UNIVERSITY OF 
 CALIFORNIA 
 
 SCJENC 
 
 "* 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OP SCIENCES 
 CAltFOBNlA / LIBRARY 
 
Original Portrait by Alva Bradish. 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTON 
 GEOLOGIST, LAKE 
 
MEMOIR 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, 
 
 FIRST 
 
 STATE GEOLOGIST OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING REPORTS, OR ABSTRACTS 
 OF THE FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, AND A CHRONO- 
 LOGICAL STATEMENT OF THE PROGRESS OF 
 GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION IN 
 MICHIGAN, > 
 
 BY 
 
 ALVAH BRADISH, A. M;, 
 
 t 
 
 CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, BUFFALO, N. Y. ; CORRESPONDING 
 
 MEMBER OF THE ALBANY SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE ; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE 
 
 HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN ; ACADEMICIAN AND MEMBER OF 
 
 COUNCIL OF THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF DESIGN, BEFORE 
 
 THE GREAT FIRE OF 1871, AND 
 
 PROFESSOR OF THE FINE ARTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 MICHIGAN, DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF 
 
 HENRY P. TAPPAN. 
 
 l - Wading the streams by day, tortured by swarms of mosquitos at night often short of 
 provisions, and often drenched by rain were it not that courage is uplifted by the 
 love of science, both for its own sake and the good it is to accomplish, the task of 
 the pioneer explorer would be hard indeed.' 1 Houghton. 
 
 " The life of a man of science belongs to his country and his age. 11 ? 
 
 DETROIT : 
 
 KAYNOR & TAYLOR, PRINTERS AND BINDERS, 
 
 96, 98 and 100 Bates St. 
 
 1889. 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 gifted men who had been associated with him. It is due to the science that 
 he loved and advanced, and not less to the citizens of Michigan, who watched 
 his progress and stood by him, and who have instructed their Eepresentatives 
 at Lansing, to honor his memory and secure memorials of his person. It is 
 due also to those younger citizens, who have known of Dr. Houghton only by 
 vague reports, or by his name so familiar to their eyes on the map of the 
 State, that his memory should not be a name only, but an heritage to be appre- 
 ciated and enjoyed down to the latest generation. 
 
 I should have been well pleased if some one more competent than my- 
 self could have gathered these materials, arranged and traced his career from 
 his earliest school-boy life, in a way to have explained his studies and labors 
 and illustrated his character. 
 
 I cannot omit to mention in this connection, my obligation to Hon. 
 Bela Hubbard, whose brief memoir of Dr. Houghton, published in the 
 fl Journal of Science," in 1847, and whose intimate personal acquaintance 
 with its subject, have proved of valuable aid to me, in the preparation of 
 this larger work. 
 
 In the meantime, materials and reminiscences, though still meagre, have 
 been gathered, until by insensible degrees they have assumed an importance 
 that would seem to justify this attempt to arrange them for publication, and to 
 present to the public a connected narrative of his brilliant career. 
 
 The close intimacy of the author with Dr. Houghton with his father, 
 mother and brothers would naturally furnish information that could be derived 
 from no other sources. 
 
 I am also persuaded that a re-print of his Geological Reports, or a por- 
 tion of them, will be deemed a welcome contribution to scientific literature 
 not alone from their intrinsic merits, but from their being to some extent a 
 record of the labors of these earlier Geologists of the State. It should be 
 remarked that these reports are now so entirely out of print, that it is doubtful 
 if a complete copy can be found in the public libraries at Detroit, at Lansing, 
 or at Ann Arbor. 
 
 In the Appendix will be found a summary of such reports as it is 
 thought not advisable to include in full ; also a general statement of the works 
 that have been published since the death of Dr. Houghton, pertaining to the 
 Geology of Michigan. It is believed that this portion of the volume will be 
 especially acceptable to all intelligent readers who wish to be informed of 
 what has been accomplished by the pioneers of the Geological Survey of the 
 State. 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 The full-length portrait of Dr. Houghton of which the frontispiece 
 will give some idea has awakened such a wide spread interest in the State, 
 and the petitions for its purchase have been so numerous and urgent, that it is 
 thought only just to his memory to include in the appendix, a few of these 
 testimonials to the very great excellence of the memorial portrait, coming as 
 they do from the highest authority in the State of Michigan. 
 
 After no little hesitation, it has seemed to me that I could not well 
 ignore the suggestions and demands of a plain duty. What I have said must 
 serve to interpret the motives and explain the appearance of this volume. 
 
 It may be stated that these Memoirs are intended for the unscientific as 
 well as for the learned, and for all readers who can sympathize with the labors 
 and achievements of the pioneer geologists of Michigan. 
 
 Experts in the natural sciences will no doubt find in this volume mis- 
 takes and short comings ; but as the author had not been trained in any special 
 school of science, he begs that his readers who have been more fortunate 
 will exercise a liberal and magnanimous spirit towards these memorials of 
 
 Douglass Houghton. 
 
 ALVAH BRADISH. 
 
" If I have awakened any one here and there to think 
 seriously of the complexity, the antiquity, the grandeur, the 
 true poetry of the things around them even the stones be- 
 neath the feet, if I shall have suggested to them the solemn 
 thoughts that all these things, and they themselves still more 
 are ordered by laws utterly independent of man's will about 
 them, man's belief in them ; if I shall at all have helped to 
 open their eyes that they may see, and their ears that they 
 may hear the great book that is free to all alike, to the 
 peasant and peer; to men of business as to men of science, 
 even that great book of nature, which, as Lord Bacon, says : 
 ' of old the word of God revealed in facts ' then I shall have 
 fresh reason for loving the science of geology, which has 
 been my favorite study since I was a boy." 
 
 Rev. Charles Kingsley. 
 
 " A physical fact is as sacred as a moral principle 
 Our own nature demands from us their double allegiance." 
 
