MUSKINGUM DRAINAGE SI STEM 159 



old westward outlet. The eastern tributaries of the Tviscarawas and Mus- 

 kingum between the mouth of One Leg Creek and the south line of 

 Muskingum County probably had as great an extent then as at present; 

 but the northern and western tributaries of the Tuscarawas and Muskingum 

 all appear to have been quite small. The Walhonding, which now has a 

 drainage area of more than 2,000 square miles, appears to have formerly 

 drained scarcely 500 square miles, its basin being mainly in Coshocton 

 County. It received only the 8 miles of the lower course of Owl Creek 

 below Millwood and the lower 8 or 10 miles of Mohican Creek. How 

 much of Killbuck Creek was tributary to the Walhonding has not been 

 determined, though it appears probable that the old divide was below the 

 village of Killbuck, or less than 20 miles from the mouth of the stream. 

 Sugar Creek, which enters the Tuscarawas at Canal Dover, is almost 

 entirely a new accession, the old divide being apparently south of Strasburg, 

 only 6 or 7 miles from its mouth. From these observations it appears that 

 the entire drainage area discharging westward past Dresden can scarcely 

 have exceeded 3,000 square miles, which is but little more than half the 

 area that, now discharges southward past that point. 



It has not been decided whether the old drainage of the portion of 

 the Muskingum south of the westward outlet led northward from Zauesville 

 along the present stream (reversed) to the old outlet at Dresden or took a 

 northwestward course from Zanesville, along a line followed in part by the 

 Licking (in reverse direction), to enter the old outlet near Nashport. 

 Along either line there is only a narrow valley scarcely one-half a mile in 

 average width. Drift accumulations in the northwestward line so conceal 

 its channel that some uncertainty is felt as to its continuity; but it is the 

 more direct line and appears to be fully as capacious as the northward line. 

 In its favor there is also a peculiarity of drainage at Zanesville. An old 

 valley leaves the present Musking-um just below Zanesville and bears 

 northwestward through the western pai't of the city, being separated from 

 the present river by a prominent ridge known as Putnam Hill. It there 

 connects with the old channel leading up the Licking. It also connects 

 eastward with the Muskingum, but this may be simpl)' the old line of west- 

 ward discharge for a small drainage basin north and east of Zanesville. 

 In case there was an old divide on the present line of the Muskingum 

 between Dresden and Zanesville it is more likelv to have been near Ellis 



