Studies Land Formation 
Advances New Theory 
GERARD FOWKE, WHO IS STUDY- 
ING EROSIANS IN THE OHIO 
VALLEY, BELIEVES PIGEON 
CREEK ONCE EMPTIED INTO 
OHIO NEAR MOUTH OF LAKE 
DRAIN 
Gerard Fowke of Madison, Ind., 
who is preparing a report upon “The 
Evolution of the Ohio River,” has 
been in Spencer county this week 
making some examinations in the line 
of his work. He is especially in- 
terested in the old cut-off from the 
Ohio at Rockport to the valley of 
Little Pigeon creek. It seems to be 
the general impression, which is aided 
to some extent by the descriptions 
given in various published accounts, 
that this depression marks the chan- 
nel of the Ohio river at some former 
period. 
Mr. Fowke, after careful investiga- 
tion, is of a different opinion. He is 
convinced that the original valley of 
Little Pigeon, from the junction of 
its main forks near Tennyson, was in 
southward direction toward Midway. 
It then bore somewhat to the east and 
passed near Lake Mill. From here, it 
turned south for two or three miles, 
then took a general direction south of 
east to the Ohio river a short dis- 
tance above Rockport. It was along 
this line that the overflow of the Ohio 
river passed in 1884 and in 1913. 
The Ohio then, as now, flowed 
south from Rockport toward Owens- 
boro, as is proven by the great width 
of the valley between the bordering 
hills. 
The region bounded by the old 
streams of Little Pigeon, the Ohio, 
and the range of hills which comes 
from the north and ends at the Hqp- 
per mines, was of native or bedrock, 
sandstone above and shale below. 
Both these rocks weather away rapid- 
ly and so the hills in the area men- 
tioned were worn down until they 
were much lower than the country 
surrounding them. 
The melting of the glaciers at the 
close of the ice age, caused an im- 
mense amount of water to flow down 
the present Ohio river. Its level at 
that time was probably 100 feet or 
even more above its highest stage 
now, as the entire site of Rock- 
port was covered, the highest point 
in town being a water deposit. 
This backed the water up Little 
Pigeon until all the land between the 
high hills was overflowed, and an im- 
mense lake was formed in which not* 
only sediment from the Ohio, but also- 
all the wash from the hills for many 
miles was deposited, and settled oit 
the bottom until the lake rose to at 
height that equalled the level of th<* 
Ohio. 
This condition continued until the 
lake water reached a level which let? 
it flow through a low place in the hill 
or ridge which separated it from the 
Ohio below Rockport. This happened 
to be a short distance below Hatfield. 
A pass here was gradually deepened 
and widened until it formed the out- 
let through which Little Pigeon now 
flows. The flood waters coming down 
the Ohio and Little Pigeon were 
slowed up where they came together 
in the old creek, above Rockport, con- 
sequently a larger amount of sedi- 
ment was deposited along the line 
where they met; and when the old 
streams had run out and come down 
to their present level this dividing 
ridge of sediment was higher than the 
bed which the creek had eroded near 
Hatfield; so it could not come back 
into its old channel. 
The great amount of erosion which 
as taken place since these events oc- 
curred, has altered the surface, so 
uhat it is no longer what it was im* 
nediately after the lake had drained 
tself out; but in places the old un- 
jvenness can still be traced by the 
mck exposed here and there, and by 
he sand pits. 