 L. Agassiz. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 MEMOIR OF DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 
 PAGES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. - 1-14 
 
 Houghton Ancestry Judge Houghton, 1 Parentage Boyhood 
 Family, 8 Education, 10 Invitation to Detroit, 13. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 15-29 
 
 Success in Detroit Professional Career in Michigan, 15 School- 
 craft Expedition, 17 Scientific Pursuits, 19 Inception of a 
 Natural History Survey of Michigan, 25 State Legislators 
 and Geology Diplomacy, 26. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 30-43 
 
 Appointed State Geologist, 30 Plan of the Survey Its Char- 
 acter and Results, 31 Annual Reports Novel Conclu- 
 sions, 33 Methods Hardships Incidents, 34 Suspension 
 of State Survey, 39 Plan for Connecting the Geological 
 with the Linear Surveys of the Public Domain Its Accept- 
 ance, 40 Professorship in the University, 43. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. - 44-75 
 
 Honors, 44 Society Personnel Home and Family, 45 Popu- 
 larity Mayor of Detroit, 48 Anecdotes, 49 Materials for 
 Final Report on the Geology, Topography and Natural 
 History of the State, 51 Social Intercourse The Detroit 
 of that day Anecdotes, 54 Association of Geologists, 60 
 The Storm on Lake Superior Duty Death, 64 The 
 News at Detroit Public Manifestations, 67 General Re- 
 marks, 69. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 PAKT I. V . .;- ;.. - '- , 76-87 
 
 Pen Portraits of some of the early friends of Dr. Houghton at 
 Detroit Gen. Lewis Cass, 77 Gov. Stevens T. Mason, 78 
 Gen. Sylvester Larned, 79 Dr. Zina Pitcher, 80 Henry 
 N. Walker, 81 Henry R. Schoolcraft, 82 Col. Henry 
 Whiting, U. S. A., 83 Charles C. Trowbridge, 84 Young 
 Men's Literary Society, 85. 
 
 PARTII. y - " "'-' - - '- "-- ... -' .,- 88-97 
 Statements Regarding the Death of Dr. Houghton, 88 Letter 
 of Hon. E. H. Thompson, 90 Statements of his two surviv- 
 ing Voyageurs, 92 Resolutions of Common Council of 
 Detroit, 96 Cenotaph at Ann Arbor, 97. 
 
 PART III. .... -.'.-.' ,- - - - - - 98-112 
 
 The Houghton Portrait, 98 The Proposed Monument, 99 
 Testimonials, 1 03 William A. Burt and his Solar Compass, 
 105 Discovery of Gold by Dr. Houghton Recollections of 
 Samuel W. Hill, 107 A Memorial Window, 108. 
 
 PART IV. - - '. . 113-132 
 
 Letters of Dr. Houghton To Hon. Augustus Porter, (1840), 
 113 To Richard Houghton, (Feb,1832), 117 To same, 
 (June, 1832). 118 To Hon Jacob Houghton, (Dec., 1834), 
 121 To same, (April, 1836), 125 To same, (Jan., 1841), 
 126 To same, (March, 1841), 128 To same, (Nov., 1841), 
 130. 
 
APPENDIX. IX 
 
 PART V. GENERAL SUMMARY AND SYNOPSIS OF THE WORK 
 
 DONE UNDER THE FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN, 133-286 
 
 First Organization, (1837), 134 lie-organization and Report, 
 
 Official Corps, (1838), - 135 
 
 Second Annual Report, (1839), - 136-140 
 
 Northern Portion of Lower Peninsula, 136 Change in 
 Elevation of the Waters of the Lakes, 137 Documents 
 Keport of A. Sager, Zoologist, 138 Eeport of John Wright, 
 Botanist, 139 Keport of S. W. Higgins, Topographer, 139 
 Reports of C. C. Douglass and Bela Hubbard, Assistant 
 Geologists, 140. 
 
 Third Annual Report, (1840), ........ 141-153 
 
 Southern Slope of Upper Peninsula Suspension of 
 Departments of Zoology and Botany, 142 Documents 
 Report of Topographer, 142-152 Procuring Copies of 
 Patents Progress of Maps of the Counties, 143 Roads and 
 Highways Chicago Turnpike or Trail, 148 Natural Woods 
 of Michigan, 145 Variation of the Magnetic Needle, 147 
 Decrease in Elevation of the Waters of the Lakes, 152 
 Report of C. C. Douglass Details of the Coal-bearing Rocks 
 Report of B. Hubbard Southern Range of Counties 
 Ancient Lake Ridge, 153. 
 
 Report of State Geologist relative to the Salt Springs, (Jan., 1840) 155 
 
 Fourth Annual Report, (Jan., 1841), - - - - 156-278 
 
 General Description and Features of the Upper Peninsula, 
 157 General Geology of the same, 165 Section, Order of 
 Superposition of the Rocks of the Upper Peninsula, 173 
 Primary Rocks, 173 Trap Rocks, 176 Metamorphic 
 Rocks, 182 Conglomerate Rock, 184 Mixed Conglomerate 
 and Sand Rock, 186 Red Sandstone and Shales, 188 
 Upper or Gray Sandrock, 192 Tertiary Clay and Sands, 193 
 Mineral and Mineral Veins, 196 Progress and Condition 
 of the Survey, 229 Documents, Report of Frederick Hub- 
 bard, Special Assistant, (1840), Variations, Latitudes, 
 Survey of Harbors, 230 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Fourth Annual Report, (Jan., 1841) Continued. 
 
 Keport of C. C. Douglass, (1841) General Character and 
 Geology of Northern part of Lower Peninsula, - - 231 
 
 Report of B. Hubbard, (1841), with Geological Section, 233-260 
 General Geology of the Organized Counties of Michigan 
 Rocks of Michigan South of Saginaw Bay, 234 Diluvial 
 or Erratic Group, 235 Ancient and Recent Alluvions, 240 
 Tertiary Clays, 242 Coal Measures, 244 Section of Coal 
 Basin of Michigan, 249 Slates and Flags of Lake Huron, 
 251 Section of Rocks Below the Coal Basin, 255 Dip of 
 Rocks, 256 Diagram of Strata passed through at the Salt 
 Well, Grand Rapids, 257 Summary of the Results of the 
 Survey in Lower Peninsula, 260. 
 
 Report of S. W. Higgins, Topographer, (1841), . - r - 265-278 
 
 Magnetic variation in Michigan, 265 The Magnetic Meri- 
 dian traced, 269 Burt's Solar Compass, 27 2 Elevation and 
 Depression of the Waters in the Great Lakes, 274 Table of 
 same compared with June 1819, 278. 
 
 Report of the Geologist relative to the State Salt Springs, (Jan., 
 
 1842), - 279 
 
 Fifth Annual Report of State Geologist, (Jan., 1842) Limits of 
 the Copper and Lead Districts Condition and Wants of the 
 Department, - - - v'-'.r ' * V - - 280-282 
 
 Report of the Condition of the Work at the State Salt Springs, 
 
 (Jan., 1843), ... - . . 282 
 
 Sixth Annual Report of State Geologist, (Feb., 1843) Progress 
 towards Completion Publication of the State and County 
 Maps, - 283-284 
 
 Seventh Annual Report of the Geologist, (Feb., 1884), - - 285-287 
 
 Arranging of Materials for the Final Report Completion 
 of Maps Figuring and Engraving of Sections, Fossils, etc., 
 285 Opportunity for Perfecting the Work in the Upper 
 Peninsula through the U. S. Linear Surveys, 286. 
 
