2. CARROLL TOWNSHIP. F*. 157 



2. Carroll township. 



Carroll is one of the large townships in the county. It is 

 bounded on the north by Centre and on the east by Wheat- 

 field, Penn, and Rye. The crest of the Bine or Kittatinny 

 mountain is its. limit on the south and on the west a small 

 stream, Richland run, rising in Centre and flowing south to 

 Sherman's creek, then for a short distance Sherman's creek 

 itself, and further on an imaginary north-south line to the 

 Blue mountains separate it from Spring township. It is not 

 mountainous, the greater part of its surface lying in the 

 great undulating plain contained between Pisgah hill and 

 Little mountain. The northern part of the township, how- 

 ever, is occupied by the range called Pisgah hill, and the 

 southern part by the more rugged Little mountain and Blue 

 mountain, between which latter lies the long and narrow 

 Polecat valley. Its length and breadth vary much in dif- 

 ferent places, but may be set down approximately as 8 miles 

 and 7 miles respectively, giving an area of rather more than 

 50 square miles. 



The chief draining stream of this township is Sherman's 

 creek, which traverses it from w r est to east almost in the 

 middle. Its course is very sinuous, and its basin includes, 

 with very small exception, the whole of the township, the 

 waters from south and north meeting in its channel. 



Sherman's creek flows for several miles along the north 

 foot of Pisgah hill, but about a mile from the point where 

 it enters Carroll township, it passes through the ridge, form- 

 ing a picturesque gorge several hundred feet deep and dis- 

 playing a fine curving cliff of Hamilton sandstone rocks on 

 the west side. On the east side a high projecting knob of 

 rock almost bars the passage for the stream. This has been 

 quarried away in making a road, and is locally known as 

 Gibson's rock, being named from Chief Justice Gibson, 

 whose homestead is close by the place. This gorge is a 

 common resort for picnic parties from the surrounding 

 county. East of the stream the range takes the name of 



