CHAPTER LIX. 



REPORT ON THE GEOLOGY OF GREENE COUNTY. 



Greene county is bounded on the north by Clarke, on the east by Madi- 

 son and Payette, on the south by Clinton and Warren, and on the west 

 by Montgomery county. 



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I. TOPOGRAPHY. 



The principal features in its topography are the valleys of the Little 

 Miami River and of Beaver Creek. Csesar's Creek also forms a consider- 

 able depression in the south-eastern townships of the county. To the«e 

 three valleys all of the drainage of the county is directed, with the ex- 

 ception of a single township in the north-western corner, which lies 

 within the valley of Mad River. 



Contrary to what might be expected, the valley of Beaver Creek is a 

 much broader and deeper trough than that of the Little Miami. The 

 drainage effected by it is, however, insignificant in amount when com- 

 pared with that accomplished by the river. Beaver Creek is a small and 

 sluggish stream, that is almost lost in a wide and fruitful valley. No 

 one can fail to recognize the disproportion that exists between the pres- 

 ent stream and the valley which contains it. The truth is, Beaver val- 

 ley was never excavated by Beaver Creek. It is the deserted channel of 

 an old river that must have had greater volume and force than the Little 

 Miami has to-day. Nor are we left in doubt as to the general course and 

 connections of the river that did this work. The valley of Beaver Creek 

 connects upon the north with the valley of Mad River. Whether the 

 water of the head springs of Beaver Creek shall be delivered to the Lit- 

 tle Miami or to Mad River, can be determined by the digging of a ditch, 

 or even by the turning of a furrow. A protracted and expensive law 

 suit has lately been decided in the courts of Greene county, in which the 

 only question at issue was to which stream the head springs of Beaver 

 naturally belong. It can, then, be asserted with all confidence that the 

 valley of Beaver Creek is but an extension of the valley of Mad River, 

 and was occupied by that stream at no very remote period. An examin- 

 ation of the geological map of Greene county which accompanies this 



