Introduction. First Biennial Report of the Progress Sketch of the History of Geology of the in Michigan
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Text extracted from a scan by Google Book Search. INTRODUCTION. FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE PROGRESS SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY OF THE IN MICHIGAN. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN, Before entering upon the consideration of the subjects EMBRACING OBSERVATIONS ON THE strictly belonging to this Report, a brief notice of what GEOLOGY, ZOÖLOGY, AND BOTANY has heretofore been done in developing the Geology of Michigan, will undoubtedly be acceptable to the people OF THE of our State. LOWER PENINSULA The explorations and discoveries of the Jesuit Missionaries, prosecuted for many years along the borders of the great Lakes, may be passed over as too MADE TO THE GOVERNOR, DECEMBER 31, 1860. remotely connected with the history of Geology in BY AUTHORITY. Michigan, to justify their introduction into the present report. The record of the wonderful labors and LANSING: sufferings of these early christian missionaries, may be Hosmer & Kerr, Printers to the State. found embodied in the numerous volumes of a work 1861. entitled, “Relations de ce que s’est passe de plus Digitized by Google remarquable aux Missions des peres de la compagnie de Jesus, en la Nouvelle France.”* A condensed sketch REPORT OF THE STATE GEOLOGIST. derived from this source, is given in Foster and Whitney’s “Report on the. Geology and Topography of a portion of the Lake Superior Land District, in the State of TO HIS EXCELLENCY MOSES WISNER, Michigan, Part I.” Governor of the State of Michigan: The existence of copper in considerable quantity, upon the shores of Lake Superior, had all along attracted the I have the honor to submit herewith, the Report required attention of the Missionaries. The first mention made of of me by the terms of the Legislative act, approved the occurrence of this metal is found in the Relation for February 15, 1859, and entitled “An act to finish the 1659-60. The first mining enterprise of which we have Geological Survey of the State.” This Report is intended any account, was superin- to set forth the progress of the geological survey during the years 1859 and 1860. *A copy of this remarkable and rare old work la In the possession of Judge Campbell, Prof. of Law to the University. Other sources of Allow me, in communicating this Report, to acknowledge Information relative to this period are “Travels of the Jesuits into various parts of the world,” &c. Vol. II., London, 1763. “Early Jesuit the many personal kindnesses received at your hands, Missions in North America,” by Rev. William Ingraham Kipp; New York, and the appreciative interest which you have always 1847. “Lettres ediflantes et curieuses.” &c. Tome premier, pp. 187- manifested in the progress of the work. Whatever useful 818, Paris, 1848. For a knowledge of these works, I am indebted to results may be here embodied, are due in no small Prof. White. Much further information may be found in the “Histoire de la Nouvelle France,” and “Thevenot’s Relations de divers Voyages degree to your connexion with the origin and energetic Curieux,” and “Recueil de Voyages,” Paris, 1831. prosecution of the survey. tended by Alexander Henry, near the forks of the I have the honor to be, Ontonagon river, in 1771. Your most obedient servant, A. WINCHELL, The explorations of Alexander McKenzie, commenced in State Geologist. 1189, extended over a portion of the shores of Lake Superior, and thence north-west, over the country, Ann Arbor, December 31, 1860. whose waters flow into the Arctic ocean. In the account of his travels he speaks of the occurrence of “virgin copper” on the south shore of the lake. In the year 1800, during the presidency of the elder Adams, Congress passed a resolution,* providing for the employment of an agent for the purpose of collecting information relative to the “Copper Mines” on the south shore of Lake Superior; but it does not appear that this resolution was ever put in execution. In 1819, General Cass, under the authority of the Secretary of War, directed an exploring expedition, First Biennial Report of the Progress of the Geological Survey of Michigan - Geology – Page 1 of 70 which passed along the Southern shore of Lake “Sand,” “Marl,” “Bog Iron Ore,” “Mineral Springs.” Superior,† and crossed over to the Mississippi. This Several pages are devoted to the Brine Springs, and expedition had among its principal objects, .that of numerous interesting analyses of the saline waters of investigating the north-western copper mines; and was Michigan are for the first, time published. accompanied by Mr. H. R. Schoolcraft in the capacity of On the 22d of March the Governor approved a new act, mineralogist and geologist. His observations are reorganizing the survey in more comprehensive terms, recorded in his Narrative Journal of Travels from Detroit, and with more detailed provisions.