 Remarks of Judge Campbell relative to the materials amassed 
 
 by Dr. Houghton, for his Final Report, , - - 287 
 
APPENDIX. XI 
 
 PART VI. SUMMARY OF GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN MICHI- 
 GAN, SINCE THE DEATH OF DR. HOUGHTON, - - 289-298 
 
 Pamphlet, with Map of the Mineral Region of Lake Superior, 
 
 by Jacob Houghton, Jr., and T. W. Bristol, (1847), - 289 
 
 Reports by Wm. A. Burt and Bela Hubbard, from the field 
 notes of Dr. Houghton, on the portions of the South Shore 
 of Lake Superior being surveyed by him at the time of his 
 death, - - - ' - 290-292 
 
 General Geology and Topography of the coast from Choco- 
 late to Carp Rivers, 291 The Granite and Metamorphic 
 Rocks Argillaceous and Micaceous Oxides of Iron First 
 published accounts of the Iron Ore beds of Michigan, 291 
 General character of the Keweenaw Point district The new 
 system of Dr. Houghton for uniting Geological with the 
 Linear Surveys, 292. 
 
 Second pamphlet (July, 1846; by Jacob Houghton, Jr. - 293 
 
 Joint Resolution of the Legislature of Michigan, relative to 
 the Notes, Specimens, Maps, Engravings, etc., made and 
 preserved for the State by Dr. Houghton, and in reference 
 to the completion of his Final Report, - 293 
 
 Act of Legislature of Michigan, approved Feb., 1859, " To 
 
 finish the Geological Survey of the State," 294 
 
 Appointment of Prof. Alex'r Winchell State Geologist His 
 
 first Biennial Report, (Dec., 1860), 294-295 
 
 Observations on the Geology, Zoology and Botany of the 
 Lower Peninsula Refers to Act of Congress of 1847, 
 for the Geological Exploration of the Lake Su- 
 perior district, and Appointment of Dr. C. T. Jackson, 294 
 Continuance of the Survey by Foster and Whitney, U. S. 
 Geologists, - - 295 
 
 Their Report on " The Copper Lands," (1850), and on " The 
 Iron Region," (1851) Including Reports on the Fossils, by 
 Prof. James Hall, and on the Zoology of Wisconsin, by Dr. 
 Lapham and Charles Whittlesey, with observations by the 
 latter on the fluctuation of the Lake Surfaces, 295. 
 Commission to B. Hubbard, in 1846, to report upon the 
 Geology of the districts on Lake Superior being subdivided 
 by the U. S. Linear Surveyors, - - 296 
 
XII 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 PART VI. Continued. 
 
 Inauguration of new State Geological Survey, by Act 01 
 March, 1869 Establishing a "Geological Board," - - 296-298 
 Vols. 1 and 2 published with Atlas, 1873 (Upper Peninsula) 
 by T. B. Brooks, E. Pompelly and Dr. Kominger, 297 Vol. 
 3 published, 1876, with Geological Maps, (Lower Peninsula) 
 Vol. 4, 1881, Iron Region, (Upper Peninsula), by C. 
 Rominger, 298. 
 
 Lecture by Prof. Bradish "Biographical Sketch of Dr. 
 Houghton" Correspondence (1867), - - - 298 
 
 Description of the Full Length Portrait of Dr. Houghton, 
 (Engraved in Frontispiece), - - * > - .'.- - 300 
 
MEMOIR OF DR. DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PARENTAGE BOYHOOD EDUCATION CALL TO DETROIT. 
 
 . V * '"' 
 
 THE American branch of the Houghton fainify was seotlea 
 in the town of Bolton, Mass., near Boston. The ancestors of 
 Jacob Houghton, the father of the subject of this memoir, 
 came over from England about the year 1658. Bolton, Lan- 
 caster, in England, has been the home of this family from the 
 time -of the conquest. The name was spelled De'Houton; it 
 was a Norman race. The old castle or tower of Houton, a 
 plain venerable structure, still stands, and has been until 
 recently, occupied by the present representative of the family. 
 
 Mr. Houghton, of Fredonia, was a lawyer by profession; a 
 gentleman of culture and acquainted with books. He had 
 kept up some correspondence with his namesake in England, 
 and he would very naturally feel some interest in the records 
 and traditions of his early ancestors. If he felt some pride 
 in keeping alive this sentiment, it was at least without osten- 
 tation; for this pride if we must give it a name of reputable 
 
2 MEMOIR OF 
 
 connections was never obtruded on others. With him it was 
 an amiable sentiment, not a passion, and it would be a mis- 
 apprehension of his character to suppose he entertained any 
 special reverence for titles unless they were deserved, and had 
 been won by great and heroic deeds. This feeling of rever- 
 ence for olden times and old country ways, was, however, a 
 deep sentiment, though in no way offensive. In all his inter- 
 course with neighbors, socially and in business, of all men 
 that I have ever known, Judge Houghton was the most free 
 from all assumption or arrogance; the most frank, guileless 
 and even childlike. He was a great favorite with young peo- 
 ple; the girls delighted to have him as an escort or a compan- 
 ion. 'Px^iclaildren loved him. Mr. Houghton was thoughtful 
 . for .tltie welfare of his neighbors; very tender and delicate in 
 bestowing favors on his friends and on the needy. His rever- 
 en.ce for woman was great; it had the flavor of the old days of 
 chivalry, without its extravagance. It was deep, pure and 
 artless. In money matters he was too liberal, and he gave 
 friends his time and his counsel. His memory was singularly 
 retentive, and he would entertain with anecdotes and narra- 
 tives. The hospitalities of his house were cordial and without 
 stint; and it would be only the want of ample means that 
 should prevent him from following more closely the example 
 of some of the old titled barons of the Houghton family in 
 England. For some years Mr. Houghton had kept up some 
 correspondence with the head of the family in England; Sir 
 Henry had sent him his portrait, and this has long hung in 
 the parlor of the old Houghton mansion in Fredonia. It is a 
 cabinet sized, engraved, half-length, seated portrait. The 
 countenance is one of much benevolence, a type of the inde. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHttTON. 3 
 
 pendent country gentleman of England, not unaccustomed to 
 fox hunting in his younger days, a staunch lover of king and 
 church, not over abstemious of wine, and not unacquainted 
 with touches of the gout. 
 
