GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE CLAY DEPOSITS 497 



Around Buffalo is an extensive series of flats underlain by a 

 red clay. A thin layer of sand suitable for tempering overlies 

 the clay in spots, and limestone pebbles are scattered through it. 

 Similar deposits occur at several localities to the north of the 

 Ridge road and around Niagara Falls, also at Tonawanda and 

 La Salle, to the north of Buffalo, as well as south of it along the 

 shore of Lake Erie. No doubt much of this clay was deposited 

 during the former extension of the Great Lakes. 



Prof. Hall mentions deposits of clay at the following localities: 

 at Linden one mile south of Yates Center ;* along the shore of 

 Lake Ontario east of Lewiston; on Cashaqua creek f deposits 

 of tenacious clay due to the crumbling of the argillaceous green 

 shales; in Niagara county;}: beds of clay are said to occur in 

 every town, but they often contain a considerable amount of 

 lime. 



A bed of blue and red clay is being worked at Brighton near 

 Eochester. This deposit lies near the head of Irondequoit bay 

 and was deposited by some stream flowing into it. To the south- 

 east of Eochester is a large esker which extends in a northeast 

 direction nearly to Brighton. Mr. Upham, who has described 

 this esker, considers that it was formed by a river which flowed 

 between walls of ice and deposited the bed of clay above 

 mentioned.* 



Clays are also fouud at several points in the valley of the 

 Oswego river from Syracuse to Oswego, an important one being 

 at Three Eivers. 



An extensive bed of red and gray clay, 20 acres in extent and 

 horizontally stratified, occurs at "Watertown. The deposit is 

 20 feet thick and rests on Trenton limestone. 



Another deposit of considerable size is being worked at 

 Ogdensburg. The clay is blue and has a depth of 60 feet. 



In the southern portion of the State we find clays in abundance, 

 in all the valleys, and lowlands. The extensive marshes near 

 Randolph and Conewango are said to be underlain by clay 

 throughout their entire extent. 



* Geology of New York, 4th District, 1843, p. 437. 

 + Ibid., p. 227. 

 X Ibid, p. 444. 



