58 



GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 



Farmer's Center, and continues its course south-westerly through Hicksville into the 

 south-east corner of DeKalb county, Indiana ; thence southward to a short distance 

 south ot Fort Wayne, where it has an elevation of 230 feet, and forms the left bank 

 of the Maumee. On the right bank is a similar ridge, which, entering Ohio at the 

 south-western corner of Benton township, Paulding county, is traceable south-easterly 

 to the town of Van Wert, where it has an altitude of 224 feet ; thence to Delphos, 

 where its elevation is 218 feet; thence to Gomer, and so on through Columbus Grove, 

 Pendleton, Webster, and Benton, to Fort Findlay, in Hancock county. This portion of 

 the ridge was the first wagon-road from Fort Findlay to Fort Wayne, and even at pre- 

 sent is the best road in that region. Being composed chiefly of sand and fine gravel, 

 with sufficient clay to pack well, and yet sufficiently porous to drain readily, it must 

 always remain a good road. At Findlay its elevation is 225 feet. It undoubtedly 

 passes through Marion and Big Lick, in Hancock county, but its outline is here obscure. 

 There are sand dunes and small hillocks of sand, well mixed with clay, with an out- 

 line bearing a strong resemblance to a former ridge, through the four townships just 

 named; but a similar obscure ridge may also be traced from' Findlay to Fostoria, 

 where it assumes a definite form again, with an elevation of 200 feet, and is traceable 

 in the south-eastern direction through London and Hopewell townships, in Seneca 

 county. Near Tiffin it has an elevation of 200 feet. From Tiffin it is traced in a 

 north-easterly direction through Clinton, Pleasant, and Adams to eraships, where it 

 leaves Seneca county, and passes into Green Creek township, Sandusky county. 

 The village of Galetown is situated on it, and is here called the South Ridge road, 

 leading to Bloomingville, in Erie county, where, for a short distance, its altitude is 

 less than elsewhere. 



"The second ridge passes south-westerly through Richfield township, in Lucas 

 county ; thence through Fulton, York, and Clinton townships, in Fulton county, and 

 through Freedom and Bidgeville townships, in Henry county ; thence south through 

 Adams, Kichland, and Highland townships, in Defiance county. At Independence, 

 two miles east of the town of Defiance, this ridge crosses the Maumee at right angles. 

 At Ayersville, in Highland township, Defiance county, there is an apparent junction 

 of two ridges, the outer or oldest passing through Munroe, Farmer, Greensburgh, 

 Ottumwa, and Blanchard townships, in Putnam county ; Blanchard and Portage, in 

 Hancock county; the southern portions of Henry, Bloom, and Perry, in Wood 

 county ; Jackson and Liberty, in Seneca county ; Jackson, Baldville, Sandusky, Biley, 

 and Townsend, in Sandusky county ; and Margaretta township, in Erie county. 



"From Ayresville, in Defiance county, the inner or more recent ridge passes 

 through Pleasant and Marion townships, in Henry county, and the northern portion 

 of Van Buren, in Putnam county, to Jackson, Liberty, Center, and Freedom townships, 

 in Wood county. In the latter two townships it is locally known as the ' Scotch 

 ridge.' Thence it passes into Woodville and Harris townships, Sandusky county, 

 where it becomes obscure, or vanishes. 



" These sand ridges are usually very narrow, but in places they are spread out over 

 a considerable area, sometimes one-half to three-fourths of a mile wide. Again, they 

 form vast dunes, as in Washington township, Henry county. 



"The course, or direction, of these ridges is, as a rule, parallel to the shore of the" 

 Lake ; or, in other words, at right angles to the general direction of the most rapid 

 drainage. As a consequence, this drainage has been much obstructed, and we not 



