>4i State Geological 8 llllllllll lulili 1 ill II II ■■ ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 3 3051 00002 2958 STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION A. M. SHELTON, Director DIVISION OF THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY M. M. LEIGHTON, Chief BULLETIN NO. 55 GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE HERSCHER QUADRANGLE BY L. F. ATHY PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS URBANA, ILLINOIS 1928 a. v STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION DIVISION OF THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY M. M. LEIGHTON. Chief Committee of the Board of Natural Resources and Conservation A. M. Sheltox. Chairman Director of Registration and Education Charles M. Thompsox Representing the President of the Uni- versity of Illinois Edsox S. Bastix Geologist Jeffersons Printing & Stationery Co. Springfield, Illinois 1928 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/geologymineralre55athy CONTENTS Page Chapter I — Introduction 11 Location of area 11 Acknowledgments 11 Topography 12 Relief 12 Introduction 12 Northeastern morainic area 13 Area of abandoned channels along Kankakee River 13 Area of sand dunes and ridges 15 Area of flat ground-moraine 16 Southern morainic area 16 Drainage 16 Culture 17 Chapter II — Descriptive geology 19 Introductory statement 19 Cambrian system 22 Ordovician system 22 Lower Ordovician or Prairie du chien series 23 Middle Ordovician or Mohawkian series 24 St. Peter sandstone 24 Platteville-Galena formations 25 Upper Ordovician or Cincinnatian series 25 Richmond ( Maquoketa) formation 25 Silurian system 28 Alexandrian series 29 Edgewood formation 31 General description 31 Noix oolite member 33 Mechanical analysis of the Noix oolite 35 Spherulites % 36 Essex limestone member 38 Correlation 42 Kankakee formation 44 Niagaran series 53 Niagaran dolomite 54 Pennsylvanian system 58 General description , 58 Pottsville formation 59 Carbondale formation 60 McLeansboro formation 60 Outliers 61 Pleistocene formation 62 Wisconsin drift series 62 5 Page Chapter II — Concluded Marseilles drift formation 63 Minooka-Rockdale drift formations 65 Kankakee torrential deposits 66 Torrential erosion 69 Recent deposits 70 Dune sand 70 Alluvium 72 Bog materials 73 Chapter III — Structural geology 74 Introductory statement 74 Structure of St. Peter sandstone 74 Data on other formations 76 Structure of Kankakee dolomite 77 Structure of Pennsylvanian beds 78 Chapter IV — Geological history 79 Paleozoic era 79 Cambrian period 80 Late Cambrian epoch 80 Ordovician period 80 Prairie du Chien epoch 80 Mid-Ordovician epoch 81 Late Ordovician epoch 81 Richmond time 81 Silurian period 81 Alexandrian epoch 81 Niagaran epoch 82 Post-Niagaran pre-Pennsylvanian interval 84 Pennsylvanian period 84 Pottsville epoch 84 Carbondale and McLeansboro epochs 84 Close of the Paleozoic era 85 Mesozoic era 85 Cenozoic era 85 Tertiary sub-era 85 Pleistocene period 86 Wisconsin epoch 86 Marseilles stage 88 Minooka stage 88 Rockdale stage 89 Kankakee torrent stage 89 Drainage changes 94 Recent history 95 Chapter V — Mineral resources 96 General statement 96 Coal 96 Pottsville coal 98 Carbondale coal 98 No. 2 coal 98 Coals above No. 2 coal 99 6 Page Chapter V — Concluded McLeansboro coal 101 No. 7 coal 101 Coal mining 101 Clay and shale 103 Limestone and dolomite 104 Gravel 106 Sand 106 Marl 108 Oil and gas 109 Soils Ill Water supply 112 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Map showing the location of the Herscher quadrangle 10 2. Physiographic subdivisions of the Herscher quadrangle 12 3. Profiles of the Herscher quadrangle along lines shown on figure 2 14 4. Kankakee River from "The Palisades" 15 5. A typical view in the sand dune area south of Kankakee River 15 6. View on the Marseilles moraine southeast of Herscher 16 7. Columnar section of the rocks of the Herscher quadrangle 20 8. Outcrop of Richmond shale containing thin beds of limestone, along Horse Creek just south of Custer Park 26 9. Cross-section of the Herscher quadrangle along a line one mile south of the Kankakee- Will county line 28 10. Outcrop of Edgewood and Kankakee dolomite, north bluff of Kankakee River. . 32 11. Essex limestone two miles east of Essex 37 12. A close view of the Essex limestone 38 13. Looking down on the smooth surface which marks the Niagaran-Kankakee con- tact 45 14. Niagaran-Kankakee contact in Cowan's quarry 46 15. Kankakee-Edgewood contact in Cowan's quarry 47 16. Niagaran beds near the top of the face at Lehigh Stone Company quarry 54 17. Sink-hole in Niagaran dolomite at Lehigh 61 18. Kame on the Marseilles moraine 63 19. Marseilles till 64 20. Outwash gravels near Ritchie Station 65 21. Rubble deposited by Kankakee Torrent 67 22. Torrential bar 68 23. Torrential gravels intermediate in coarseness between pebbly silt and rubble.... 68 24. Front of a large, stationary dune 70 25. A migrating dune 71 26. A blowout in a dune 71 27. Structure map showing elevation of St. Peter sandstone 75 28. Structure map showing elevation of Kankakee dolomite 77 29. Graphs of the averages of the mechanical analyses of Edgewood, Kankakee, and Niagaran sediments 83 30. Bedrock topography and preglacial drainage of the Herscher quadrangle 87 31. Relative positions of the Valparaiso ice-lobes in Indiana and Michigan 90 32. Morris-Kankakee basin during maximum stage of Kankakee Torrent 92 33. Profiles showing terraces along Kankakee River and its tributaries 93 34. A 560-foot terrace at Warner Bridge on Kankakee River 94 35. Distribution of No. 7 and No. 2 coals in the Cardiff-South Wilmington area. ... 97 36. A view of the Lehigh Stone Company quarry from the east 104 37. Gravel in the kame in sec. 1, T. 29 N., R. 10 E 107 38. Core-sand pit across the river from Custer Park 108 Plate Pocket I. Economic, structural, and surficial geology of the Herscher quadrangle II. Areal geology of the Herscher quadrangle 8, TABLES Page 1. Geologic chronology 19 2. Mechanical analyses of the Richmond shale 27 3. Provisional correlation of Silurian strata in Illinois and neighboring areas 30 4. Mechanical analyses of the Noix oolite 35 5. Mechanical analyses of the Kankakee dolomite 50 6. Mechanical analyses of the Niagaran dolomite 56 7. Mechanical analyses of dune sand from the torrential deposits 72 8. Production of coal in Kankakee and Will counties since 1870, and a comparison with the total output of the State 102 9. Analyses of Lehigh stone 105 10. Average of physical analyses of Lehigh stone 106 10 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Fig. 1. Map of Illinois showing the location of the Herscher quadrangle. The stippled area marks the boundary of the Illinois coal field. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE HERSGHER QUADRANGLE By L. F. Athy CHAPTER I— INTRODUCTION Location of Area The Herscher quadrangle lies about 40 miles southwest of Chicago, in western Kankakee and southern Will counties, and covers an area of about 221 square miles. Grundy and Livingston counties are on its western and Ford and Iroquois counties on its southern border. To the north of it is the Wilmington quadrangle and to the east is the Kankakee quadrangle. The area is situated between 88° and 88° 15' west longitude and 41° and 41° 15' north latitude. The quadrangle includes no large cities by means of which it may be conveniently located. Kankakee is about 7 miles east and Joliet 18 miles north of its boundaries. Kankakee River crosses the northeastern corner of the area. (See fig. 1.) The east part of the quadrangle is underlain by Silurian formations, but the west part overlaps the northeastern edge of the Illinois coal measures. In addition to being glaciated it was crossed in the northern part by the Kan- kakee glacial torrent. The quadrangle is also so situated with respect to the Morris basin on the west and the Kankakee basin on the east that a study of it has contributed additional knowledge to regional history. Acknowledgments The writer is indebted to Mr. James R. Mitcham for assistance in the field work on which this report is based, done during the summer of 1924. During the investigations he was also greatly aided by the courteous coopera- tion of many people within the quadrangle and is indebted to the well drillers of the region, particularly to Mr. Charles Cummings of Gardner. Dr. M. M. Leighton, Chief of the State Geological Survey, and Professor T. E. Savage of the University of Illinois, offered valuable suggestions, criticisms, and information. The author is also obligated to several members of the faculty of the University of Chicago as well as to members of the State Geological Survey for helpful suggestions and criticisms in the preparation of the manu- script. 11 12 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Topography relief INTRODUCTION The Herscher quadrangle lies in a region known physiographically as the Glaciated Plains, which is a portion of the Interior Lowlands. This Fig. 2. Physiographic subdivisions of the Herscher quadrangle. region has the rolling topography characteristic of most glacial drift, modified by the work of streams, lakes, and wind. The Herscher quadrangle in its TOPOGRAPHY 13 southwestern portion is typical of the Glaciated Plains, but it is unique in its northeastern portion where it is crossed by the path of the Kankakee glacial torrent. Very little of the topography, except the bluffs of Kankakee River, is determined by the bedrock of the area. Nearly all the relief features are con- structional by glacial agencies, but in the path of the Kankakee glacial torrent they have been modified by running water and subsequently by wind. The greater portion of the quadrangle is occupied by a shallow basin between two glacial moraines (broad ridges of glacial drift), one on the southern edge and one in the northeastern corner. Nowhere is the topography rough, and the total difference in altitude between the highest and lowest points in the quadrangle is only about 210 feet. Pilot Knob, in sec. 2, T. 29 N., R. 10 E., is the highest point and stands slightly more than 750 feet above sea level. Physiographically the quadrangle may be divided into five distinct parts : (1) a northeastern morainic area, (2) an area of abandoned channels along Kankakee River, (3) an area of sand dunes and ridges, (4) an area of flat ground-moraine, and (5) a southern morainic area. Areas (1), (4), and (5) are glacial in origin, (3) is glacio-fluvial, modified by wind, and (2) is principally fluvial. (See figs. 2 and 3.) NORTHEASTERN MORAINIC AREA The northeastern morainic belt covers but a few square miles of the quadrangle. Its topography lacks the boldness and the knobs and kettles which are common to some moraines. Instead, it is a gently undulatory moraine. It is younger than the moraine which crosses the southern part of the quadrangle and may be a portion of the Rockdale moraine found farther north in the Wilmington and Joliet quadrangles, 1 or it may be a portion of the Minooka Ridge which, beginning at the head of Illinois River in the northeasten part of Grundy County, 2 extends northward along the eastern boundary of Kendall County into Kane County. AREA OF ABANDONED CHANNELS ALONG KANKAKEE RIVER The territory adjacent to Kankakee River is dissected by large channels that were cut by streams which marked the closing stages of the Kankakee glacial torrent (p. 66). A number of these channels are more than a quarter i Fisher, D. J., Geology and mineral resources of the Joliet quadrangle: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 51, pp. 71, 87-89, 1925. For the Wilmington quadrangle, personal com- munication with Dr Fisher. 2Leverett, Frank, The Illinois glacial lobe: U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. XXXVIII pp. 319-321, 1899. Culver, Harold E., Geology and mineral resources of the Morris quadrangle: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 43, p. 153, 1923. 