 A few years since there had been a rumor widely spread 
 through New England and other States, that a large fortune 
 had been left in some way to the American branch of this 
 family, now only waiting for the claimants to come forward 
 and receive their own. A meeting of relatives was held in 
 Boston to take the necessary measures to secure this treasure. 
 They organized for this purpose, and raised funds to meet 
 expenses. A Mr. Eice, a young lawyer, had married a 
 Houghton, and he was deputized to carry out the wishes of 
 the society. It was soon discovered that Judge Jacob Hough- 
 ton, of Fredonia, New York, was the only one of this name 
 who was acquainted with the older branch in England, and 
 must be considered very naturally as the head of the family 
 in this country. Mr. Eice, the young attorney, made a visit 
 to Fredonia, full of this promising enterprise, but Judge 
 Houghton placed little confidence in the existence of any such 
 fund in England. He was too good a lawyer to be carried 
 away with any such plausible rumor. He declined to sub- 
 scribe to the association, but he gave Mr. Eice a cordial letter 
 of introduction to the head of the house in England now the 
 present Sir Henry Bold Houghton, and member of parlia- 
 ment. This secured to Mr. Eice a courteous reception, though 
 it is not to be presumed that he revealed the object of his 
 visit. But after examining the records carefully in London, 
 he satisfied himself that no such fortune could be found. In 
 the meantime, during his stay, he accepted the hospitalities 
 
4 MEMOIR OF 
 
 extended to him by the member of parliament, to whom his 
 letter was addressed. The reader will readily recall similar 
 rumors as to other American families of English origin, who 
 it had been supposed would be made rich by these long un- 
 claimed fortunes. A pleasing result of this Houghton organ- 
 ization and Mr. Eice's mission especially pleasing to the 
 Fredonia branch of the family was a* superb gold snuff box 
 sent through Mr. Eice to Judge Houghton, as a gift from his 
 relative and namesake, Sir Henry Bold Houghton. The old 
 fable of the division of the oyster among disputants, and its 
 shell, came as a natural suggestion, perhaps, to the members 
 of the association; but no one, bearing the name of Houghton 
 in America, would doubt for a moment that the precious 
 memorial gift had gone into the right hands. 
 
 Judge Houghton had married early in life a lady of New 
 London, Connecticut, a Miss Mary Lydia Douglass who 
 survived her husband eight years and died at the old resi- 
 dence in Fredonia, in 1875, at the great age of ninety-two, 
 retaining her faculties to the last moment of life. Her 
 parents lived in New London during the war of the revolu- 
 tion, and she remembered well the burning of the city by 
 Benedict Arnold, then in command of an English marauding 
 flotilla, when she, with father and mother, fled into the 
 country for safety. 
 
 This Jacob Houghton, came to Fredonia, New York, in 
 1812. He came with his young family when Chautauqua 
 county embraced a large extent of country, and all that region 
 was a wilderness. The journey from Troy to this remote 
 region was performed by horse teams, a distance of about 
 four hundred miles, and Eochester, a small village, was the 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGKETON. 5 
 
 frontier town, still in the wilderness looking west from the 
 Hudson. His family were several weeks on their journey 
 before they reached their destination a long tedious journey, 
 not free from peril and suffering. But these hardships were 
 encountered with resolution and a firm purpose. They were 
 young, not easily discouraged; virtually, it was the beginning 
 of a new life with them, and they were animated with a noble 
 passion for securing a home in the new region of the west for 
 themselves and their children. 
 
 v 
 
 They would be surrounded by almost an unbroken wilder- 
 ness; it would be a long period before they could be reached 
 by the comforts and amenities of eastern life. Mr. Houghton 
 had been a student at law and was already admitted to prac- 
 tice at the bar. He immediately opened his office in Fredo- 
 nia, a rude structure no doubt. It was in the midst of the 
 woods; noble chestnut and oak trees, maple and white- wood, 
 surrounded him on all sides. The village as yet did not exist, 
 save a few rude cottages. But the services of a lawyer were 
 soon in demand, and it was not long ere his practice became 
 extensive; and he was able, very early, to begin building a 
 home for his family. This was a two-story frame house, with 
 ample room for his growing family, his library and his law 
 office. It was no doubt the best and most imposing private 
 residence that had been built west of Eochester. From time 
 to time through these early years Mr. Houghton had been 
 solicited to occupy such offices as were in the gift of his fellow 
 citizens. He was appointed one of the judges of the county; 
 was elected justice of the peace, and was at one time post- 
 master. But in truth he had no love for the trammels of 
 office, and would shrink from all those usual arts of the poli- 
 
6 MEMOIR OF 
 
 tician to secure favor. He loved his independence, nor could 
 he afford to sacrifice his law business for the small compen- 
 sation and loss of time incident to holding office in a small 
 village still in the woods, and in a county hardly organized. 
 Very early he was admitted to practice in the higher courts of 
 the State. In subsequent years many of the leading lawyers 
 of that part of the State, became students in the office of 
 Judge Houghton. Among those will be remembered the 
 names of Chauncy Tucker, Hanson Eisley, Cutler, Brown, 
 Hazelton, and James Mullet; and others well known, and some 
 eminent members of the bar, of western New York. 
 
 Mr. Houghton' s reputation for ability in his profession, 
 for scrupulous attention to the interests of clients, for sound 
 advice and probity of conduct was not excelled by any man, 
 either in the profession of the law or in any other calling. 
 These qualities gave him a large practice, which might, or 
 might not lead to fortune. Judge Houghton was of a com- 
 panionable temper; he would never deny himself to those who 
 needed help. His yielding nature sympathized with the hard- 
 ships of new settlers and laborers, who were making homes 
 in the wilderness around him. These sought his counsel and 
 his aid. If his law practice was large, his good nature and 
 benevolence kept pace with his business, and often went in 
 advance. 
 
