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The Clays of Arkansas

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The Clays of Arkansas DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR BULLETIN 351 THE CLAYS OF ARKANSAS JOHN C. BRANNER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1908 CONTENTS. Page. Preface................................................................... 9 Chapter I. Topography and geology................................. ^...... 11 General features....................................................... 11 Ordovician system..................................................... 12 Silurian system........................................................ 13 Devonian system....................................................... .13 Carboniferous system................................... '. .............. 14 Mississippian series................ 1............................... 14 Boone formation............................................... 14 Moorefield shale................................................ 1.4 Batesville sandstone............................................ 14 Fayetteville formation.......................................... 15 Pitkin limestone............................................... 15 Pennsylvania series................................................ 15 Morrow formation............................................. 15 Winslow formation............................................ 15 Hartshorn sandstone............................................ 17 McAlester group........................................'...... 17 Savanna formation............................................ 17 Occurrences preceding the Cretaceous................................... 18 Cretaceous system..................................................... 18 Tertiary system....................................................... 18 Quaternary system..................................................... 19 Chapter II. Character, origin, occurrence, and uses of Arkansas clays.......... 20 Classification of the clays.............................................. 20 Eesidual clays......................................................... 20 Clays of mechanical origin.............................................. 24 Kaolin................................................................ 24 Pottery clays.......................................................... 26 Clays for drain tiles.......................................... 1........ 27 Buckshot clays........................................................ 28 Character......................................................... 28 Origin............................................................ 28 Uses............................................................. 29 The loess............................................................... 29 Slope soils.. ........................................ i ................. 31 Clays and kaolin of chemical origin..................................... 32 Bauxite.............................................................. 32 Chapter III. Geologic age and geographic distribution of the clays........... 34 Conditions governing distribution....................................... 34 Paleozoic clays and shales.............................................. 34 Cretaceous and Tertiary clays....................'...................... 36 Quaternary clays...................................................... 43 Remarks on the analyses............................................... 45 Chapter IV. Report by counties............................................ 47 Arkansas County....................................................... 47 Ashley County........................................................ 48 3 4 CONTENTS. Chapter IV. Report by counties Continued. Page. Bradley County....................................................... 48 Calhoun County....................................................... 50 General geology. 0................................................... 50 Clay deposits............................................... ...... 52 Clay County.......................................................... 54 Cleveland County...................................................... 54 General geology.................................................... 54 Clay industry...................................................... 56 Columbia County...................................................... 56 Clay deposits...................................................... 56 Clay industry................................/..................... 58 Conway County........................................................ 58 General geology..................................'.............:.... 58 Clay deposits...................................................... 58 Craighead County..................................................... 62 General geology.................................................... 62 Clay industry...................................................... 63 Crawford County....................................................... 65 General geology.................................................... 65 Clay deposits...................................................... 66 Crittenden County.................................................... 70 Cross County.......................................................... 71 General geology.................................................... 71 Clay deposits...................................................... 72 Clay industry...................................................... 73 Dallas County.......................................................... - 73 General geology.................................................... 73 Clay deposits..............................:....................... 73 Character of the clays........................................... 73 Clay beds worked.............................................. 74 Other clay beds................................................ 79 Conclusions................................................... 86 Analyses of clays.............................................. 87 Clay industry...................................................... 88 Drew County......................................................... 89 General geology................................................ 89 Clay industry.................................................. 90 Faulkner County....................................................... 90 General geology..... .^............................................. 90 Clay deposits...................................................... 92 Clay shales.................................................... 92 Lirnonitic buckshot clays...................................... 95 Leached clays................................................ 95 Chocolate clays................................................ 96 Clay industry....................................................... 96 Franklin County...................................................... 97 General geology.................................................... 97 Clay deposits....................................................... 98 Clay shales.................................................... 98 Residual clays................................................. 100 Transported clays.............................................. 100 Brick clays.................................................... 101 Clay industry...................................................... 102 Garland County....................................................... 103 CONTENTS. 5 Chapter IV. Report by counties Continued. Page. Grant County.......................................................... 104 Greene County......................................................... 107 General geology.................................................... 107 Clay industry...................................................... 108 Hempstead County..................................................... 110 General geology.................................................... 110 Clay deposits, .i............................. ^..................... 110 Clay industry..............;....................................... 110 Hot Spring County..................................................... 112 General geology................................................... 112 Clay deposits. ......:.............................................. 112 Perla Switch clays............................................. 112 Other clays:.................................................. 114 Magnet Cove kaolin........................................... 116 Clay industry. ..................................................... 117 Jackson County...............^....................................... 117 Jefferson County....................................................... 118 Clay deposits...................................................... 118 Clay industry....................................................... 119 Johnson County....................................................... 120 General geology.................................................... 120 Clay deposits...................................................... 120 Clay shales.................................................... 120 Brick clays..................................................... 123 Lafayette County...................................................... 124 Lawrence County. ..................................................... 124 General geology.................................................... 124 Clay industry.....................................................
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