14 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE of a mile wide and 30 or 40 feet deep. Kankakee River throughout most of its course across the quadrangle has carved a narrow, steep-walled gorge in bo it. C 3 C7" be bedrock. For about three miles west of the Will-Kankakee county line, the bluffs of Kankakee River are 50 to 75 feet high, in few places more than TOPOGRAPHY 15 1500 feet apart, and are known as "The Palisades" (fig. 4). Small terraces and islands add to the scenic charm of the river. AREA OF SAND DUNES AND RIDGES Extending across the quadrangle in a northwest-southeast direction west and south of the channel area is an area 5 or 6 miles wide of sand dunes, sand Fig. 4. Kankakee River from "The Palisades' Fig. 5. A typical view in the sand dune area south of Kankakee River, in sec. 7, T. 31 N., R. 10 E. ridges, rubble bars, and intervening swamps (see fig. 5). Many of the sand ridges in the area are 20 or 30 feet high, several miles long, and trend more or less parallel to the river. The irregular surface of this area is in striking contrast with that of the area to the south. 16 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE AREA OF FLAT GROUND-MORAINE This area consists of the portion of the Marseilles ground-moraine that is covered by silt, sand, and tine gravel (PL I). It lies just north of the southern morainic area and is a part of the local "prairies". (See fig. 6.) In appearance the topography simulates the old lake flats which are so com- mon in the states that border the Great Lakes. Rounded ridges of sand, few of which are more than 8 feet high, are scattered over the glacial drift and constitute the chief irregularities on the otherwise monotonous plain. The surface elevation increases from about 580 feet above sea level in the north- west portion to about 650 feet above sea level along the south border. The surface was modified by the Kankakee glacial torrent, to be described below. Fi°\ 6. View on the Marseilles moraine southeast of Herscher. SOUTHERN MORAINIC AREA The portion of the quadrangle terminal moraine constitutes what is This area is characterized by broad, which are much more conspicuous in moraine. Most of the basins, wdiich by streams and only the low ridges, erosion, remain as evidence of the glacial deposits. The north slope of mile. that is marked on Plate I as Marseilles herein called the southern morainic area, rounded knolls and wide shallow basins the terminal moraine than in the ground- were formerly enclosed, are now drained which have been somewhat modified by original topographic expression of the the moraine averages about 20 feet per DRAINAGE The two morainic ridges control the drainage and cause the streams from three-fourths of the quadrangle to flow into Kankakee River. The length CULTURE 17 of Kankakee River within the quadrangle is 8j^> miles, and in this distance its fall is nearly 10 feet. It flows with a rather high velocity and is dis- tinctly an eroding stream. It is cutting in bedrock, has a steep- walled chan- nel, except near Custer Park, and with minor exceptions has no flood-plain. The following data refer to Kankakee River at Custer Park: 3 Drainage area of Kankakee River above Custer Park, 4,870 square miles. Records from Nov. 6, 1914, to Sept. 30, 1918, made by a chain gauge, show: Maximum stage 13 feet, discharge 22,700 second-feet. Minimum stage 4.09 feet, discharge 250 second-feet (estimated;. Mean discharge for year ending Sept. 30, 1918, 2,320 second-feet. The main tributary of Kankakee River is Horse Creek, which heads in the morainic hills at the southern edge of the quadrangle and joins Kan- kakee River at Custer Park. Most of the remaining portion of the quadrangle is drained by Granary Creek, a branch of Mazon River. Although still in a youthful stage of development, the drainage is fairly well established except in the swampy sand area south of Kankakee River. The swamps have been formed in geologically recent times as a result of the irregular drifting of sand across natural drainage lines. Culture The culture is decidedly rural. Herscher, the largest of nine villages within the quadrangle, has a population of only 460. Herscher, Buckingham, Reddick, Caberry, and Union Hill are the trade centers for a very rich agri- cultural region. Essex, Bonfield and Custer Park are trading towns in the sand belt. Godley is the one surviving coal-mining town, although coal has not been mined there for over a decade. Torino and Clarke City are the abandoned sites of once flourishing coal towns. All of the quadrangle except the sand dune area is excellently adapted for agricultural purposes and is a part of the Illinois prairie land which is famous for its corn crops. Some good crops are raised in the drained lower portion of the sand dune area, especially north of Bonfield, but other parts of the sand dune area are not cultivated. A large portion of Reed township is so swampy that it can not be farmed. Most of the wooded areas are on the sand hills and along Kankakee River and the lower portion of Horse Creek. The rich farming land bears very little timber. A concrete road crosses the center of the quadrangle from east to west. The other roads, as a rule, are not improved. The ordinarv dirt roads in the 3 Grover. N. C, and Hoyt. W. A., Surface water supply of the United States, 1918; Part V, Hudson Bay and Upper Mississippi River basins: U. S. Geol. Survey Water- Supply Paper 475, pp. 12C-127. 1921. 18 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE southern half of the quadrangle are usually in good condition, but the loose sand in the northern part makes traveling by automobile or with heavy loads extremely difficult. The Warner bridge on the Kankakee-Will county line is the only road-bridge over Kankakee River between Wilmington and Kan- kakee. The region is well supplied with railroads. The main line of Wabash Railway from Chicago passes through Reddick, Essex, and Custer Park. A branch of Illinois Central Railroad passes through Herscher, Buckingham, and Caberry and swings north along the edge of the coal belt. A line of New York Central Railroad runs east and west through Reddick and Union Hill to Kankakee. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway passes through Essex and Bonfield, and Chicago and Alton Railroad crosses the northwest corner of the area. CHAPTER II— DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY Introductory Statement By a study of the crustal formations of the earth, geologists have found that during the long history of the earth most areas have been submerged by ocean waters at various times and consequently have been areas of deposi- tion, and at other times the same areas have been uplifted and subjected to erosion. These changes in the relations of land and sea, involving varia- tions in the configuration of shore lines and in the sizes of continents and continental shelves, were caused by warping movements of the crustal por- tions of the earth. These changes in turn had pronounced effect upon climatic conditions and the evolution of various forms of animal and plant life. By studying the fossil forms, the character, extent, thickness, structure, and location of rock strata, and the occurrence of unconformities which mark interruptions in deposition, geologists have worked out a considerable part of the history of the earth and have differentiated the following eras and periods: Table 1. — Geologic Chronology Eras Periods Dominant Life (After Schuchert) Cenozoic >> § Recent u , Pliocene .2 Miocene a3 Oligocene Eocene Age of mammals and flowering plants Mesozoic Cretaceous Comanchean Jurassic Triassic Age of reptiles Age of reptiles and medieval floras Permian Pennsylvanian Mississippian Devonian Silurian Ordovician Cambrian Age of amphibians and ancient floras Paleozoic Age of fishes Age of invertebrates Proterozoic Age of primitive invertebrates Archeozoic Age of larval life Formative eras of Earth History Probably dawn of unicellular life 19 20 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE In the Herscher quadrangle the consolidated rock formations which immediately underlie the mantle-rock consist of limestone, shale, and sand- stone. Limestone underlies approximately three-fourths of the quandrangle. With the exception of a few scattered ledges the rock is concealed hy a mantle of loose, surficial material whose thickness varies from a few inches to nearly 200 feet. Because of this covering, the geologic column (fig. 7) and the areal map (PI. I) have been based largely on the records of borings into the solid rock for water, oil, gas, or coal. As no borings penetrate the solid rock in the northwestern part of the area east of the coal basin, and as no outcrops occur there, nothing very definite is known concerning the character and the areal distribution of the bedrock in that vicinity. The outcropping rocks represent three of the seven Paleozoic systems — the Ordovician, Silurian, and Pennsylvanian. None of the borings is known to have penetrated rocks older than early Ordovician. Not all the strata represented in the columnar section (fig. 7) are en- countered in any one well, but the section is compiled from all available well records and rock outcrops in the quadrangle. The Pennsylvanian, for in- stance, generally rests not on Niagaran strata but on Alexandrian or Rich- mond. In the columnar section the strata are arranged according to age, and the indicated thickness is the average few the area. The following are logs of the deeper wells of the quadrangle. The more detailed records are from the files of the State Geological Survey: Oil Test near Herscher, NE. y 4 NW. % see. 32, T. 30 N., R. 10 E., Kankakee County Thickness Depth Pleistocene and Recent systems Eeet Feet Soil and till 41 41 Silurian system Alexandrian series Limestone 14 55 Ordovician system Richmond formation Shale, blue 84 139 Galena-Platteville formations Limestone, gray 461 600 St. Peter formation Sandstone Lee Wadleigh well, see. 17, T. 29 JV., R. 10 E., Iroquois County, about half a mile south of the Herscher quadrangle Thickness Depth Pleistocene and Recent systems Feet Feet Soil 4 4 Clay till 116 120 Gravel 4 124 Scale in feet 0-, - °r ° O.VO' I , / , 7 L~L 1 T FORMATION ., and swamp a _e-5o Torrential sand, gravel and rubble. |'.4o Rockdale drift and outwash. 0l 75 Marseilles drift. Unconformity. \ 0-80 McLeansboro sandstone, shale, No. — lenticular limestone at base. 35-80 Carbondale sandstone, shale, coal le: _ No. 2 coal at base. - 813 Potts ville shale. Unconformity. 60-izs Niagaran dolomitic limestone. 7~rz zzz nzj EZZ T~T T^ ^T 1 T ^=^ T~T T7T T~i ~n~r 13-21 3-15 Kankakee dolomitic limestone. Edgewood limestone, shale, and oolit Unconformity. Richmond shale, possibly some lime near base. Unconformity. Galena-Platteville dolomite. '00- ^ ~T~T i~n TTT ITT zzzz ETZ EZZ ' , / , / T—J. T~T ZZZ T~l ^1~71 1Z~L zzz ~m T~r i i r~r tS T~L ZZZ rzz Zr _ Unconformity. +230 St. Peter sandstone. Unconformity. ±125 Shakopee dolomite. ins New Richmond sandstone. ^ 3SS Oneota dolomite. Unconformity. Fig. 7. Columnar sectio 20 in: St( of 20 ar> th< ro< ou an th( to coi rec sta mc th( dei Pk Sil J On I Pie WELL LOGS 21 Lee Wadleigh well, sec. 17, T. 29 N., R. 10 £.— Concluded Thickness Depth Silurian system Feet Feet Niagaran and Alexandrian series Limestone, brown, hard 10 134 Limestone, gray 25 159 Ordovician system Richmond formation Shale, blue, some limestone 131 290 Galena-Platteville formations Dolomite, crystalline to subcrystalline, pyritiferous 460 750 St. Peter formation Sandstone, gray-white ; grains well rounded, moderately fine. . . . 225 975 Prairie du Chien series Limestone and sandstone 6 981 Limestone and shale 70 1051 Limestone, grayish-white, crystalline to subcrystalline 70 1121 Limestone, tan to gray, crystalline 180 1301 Kankakee Oil and Gas Company well near Essex, SW. % SW. Y\ sec. 11, T. 31 N., R. 9 E., Kankakee County Thickness Depth Feet Feet Pleistocene and Recent systems Sand, till, gravel 65 65 Silurian system Alexandrian series Limestone, dark gray to tan, shaly, subcrystalline to crystalline ; considerable pyrite and limonite 31 96 Ordovician system Richmond formation Shale, calcareous, dark gray 7 103 Limestone, brownish-gray, subcrystalline, some chert 12 115 Shale, gray ; some lime layers 7 122 Limestone, gray, subcrystalline 13 135 Shale, gray, with limestone layers, pyritiferous 45 180 Galena-Platteville formations Limestone, dolomitic, brownish-gray, containing pyrite and limonite 56 236 Limestone, dolomitic, yellowish-gray to pinkish-gray, sub- crystalline 44 280 Limestone, dolomitic, gray to nearly white, subcrystalline, some bitumen 20 300 Limestone, light tan to gray, subcrystalline 10 310 Limestone, dolomitic, light gray to tan or buff, some carbon- aceous matter 20 330 Limestone, light gray, subcrystalline, some carbonaceous material 10 340 22 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Custer Park well, on the section line between sees. 24 and 25, T. 32 N., R. 9 E., Will County Thickness Depth Pleistocene and Recent systems Feet Feet Soil and gravel 5 5 Ordovician system Richmond formation Shale 25 30 Galena-Platteville formations Limestone 80 110 Shale (possibly Decorah) 60 170 ' Limestone .' 