 If a new country like that now being settled in Ohautauqua 
 county offered great opportunities for shrewd men to accumu- 
 late property, as it undoubtedly did, so the deprivation to 
 which the poor are exposed is a perpetual appeal to the better 
 feelings of the kind and benevolent spirits who are able to 
 give their assistance. Both Judge Houghton and his wife 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 7 
 
 were widely known for unobtrusive charities, for thoughtful 
 care of the sick and poor, far and near. But it must be 
 admitted that this spirit was not the spirit of money making. 
 Such a talent Jacob Houghton did not possess. He had, to be 
 sure, all the application and the ability that might be essential 
 to success, but while his professional business was large, this 
 show of success would be rather seen on his ledger than on 
 his bank account; for it was too true if the debt of a client 
 was on his books for one hundred dollars, and the client in 
 the meantime should be in need, Judge Houghton would lend 
 him fifty dollars and forgive him the balance ! 
 
 Mr. Houghton was a great lover of books; his reading had 
 been extensive, especially in English and early American his- 
 tory. " His library was well supplied with such works, and it 
 was rare that a day would pass without a reference to this 
 storehouse of ideas. This love for solid reading was imbibed 
 by his children; and this passion for learning, thus early incul- 
 cated has been a marked trait through life of all members of 
 his family. These circumstances and conditions of the family 
 of Houghton, have been, perhaps, rather unduly dwelt on; 
 but it seemed rather called for to enable us to realize the influ- 
 ences that surrounded the childhood and earliest days of 
 Douglass Houghton, the subject of this memoir. The devel- 
 opment of young Douglass's mental powers and his studies 
 was greatly influenced by the character of his parents, as well 
 as by the peculiar circumstances of place and opportunity. 
 It should be observed that Mrs. Houghton not only sympa- 
 thized warmly in the studies and advancement of her chil- 
 dren, but like other noble mothers was ready at all times to 
 make every sacrifice that would be necessary to their educa- 
 tion. 
 
8 MEMOIR OF 
 
 The family now was a large one, five sons and two 
 daughters. The highest ambition of the father was a 
 thorough education for his children. It is true, this desire 
 for culture, would, no doubt, interfere somewhat with that 
 early discipline and initiation into business of a more practical 
 kind farming or trade that a new, wild country would seem 
 to demand. Even the limited means of the family would 
 seem rather to suggest some trade or pursuit that would bring 
 quick returns. In fact, it is usually difficult to restrain boys 
 from entering on a career of business long before they have 
 mastered even the rudiments of education. 
 
 But the Houghton boys sympathized with the ambition of 
 their parents, and their studies began very early in life. It 
 may be said the first passion of these brothers was for distinc- 
 tion in scholarship. Alured, the eldest, pursued his studies 
 at the new college at Meadville, Penn., then just opened for 
 the reception of students. His collegiate course was com- 
 pleted at Geneva, New York. 
 
 Mr. Horace Webster, Prof, of mathematics at Geneva, has 
 said to the writer that Alured Houghton was an accomplished 
 scholar, already deeply read in the classics, and that his future 
 eminence was certain if he had lived. At this date, Alured 
 Houghton, the oldest of the family, as will be seen by the fol- 
 lowing letters, was at college, Meadville, Pa. He was eleven 
 years old, and his younger brother Douglass, the subject of 
 our memoir, was nine years old. We insert these few letters 
 to show to the curious reader the spirit that prevailed among 
 the members of the Houghton family it is not often that 
 boys are studying Latin and Greek at college at the age of 
 eleven years, or that they write letters in these languages to 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 9 
 
 brothers of nine years. Douglass Houghton was born Sep- 
 tember 21, 1809; he was the fourth child born to his parents; 
 he was feeble in body and diminutive in size. His mother has 
 said she had fears that she could not raise him. But his intel- 
 lect was sound and bright, quick in apprehension, of a joyous 
 nature, sympathetic and sensitive. As he grew to boyhood 
 his strength and health were assured; he was no recluse or 
 dreamer in boyhood. He mixed readily and heartily with 
 those of his age, and was distinguished for bold enterprise 
 among his companions at the age of six years. But for close 
 intimacy he was singularly fastidious ; not every boy that 
 trained with him would secure his confidence. He seemed to 
 have at this early period that instinctive estimate of character 
 that ever distinguished him through life. His figure, even for 
 a boy, was small, but it was instinct with nerve and activity. In 
 temper he was quick and resolute, a little obstinate, perhaps; 
 his decisions were prompt, like those of a commander, and his 
 boyish plans were matured without much consulting others. 
 In 1824 the Fredonia Academy was organized and established. 
 Douglass, with his younger brother Eichard, were among its 
 earlier pupils. He had now at home for his companions his 
 two sisters Lydia and Sarah, and his brothers Alexander and 
 Eichard. Jacob, the youngest of the family, was not old 
 enough to join in these studies. Alured, the eldest, had 
 completed his studies at Geneva College and had been called 
 to Baton Eouge, Louisiana, to take charge of an academy 
 which had been recently opened there. Soon after his arrival 
 there he was taken sick and fell a victim to the fever that 
 prevailed. The death of this son who .had been admirably 
 educated, and whose life with every bright prospect, had, as it 
 
10 MEMOIR OF 
 
 were just commenced that is the life of manhood was a 
 severe blow to his parents, a profound sorrow to all members 
 of his family. 
 
 After the lapse of so many years, we must not expect to 
 recover many traits or incidents of the early boyhood career 
 of Douglass Houghton. All his faculties were developed 
 early; in the midst of play he was a student, not always, per- 
 haps, according to academy rules; no doubt he often vexed his 
 teachers. In truth the traditions of the old Academy at 
 Fredonia tell us of sundry pranks and exploits not laid down 
 in the list of allowable pastimes. Sometimes it would be a 
 pumpkin mask, lit up with a candle to frighten obnoxious 
 students; again he would be leading his trained company of 
 boys around the academy walls, uttering groans to disturb the 
 school or to express disapproval of the master's discipline. 
 Such outbursts of temper are not very serious and they do not 
 last. They come less from any vicious traits of character than 
 from the buoyant outflow of spirits and that irrepressible 
 disposition of the young to do something heroic. Douglass 
 had ways of his own to master his lessons and gain time for 
 other studies not connected with the academy course. The 
 eldest brother, as has been mentioned, was at college at an age 
 that might appear premature, as he was already a good Latin 
 and Greek scholar. Alexander had mastered his Latin and 
 
 Greek and had shown/ all through life a strong taste for 
 
 fctVUdA Vc* tf 
 classical literature. y^C^^W'Mafr-lfria. a gentle and amiable 
 
 nature, beloved of his sisters with more than usual affection, 
 was strongly inclined to scholarship. Soon after Douglass 
 settled in Detroit Eichard commenced his studies as a medical 
 student in his office. But during the season of the cholera of 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 11 
 
 1834, Bichard, who was of a delicate constitution, fell a victim 
 to its ravages. 
 
