364 
TALLADEGA SLATES OF ALABAMA 
formation of Clay County, Alabama, and a portion at least of 
the Ocoee formation farther north as described by Hayes ^ and 
by Keith.^ This relationship is unquestioned by all who have 
examined the two areas. 
Because of the supposed non-fossiliferous character of the 
Ocoee formation and its separation from the other strata by fault¬ 
ing, it was difficult to determine its geological age. Classified 
by many workers in early days as Pre-Cambrian (Algonkian). 
Safford ^ originally called it merely “Metamorphic”. However, 
it was long regarded by some geologists that the Ocoee formation 
was partly at least Cambric in age. In his later report of 1869 
Safford referred the Ocoee formation to Potsdam age. Smith ^ 
in Alabama considered the western portion of the Talladega 
(Ocoee) sequence as possible Cambric. Keith ® showed the 
2 U. S. G. S., Atlas No. 20, Cleveland Folio. 
3 U. S. G. S., Atlas No. 16, Knoxville Folio. 
4 Resources of Tennessee, 1st Report, 1856. 
5 Bull. Ala. Geol. Surv., 1896. 
6 U. S. G. S., Atlas No. 90, Cranberry Folio. 