330 500 St. Peter formation Sandstone 235 735 Prairie du Chien series Limestone ( Shakopee) 120 855 Sandstone (New Richmond) 100 955 Limestone (Oneota) 125 1080 Cambrian System Rocks of the Cambrian system have not been penetrated by any wells in the quadrangle, but they are undoubtedly present under the area. Cam- brian strata were entered by a drilling in the N W. *4 sec - 25, T. 34 N., R. 6 E., in the Morris quadrangle at a depth of 1202 feet. 1 A well at Minooka, drilled in 1886, is reported to have penetrated the Cambrian rocks, but no record is available. In 13 wells at Joliet the Cambrian strata were struck at depths varying from 1225 to 1405 feet, and at Streator at 1103 feet. At Custer Park the Cambrian would probably be encountered at a depth of from 1100 to 1150 feet, and at Herscher it would probably be encountered about 100 feet deeper. The Cambrian system contains sandstone, some limestone, and consid- erable shale. Some of the Cambrian sandstones which have been penetrated by wells in northern Illinois are highly porous, white or gray to reddish in color, and are composed of well-rounded grains. These strata are econom- ically important as water horizons ; the flow from wells in them is usually large. Ordovician System The oldest rocks that have been penetrated in the wells of the Herscher quadrangle are early Ordovician in age ; the oldest formation outcropping at the surface is late Ordovician. At Coal City the thickness of Ordovician strata is 1203 feet, and at Custer Park it is 1040 feet. The Ordovician rocks are divided into three series which may be readily recognized. These are the Lower Ordovician or Prairie du Chien series, i Culver, Harold E.. Geology and mineral resources of the Morris quadrangle: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 43, p. 105, 1923. ORDOVICIAX SYSTEM 23 the Middle Ordovician or Mohawkian series, and the Upper Ordovician or Cincinnatian series. LOWER ORDOVICIAN OR PRAIRIE DU CHIEN SF.RIES The Lower Ordovician or Prairie du Chien series, formerly known as the "Lower Magnesian" limestone, is typically made up of three members, the Oneota dolomite at the bottom, the New Richmond sandstone in the middle, and the Shakopee dolomite at the top. The exact thickness of the Prairie du Chien series in the Herscher ciuadrangle is not known, but it is probably between 350 and 400 feet. It varies from 150 to 600 feet in Illinois Valley, as determined from well records. In the Custer Park well the series consists of the following : Depth of Thickness bottom Feet Feet Limestone ( Shakopee) 120 855 Sandstone ( New Richmond) 100 955 Limestone (Oneota not completely penetrated) 125 1080 This alteration of limestone and sandstone formations is typical of the Prairie du Chien series in Illinois Valley. In a well at Coal City, north of the quadrangle, these three formations are represented, in descending order, by 125 feet of Shakopee sandy lime- stone, 113 feet of New Richmond sandstone, and 134 feet of Oneota lime- stone. Analogous situations are found in the Hoge well in the western part of the Morris quadrangle 2 and in wells in LaSalle County. 3 The Xew Richmond formation is not always a sandstone and may be a sandy limestone, as for instance in the Wadleigh well : Depth of Thickness bottom Shakopee formation Feet Feet Limestone and sandstone, containing pyrite, iron oxide, and magnetite 6 981 Limestone, fine-grained, containing some pyrite. iron oxide, and chert 70 1051 Xew Richmond formation Limestone, grayish-white, crystalline to sub-crystalline, contain- ing iron oxide and quartz grains resembling silicified oolite.. 70 1121 Oneota formation Limestone, tan to gray, crystalline, with some iron, pyrite, chalcedonized quartz, and quartz resembling silicified oolite.. 180 1301 2 Culver, Harold E., op. cit. pp. 105-107. 3 Anderson, C. B., The artesian waters of northeastern Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 34. pp. 199, 202, 1919. Cady. G. H.. Geology and mineral resources of the Hennepin and LaSalle quadran- gles: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 37. p. 32, 1919. The correlations of strata in these references is subject to revision, according to Thwaites. F. T., Stratigraphy and geologic structure of northern Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey, Report of Investigations 13, 1927. 24 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE The upper 76 feet of limy sediments in this record probably represents only the lower part of the Shakopee formation, the upper part having been eroded before the overlying sediments were deposited. Similar variations in the character of the New Richmond formation are shown in the records of the Peddicord well near Marseilles 4 and of the Joliet wells. 5 MIDDLE ORDOVICIAN OR MOHAWKIAN SERIES This series also consists of three formations in the Herscher quadrangle. The lowest one is the St. Peter sandstone, the middle one the Platteville limestone, and the upper one the Galena dolomite. The St. Peter sandstone is readily identifiable in well logs, but the last two are not always. They are therefore referred to in this report as the Platteville-Galena formations. It is impossible to establish the true character of the contact between the middle and lower series of the Ordovician or between the St Peter and the Platteville-Galena formations as in or near the quadrangle there are only two wells which penetrate these formations, but where the two contacts have been studied in northern Illinois they represent erosional unconformities. The thickness of the Middle Ordovician series is 705 feet at Custer Park, 685 feet in the Wadleigh well, and 620 feet in the Gardner city well. ST. PETER SANDSTONE The St. Peter formation has been found from 500 to 750 feet below the surface in the Herscher quadrangle. The differences in depth are due to one or more variables, such as differences in the surface elevations, irregularities in the top and bottom surfaces of the formation, and changes in the structure. A study of the only drill core taken from the St. Peter in this area shows the formation to consist of a gray-white sandstone made up of moderately fine, well-rounded grains. Its thickness is 225 feet in the Wadleigh well, 235 feet in the Custer Park well, and 100 feet in the Gardner city well. The nearest outcrops are in LaSalle County, and published descriptions are available. 7 4 Anderson. C. B., op. cit. p. 197. 5 Fisher, D. J., The geology and mineral resources of the Joliet quadrangle: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 51, pp. 141-152, 1925. 6 For a discussion of the problems of this formation see: Dake, C. L., The Problem of the St. Peter sandstone: University of Missouri School Mines and Metall., tech. ser., vol. 6, No. 1, 1921. 7 Sauer, Carl O., Cady, Gilbert H., and Cowles, Henry C, Starved Rock State Park and its environs: The Geographic Society of Chicago, Bull. 6, pp. 20-25, 1918 (published by the University of Chicago Press) . Cady, Gilbert H., Geology and mineral resources of the Hennepin and LaSalle quad- rangles: Illinois State Geol. Survey, Bull. 37, pp. 37-40, 1919. ORDOVICIAN SYSTEM 25 PLATTEVILLE-GALENA FORMATIONS The Platteville-Galena formations are found in the Herscher quadrangle at depths ranging from 30 to 290 feet; the wide variation is due to surface irregularities, local structure, and unevenness of the upper surface of the Galena limestone. Possibly in some borings the lower part of the overlying Richmond formation, which is locally limestone, has been confused with the Galena formation. The Platteville-Galena formations consist mainly of limestone and dolo- mite which have a crystalline to subcrystalline texture and usually a light or brownish gray color. In the Wadleigh well the entire thickness of 460 feet of Platteville-Galena strata is pyritiferous dolomite. In the Essex well there are 160 feet of interstratified limestone and dolomite containing some carbon- aceous material. Two other members or formations are recognized in some places, the Glenwood member in the basal part of the Platteville formation, and the Decorah formation which occurs between the Platteville and Galena forma- tions. The Glenwood member is represented by 15 feet of "transition beds" of dolomitic sandstone and shale in the well at the Kankakee Insane Asylum 8 and by 100 feet of dolomitic sandstone in a well at Gardner, about 3 miles west of the Herscher quadrangle. It would seem therefore that the member is present within the quadrangle. The member has been reported for many localities in northern Illinois. 9 In some places it is a greenish shale. The Decorah formation is best developed in northwestern Illinois and adjacent states. In the Herscher quadrangle it may be represented by the 60 feet of shale between limestone strata in the Custer Park well. In the Coal City well there is 30 feet of sandstone and in the Gardner well there is 35 feet of shaly limestone that are assigned to the Decorah formation. UPPER ORDOVICIAN OR CINCINNATIAN SERIES RICHMOND (MAQUOKETA) FORMATION The Richmond formation, commonly called the Maquoketa formation, especially in northwestern Illinois and northeastern Iowa, is the only forma- tion of Upper Ordovician age that is known in Illinois. It is the oldest forma- tion that crops out in the Herscher quadrangle and may be seen at many points along Kankakee River and at a few places along Horse Creek. The 8 Udden, J. A., Some deep borings in Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 24, pp. 52-53, 1914. 9 Bevan, Arthur, The Glenwood beds as a horizon marker at the base of the Platte- ville formation: Illinois State Geol. Survey Report of Investigations No. 9, 1926. Culver, H. E., op. cit., pp. 108-113. Fisher, F. J., op. cit., pp. 151-152. Cady, G. H., op. cit., pp. 39-40. 26 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Richmond formation in northeastern Illinois has been correlated with the Waynesville formation of Indiana. 10 A study of well logs and outcrops determines that the composition of the formation varies greatly. In the Essex well the Richmond formation consists of 7 feet of dark gray, calcareous shale; \2 T / 2 feet of brownish-gray subcrystalline limestone; 7 feet of gray shale; 13 feet of gray, subcrystalline limestone ; and 45 feet of gray, pyritiferous shale containing limestone layers. At Custer Park 25 feet of shale was recorded ; the upper part of the f orma- Fig. 8. Outcrop of Richmond shale containing thin beds of limestone, along Horse Creek just south of Custer Park, in sec. 24, T. 32 N., R. 9 E. tion had been eroded. The Wadleigh well penetrated 131 feet of blue shale containing some limestone beds. A few inches to 8 feet of olive-green to drab, locally calcareous Rich- mond shale outcrops in the south bank of Kankakee River half a mile west of the Warner bridge, in sec. 36, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. ; in the north bank of the river in the east part of sec. 35 and at several places in the east part of io Savage. T. E., Richmond rocks of Iowa and Illinois: Am. Jour. Scl., 5th ser., vol. 8, pp. 411-427, 1924. ORDOVICIAN SYSTEM 27 sec. 27, same township ; in a tile-ditch west of Custer Park ; and along Horse Creek 2 miles east of Essex. The shale in these outcrops is decidedly plastic when wet, but when dry it is brittle and breaks with a conchoidal fracture. It has poor cleavage, although it occurs in even, continuous beds, most of which are one-fourth to half an inch thick and few are more than l l / 2 inches thick. On the east bluff of Horse Creek, just south of Custer Park, there is ex- posed 8 feet of olive-green, plastic Richmond shale in which there are thin beds of nonfossiliferous, subcrystalline, gray limestone. (See fig. 8.) The beds of limestone are each less than one inch thick and occur at intervals of 8 inches to 1 J / 2 feet throughout the section. These strata represent only part of the upper Richmond formation, as the higher part of the formation, as well as overlying strata, has been eroded. Cores of holes drilled in the bottom of Kankakee River show a crystal- line, highly fossiliferous limestone below typical green Richmond shale. Table 2 — Mechanical analyses of Richmond shale (in per cent of the total sample by weight) Soluble Material Residue Sample No. Total Coarse Sand 1-.5 mm. Medium Sand .5-.25 mm. Fine Sand .25-. 