 Douglass, not behindhand in the usual studies of the new 
 academy, and sufficiently skilled in Latin, showed a strong 
 bent towards the natural sciences. It will soon be seen how 
 strong was this tendency of his mind, and how admirably 
 fitted he was to grapple with these subjects and to master 
 them. 
 
 The Houghton homestead that had been built or finished 
 in 1813, continued to be the home of this family; it was in fact 
 a home and school house, the academy and college, for these 
 brothers and sisters. They were indeed more than usually 
 united by natural affections, by a community of studies and 
 by a profound love of parents and home. An orchard, still 
 in bearing, (1888) was planted early; it extends some rods on 
 the slope back of the house and embraces two or three acres. 
 A row of noble locust trees extends along the whole front of 
 the premises for four or five hundred feet. These were 
 brought from Mayville, as slender cuttings that Judge 
 Houghton secured within the leg of his boot, traversing the 
 woods on horseback. The Houghton house occupies the 
 highest ground in the vicinity of Fredonia, overlooking the 
 beautiful village embosomed among trees. At the west and 
 north the eye takes in a stretch of farm land that slopes gently 
 to lake Erie; the lake itself is seen through copse and over 
 groups of the elm and sycamore. The Canadaway stream of 
 considerable volume traverses the village. From the house it 
 is seen at the foot of the hill; its beautiful and rapid waters 
 sparkle as they find their way between high banks and through 
 open glades to the lake, two miles distant, while on the south 
 
12 MEMOIR OF ( 
 
 the hills of Chautauqua, rising into elevations of from six to 
 eight hundred feet, yield the scenery that is often bold and 
 always picturesque; and these trending to the west, skirting 
 the lake shore, offer to the eye a noble range, softened by the 
 haze or purple of distance, and . diversified by cultivated 
 farms, by orchards and vineyards, by embossed dells, by 
 groves and by virgin forests. 
 
 A few rods from the house, just back of the orchard where 
 the ground slopes suddenly, the boys had excavated a room or 
 cellar in the bank, and this, with a roof extending over the 
 doorway and covered with turf, gave the Houghton boys a 
 study large enough to admit three or four persons. This 
 primitive school room was devoted exclusively to hard study; 
 no play, no cards or amusement of any kind were permitted 
 here. It was a sort of close- communion troglodyte college. 
 It was here that these earnest students would retreat to master 
 all their severe studies without interruption; it was here, as 
 much as in the academy, that they perfected that self disci- 
 pline which prepared them for their after career in life. None 
 of the boys of the village, rarely even their companions in 
 school, were ever admitted here, none but the two sisters, 
 whose studies received the aid that loving brothers could give. 
 It may be considered by some that such slight incidents as 
 these should hardly be deemed important, but it must be 
 remembered how much these earlier habits enable us to see 
 the influences that strengthen character and give the assurance 
 of success in life's struggles. The writer of this memoir 
 remembers well visiting this rustic study of the Houghton 
 boys as early as 1838. It was then^somewhat dilapidated, but 
 still sufficiently intact to admit a visitor and to show him the 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 13 
 
 seats and crude shelves that were wont to accommodate these 
 youthful Greeks. Since that period the scythe and plow, time 
 and the elements, have levelled the slope and obliterated all 
 traces of this rustic sanctum of Douglass Houghton, 
 
 At a very youthful period Douglass had been recommended 
 as a candidate to the Van Benssaeler scientific school at Troy, 
 New York. This polytechnic school was founded by the 
 Patroon Van Eenssaeler, and at this time was under the charge 
 of Prof. Eaton, so well known as a distinguished educator. 
 Here Douglass graduated and received his diploma of Bachelor 
 of Arts, in 1828. Within a few months after this well earned 
 honor he accepted the appointment of assistant professor in 
 the branches of chemistry and natural history in this same 
 institution, conferred on him by Prof. Eaton. At this time 
 he was nineteen years old. In 1830 some friends of science in 
 Detroit, including such men as Gen. Cass, then Governor of 
 the Territory of Michigan, Maj . John Biddle, Col. Henry Whi- 
 ting, E. P. Hastings, Shubal Conant, Bev.'Dr. Berry, and others, 
 applied to Prof. Eaton to recommend to them a person to deliver 
 a course of public lectures on the sciences of chemistry, botany 
 and geology. The Hon. Lucius Lyon, then a delegate in 
 Congress from the Territory of Michigan, on his return from 
 Washington, called on Prof. Eaton at Troy, as the leading 
 scientific educator in this, country, to make the proper in- 
 quiries j for it should be remembered that lecturers were not so 
 easily found then as at present, nor was it an easy or 
 inexpensive experiment to traverse new states by stage for 
 this purpose. Prof. Eaton listened to Mr. Lyon's request, then 
 arose, opened the door of the little labratory adjoining, and 
 calling him by his familiar name of Douglass, introduced the 
 
14 MEMOIR OF 
 
 young philosopher to the member of congress; for he was 
 but a boy in appearance, as indeed almost so in age. Mr. 
 Lyon, a gentleman reserved in manner and of much dignity, 
 was not a little surprised at such a presentation. He could 
 hardly believe Prof. Eaton to be in earnest. Could he pro- 
 pose to send a mere pupil, a boy student, still in his teens, to 
 discourse on subjects of science, and to address men of mature 
 culture, conversant with the great outlines of the natural 
 sciences, for such as these he would certainly encounter in 
 Detroit ! 
 
 But Mr. Lyon was soon convinced that young Houghton 
 was competent to fill such a mission; nor did the youthful pro- 
 fessor hesitate for a moment. Prof. Eaton had implicit confi- 
 dence in his ability to acquit himself with credit and honor, 
 and while retaining his professorship in the Van Eenssaeler 
 institute, at the special request of his friend, he gathered up 
 his simple apparatus to serve for illustration and experiment, 
 visited his parents for a few days at Fredonia, then departed 
 by stage and boat for that small but ancient settlement on the 
 Detroit river that future city of the straits and beautiful 
 metropolis of a great and wealthy State. At that time it was 
 known only as an old French town, a border military post 
 touching the Indian country. Houghton brought letters to 
 several prominent citizens, and warmed by the prospect of 
 success, confident in his knowledge and capacity, with these 
 lectures and thus invited, commenced the career of Douglass 
 Houghton in the State of his adoption. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 15 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 SUCCESS IN DETROIT SCHOOLCRAFT EXPEDITION SCIEN- 
 TIFIC STUDIES SCHEME FOR NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY 
 OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 Douglass Hough ton's subsequent advancement to positions 
 of trust, honor and responsibility was a matter of pride to 
 the citizens of Detroit, for they had assurance that every 
 office he should occupy would be raised and honored by his 
 genius and integrity. Even before leaving Fredonia for the 
 institute at Troy, before he was seventeen years old, he 
 had found the time to study medicine under the direction of 
 his father's friend, Dr. White, and was admitted to practice 
 by the medical society of Chautauqua county, in the spring 
 of 1831. 
 
