect the rent, study the geology of 

 the region, and in other ways look after the state's interests. 



(3) That no person or company shall use more than 120 kettles. 



(3) That persons making salt shall pay to the agent three cents per 

 gallon, payable quarterly, on the capacity of the plant. 



April 14, 1803, the two houses met together and elected James Dennj' 

 agent as provided for in the act referred to above. 



In January, 1804, a second act relating to the licks was passed. This 

 described more specifically the lots that might be rented for salt purposes, 

 fixed the rent at four cents per gallon, and required the agent to inspect 

 the salt. The rent was changed February 20, 1805, to two cents per 

 gallon; February 13, 1808, to one cent per gallon; and January 19, 1810, 

 to one-half cent per gallon. 



The quantity of salt j^roduced did not meet the expectations of the 

 legislators, and an act was passed February 17th, 1812, to encourage 

 deeper drilling. Similar acts were passed in 1813, 1814, and 1815, the 

 last requiring a depth of 350 feet. It is reported that the honest driller 

 went 100 feet deej^er than the law required. A stronger brine was 

 found, but the quantity was not ample. 



According to Hildreth, the region was at its zenith of activity from 

 1806 to 1808, when twent^'^ furnaces were in action, each averaging from 

 fifty to seventy bushels of salt per week. When stronger brines were 