1 mm. Silt .1-.01 mm. Mud .01 mm. 50 51 21.8 10.8 78.2 89.2 .3 .2 6.9 4.7 36.8 34.5 34.2 49.8 Average .25 5.8 35.65 42.0 The fossils in the limestone suggest that the rock represents the same lime- stone phase of the Richmond formation that outcrops in the banks of the river at Wilmington. 11 Mechanical analyses 12 of two samples of Richmond shale provided the results shown in Table 2. u Savage, T. E., op. cit. 12 The mechanical analyses which are included in this report were made by weighing a dried sample, treating it with dilute hydrochloric acid, drying and reweighing the residue to determine the soluble material, and then determining the grain size of the residue by the rate of fall of the material in water, the ratio between size of grain and rate of fall having been determined by previous workers. The usual procedure in making mechanical analyses of rocks is discussed in the following references: Milner, Henry B., Sedimentary petrography, London, 1922. Crook, Thomas, Economic mineralogy, pp. 89-112, 1921. Hatch, F. H, and Rastall, R. H, Appendix to the petrology of sedimentary rocks, 1913. Boswell, P. G. H M The application of petrology and quantitative methods of strati- graphy: Geol. Mag., ser. 6, vol. 3, pp. 105 and 163, 1916. Littlefield, M. S., Molding sands of Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 50, 1925. McCaughey, W. J., and Fry, "W. H, The microscopic determination of soil-forming minerals: U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Bull. 91, 1913. 28 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Sample No. 50 was taken along Horse Creek just south of Custer Park, and sample No. 51 is from "The Palisades" in sec. 35, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. Tests with bromoform showed that no heavy minerals were present. The residual grains coarser than 0.01 millimeter in size consist entirely of quartz and are angular to rounded in shape. Although their relations in the Herscher quadrangle are not definitely known, the Richmond formation and the underlying Galena limestone are usually considered to be separated by an erosional unconformity. In the east part of the quadrangle the Richmond formation underlies Alexandrian strata of the Silurian system, from which it is also separated by an erosional unconformity. The undulations of the old erosional surface on the Richmond formation can be traced at almost any outcrop at which the contact is exposed, and in sees. 26 and 27, T. 32 N., R. 10 E., the surface has a relief of more than 25 feet. The contact between green Richmond - — - J-^-^ rr^rr r—^ ±t±Mt Pennsylvanian formations Niagaran dolomite Alexandrian dolomite Richmond shale Fig. 9. Cross-section of the Herscher quadrangle along an east-west line one mile south of the Kankakee-Will county line. shale and yellowish Alexandrian dolomite is sharp and is exposed in nearly all of the outcrops of Richmond shale along Kankakee River. In the west part of the quadrangle the Richmond formation locally underlies strata of Pennsylvanian age. In the vicinity of Reddick and Buck- ingham, in the southwest part of the quadrangle, a limestone, presumably of Silurian age, underlies the coal-bearing formations and probably overlies the Richmond formation. North of Essex few wells reach bedrock, so that it is impossible to determine whether or not a belt of Richmond formation should be shown between the areas of Pennsylvanian and Silurian strata on the areal map (PI. II). The general relations of the Richmond, Silurian, and Penn- sylvanian formations in the area are shown in figure 9. Silurian System Silurian strata have a greater areal distribution in the quadrangle than those of any other Paleozoic system. In nearly all of the area east of the Coal SILURIAN SYSTEM 29 Basin, or in approximately three-fourths of the quadrangle, the unconsoli- dated surface materials are underlain by rock of Silurian age. The eastern edge of the Coal Basin marks the approximate western ex- tent of the Silurian rocks in the quadrangle, but at one time they prooably cov- ered the whole interior of Illinois. Pre-Pennsylvanian erosion separated the Silurian rocks of northeastern Illinois from those of northwestern Illinois and left the western margin of the northeastern portion, in the Herscher quad- angle, about where it is today (PL II). Erosion subsequent to the deposition of the Pennsylvanian formations exposed the underlying Richmond shale in places. The total thickness of Silurian strata increases eastward to more than 100 feet in places along the eastern edge of the quadrangle; the increase in thickness is due to the fact that the beds dip eastward and also that the surface of the bedrock rises toward the east (fig. 9). In spite of the wide distribution of these strata in the quadrangle, outcrops of them are rather limited in number and extent because they are thickly cov- ered by Pleistocene deposits. Most of the outcrops are along Kankakee River or in its vicinity, with the exception of outcrops at Bonfield, Lehigh, and near Essex, and consequently the study of Silurian strata is confined to the north- eastern part of the quadrangle. In Kankakee Valley the Silurian system consists of the Alexandrian and the Niagaran series, which are almost exclusively dolomitic limestones of varying composition. Because the lithology of the Niagaran and Alexandrian series is similar, it is difficult to distinguish one from the other in well records and consequently the mapping of the boundary between these two series is only approximate over the southern half of the area. ALEXANDRIAN SERIES The name Alexandrian as first proposed 13 included all Silurian strata be- tween the Maquoketa formation and Brassfield (Ohio Clinton) limestone in Illinois and eastern Missouri but was later extended to include the Brassfield limestone. 14 Strata included in the Alexandrian have been referred to under various names, such as Girardeau, Bowling Green, Edgewood, Sexton Creek, Channahon, Kankakee, and Essex limestones, Noix oolite, and Orchard Creek shale (see Table 3). Alexandrian rocks are known to outcrop in two areas in Illinois. One area is a discontinuous belt along Mississippi River from southern Illinois north to 13 Savage, T. E., On the Lower Paleozoic stratigraphy of southwestern Illinois: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 25, pp. 433-434, 1908. 14 Savage, T. E., Alexandrian series in Missouri and Illinois: Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer- ica, vol. 24, p. 352, 1913. 30 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHKP QUADRANGLE 3-2 > cu ft 3 O Ih o Oh o O ,3 Ih CO '3 O O Ih 2 *a3 <3 CO CO aS Ih pq 3 pq as o CO a ai ^d 3 Ih > co 3 O CO 13 Ih o Ph .3 3 H J! 13 3 o Ih o & .id o o 'hO ai .5P IS o s cu .s "u a >> aS '35 O CJ CO bfi /-n 3 h3 a3 P4 a! h3 CO > PQ 0J > aS 2 O CO CO s bfi "C .a 'rt PQ 2 *a3 (3 CO CO aS U. PQ -a o o bfl -3 W 03 O i — i •> — ' cu u O » O o IS ft o aS s O a 3 as T3 O O bfi *3 w CO *o 1— 1 > PQ Ih o Ph CU 'o ai P4 aS h3 CO /-v "aS -3 3 8 13 o _y "3 y rt "> 3 -* a! ^ 3 Ih •< as rn IT W WW t3 3 o o O co ^ .s bfi < -3 r c Ih CO .3 Ih O o Ih PQ Ih O Ph CU .3 'o aS aS h3 CO a! 3 zs 13 aj <3 V CO -3 « aS w 3 as XI -3 be c U 3 O 3 cu •- o S 5 ° jg s o w <£> cu Ih <3 ^-' CO 3 «* 1(5 co > Ih Ih 3 U .3 Ih o o S9U3<5 ^jod^oo-T UOJUIQ UBJB§Bl^[ UBUpUBX3jy LU9 *s^S lit wis 3 MH J3 ^ VO CM On '"' -1- C3 m r o cu ft u ft a^ l+H r^ CO 15 io 5 r\ II II J 5 KAIS KA 2 o _ ,G ^ C oj " M ^ to w |p CENOZOIC ERA 93 Valley was thereby decreased. As the torrent declined, it became divided and assumed a braided pattern among the rock ridges and rubble bars on the flat floor of Kankakee Valley. At one time the water that occupied channels between several bars in the east part of the Herscher quadrangle united to pass down the valley of Horse Creek, part of it spilling over into Granary Creek W ^7" 560' TERRACE 520' 600' TERRACE 560' 600 TERRACE 560' TERRACE 3 miles Fig. 33. Profiles showing terraces along Kankakee River and its tributaries. A— Sees. 24 and 19, T. 32 N., Rs. 9 and 10 E. B— Sees. 19 and 20, T. 32 N, R. 10 E. C— Sees. 22 and 27, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. D — Kankakee-Will county line. at the low divide a mile and a half southeast of Essex. However, most of the water probably flowed in the part of the valley now occupied by Kanka- kee River, and the preglacial valleys that are now occupied by Terry and Ryans Creeks were partially reexcavated. 94 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE As the size of the torrent decreased, the level of the water in Morris Basin fell accordingly. The highest of the abandoned channels in sees. 21 and 22, T. 32 N., R. 10 E., and the highest terrace along Kankakee River are at about the 600-foot level, which indicates that the water in Morris Basin stood at that level for some time. The lowest of the abandoned channels in the Herscher area and terraces along Kankakee River (figs. 33 and 34) and Horse Creek are at the 560-foot level, which indicates that later the water in Morris Basin also stood at that level. This substage has been also marked by beaches in Morris Basin and has been designated the Lake Morris substage. 12 As the Michigan lobe retreated, St. Joseph and Pawpaw rivers cut through the moraine and deflected most of the glacial waters away from Kankakee Valley into Lake Chicago. This marked the end of the Kankakee Torrent. Fig. 34. Kankakee River at Warner Bridge, Kankakee-Will county line. The top of the concrete at the left end of the bridge is level with a 560-foot terrace. Drainage Changes The drainage of the quadrangle in pre-Pleistocene times differed in many respects from that of the present. The general slope of the land surface was to the west instead of to the north. A stream heading south of Herscher flowed westward across Norton Township into a larger stream in Livingston County. Horse Creek had the same general course it has today. Ryans Creek was a branch of Terry Creek, and the two flowed northward in a channel in sec. 20 to join ancestral Forked Creek in the Wilmington quadrangle, (see fig. 30.) Kankakee Valley did not exist until after the building of the Marseilles and Minooka-Rockdale moraines, and by that time the preglacial 12 Culver, H. E., Geology and mineral resources of the Morris quadrangle. State Geol. Survey Bull. 43, pp. 178-180, 1923. Illinois CENOZOIC ERA 95 valleys were probably filled with till and outwash. After these moraines were built, drainage down Kankakee Valley was along the same general lines it is now. Later the whole stream pattern was temporarily obliterated by Kankakee torrent. With the passing of the torrent, Kankakee River chose its present channel with one exception — just above Custer Park the channel was divided by a rock island (sec. 18, T. 32 N., R. 10 E.) so that part of the water joined Horse Creek at Custer Park and part flowed northward around the island after which both distributaries entered Lake Morris. With the passing of Lake Morris, Kankakee River abandoned its course down Forked Creek and lowered its channel to its present level. The presence of Terry Creek with its ancestral channel much deeper than the present Kankakee River and at an angle to it, the vertical rock walls and talus slopes along Kankakee River and the gorge-like character of many of its tributaries indi- cate the relative youth of the present Kankakee River system. Recent History After the final retreat of the Wisconsin glacier the Herscher area was probably not heavily covered with vegetation for some time ; consequently the sands were readily susceptible to attack by the winds. Dunes were formed, in and across the channels of the torrent, the drainage was interrupted, and swamps and small lakes resulted. As vegetation gained a foothold the dunes became stationary, and the swamps and lakes began to drain or fill. At present only small shallow swamps and no lakes remain. As the Wisconsin glacier receded it uncovered the St. Lawrence Valley and thus opened an eastward route of drainage for the Great Lakes area. After this was accomplished, the lake in Morris Basin disappeared and Illinois River cut down to its present level. This enabled Kankakee River to lower its floor from 560 feet above