 No man who has ever entered into business or in a 
 professional career in the State of Michigan so speedily 
 won to himself such a body of able, enthusiastic friends as 
 Douglass Houghton. These friends were not confined to the 
 city of Detroit, where the charm of a daily intercourse might 
 to some extent account for this popularity; they could be 
 counted by scores all through the State. Even now, after a 
 lapse of more than forty years since his death, his memory is 
 cherished iwith enthusiasm, mingled with a tenderness that 
 
16 MEMOIR OF 
 
 can only be explained by those who were intimate with the 
 man. A stranger looking over the map of Michigan will 
 observe that a township, a county, a lake, a city, each bears 
 the name of Houghton; one of the union free schools of 
 Detroit carries this name, and his labors and gifts at Ann 
 Arbor make it certain that the honored name of Houghton 
 will long be cherished at the seat of the University. 
 
 It seems due the memory of such a man that we inquire 
 into the cause and origin of these unusual honors and homage 
 bestowed on one so young, at first without friends and without 
 money. The leading men of Michigan now were boys, or 
 were unborn, when the name of Houghton was the most 
 familiar name spoken in all her borders. The generation that 
 knew Douglass Houghton is rapidly passing away, but his 
 name should not pass out of the memory of men. Houghton' s 
 life was a brief one, but it was fall of purpose and activity, 
 of energy and achievement. We will try to gather the 
 records of his labors, his intercourse with public men, his 
 explorations and discoveries; and these will reveal to us the 
 secret of his power and will illustrate the rare traits of his 
 character. 
 
 When he landed in Detroit his resources were but slight; 
 but he had courage, and that indomitable energy which insures 
 success. He was struggling, indeed, to earn the means to 
 carry on his studies and lectures. He was not yet twenty 
 years old, a total stranger save through the letters that made 
 him known. To be sure, he had money left in his wallet it 
 was just one dime ! He commenced his lectures in the old 
 Council House on Jefferson avenue. His enthusiasm, the 
 thorough knowledge of his subject, the precision of his 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 17 
 
 thoughts, the artless manner of the young scientist, carried 
 his audience with him, and soon rendered larger rooms nec- 
 cessary. His talents secured the confidence of the leading 
 men of the city and brought friends. These friends stood by 
 him; his success as a lecturer was assured. And though 
 impediments might for a moment discourage him, they were 
 but slight, for he speedily triumphed over all. These new 
 scenes, the friends he made, these lectures, the crowd that 
 pressed in to secure seats, are all modestly related in filial 
 letters to his parents. It was only a few months after his 
 arrival in Detroit that he received the appointment of surgeon 
 and botanist to the expedition for the discovery of the sources 
 of the Mississippi, organized under the direction of Henry R. 
 Schoolcraft, whose distinguished career was then just opening, 
 and whose subsequent labors have conferred honor on his 
 country. The Hon. Bela Hubbard, so well known in this 
 state, and long attached to the Geological Survey of Michigan, 
 as Assistant Geologist, says that "Houghton's report on the 
 botany of that then remote and unexplored region displayed 
 not only an extensive acquaintance with that science, but his 
 researches did much to extend our knowledge of the flora of 
 the Northwest." When we consider that at this time he had 
 hardly reached his majority, it is impossible to withhold our 
 admiration of that firmness of temper and that vigor of 
 genius that enabled him to achieve success so early. Prom 
 1832 to 1836 he practiced as physician and surgeon in Detroit; 
 he united also the skill of a dentist, in which he was consid- 
 ered an adept. But in the midst of an extensive practice he 
 never relaxed his studies in natural science. 
 
 (2) 
 
18 MEMOIB OF 
 
 It is to the credit of the citizens of Detroit, and should be 
 remembered, that Dr. Houghton was not only welcomed with 
 confidence and with open hearts, but he was warmly and 
 efficiently sustained. The friends he made then he never lost, 
 and these were among the best men of the state, and not a 
 few of historical interest. Here were Governor Cass, Dr. 
 Zina Pitcher, Lucius Lyon, Judge Campbell, father of the 
 present Chief Justice, C. C. Trowbridge, Dr. Eice, the two 
 Hubbards Henry and Bela Chancellor Farnsworth, Henry 
 S. Cole, Edmund Brush, Col. Whiting, John Owen, and a 
 little later Stephens T. Mason, the youthful and gifted Gov- 
 ernor of the State. These, with many others, were warm, 
 stable friends of young Houghton. 
 
 It was in the summer of 1834 that the writer of this 
 memoir first formed his acquaintance. During that season, 
 when the cholera visited Detroit with such fearful and fatal 
 results, no one could be more devoted or make greater sacri- 
 fices to solace the sick and dying than young Houghton; and 
 it is known that in the perilous exercise of his profession, in 
 the midst of suffering and panic, amid the appalling progress 
 of a mysterious and terrific scourge, he stood firm and self- 
 possessed. Much of these labors would be gratuitous. He 
 hastened to the bedside of the poor and deserted, as well as to 
 the rich, and like others of his profession thought only of duty 
 and humanity. If not always in money, the reward would 
 come, the most acceptable to a true physician, the grateful 
 remembrance of those who had recovered under his faithful 
 attendance. 
 
 Tl*ere are certain tendencies to special pursuits, which if 
 we could always trace to their origin, would explain why one 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 19 
 
 man has devoted his life to law, another to theology, one to 
 science and one to art. In some families this diversity of 
 pursuit is as great as though there had been no common 
 influences acting at once on all members of the same family. 
 No doubt the cause of this diversity of development would be 
 found if we were able to carry our investigations far back into 
 the first impressions of childhood. While the boy Houghton 
 was a student in the Fredonia academy from its foundation, 
 yet long before his serious studies here, the common school 
 had offered its advantages; and his mind had received the 
 loving discipline of a home culture. A few hours of the day 
 served for the mastery of his lesson, the balance might find 
 him boating down the Canadaway Creek, or setting traps for 
 the muskrat; or while threading streams on fishing excursions, 
 or hunting in the neighboring woods for the black squirrel, 
 his taste for natural science would be nourished. Every bird 
 he shot, every chipmunk he brought down from its hiding 
 place, the spotted trout from the hill streams, the wild flowers, 
 the stately tulip trees with their imperial blossoms, the rocks 
 that cropped out from the sides of gorges each and all of 
 these were his teachers. They offered lessons pregnant with 
 meaning to a mind so quick, so curious and so independent. 
 
