Luther — 



Geology of the Salt District. 



179 



next south of the line of the Medina group, over which the shales and lime- 

 stones of the Clinton and Niagara groups are the surface rocks, but in the belt 

 five to ten miles wide next south of these dark rocks, the lighter colored red, 

 green mid grey shales that constitue the lower division of the Salina group, 

 and are collectively known as the " Red Shales," are the surface rocks, and 

 from them issue the weak brine springs at Verona Centre, in the western 

 part of the town of Verona, Oneida county, and also at Canastota, Madison 

 county, where many years ago an unsuccessful effort to obtain stronger brine 

 was made and a well was sunk to a depth of 1 96 feet. 



Brine springs were discovered in this horizon at an early date in the town 

 of Montezuma in Cayuga county, along the banks of the Seneca river, and salt 

 was manufactured here from about 1798 to 1840. These salt works were 

 second in importance in the state and at one period, about 1820 to 1825, pro- 

 duced 15,000 to 20,000 bushels annually. The springs were owned by the 

 state and about 1840 a deep boring was sunk, penetrating 300 feet of red 

 shale, in search of stronger brine, but the works have been abandoned since 

 about that time. 



In the town of Cato, Cayuga county, salt springs occur along the Seneca 

 river. 



In Wayne county, salt was manufactured about 1815 or 1820, from the 

 brine of a large spring on lot 54, in the town of Savannah, and also in 

 the town of Galen, two miles east of Clyde. Near Clyde, a well bored to the 

 depth of 400 feet produced a small quantity of quite strong brine. 



In Genesee county near the center of the town of Oakfield, formerly Elba, 

 are springs of brine from which salt was made at an early day, and these also 

 issue from rocks of the Salina group. 



Salt Springs from other Formations. Weak brine issues from the ground 

 in several places in the town of Bethany, Genesee county, from soft shales of 

 the Hamilton group. 



A spring of salt water mentioned in the Report on the Fourth District 

 as formerly existing in the town of York, Livingston county, was from nearly 

 the same geologic horizon. 



One on Seneca lake, at Big Stream point, in the town of Starkey and one 

 near Watkins, issue from Portage shales. 



Weak brine springs or " deer licks " rise along the valley of Halfway 

 brook in the town of Barker, Broome county for several miles, and it is said 

 that a small quantity of salt was made by the Indians and earl}' settlers. 