sea-level to its present position. CHAPTER V— MINERAL RESOURCES General Statement The rock materials that are of commercial importance in the Herscher quadrangle are coal, limestone, sand and gravel ; clay and marl are of minor importance. Oil and gas are known to occur in small, doubtfully commer- cial amounts. Water resources and soils, as in all agricultural regions, are of fundamental importance. Coal Coal is the chief mineral resource of the Herscher quadrangle. At pres- ent there is no mining in the area ; nevertheless the coal remains as a potential resource to be developed when its mining becomes profitable or desirable. The western part of the quadrangle was once part of thriving coal mining district. Before the block coals of Indiana and the thick-seam coals of south- ern Illinois came on the market, the Wilmington district, as this vicinity is known in coal annals, was the chief source of Illinois coal used in Chicago. Many shafts were sunk in the Will County portion of the quadrangle and in the vicinity of Clarke City in Kankakee County. The coal field about Clarke City was considered a part of the Cardiff field to the southwest. When this area was at the peak of its production, over 20 years ago, the population of Clarke City was numbered in thousands ; today perhaps a dozen people live in the almost deserted village. Even more recently Torino was a thriving mining town ; now only a few empty shacks and a large coal dump mark its site. The Clarke City branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, built along the edge of the Coal Basin to take care of the coal trade, has been lying idle for years. At the time of the study active mines nearest the quadrangle were the Wilmington Star Mining Company's mine No. 7 at Coal City and the Skinner Brothers' mine at Braidwood. This area is part of the Longwall District or District I of the Illinois Coal Field. The district includes part or all of Bureau, Grundy, Kankakee, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Putnam, and Will counties. Coals Nos. 2 and 7 are the most important coals. (See fig. 35.) Some thin coals are present, but none of importance has been reported. The gen- eral extent of the coal beds is well known north of the center of Norton Township because of the numerous test holes that have been drilled in prospecting. The margins of the coal seams can not be indicated in detail. 96 97 1 — R. 3__E R. < J E. 1 1 H o o o o y / / T.j o I 1 T - |32 32f N.| o o o o I o , ,N. o O o 1 Ma :onia ■ •: • _\_ 1 \ So Vilmi jth lgton ■ ': 1 ■ Essex T| '.Cla rke 1 T - N.| ; • : • ■:CI y 1 N - • •• • / 1 • ;i : *= l / / 1 ' Re Jd ck. • • n • • • \ •. 1 \ \ T. •A T. 30 N. ( • • • • \ \ \ N. • ••Ca rdiff • \ \ \ \ L_ Bu ckingl 1 1 lamB - T.| 29 1_ T. ho, N.| N. __ R. 8 E. R. 9 E. 6 miles Scale • Test holes showing coal No. 7 o Test holes showing only coal No. 2 Outcrop of coal No. 7 Outcrop of coal No. 2 Fig. 35. Distribution of No. 2 and No. 7 coals in the Cardiff - South Wilmington area^ 98 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Differences in erosion have caused a decidedly irregular outcrop of coal, and there are a few small outliers of uncertain commercial value. POTTSVILLE COAL No coals of value below No. 2 coal are known to occur in the quadrangle. A well drilled below a mine dump in sec. 30, T. 31 N., R. 9 E., showed two thin coals, one 5 inches and the other 9 inches thick. These are probably in the Pottsville formation. In no other place was coal reported below No. 2 coal, except in the northeastern part of the quadrangle where thin seams of "black jack" or "bone coal" are entered in the drill records. Just north of the quadrangle, at Braidwood, three seams of coal aggregating 2 feet in thickness, were reported in about 58 feet of Pottsville sediments. CARBONDALE COAL NO. 2 COAL By far the most important coal in the quadrangle, both in extent and commercial importance is No. 2, which marks the base of the Carbondale. Because of the general absence of appreciable amounts of Pottsville sediments in the area, the eastward limit of the Penn sylvan ian strata marks the approxi- mate margin of No. 2 coal. At the time mining began approximately 25 square miles is thought to have been underlain by recoverable coal, the total amount being 71,000,000 tons. There are no complete records of the amount of coal that has been withdrawn and there is much uncertainty as to the actual position of the outcrop of the coal. No. 2 coal is not exposed in the Herscher quadrangle at present, but in the Chicago, Wilmington, and Vermilion mine No. 3, in the center of sec. 23, T. 31 N., R. 8 E., Grundy County it has the following characteristics: depth 185 feet; thickness of coal 36 inches; coal bright with occasional dull 'streaks at irregular intervals ; coal quite hard and brittle ; occasional thin bands or lenses of marcasite or pyrite ; very little calcite noticeable ; cleat poorly de- veloped ; undercutting of coal is in good fire-clay floor which shows no tend- ency to rise ; good soapstone roof contains numerous concretions and plant fossils. No chemical analyses of coal from the Herscher quadrangle are avail- able but coal from the South Wilmington and Braidwood areas usually shows a high moisture content and low ash. 1 The amount of sulphur varies from i Parr, S. W., The chemical composition of Illinois coal: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 16, pp. 203-243, 1910. Hawley, G. W., Analyses of Illinois coal: Illinois State Geol. Survey Coal Mining- Investigations Bull 272-A, 1923, COAL 99 2 to 5 per cent and the heating value, determined on the coal as received, aver- ages between 10,000 and 12,000 B. t. u from the South Wilmington field : The following is an analysis of coal Labora- Vola- tory Mois- tile Fixed Unit number ture matter carbon Ash Sulphur B.t. u. coal As 5375 received 16.84 38.37 41.19 3.60 1.74 11,508 dry 46.13 49.53 4.34 2.09 13,838 14,583 There is a strong shale roof over most of No. 2 coal in the quadrangle. Near the outcrop the roof is probably weak, and in many places till overlies the coal. Where No. 7 coal occurs, a sandstone is present in places over No. 2 coal, but a soapstone may intervene between No. 2 coal and the sandstone. The soapstone is usually more than 20 feet thick but is much less in some places. The floor is a soft grayish shale, improperly called fire-clay. The shale is plastic when wet. According to reports the floor in the old mines was good and showed no tendency to rise along the entries. Thicknesses of underclay varying from a few inches to 1 1 feet are recorded in well logs. COALS ABOVE NO. 2 COAL Several coals of unknown extent and importance occur locally above the No. 2 seam. These are shown in the logs on page 100. The age of these coals is uncertain where none of them can be identified as No. 7 coal. Those lying between No. 2 and No. 7 are, of course, of Carbondale age. The lenticular coal beds occurring a short distance above No. 2 coal are of peculiar interest because in adjacent regions, as at Cardiff and Clarke City, they have been found to be of minable thickness although of only local extent. In the Cardiff field a lens attaining a thickness of 12 feet and known as the "big vein" lies directly on, or as much as 30 feet above, No. 2 coal. 2 In the old Clarke City mine, a similar bed 5 feet thick was present and lay directly on No. 2 coal. 2 Cady, G. H., op. cit., p. 35. 100 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE The following logs of coal-test borings show coals between coals Nos. 2 and 7. Log of coal-test boring in the SW. Ya SE. Ya sec 6, T. 30 N., R. 9 E. Thickness Feet Soil and till 68 Shale 7 Coal, No. 7 ( ?) 1 Fire-clay 1 Shale 2 Sandstone, calcareous 4 Shale 3 Sandstone, calcareous 7 Shale, dark 10 Sandstone 1 Slate, black 4 Sandstone, calcareous 3 Slate, black 1 Coal 1 Fire-clay 1 Coal 4 Fire-clay 1 Coal Shale 2 Slate, black (pyrite) 4 Coal 5 Shale, dark 24 Inches 2 3 7 Coal, No. 2 Fire-clay Shale, carbonaceous, Shale Limestone Depth Feet Inches 68 75 2 76 5 78 84 87 94 104 105 110 113 114 115 116 121 122 123 125 130 135 159 162 166 167 170 178 7 7 1 9 4 10 2 2 6 2 11 11 Log of coal-test boring near the center of sec. 8, T. 30 N., R. 9 E. Thickness Depth Feet Inches Feet Inches Soil and till 73 3 73 3 Soapstone 16 6 89 9 Clod, dark 1 6 91 3 Slate, black 9 . . 100 3 Clod, dark 6 3 106 6 Coal 5 2 111 8 Fire-clay, slate, clod 6 2 117 10 Coal 10 118 8 Clod, fire-clay 4 6 123 2 Sandstone 34 6 157 8 Coal, No. 2 3 2 160 10 Fire-clay 3 2 164 Feet Inch 80 86 6 91 6 94 8 102 6 104 6 109 6 153 174 177 6 179 6 COAL 101 The following well log shows the usual sequence : Log of well in sec. 1, T. 30 N, R. 9 E. Thickness Depth Feet Inches Soil and till 80 Fire-clay 6 6 Slate, black 5 Coal, No. 7.. 3 2 Fire-clay 7 10 Limestone 2 Sandstone, calcareous 5 Sandstone, shaly 43 6 Soapstone 21 Coal, No. 2 3 6 Fire-clay, "black jack" 2 MC LEANSBORO COAL NO. 7 COAL The coal seam known as No. 7 coal in the South Wilmington field under- lies parts of Grundy, Livingston, and Kankakee counties. It is not mined at present in the Herscher quadrangle, nor is it exposed. At one time it was mined and shipped from the old Clarke City mine. In the present bulletin, coal No. 7 refers to the coal from 2 to 5 feet thick lying above and separated from No. 2 coal by 30 to 80 feet of shale, sandstone, limestone, and local coals. The interval between coals Nos. 2 and 7 is less where the intervening coal known as the "big vein" 3 is present. Wherever the interval exceeds 80 feet the "big vein" is missing but where it is 60 feet or less the thick coal occurs. The difference in the interval may be caused in part by the difference between the amount of shrinkage of coal-forming materials and that of other sediments. About 10 square miles of the Herscher area are underlain by this coal (fig. 32). Perhaps a large part of it could be worked but it is reported to be of rather low grade, and high in sulphur. The roof, as shown in drill records, is usually a soapstone or black shale, but in places it is a sandstone or a soft noncohesive clay shale, called clod by the miners. The floor is fire-clay 1 to 13 feet thick. COAL MINING There are at present no open mines nor mine equipment in the quad- rangle. Early mining operations were conducted on a small scale near the margin of the coal where "gin" shafts operated by horse power could be 3 Cady, G. H., op. cit., p. 101. 102 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Table 8 — Production of coal in Kankakee and Will counties since 1870 Kankakee County - Will County - Percentage Percentage Quantity of State Quantity of State Year Tons production Tons production 1870 228,000 8.6 1880 984,908 16.1 1886 73,678 .6 287,512 2.5 1887 97,000 .7 284,040 2.2 1888 82,000 .5 347,105 2.4 1889 67,380 .5 342,372 2.8 1890 62,460 .4 288,131 1.8 1891 90,908 .5 233,613 1.5 1892 92,158 .5 113,847 .6 1893 88,700 A 81,725 .4 1894 57,883 .3 20,717 .1 1895 83,513 .4 38,675 .2 1896 72,395 .3 86,950 .4 1897 180,683 .9 25,682 .2 1898 84,632 .4 40,904 .2 1899 129,262 .5 42,275 .1 1900 109,129 .4 55,323 .2 1901 67,195 .2 56,646 .2 1902 48,439 .1 40,792 .1 1903 74,226 .2 49,240 .1 1904 76,538 .2 1905 700 .01 137,957 .3 1906 39,499 .09 154,955 .3 1907 26,704 .05 183,985 .3 1908 30,994 .06 162,239 .3 1909 25,000 .04 162,307 .3 1910 124,652 .2 1911 178,397 .3 1912 130,806 .2 1913 149,926 .2 1914 136,758 .2 1915 141,416 .2 1916 80,885 .15 1917 89,022 .1 1918 64,501 .07 1919 34,700 .05 1919-20 35,493 .05 1920-21 19,968 .02 1921-22 18,144 .03 1922-23 9,284 .01 1923-24 5,046 1924-25 . 8,016 1925 (July 1-Dec. 31) , 9,342 CLAY AND SHALE 103 sunk and coal removed to meet the local demand. Hoke's shaft and Gam- ble's shaft in sec. 8, and Conklin's shaft in sec. 19, T. 31 N., R. 9 E., are examples of these. Low mine dumps still mark their locations although they have been abandoned for over 30 years. With the installation of coal-burning locomotives on the railroads, min- ing activities were particularly stimulated in the northern part of the area near Godley and Braidwood due to the proximity of Chicago. Large waste heaps in that vicinity indicate that the mines were operated for years. When Clarke City was a thriving mining town, some No. 7 coal and a large amount from the "big vein" was mined, but most came from No. 2 coal. The maxi- mum output was 500 tons daily. Between 500 and 600 acres of No. 2 coal were removed in the 1 2 years preceding 1 908. The mine last operated in the quadrangle was located at Torino and was known as Diamond Mine No. 6 of the Wilmington Coal Mining and Manu- facturing Company. The shaft was located in the NE. % NW. y A SW. J 4 sec. 31, T. 32 N., R. 9 E. It was sunk in 1905 and abandoned in 1920. The maximum capacity of 800 tons per day was reached in 1914. Between 210 and 220 acres of No. 2 coal were mined. The vein averaged from 36 to 38 inches in thickness and its depth below the surface was 91 feet at the shaft. The floor and roof were soft, especially in the east entries. About 300 gallons of water per minute were pumped regularly. Table 8 gives the data on the production of coal in Kankakee and Will counties since 1870. 