222 Ten Days in Ohio. 



Green Creek, which we crossed on a bridge about twenty yards in 

 length. Its borders are skirted with many fine farms, and a small 

 thriving village seated on the western side near the base of a large 

 hill, assists much in beautifying the landscape. In some places, cliffs 

 of sandstone form the banks and sides, of the creek, and as we as- 

 cend the hill, and a thick deposit of sparry lime rock crops out by the 

 side of the road more than one hundred feet above its bed. This 

 stream, Hke most others in Ohio, took its name from an incident 

 which happened on its borders. About the year 1794, an exploring 

 party was fitted out at Marietta, to examine the northern portion of 

 " the Purchase," and to search for salt springs. They encamped, 

 the first night, on this creek. Two of the party. Col. Robert Oliver 

 and Griffen Greene, Esq., strayed from their companions, and be- 

 came so bewildered and lost that they could not reach the camp that 

 night J and as the Indians were still hostile, some apprehension was 

 felt on their account. However, they reached the rest of the party 

 the following morning in safety. From this circumstance, the creek 

 was called " Olive-Green." It is a stream about sixty feet in width, 

 and twenty miles in length, having on its head branches, some fine 

 lands and rich settlements. In its waters are found the most rare 

 and perfect bivalve shells of any in this region, especially those of the 

 genus Anadonta. Its bottom is argillaceous, and the cuticle of the 

 shells is uninjured by the abrasion of sand or gravel. 



The line between Washington and Morgan Counties is a little west 

 of the bridge. — Eight miles beyond Olive-Green creek, the road 

 passing over high lands but which are tolerably rich, level, and just 

 coming into cultivation ; we then reach Meigs's creek, so named by 

 the same party after its discoverer. Col. R. J. Meigs, a soldier of the 

 revolution, and one of the commanders under Montgomery in the 

 invasion of Canada ; the father of the late Return J. Meigs, Gov. of 

 Ohio and Post Master General. It is favored by two principal branch- 

 es, called the east and west forks, and which when united make a 

 large beautiful creek, affording along its borders many fine scites for 

 mills, and for extensive settlements. 



Coal 



As we go down from the highlands on the east side of Meigs's creek, 

 a bed of stone coal comes to the surface about fifty feet above the 

 bed of the creek. The owner of the land informed me that the 

 same stratum appeared about eighty rods further up the stream, 

 where it is five feet in thickness. He had used it for several win- 



