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.....................................................