4 Much of the area, particularly the region around Torino, shows evidence of surface subsidence 5 where coal has been removed. The water-table stands near the surface most of the year and a couple of feet of subsidence renders it swampy and unfit for agricultural purposes. A large part of sec. 31 was under water during the summer of 1924 as a result of subsidence. When the thin coals of the Longwall District can be mined in profitable competition with other coals of the country the region will once more regain at least a part of its former prestige. It has advantages in that the coal lies near the surface, roof and floor conditions are good for the longwall system of mining, the coal is of good grade, it stands shipping well, and the district is near large markets. Clay and Shale 6 At present none of the clays or shales of the quadrangle are commer- cially exploited. However, some of the Ordovician, Pennsylvanian and Pleistocene sediments are suitable for the manufacture of ceramic products. 4 Cady. G. H.. op. cit., pp. 121. 142. 5 Young 1 , L. E., Surface subsidence in Illinois resulting from coal mining: Illinois State Geol. Survey Coal Mining Investigations Bull. 17, 1916. 6 Rolfe. C. W., Purdy, R. C. Talbot. A. N., and Baker I. O., Paving brick and paving brick clays of Illinois: Illinois State Geol, Survey Bull. 9, 1908. 104 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE The Richmond shale has a rather line, even texture, and a low calcium carhonate content, especially in its weathered portions. It is very plastic and smooth when wet. Where essentially noncalcareous it might possibly he used in the manufacture of brick or hollow ware, or in the manufacture of cement. However specific tests must he made before the value of the clay can be stated with accuracy. There are several Pennsylvanian shales which might prove suitable for brick or tile making. The shale above No. 2 coal at the Chicago, Wilmington, and Vermilion coal mine No. 1 at South Wilmington just west of the Her- scher quadrangle has been shown by analysis to be good for common and face brick and hollow ware. 7 This shale is available only when the coal mines are in operation. The clay in the mine dumps is a possible source of Fig. 36. A view of Lehigh Stone Company quarry from the east. Note the crusher and stock pile in the distance. The rock in the foreground has been stripped. material for common brick and tile. Pottsville clay below No. 2 coal may prove to be of value when more is known about it. The glacial till usually contains too many boulders and pebbles for use in making clay wares. Locally the till is relatively free from pebbles and may be a source of clay for brick or tile as at Coal City. 8 Limestone and Dolomite The quarrying of limestone is at present the chief mineral industry in the quadrangle and has been carried on for many years. The quarry of the Lehigh Stone Company in sec. 7, T. 30 N., R. 14 W., is the largest (fig. 36). 7 Stull, R. T., and Hursh, R. K., Tests on clay materials available in Illinois coal mines: Illinois State Geo!. Survey Coal Mining- Investigations Bull. 18, pp. 51-53, 1917. 8 Culver, Harold E., Geology and mineral resources of the Morris quadrangle: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 43, p. 196, 1923. LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE 105 A small quarry is being operated by the township at Bonfield. Other small, local quarries are in sec. 35, T. 32 N., R. 10 E., sec. 26, T. 32 N., R. 10 E., and sec. 20, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. (PI. I). The stone from the small quarries is used for road construction or repair and as a foundation stone for farm buildings. The product of the Lehigh Stone Company is largely crushed stone, which is used for flux, aggregate, agricultural limestone, ballast, and building stone. The magnesia and sul- phur content of the rock is too high for use in cement. The amount of stone available for quarrying in the Herscher quad- rangle is very great. There are several large areas where the limestone is within a few feet of the surface. Where the bedrock is covered by two feet or less of surface materials it is shown on Plate I as outcropping. Some of these areas are near enough to railroads to permit quarrying on a large scale. There are also many sites where small quarries for local supply could be opened at a low cost. In general the Edgewood limestone is too soft or shaly for aggregate or construction purposes, but it has been used to some extent for surfacing roads. The Kankakee limestone is not desirable for construction purposes be- cause it weathers to a yellowish or reddish brown color very soon after quarry- ing. It makes an excellent stone for road building and repairing. It has not been used as agricultural limestone, but its high calcium carbonate content indicates that it is well suited for this purpose. The Niagaran dolomite is an excellent stone for the various purposes mentioned above. Judging from the analyses of Lehigh stone (Table 9) most of the Niagaran outcropping within the area would serve excellently as agricultural limestone. Table 9 — Analyses of Lehigh stone a Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Average Iron and alumina 1.2 Insoluble matter 6.3 Calcium carbonate 50.8 Magnesium carbonate 41.6 Calcium carbonate equivalent 100.3 The analyses show that the Lehigh stone has a high calcium carbonate equivalent and is very suitable for neutralizing acid soils. This same stone is a high-grade product for road building as shown by tests in Table 10. a Analyses by the Illinois State Agricultural Experiment Station. 1.4 1.1 1.2 3.7 8.3 6.1 63.8 50.4 51.7 41.2 39.5 40.8 02.7 97.4 100.0 106 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE Table 10 — Average of eight physical analyses of Lehigh stone a Specific gravity 2.64 Weight in pounds per cubic foot 165 Water absorbed in pounds per cubic foot 2.65 Per cent of wear 5.2 French coefficient of wear 9.5 The rubble deposit of Kankakee Torrent, especially that in the area south of Bonfield, is largely limestone. In many places it is from 5 to 10 feet thick, and has a very shallow soil covering, and could be removed readily with a steam shovel and crushed for road use. Its only impurities in many places are clean sand and gravel. Gravel All of the gravel deposits within the quadrangle are a part of the Pleisto- cene sediments, that is, glacial outwash, torrential gravels, or kames. The northern part of the quadrangle is particularly well supplied with gravel, but much of the gravel is rather coarse and commonly contains pebbly glacial clay. The clay occurs in an amount too small to decrease the value of the deposit appreciably. The locations of most of the pits in the quadrangle are shown on Plate I. Deposits of well-rounded gravel are found along Ryans Creek in sec. 21, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. This gravel is even textured and not very coarse, and its sand content is rather small. It makes an excellent road material either crushed or uncrushed and can be used in concrete. There is a similar deposit south of Kankakee River in sec. 19, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. These gravel deposits are thought to be remnants of glacial outwash from the Minooka or Rockdale ice. The deposits of Kankakee Torrent in many places consist of coarse gravel and sand which could be used as road ballast. A few small pits in these gravels supply stone for road repairing and local concrete work. The Marseilles kame in sec. 1, T. 29 N., R. 10 E., contains a large amount of poorly sorted gravel, sand, and silt in beds and pockets. The material is being used mainly for road repair. The clay and silt content renders the material unfit for concrete, but it is used to some extent because sand and gravel are scarce in that vicinity. (See fig. 37.) Sand The whole northern half of the Herscher quadrangle is covered with sand. Most of the sand is clean, even textured, and angular and can be a Compiled from Krey, F., and Lamar, J. E., Limestone resources of Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 46, pp. 53-56, 1925. SAND 107 used as fine aggregate, in small concrete structures, or in concrete surfacing, or in railroad filling. Mechanical analyses of two samples of this sand are given on page 72. Sharp sand, either clean or containing a small amount of iron oxide, could be used as core sand for small castings and brass work in foundries. Any high silica sand of fine, even texture may be used as core sand, but the presence of some ferruginous material is sometimes desired. A good core sand should be even textured, highly refractory, and have, if possible, some bond or cohesive material such as iron oxide that will not "burn out" when heated. Too much bond reduces the permeability and renders the sand of little value for core-making because it will not allow the gases to escape from the casting. — - Hi Fig, 37. Gravel in the kame in sec. 1, T. 29 N., R. 10 E. The pockets of silt and rock flour are detrimental to its use. A fine-textured core sand for the manufacture of small articles, such as hardware or brass and aluminum w r are, occurs in the vicinity of Ritchey and Custer Park. In this locality gravel hills are capped by wind-blown sand which varies in thickness from 3 to perhaps 20 feet. The upper 2 to 4 feet is a rather "sharp," fine, even-textured sand and contains a small amount of iron oxide bond w r hich gives it a yellowish brown color. This sand is sold as core sand. Below the upper sand there is from 4 to 7 feet of reddish-brown, very compact molding sand. This sand is similar to the core sand except that it contains a much greater amount of iron oxide, and therefore it has greater 108 GEOLOGY OK HERSCHER QUADRANGLE cohesion and less permeability. It could probably be used as a molding sand for small and medium sized castings. The molding sand at Custer Park has not been shipped to any great extent, but it has been actually tried and found to be serviceable. The total amount of this sand can not be accurately determined, but there is at least 40 acre-feet of molding sand of varying quality on either side of Kankakee River in the vicinity of Custer Park. The amount of core sand in this vicinity is approximately the same as that of molding sand. Most of the available supply on the south side of the river at Custer Park, and about five acres on the north side, has been already removed (fig. 38). Fig. 38. Core sand pit across the river from Custer Park. The face is about 4 feet high — three feet of core sand and 1 foot of stripping. There are three producers" near Custer Park who ship approximately 275 cars of core sand per year. Most of the sand is used in Chicago. 10 Marl In sec. 27, T. 32 N., R. 10 E., on a terrace on the north bank of Kankakee River, is a small deposit of marl. The terrace is cut in Richmond shale and is covered with impure calcium carbonate formed by the evapora- tion of spring water. The carbonate is also partially made up of the remains of Pleistocene and Recent shells, and for that reason is here called a marl, although it is just as truly a travertine. 