Bishop — Geology of Erie County 



321 



one-half miles southwest of Wales. The two branches of Cazenovia creek 

 afford the best sections of the upper part Of the Portage. 



The argillaceous sandstone crops out along the road from Wales Centre 

 to East Aurora, being quarried a mile east of the latter place on the farm of 

 W. C. Cook. The layers are from eight to twelve inches thick with the 

 characteristic surface markings. From East Aurora south, the heavy 

 sandstones are found at intervals all the way to within a short distance of 

 Holland. Two and one-half miles southeast of East Aurora, on the farm of 

 Delavan Caulkins, a quarry is worked by Mr. Henry Strong. The rock here 

 resembles the Warsaw bluestone and contains the vertical fucoids w hich are 

 common in Portage strata. The principal layer is three feet, six inches thick. 

 Mr. Strong also works another quarry on the north side of the valley, the 

 stratum apparently corresponding to that in the Caulkins quarry. At South 

 Wales is the best exposure of sandstone seen. It is located on the farm of 

 Charles M. Brayton, about twenty rods east of the railroad water tank. 

 The section here is : 



Hard blue sandstone 2 feet. 



Shale and thin sandstone mixed, about 20 " 



Hard blue sandstone with vertical fucoids ... b' " 

 With thin sandstones and shales above. 



Following the railroad south, these sandstones dip below the track at 

 intervals, the last disappearing at the twenty-fourth mile post from Buffalo, 

 two miles north of Holland. From here to Protection, the rock observed 

 is a black fissile shale stained with iron. East of Protection, there is 

 an outcrop of sandstone with layers a foot thick. Between Chaffee and tin- 

 county line, the rock is blue shale with thin sandstones, none of which were 

 thick enough for flags. This rock has the appearance of Portage. 1 could 

 not hear of any stone quarries in this vicinity, although one or two were 

 reported near Arcade, in Wyoming county. 



On the west branch of Cazenovia creek, sandstones occur in several 

 places, but are generally thinner than those seen on the east branch. They 

 occur on the higher ground near Jewettville, on both sides of the creek. On 

 the Phelps farm, two miles southwest of East Aurora, there is also a quarry 

 of flagstone eight inches thick, from which blocks ten feet square have been 

 taken. The stratum is comparatively thin, but is near the surface and easy 

 to work. Below Griffins Mills are several layers from six to eight inches, 

 with one at least twelve inches thick. A quarry of this stone is worked on 

 21 



