O NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



exploration and other information were furnished, without which 

 the report could not have been prepared. 



The field notes have reference mainly to conditions in the sum- 

 mer of 1909. They were made by Mr Leighton. 



HISTORY OF THE GYPSUM INDUSTRY IN NEW YORK 

 Statistics of production 



The discovery of the gypsum deposits must have been practically 

 coincident with the first permanent settlement of central and west- 

 ern New York, which followed close upon the termination of the 

 War of the Revolution. The 'earliest mention that is still a matter 

 of record relates to an occurrence on lot 90, Camillus township, 

 Onondaga co., said to have been discovered by W. Lyndsay in 1792. 

 In 1808 a stock company was organized to exploit this deposit for 

 land plaster. The beds in Sullivan township, Madison 00. were 

 worked during the War of 1812 and the output was shipped to the 

 Hudson river and as far away as Philadelphia. It appears that gyp- 

 sum was quarried at Union Springs as early as 181 1 and by 1822 

 several thousand tons are reported to have been shipped each year 

 from that place to Pennsylvania. The sole use of the product was 

 as agricultural plaster. 



At the time of the first geological survey (1836-41) the quarry- 

 ing of gypsum was actively pursued along the Salina belt from 

 Madison to Genesee county. The reports of that survey mention 

 operative quarries in the towns of Wheatland, Leroy, Seneca Falls, 

 Union Springs, Phelps, ManHus, Camillus and Sullivan ; and their 

 output was then nearly as large probably as at any time in the suc- 

 ceeding 50 years. 



Though the deposits were under active exploitation long before 

 those of Michigan, Ohio and the Middle Western States had be- 

 come productive, they have played little part in the development 

 of the trade in calcined plasters or their technology. It was only 

 after this branch of tlie industry bad become firmly established in 

 other parts of the country and American practice had become 

 fairly perfected that the local deposits began to receive attention 

 as a source of material for calcined plaster. The first production 

 of plaster of paris was reported in 1892 and amounted to 75 tons. 

 With the successful issue of the early undertakings the natural 

 advantages of the State for manufacture and marketing have con- 

 tributed a powerful impetus to this branch of the business, which 

 is now the most important of all. 