9 Mineral Industry Map and Directory, p. 54, January 1, 1927. io For a description of the properties of molding sand and the location of deposits in Illinois, see Littlefield, M. S.. Natural bonded molding sand resources of Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 50, 1925. OIL AND GAS 109 The deposit is rather limited in extent, probably covering not more than three acres, and varies in thickness from 1 to 5 feet. It contains some limestone fragments and other impurities which have been washed down the slope during the process of its accumulation, but because of its unconsoli- dated state it could be used as a local source of lime for soils. Oil and Gas Several factors determine whether or not oil may occur in a given area. It is not necessary that prospectors be able to recognize all of them, but they are nevertheless instrumental in the formation and accumulation of the oil. First of all there must be a source-bed in which the oil was formed. Any bed which once contained a large amount of organic matter buried in such a way that it was preserved and metamorphosed through physical, chemical, and bio-chemical processes into petroleum, is a source-bed. Such a bed is usually shale or limestone, but frequently it is impossible to recog- nize the source-bed from which an oil came because the reservoir-bed in which the oil occurs may not be the source-bed. The presence of a probable source-bed in an area is no indication that oil is sure to occur but assurance that no source-beds are present in the vicinity would eliminate the area from favorable consideration. It is not necessary to find the source-bed in oil prospecting if the reservoir-bed is known to have yielded showings of oil. Recognition of the source-bed is important, however, for other areas in which it is known to occur should be studied for the favorable occurrence of reservoir-beds, cap-rock, and structure. If conditions are right, such areas should be tested for oil. A second requisite for oil accumulation in commercial amounts is the presence of a suitable reservoir-bed, such as a porous sandstone or a porous, cavernous or fissured limestone. Oil that is widely disseminated through an impervious rock cannot be pumped out in commercial quantities. The rock must be of such a character that the oil is free to flow readily under pressure. Another requisite is that there be a cap-rock, that is a shale or an im- pervious stratum, over the reservoir-bed to prevent the upward migration and dissemination of the oil. A fourth necessary condition is the presence of rock structure suitable for the accumulation of oil. As oil is usually associated with water and as there is an active circulation of the underground waters, the structures must allow the oil to accumulate above the water or in places where it may be trapped out of the course of the circulating waters. The most common structures which satisfy the conditions are domes or anticlines and terrace structures on monoclines. The oil would be expected to accumulate on the high part of the structure in the Illinois region. 110 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE In most regions, such as the Herscher area, drilling need not be carried on blindly because the formations in the area are known and those which carry oil in other localities are also known. Furthermore, drill records show the quantity of oil encountered. Small oil seeps have been reported in various parts of the quadrangle but care should be exercised before pronouncing the film on the surface of pools of water to be oil. Usually such a film is due to hydroxide of iron and not to oil. If it is an iron film it will break up when stirred with a stick but if it is oil it will not break. The iridescent iron film is usually more lustrous than an oil film. The Platteville-Galena and the Pennsylvanian formations are the only ones in the area which have been known to carry oil. The Pennsylvanian does not merit consideration because it is too near the outcrop and lacks the proper structure. The Platteville-Galena limestone, which is capped by the impervious Richmond shale, is the most likely reservoir-bed in the area. There are small fields which show some oil 11 in the "Trenton" (Platteville- Galena) in Lake, Newton, Jasper, Porter and La Porte counties in north- western Indiana, but they have not been operated at a profit. One of these fields is about 40 miles east of the Herscher quadrangle. In the area about Herscher approximately 20 wells have been drilled into the Galena. About 12 of these are located in the northern part of sec. 32, T. 30 N., R. 10 E. Of these nine were pumped for eight months and then abandoned. The largest well produced 25 gallons of oil in 24 hours of pumping, but most of them produced from 5 to 10 gallons daily. All were small gassers ; the largest one flowed about 32,000 feet at from 6 to 10 pounds pressure. Although the available data do not permit a definite con- clusion as to the cause of the small production of the wells near Herscher, it is believed that both low pressure in the reservoir rock and the small size of the openings in the reservoir are responsible. Probably the low per- meability of the reservoir is the more important factor. The well drilled for oil near Essex in the SW. *4 SW. y<\ sec. 11, T. 31 N., R. 9 E., gave a good showing of oil and considerable gas in the upper part of the Galena. Water in many of the wells which penetrate the Galena is highly mineralized and gives off gas. These wells have proved the pres- ence of oil and gas in small but not commercial amounts. The exact delineation of structure in the Galena from known data is impossible. There is without doubt an anticlinal fold which seems to have an east-west trend in the vicinity of Herscher. Drilling in that area however li Logan, W. N., Petroleum and natural gas in Indiana: Indiana Dept. of Conserva- tion, Div. Geology, 1920. SOILS 111 has indicated that oil in commercial quantities almost certainly does not exist there. No favorable structure is known to occur where the Essex well was located. The anticline crossing Kankakee River two miles west of the Kankakee-Will county line may also exist in the Galena formation and may be worth testing, but the chance of obtaining oil in commercial quantities is exceedingly small. Soils The relation of various geologic processes at work in the quadrangle to the types of soils formed is interesting. A detailed map of the soils of Kankakee County has been prepared by the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station. 12 The types of soils listed in this soil report are as follows: Upland prairie soils Brown silt loam Brown silt loam on rock Black clay loam Drab clay loam Brown sandy loam Brown sandy loam on rock a Gravelly loam Upland timber soils a Yellow-gray silt loam a Yellow silt loam a Yellow-gray sandy loam Terrace soils Black clay loam Brown silt loam over gravel a Brown-gray silt loam on tight clay Brown sandy loam Brown sandy loam on rock a Yellow-gray sandy loam Dune sand Late swamp and bottom-land soils Deep peat Medium peat and clay Medium peat and sand a Peaty loam on rock Mixed loam a Muck The best and most abundant soils are the brown silt loam and the brown sandy loam. The brown silt loam soil covers most of the morainic area, a Not reported in the Hersher quadrangle. 12 Hopkins, Cyril G., Mosier, J. G., Van Alstine, E, and Garrett, F. W., Kankakee County soils: University of Illinois Agr. Exper. Sta. Soil Rept. 13, 1916. 112 GEOLOGY OF HERSCHER QUADRANGLE but some black clay loam occurs in the originally undrained areas of the uplands. The brown sandy loam constitutes the main soil in the area cov- ered by Kankakee Torrent. The brown silt loam soil is composed of the loess-like material which covers most of the morainic area. Where this fine wind-blown material has been washed away, till constitutes the base from which the loam originated. The soils are known as "prairie" soils and are among the best in the State. The brown sandy loam was formed mainly from the sand and pebbly silt carried by Kankakee Torrent but there has been some admixture by water and wind action. This soil is less sandy in northern Norton, northern Pilot, and southern Essex townships than it is farther north. In the places mentioned it is perhaps even a better soil than the silt loam, because it is more open and easier to farm. Farther north it is too sandy and is rather low in plant foods, much of the sub-soil is "quicksand," and drainage is very difficult because the tile drains cannot be kept open and in place. The large area of dune sand in the northern part of the region is prac- tically worthless for cultivation without the application of large amounts of organic matter and lime. Although fair crops could be raised on these dunes, deforestation usually results in disaster because the dunes begin to migrate. Swamps cause a great amount of waste land in the sand area. Water does not usually cover the area to a great depth, but due to the peat or "quicksand" below, the swamp land cannot be drained except possibly by the construction of open ditches. Because small bogs are so numerous and the soil is so poor it is probably more economical to use such land only for pasture. Water Supply Herscher quadrangle is well supplied with water, from both surficial and bedrock sources. Most of the water is hard, and much of it is sul- furous. The water is obtained either from shallow wells in the glacial till or sand and rubble or from wells in the Niagaran, Alexandrian, and Penn- sylvanian series, and very rarely from springs. Few water wells in the quadrangle go below the Silurian limestone. Most springs occur at the Edgewood-Richmond contact along the bluffs of Kankakee River. There are innumerable seeps and small springs wher- ever this shale is exposed. The impervious shale allows the descending water to pass through it very slowly, if at all, and causes most of it to accumu- late in the lower beds of limestone above and there develop a lateral circu- lation. Some of these permanent springs provide excellent drinking water and are a boon to the campers and fishermen along the river. Two excep- tionally large springs occur in the SE. *4 NE. *4 sec - 27, and in the SE. WATER SUPPLY 113 y A NE. 34 sec. 35, T. 32 N., R. 10 E. Other small springs occur at various places in the sand and till and provide excellent water for stock. Although water in small quantities is easily obtained from shallow wells, only exceptional shallow wells have large flow or do not "sand up" when pumped for any considerable length of time. For these reasons, as well as because of danger of contamination by surface waters, deep wells are usually preferred. In the vicinity of Essex and northward, the sand and rubble rests on till and due to its flat attitude and relatively low elevation is saturated below depths of 5 to 10 feet during most of the year. A well may be made simply by driving a well point down to the water-table. Rapid pumping soon brings up sand, but by slow pumping a large quantity of water is obtained. Wells of this kind are practically the only ones found in the area north of Essex. Along the western margin of the quadrangle and south of the sand belt the water is obtained from the Pennsylvania strata. The wells vary in depth, and apparently many of the strata are acquifers. The water, however, is usually sulphurous, and much of it is salty. Some of the wells emit con- siderable quantities of gas. The well at the town hall in Reddick is 268 feet deep and is in limestone underlying the Pennsylvanian formation. The water has a high salt content as its analysis shows. 13 It is probable that better water could be obtained from the St. Peter sandstone which lies at a depth of from 700 to 750 feet in that vicinity. Most of the wells in the southern part of the quadrangle get water from the glacial till. Many, however, penetrate the underlying Silurian limestone at depths varying from 50 to 150 feet. The limestone is thin, but as it over- lies the impervious Richmond shale, it carries a large quantity of excellent water. Over most of the quadrangle east of the "Coal Measures" and north of the Marseilles moraine, water is obtained from the Silurian lime- stone. It is rather hard but rarely if ever sulfurous. Some of the wells in this portion of the quadrangle penetrate the Galena dolomite, but much of the water is salty or contains considerable sulfur. The water obtained in the few wells which enter the Galena dolomite is highly mineralized. If a supply of good water can not be secured from the surficial deposits or the Silurian limestone, it seems advisable to try the St. Peter sandstone which occurs at a depth of about 500 feet at Custer Park and 750 feet just south of Herscher. The location of many of the wells which penetrate bedrock is shown on Plate I. Few of these are flowing wells, but nearly all are under con- siderable pressure, which lifts the water toward the surface. A few of the wells east of Herscher are flowing wells but these are not differentiated on the map. 13 Anderson, Carl B., The artesian waters of northeastern Illinois: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 34, p. 241, 1919. INDEX A Page Abandoned channels, area of 13 Acknowledgements 11 Alexandrian-Richmond contact 28 Alexandrian series, correlation of . . 