WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



189 



line and in Winfield district in the east. The altitude of the 

 county ranges from about 840 feet where the Monongahela 

 river crosses the line in the northeast to a little over 2,000 feet 

 in the extreme eastern corner. 



The Tygarts Valley and West Fork rivers unite a short dis- 

 tance above Fairmont to form the Monongahela which flows 

 northwestward into Monongalia county. The principal western 

 tributaries of the Monongahela are Pawpaw creek and Buffalo 

 creek, the latter with its Pyles and Davy Forks and other trib- 

 utaries draining a large area in the center and west. Little 

 creek and Prickett creek are the largest tributaries from the 

 east. The tributaries of Tygarts Valley are small in this 

 county. Booths creek, Coons creek, Tavebaugh creek and 

 Little Bingamon creek are important tributaries of the West 

 ^Fork. 



Original Forest Conditions. 



The forests of the county were hardwood and contained 

 most excellent stands of poplar, oak, walnut, ash, maple, chest- 

 nut and others usually found growing with them. Softwoods 

 were rarely found in any part of the county. 



The Lumber Industry. 



It is difficult at this late day to learn much in regard to 

 the lumber industry in Marion county. The area has long 

 been settled in most sections and the forest removed to give 

 place to the cultivation of crops. 



Early settlers depended on the water saw mills for their 

 lumber until the steam saw mills were introduced 30 or 40 years 

 ago. Since the introduction of these portable mills most of 

 the timber of the county has been cut and shipped on the rail- 

 roads from Fairmont, Mannington and Farmington. Less than 

 a dozen portable mills are now in operation. 



An immense quantity of timber was rafted down the Mon- 

 ongahela river in the form of hewed steam-timber" and in 

 the log during the period from about 1840 to 1890. During 