‡ north-west,” &c, published in 1821. *Senate Journal 1837, p. 189. For the Act, see “Laws of Michigan,” In the spring of 1823, Major Long, acting under the 1887, p. 14. orders of the War Department, and accompanied by several scientific gentlemen, started on an expedition, †Report, 1838. the object of which was to explore the river St. Peters ‡ “Laws” 1837-8, p. 119. and the country situated on the northern boundary of the About the same date, acts were passed for the United States, between the Red River of Hudson’s Bay, incorporation of the “Clinton Salt Works,” and for the and Lake Superior. In returning, they coasted along the improvement of the “State Salt Springs.”* January 1, north shore of this Lake. 1839, Dr. Houghton presented a special “Report in In 1831 an expedition was sent out by the United States relation to Salt Springs,”† and on the 28th of the same government, under the command of Mr. Schoolcraft, for month, a Report on Iron Ore in Branch County.‡ The the purpose of ascertaining the sources of the same day the Legislature passed an “Act relative to Sail Mississippi river. Dr. Douglas Houghton was attached to Springs.” this party, and he subsequently On the 4th of February, 1839, Dr. Houghton presented *Laws of the United States, Vol. III, p. 408. his “Second Annual Report.”§ This document, of †Journal of the Expedition of General Cass. 153pp., was made up as follows: speaks of the aid afforded by the observations made at 1. GEOLOGY, by Dr. Houghton, 39 pp. “NORTHERN PART this time in tracing the fragments of copper to their place OF THE PENINSULA.” “Topography and General in the rock. Character,” “Rocks,” “Tertiary Clays,” “Shell Marl,” “Gypsum,” “Change of Elevation in the Waters of the Nothing farther was attempted at elucidating the mineral Great Lakes. SOUTHERN PART OR THE PENINSULA. resources of any portion of the territory, until the “Coal,” “Salt Springs and State Salt Lands.” admission of Michigan into the Union in 1836, when the government at once proceeded to the organization of a 2. ZOOLOGY, by Dr. Abram Sager, 15 pp. A systematic general, systematic survey. catalogue of the animals of the State, as far as observed. The original act for the organization of the geological survey of the State was approved by Gov. Mason, 3. BOTANY, by Dr. John Wright, 29 pp. A catalogue of February 23d, 1837.* It provided for a geological, the plants of the State as far as observed. zoological, botanical and topographical survey. Under 4. TOPOGRAPHY, by S. W. Higgins, 21 pp. this act the following corps of officers was appointed.† 5. GEOLOGY of Eaton, Ingham and Jackson counties, by Douglass Houghton, Geologist. C. C. Douglas, Assistant Geologist, 13 pp. Abram Sager, Principal Assistant; in charge of Botanical 6. GEOLOGY of Wayne and Monroe counties, by Bela and Zoological Departments. Hubbard, Assistant Geologist, 36 pp. S. W. Higgins, Topographer and Draughtsman. The Zoological and Botanical Departments were Columbus C. Douglass Sub-Assistant. suspended early in the year by the resignation of the officers in charge. Bela Hubbard, Sub-Assistant. On the 6th of January, 1840, the State Geologist made a William P. Smith, Sub-Assistant in charge of Mechanical report in relation to the Salt Springs║, and on the 3d of Zoology. February, presented his Third Annual Report¶ of 111 Messrs. Douglass and Hubbard, during the following pages, covering the following documents: years, were First Assistants. 1. GEOLOGY, by Dr. Houghton, 33 pp. A description of On the 26th of January, 1838, Dr. Houghton presented the Topography and Geology of that portion of the Upper his First Annual Report, a document of 37 pages, in Penin- which, after alluding to the topography of the State, he *Laws 1837-8, p. 165. notices the several geological features of the Lower †House Doc., p. 39. Peninsula under the following heads: “Upper Sandrock of the Peninsula,” “Gray Limestone,” “Lower Sandstone ‡Ib., p. 843. or Graywack Group,” “Gypsum,” “Brine Springs,” “Clay,” §House Doc., 1839, p. 880. First Biennial Report of the Progress of the Geological Survey of Michigan - Geology – Page 2 of 70 ║House Doc., 1840, Vol. I, p. 13 Through the pressure of the financial crisis under which ¶Ib. Vol. II, p. 202. the State and country were still suffering, the Legislature was induced to curtail the appropriations for the sula bordering on Lakes Michigan and Huron, followed continuance of the survey. The Fifth Annual Report by a notice of the “Clay, Iron Stone and Bog Ores” of the therefore, dated January 25th, 1842,†† is a brief paper Southern Peninsula. The rocks of the Upper Peninsula of six pages, containing some notices of the geology of are here arranged under the two heads Primary and the western portion of the Mineral District of Lake Sedimentary. The latter are subdivided into Lower Superior, surveyed by Dr.