30 description of 29-53 generalized section of 31 outcrops of 29, 31 source of water 112 Alexandrian epoch, events during. . .81-82 Analyses, chemical, of Niagaran dol- omite 105 Mechanical, of dune sand 72 of Kankakee dolomite 50 of Niagaran dolomite 56 of Noix oolite 35 of Richmond shale 27 Physical, of Niagaran dolomite. . 106 Alluvium 72-73 Anticosti region, connected with Illi- nois embayment 82 Atrypa sp 31 Attawapiscat formation, correlation of 30 B Bainbridge formation, correlation of 30 Belvidere moraine 88 "Big vein" coal 99,101,103 Bloomington moraine 88 Bog materials 72 Bonfield, Niagaran dolomite at 55 Bonfield quarry 104 Bonfield, town of 17 Boulders, torrential 68-69 Bowling Green limestone, correlation of 30,44 Braidwood, location of mining 96 Brassfield limestone, correlation of. .29, 30 Buckingham, town of 17 C Caberry, town of 17 Calymene celebra 56, 57 Page Camarotoechia sp 31 Cambrian period, events during 80 Cambrian system, description of ... . 22 Total thickness penetrated 80 Carbondale coal . . .98-101 Carbondale epoch, events during 84 Carbondale formation, description of 60 Cardiff coal field 96-97 Cataract formation, correlation of . . 30 Cenozoic era, events during 85-95 Cerro Gordo moraine 88 Channahon limestone, correlation of .30, 43 Channels cut by Kankakee torrent . . 69 Champaign moraine 88 Chebanse, torrential overflow at. . . . 91 Chicago, Wilmington, and Vermilion mine No. 3, No. 2 coal in 98 Cincinnati Arch 81 Cincinnatian series, description of.. 25-28 Clarke City, town of 17, 96 Clathopora frondosa 31 Clinton formation, correlation of... 30 Coal, analysis of 99 Coal City, Prairie du Chien in well at 23 Coal City, location of mining 96 Coal, mineral resources 96-101 Coal mining 101, 103 Coal production in Kankakee and Will counties since 1870 102 Coal-test borings, logs of 100 Core-sand 107 Cowan Brothers' quarry, Kankakee formation in 48 Cowan Brothers' quarry, Niagaran dolomite in 55 Cross-section, stratigraphic 28 Cross-sections, physiographic 14 Culture 17-18 Cummings, Charles, assistance of . . . 11 Custer Park, data on Kankakee River near 17 Custer Park well, log of 22 Custer Park, town of 17 Cyrene limestone, correlation of 30, 44 115 116 INDEX— Continued Page D Danville, Permian deposits near 85 Dawsonoceras annulatum 56 Decorah formation 25 Dixon, thickness of Cambrian pene- trated at 80 Drainage 16 Drainage changes 94-95 Dresbach sandstone 80 See also Cambrian system Dune sand 70-72 Mechanical analyses of 72 E Eau Clair formation 80 See also Cambrian system Edgewood formation, correlation of 30,42-43 description of 31-38 generalized section of 31 outcrops of 31 thickness of 31, 32 Edgewood-Richmond contact 112 Edgewood sediments, compared to Niagaran and Kankakee 82-83 Edgewood time, events during 82 Ekwan formation, correlation of . . . 30 Erie lobe, effect on torrent 90 Essex, compound dune near 71 Essex limestone, correlation of.... 42, 43 description of 38-44 fossils from 40-42 generalized section of 31 geologic section of 38, 39,40 outcrop along Horse Creek 38 Essex, town of 17 F Fossils, from Essex limestone 40-42 from Kankakee formation 51-53 from Niagaran dolomite 56-58 Franconia formation 80 See also Cambrian system G Gas production 110 Geologic chronology, table of 19 Geologic history, interpretation of . . 79 Pace Girardeau limestone, correlation of . . 30 Glacial drift, depth of 20 Glacial till, source of water 112, 113 Glaciated Plains 12 Glaciation 86-88 Glenwood shale 25 Godley, town of 17 Gower limestone, correlation of ... . 30 Gravel, Minooka-Rockdale 65, 66 Torrential 68 uses for 106 Granary Creek, area drained by 17 Ground-moraine, area of 16 Grundy County, Minooka Ridge in. 13 Guelph limestone, correlation of . . . . 30 H Herscher, town of 17 Homocospira sp 31 Hopkinton limestone, correlation of. 30 Horse Creek, area drained by 17 Essex limestone along 38 preglacial course of 94 Huntington formation, correlation of 30 Iron films, not to be confused with oil films 110 Iron oxide, in Kankakee dolomite.. 51 J Joliet, city of 11 Joliet limestone, correlation of 30 quarried by Lehigh Stone Com- pany 53 Joliet quadrangle, Rockdale moraine in 13 K Kane County, Minooka Ridge in. . . . 13 Kankakee basin, see Morris-Kanka- kee basin Kankakee County, coal production in 102 Kankakee formation, correlation of 30, 44,53 description of 44-53 exposures of 50 fossils from 51-53 INDEX— Continued 117 Page generalized section of 31 geologic section of 48, 49 mechanical analyses of 50 structure of 77 thickness of 46 Kankakee-Niagaran contact 45 Kankakee River, bluffs determined by bedrock 13 bridge over 17 data on 17 flood-plain 72 length in Herscher quadrangle... 17 terraces along 93, 94 Kankakee River system, youth of . . . 95 Kankakee sediments, compared to Edgewood and Niagaran 81-82 Kankakee Torrent, channels cut by. . 13 deposits by 66-69 erosion by 69-70 Kankakee Torrent stage, events dur- ing 89-94 Kankakee Valley, history of 94-95 Karst topography in Niagaran dolo- mite 84 Kendall County, location of Minoo- ka Ridge 13 L Labradorean peninsula, source of Wisconsin glacier 86 Lake Border moraine 88 Lake Chicago, deflection of glacial waters into 94 Lake Morris 94, 95 Lee Wadleigh well, log of 20 Lehigh Stone Company quarry, in Joliet limestone 53 largest quarry 104 Niagaran dolomite exposed 55 Leighton, Dr. M. M., assistance of . . 11 Limestone quarrying 104 Lockport formation, correlation of . . 30 Longwall District of coal field 96 Louisville formation, correlation of. 30 "Lower magnesian" series 23 M Mantle rock 20 Maquoketa formation (see Rich- mond) Page Marcasite, in Kankakee dolomite... 51 in Niagaran dolomite 56 Marseilles moraine 88 Marl 108 Marseilles drift formation, descrip- tion of 63 distribution of 63 thickness of 63 character of 63 boulder count from 63 kame in 63 depth of leaching on 64 Marseilles moraine 88 Marseilles ground-moraine, descrip- tion of 16 modified by Kankakee Torrent ... 16, 69 Marseilles stage, events during 88 Marseilles terminal moraine, de- scription of 16 Mayville limestone, correlation of.. 30 Mazomanie sandstone 80 See also Cambrian system McLeansboro coal 101 McLeansboro epoch, events during. . 84 McLeansboro formation, description of 60-61 Mechanical analyses Dune sand 72 Comparison of 82-83 Kankakee dolomite 50 Niagaran dolomite 56 Noix oolite 35 Richmond shale 27 Mesozoic era, events during 85 Minooka Ridge, location of 13 Minooka-Rockdale drift formations . 65-66 Minooka-Rockdale moraine, modi- fied by torrent 69 Minooka stage, events during 88 Michigan ice lobe, effect on torrent. 90 Mitcham, James R., assistance of.. 11 Mohawkian series, description of... 24 Molding sand 107 Morainic belt, northeastern 13 Morris-Kankakee basin 11 glacial history of 89-94 torrential deposits in 66-69 torrential erosion in 69-70 118 INDEX— Continued Page Mt. Simon sandstone 80 See also Cambrian system N New Richmond sandstone 23, 24 New Richmond time, events during. 80 Niagaran dolomite, chemical anal- yses of 105 correlation of 30 description of 54-58 distribution of 54 fossils from 56-58 karst topography in 84 lithologic characteristics of 54,55 mechanical analyses of 56 outcrops of 55 physical analyses of 106 sink-holes in 61-62 uses for 104 water-bearing 112 Niagaran-Kankakee contact 45 Niagaran sediments compared to Edgewood and Kankakee 82-83 Noix oolite, correlation of 30, 42, 43 description of 33-38 generalized section 31 geologic section of 33, 34 mechanical analyses of 35 origin of 34, 36-37, 42 Northeastern morainic area 13 O Oil and gas accumulation, factors in 109 Oil-bearing formations 110 Oil films and seeps 1 10 Oil-test, log of 20 Oneota sea 80 Oolite (see Noix oolite) Oolite grains (see spherulites) Orchard Creek limestone, correla- tion of 30 Ordovician period, events during.. 80 Ordovician shale for ceramics pro- ducts 103 Ordovician system, description of.. 22-28 P Paleozoic era, history of 79-85 Paleozoic rocks, outcropping 20 Page "Palisades" along Kankakee River. 14 Paw Paw River, deflection of glacial waters by 94 Pennsylvanian shale for ceramics products 103 Pennsylvanian period, events during 84 Pennsylvanian system, description of 58-62 correlation of 59 distribution of 58 generalized section 59 outliers 61-62 source of water 112 structure of 78 thickness of 58 Pentamerus oblongus zone 31, 47,48,49,50,51 Physiographic cross-sections of Her- scher quadrangle 14 Pilot Knob, highest elevation 13 Platteville-Galena formations, de- scription of 25 structure of 76 Platteville-Galena time, events dur- ing 81 Platymerella manniensis zone 31, 40 significance of 42 Pleistocene clay for ceramics pro- ducts 104 Pleistocene period, events during. .86-95 Pleistocene system, description of.. 62-70 Prairie du Chien epoch, events dur- ing 80 Priarie du Chien series, description of 23 Preglacial drainage 87, 94-95 Post-Niagaran pre- Pennsylvanian interval, events during 84 Port Byron limestone, correlation of 30 Port Nelson limestone, correlation of 30 Pottsville clay for ceramics products 104 Pottsville coal 98 Pottsville epoch, events during 84 Pottsville formation, description of. 59-60 Pyrite, in Kankakee dolomite 51 in Niagaran dolomite 56 INDEX— Continued 119 Page R Racine limestone, correlation of 30 Railroads 18 Recent deposits, description of 70-73 Recent history 95 Reddick, town of 17 Reddick, town well at 113 Rhynchotreta sp 31 Richmond-Alexandrian contact 28 Richmond-Edgewood contact 34 Richmond formation, description of. 25-28 Richmond formation, surface of... 76 Richmond shale for ceramics pro- ducts 104 Richmond shale, mechanical analyses of 27 Richmond time, events during 81 Rockdale-Minooka drift formations.65-66 Rockdale moraine, age of 88 location of 13 Rockdale stage, events during 89 Rock structures, determination of . . 73 Rubble deposits, description of 66-67 uses for 106 Rutile, in Kankakee dolomite 51 in Niagaran dolomite 56 in Noix oolite 36 Ryans Creek, channel reexcavated by torrent 69 preglacial channel 86, 94 S Saginaw ice lobe, effect on torrent. . 90 Sand and rubble, source of water.112-113 Sand, uses for 106, 107 Sand dunes, area of 15 Savage, Professor T. E., assistance of 11 Schuchcrtella sp 31 Secondary minerals, see mechanical analyses Severn limestone, correlation of ... . 30 Sexton Creek limestone, correlation of 30 Shakopee dolomite 23, 24 Shakopee time, events during 80 Shelby ville moraine 88 Sink-holes in Niagaran dolomite. . .61-62 Silurian period, events during 81 Page Silurian system, areal distribution of 28-29 provisional correlation of 30 structure of 76 See also Alexandrian and Ni- agaran Skinner Brother's coal mine 96 Spherulites, description of 36 Springs, occurence of 112 St. Joseph River, deflection of gla- cial waters by 94 St. Peter sandstone, description of . . 24 St. Peter sandstone, structure of... 73-76 St. Peter time, events during 81 Stratigraphjc cross-section 28 Strickland inia pyriformis zone.... 31,45,47,48,49,50,51 Structure of : Kankakee dolomite 77 Pennsylvanian strata 78 Platteville-Galena formations .... 76 Silurian strata 76 St. Peter sandstone 73-76 Soils 111-112 Southern morainic area 16 Subsidence due to coal removal .... 103 T Terraces along Kankakee River .... 94 Profiles showing 93 Terry Creek, channel reexcavated by torrent 69 Preglacial channel 86, 94 Topography 11-16 Torino, town of 17-96 Torrential deposits 65-69 Torrential erosion 69-70 Tourmaline, in Noix oolite 36 Trempealeau formation 80 See also Cambrian system U Union Hill, town of 17 V Valparaiso moraine 88 120 INDEX— Concluded W Page Wabi formation, correlation of ... . 30 Wadleigh well, log of (see Lee Wadleigh) Waldron limestone, correlation of . . 30 Warner bridge over Kankakee River 17 Water supplies 112-113 Waucoma limestone, correlation of. 30 Waukesha limestone, correlation of. 30 Well logs 20-22, 100-101 Will County, coal production in 102 Wilmington district, source of coal. 96 Page Wilmington Star Mining Company. 96 Wilmington quadrangle, Rockdale moraine in 13 "Winston" limestone, correlation of. 30 Wisconsin glacial epoch, events dur- ing 86-94 Z Zaphr cutis sp 48, 51 Zircon, in Kankakee dolomite 51 in Niagaran dolomite 56 in Noix oolite 36