12 THE PREGLACIAL DRAINAGE OF OHIO. 



again: "It is true that the direction of streams is, for lim- 

 ited distances, determined by the character of the strata of rocks 

 in which they flow, the softer rocks yielding a passage while the 

 harder resist. This will explain many of the crooked ways of 

 our streams which would be otherwise utterly inexplicable. But 

 this cause could not have determined the general direction of 

 the streams in Washington county." 



In Dr. S. P. Hildreth's Geological Report for 1838 he states, 

 after a brief description of the old valley floors in this region: 

 "From the frequency of these flat lands between the headwaters 

 of the Little Hocking and the south branch of Wolf Creek, it is 

 quite possible that at some remote period the waters of Wolf 

 Creek were discharged into the Ohio instead of the Muskingum." 

 "Great changes, evidently, have been made in the direction of all 

 our water courses before they found their present levels." 



While it is apparent that the earlier geologists partially rec- 

 ognized the problems presented by the typographic features of 

 the region and made some observations and deductions there 

 seems to have been no systematic endeavor to follow up the 

 study. 



As considerable field work, scattered through several years, 

 had alreadv been done in the region by the author, it was with 

 pleasure that he suggested to the trustees of the Ohio State 

 Academy of Science, upon their request for information con- 

 cerning the problems in the field of geographic geology of the 

 state, that this re<yion be further studied, with a view to the 

 more complete correlation of the data in hand and the publica- 

 tion of a report of the same. By the action of the trustees a 

 grant was made to the author which enabled him to spend five 

 weeks in field study. This grant was from the Hon. Emerson 

 E. McMillin Special Research Fund of the Ohio State Academy 

 of Science. 



The field studies conducted under this grant in connection 

 with the work previously done have enabled the author to make 

 what he believes to be a correct solution of the problem of the 

 preglacial drainage of the region. 



While the conclusions reached, as a result of this work, 

 seem to be thoroughly established, still the work can be con- 



