278 
GEOLOGY OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. 
into which the Cowasolon swamp from Madison extends, and the Seneca river from Cayuga : 
the latter joins the outlet of Onondaga lake. 
The oldest, and therefore geologically the lowest of its rock series, is the Clinton group. 
But little is exposed, from the flat nature of the country where it is found; ranging along the 
south shore of Oneida lake, and extending into Oswego county, its south line being near the 
Three-river point. At the village of Brewerton, its greenish and bluish shales may be seen 
in the road-side, and in the bank of the outlet, and at the mill below. More information can 
now be obtained, since the appropriation made by the State for deepening the river at the 
rifts ; the depth of water being too great when visited, to examine their rocks. 
The Lockport group is the second observable deposit; it extends through the county with 
an increasing breadth of surface from Madison. Its lowest point south, at the east of the 
county, is at Bridgeport, also called the Rift, from a ledge of the limestone which appears in 
the bottom of the creek. In the town of Cicero, the limestone is quarried at White’s, about 
two miles from the Rift. At Whiting’s, about two miles from Cicero corners, it is exposed 
over an extent of about fifteen acres ; but not more than four or five feet of thickness is seen. 
The first layer is fourteen inches thick, imperfectly subdivided into two courses, and contains 
some small cavities. The layers below are respectively seven, three and four inches, and 
the bottom of the quarry is composed of very thin layers or slates. Between Cicero village 
and the outlet, at Lukin Denis’, are the best specimens of the concretionary limestone ; layers 
thin and protuberances numerous, showing the rounded elevations and depressions so charac¬ 
teristic of the limestone of this group. 
In Lysander, there are several quarries opened in the group, two of which are near to eacli 
other: Ham’s and Bigelow’s, on the road from Baldwinsville to the falls at Fulton. About 
five feet of rock are quarried. 
Near Betts’ corner, is the quarry of Aaron Vedder; the layers are more straight and thick 
than any to the east. There are curved layers at the top, and straight ones below. They 
make a good and a white lime. 
This group, for its limestone, is a valuable rock for that section of the country where rock 
is scarce, and lime is wanted for building, and for its light soils, some of which are sandy, 
alluvial products being abundant all over that section. 
Onondaga salt group. This important group covers a large portion of the level, the red 
shale or lower part ranging to the north of the canal, with small exceptions ; and the whole 
of the gypseous portion, with like exceptions, being to the south of the canal: the former or 
red shale portion generally lies low and level, but the latter rises into moderate hills, and 
passes under the limestone range at the south. The greatest breadth of the red shale 
appears in the town of Van Buren, showing itself along the canal between Jordan, Canton 
and Amboy, and to the north of Seneca river, on both sides of the village at Baldwinsville. 
Its northern range is covered up in Clay and Cicero, by the great swamp and alluvial which 
extends from Madison towards the outlet of Onondaga lake. The whole of this portion of 
the group, which is of great thickness in the county, its maximum being over five hundred 
