578 GEOLOGY OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN. 



MARQUETTE AND WAUSHARA COUNTIES, AND GREEN LAKE COUNTY, 



OF THE Fox RIVER. 



(ATLAS PLATE XIV, AREA E.) 



This district lies chiefly to the north and west of the Fox river, towards which it slopes 

 steadily from the summit of the dividing ridge in western Waushara and southern 

 Adams counties. It includes a total area of about 1,239 square miles. Throughout the 

 region the Potsdam sandstone seems to be the surface formation everywhere, except in 

 the few places where the crystalline rocks come to the surface, and in one or two limestone- 

 capped bluffs. The sandstone, however, is not frequently exposed, being for the most 

 part very deeply buried beneath the glacial drift, or Champlain lacustrine clays, the 

 former occurring in portions of the region in a morainic condition, and of unusual thick- 

 ness. It is not possible to be certain that the superficial deposits do not in places rest 

 directly upon the crystalline rocks without intervening sandstone, but the known facts 

 render such an hypothesis improbable. 



This region, though similar in its basement rock and general sandy soil to the central 

 plain of Adams and Juneau counties, differs from it in being without the plain-like 

 character, presenting as it does a steady descent from northwest to southeast of over 

 300 feet, and a surface in general much roughened by morainic drift. Another striking 

 difference is found in the absence of the castellated outliers that characterize the Adams 

 and Juneau district. A few small ones dot the summit of the high ground in north- 

 western Marquette county and the adjoining part of Waushara, but these are of 

 rounded shape, comparatively stout, and without the fragile appearance of the more 

 western peaks. Further east, the outliers disappear altogether. The general south- 

 eastward descent gives that direction to the many tributaries of the Fox, which, as al- 

 ready described, are large, clear and rapid streams, furnishing many excellent water- 

 powers. In places quite large areas are level, as for instance Burr Oak prairie, in west- 

 ern Waushara county, but these are but small portions of the whole district. In tho 

 town of Mount Morris and the adjacent country, northeast of Wautoma, Waushara 

 county, is a small district which owes its irregularity of surface chiefly to subaerial ero- 

 sion of the rocky strata, presenting the ordinary phenomena of deep and narrow val- 

 leys. Southeastern Marquette county includes a small part of the south side of the 

 Fox river basin, in the towns of Packwaukee, Buffalo and Montello. The character of 

 this area is similar to that of the rest of the region, the sandstone outcrops being some- 

 what more frequent, but the surface in general much heaped up with drift. 



The soil of the region is largely sandy. This sand, however, though originally com- 

 ing, without doubt, from the Potsdam sandstone, is directly derived from the glacial 

 drift, which has also contributed much calcareous and clayey matter. Thus it comes 

 that, although based upon the sandstone, and presenting in many places a very sandy soil, 

 excellent farming land is by no means uncommon in these counties. In the eastern 

 towns of Waushara county, where the red Champlain clays make up the body of the 

 soil, much very excellent land is found. Except in the clay region of eastern Wausha- 

 ra, where hard wood (ash and elm) is plenty, the only timber is for the most part the 

 small oak growth that characterizes most of Central Wisconsin, the oaks becoming 

 mingled with pines towards the north. 



From what has been said, it will be seen that the exposures of horizontal strata, are 

 not frequent. The time bluffs of the town of Springfield, in the northwestern corner of 

 Marquette county, have already been described. On Sec. 15, T. 19, R. 11 E., Waushara 

 county, the high ground known as Mount Morris reaches into the limy layers that 

 underlie the Mendota limestone. On top of the hill, 240 feet above Mount Morris post 

 office, are exposed 3 feet of thin layers of coarse-grained, yellowish, firm sandstone 



