THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF CECIL 



COUNTY 



BY 



EDWARD BENNETT MATHEWS 



Introductory. 



The mineral resources of Cecil county are not as important sources 

 of wealth to the people of the area as the rich farm lands, although 

 the variety of mineral products which are worked for their intrinsic 

 value is great. The distribution of these products is widespread 

 throughout the northern and central parts of the county and the 

 benefits are accordingly not confined to any single neighborhood. 

 The materials which have been proved to be of value to the people 

 of the county are building-stone, road-metal, iron ore, clays, kaolin, 

 flint, feldspar and chrome. Some of these, however, are not at pres- 

 ent worked owing to the condition of the market and the finding of 

 deposits in other regions which can supply the trade at lower prices 

 than those at which it is possible to produce the same material in 

 Cecil county. 



The most prominent sources of mineral wealth in the county are 

 to be found along the various lines of communication either by rail- 

 road or by waterway; thus the most important operations in building 

 stone are at Port Deposit, while the clays and kaolin are worked 

 most extensively along the lines of the Baltimore and Ohio and Penn- 

 sylvania railroads. This, however, , does not mean that there are 

 not deposits of equal extent and quality in other portions of the county 

 as will be shown in the following pages. The presence of mineral 

 deposits is often unrecognized by the inhabitants owing to the fact 

 that in the uplands lying to the north of the railroads they are 

 covered by a rich soil whose fertility fully compensates for any loss 



