LORAIN COUNTY. 207 
and have devoted their attention to the raising of stock and the making 
of butter and cheese. As an effect of these causes, Wellington 1s now 
one of the most important cheese markets of the Western Reserve. 
In the central part of the county a belt of sandy soil reaches across 
from east to west. The sand of this region is intimately connected with 
the lake ridges, and is the product of the action of the shore waves 
when the lake level reached to the altitude of this belt. Near the lake 
shore the soil is clay again, but here mostly derived from the decompo- 
sition of the underlying rocks, the Drift clays having been generally 
washed away. Good examples of this kind of soil are seen in the north- 
ern part of Avon and Sheffield; and there, as in the adjoining township 
of Dover, Cuyahoga county, it has been found well adapted to the culti- 
vation of the grape, and the surface is already largely occupied with 
vineyards. The timber of the center and northern part of the county, 
where the soil is light, is mainly oak, hickory, and chestnut. The origi- 
nal forest growth in all parts of Lorain county was dense and strong, 
the accumulation of vegetable mold beneath it deep, and the fertility of 
the resulting soil is marked and universal. 
Lake Ridges.—The most interesting feature in the surface geology of 
Lorain county is formed by the lake ridges which traverse it from east 
to west. These have been frequently alluded to in the reports on the 
other counties which border the present lake shore, particularly in that 
on Cuyahoga county (Vol. I., Part I., p. 178); and the proof is there given 
that they were thrown up by the action of the waves of the Lake, and 
mark the place of old shore lines at successive periods of rest in the de- 
scent of the lake level. The lake ridges are, perhaps, nowhere better 
shown than in Lorain county. The impression has generally prevailed 
that there were but three of these ridges—those known as the north, 
middle, and south ridges. It will be seen, however, by reference to the 
map which accompanies Chapter X XX., prepared at my request by Prof. 
A. A. Wright, of Oberlin, that while there are three principal ridges, 
having the altitude respectively of 100 to 118 feet, 150 to 160 feet, and 
200 to 220 feet, there are also a number of local or intermediate ridges, 
which frequently are continuous for several miles. For example, in Am- 
herst, the lowest, called Whittlesey’s ridge, is a little less than 100 feet 
above the Lake, and within two miles of the lake shore. The next, or 
north ridge, is nearly continuous from Cleveland to Brownhelm, and ex- 
tends much farther both east and west. This has generally an altitude 
of from 100 to 110 feet. 8d. Middle ridge, extending diagonally north- 
west and south-east through the center of the township, having an alti- 
tude of about 150 feet. 4th. South ridge, continuous through the south- 