 After he entered the academy he showed some aversion to 
 classical studies especially to Latin, and perhaps in a less 
 degree, to arithmetic. We can see causes for this, and may 
 remember what new and improved methods attract and 
 beguile the reluctant student in these unsavory studies. An 
 eminent English author, himself an Oxford man, has said 
 "That any one who has passed through the regular giadua- 
 tion of a classical education and is not made a fool of by it, 
 
20 MEMOIR OF 
 
 may consider himself as having had a very narrow escape ;" 
 while on the contrary, Sir Walter Scott has remarked, that he 
 would have given half his fame could he have been well 
 grounded in the Latin language! We must not give too 
 much weight to the opinions of those who feel that they have 
 lost time in classical studies. The knowledge they bring is 
 very precious. We would sympathize more cordially with 
 McCauley's words, expressing his disgust and horror of math- 
 ematics. Douglass's father never relaxed his interest in the 
 thorough education of his children. His reverence for schol- 
 arship was great; he was indulgent in most matters affecting 
 his boys, but he desired them to be faithful and earnest in all 
 their studies in the academy. But indeed, Douglass seemed 
 to have lost his interest in the study of Latin, which gave his 
 father much uneasiness. A friend of the family, Dr. Wai- 
 worth, a gentleman of liberal education, advised Mr. Houghton 
 to have his son drop these classical studies for the present, 
 and to allow Douglass to pursue botany and other kindred 
 sciences, to which he seemed strongly inclined. This judicious 
 advice was accepted, and no doubt the after career of young 
 Houghton was shaped in no inconsiderable degree by these 
 well timed and friendly suggestions. With his ardent tem- 
 perament, he will be found within a few brief years, ready to 
 aid in every liberal enterprise that appeals to him in the 
 growing city of his adoption. He had quick sympathies and 
 a clear judgment. The Young Men's Literary Society of 
 Detroit, was organized in 1832 ; he was elected its first 
 vice-president. He would be among the active teachers 
 of the Sunday school of the church in which he was nur- 
 tured. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 21 
 
 But as it has been seen, long before he came to Detroit, 
 before he had been appointed assistant professor in the insti- 
 tute at Troy, while yet in Fredonia, his mind had been strongly 
 bent toward the natural sciences. A remarkable phenomonen 
 near the homestead awakened his inquisitive spirit. Even at 
 the age of ten years, he was attracted by the presence of a 
 gas observed to rise spontaneously in the bed of the Canada - 
 way Creek ; older men, of course, were not ignorant of this ; 
 long before the white man had penetrated these forests, the 
 Indians had noticed its presence. But the boy Houghton 
 began to investigate it. Mr. Hanson Risley informs the 
 writer that he remembers Douglass Houghton gathering the 
 light fluid in a bottle, and afterwards setting fire to it, and 
 Mrs. Eisley recalled, when a girl at school, being alarmed one 
 day by the rumor that Douglass, in some wanton freak, 
 threatened to burn up the Canadaway stream, and she and 
 her companions hastened to get out of the way! 
 
 His mother, living to the great age of ninety-two, has told 
 the writer, that Douglass, one day, brought up to the house 
 some gas in his hat, and there lit it in her presence to con- 
 vince her that it was a burning fluid. He thus commenced 
 his philosophical investigations while a student; almost a 
 school boy and before he entered the academy. Even at this 
 early day he was looking into the mystery of the things about 
 him. In the boy we see the man. His mind would be analy- 
 tic; too bold and active to feel at ease in the pursuit of class- 
 ical studies. Even mathematics would have but a partial 
 hold on him, except as they might promote the more practical 
 investigations of science. He was the observer of nature 
 thus early and throughout his brief life. Not so much the 
 
22 MEMOIR OF 
 
 artist, who studies the harmonies of color, and the significance 
 of form and expression, as the naturalist or chemist, who see- 
 ing changes going on in nature, is compelled to investigate the 
 causes of such changes, or the means by which they may be 
 reproduced. His younger brother, Bichard, constructed an 
 orrery to aid the classes in astronomy, and this was long used 
 in the academy. Douglass, in the meantime, grappled with 
 the subject of electricity, and the garret of the old Houghton 
 house may still offer evidences of these labors in the form of 
 sundry jars, glass tubes and circles, by which the young phil- 
 osopher tried his hand at these nice manipulations. He 
 repeated the experiment of the Italian savant on a frog, with 
 success. The family dog, old Prince, so called, was often 
 aroused from his day's slumber by an electric spark cautiously 
 applied to his nose. It must have been as early as 1825 or 
 1826, when Douglass engaged in the enterprise of making an 
 explosive powder, for we still have to notice his active energies 
 before leaving Fredonia for Troy. 
 
 A young man, a school companion, by the name of Wm. 
 Hart, discovered, jointly with Houghton perhaps, a method 
 of making a coarse grained powder, to be used on the pan- 
 lock of the gun the cap had not then been invented. Hart 
 would need a chemist and a knowledge of detail, which he 
 did not possess himself. These boys entered into a sort of part- 
 nership, Houghton furnishing his portion of brains and purpose, 
 with some money. Just back of the orchard on the Houghton 
 premises, some twenty rods from the house, is a branch of the 
 Canada way creek that, crossing the field through a gorge, and 
 falling from a ledge of rocks five or six feet in height, gives a 
 water power of considerable force. The quick eye of young 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 23 
 
 Houghton saw that he could obtain the power necessary to 
 carry on his machinery, and very soon the young philosopher 
 was seen busy fitting up suitable structures to receive the 
 various materials and the apparatus necessary to carry on the 
 enterprise of manufacturing powder. We do not know how 
 long these labors were continued, but not long, perhaps a 
 year. It was not without some success, as the powder was 
 offered and sold readily in a limited market. But for some 
 reason that cannot be known now, it did not prove profitable. 
 At all events the powder mill met with a sudden and disas- 
 trous termination. Douglass Houghton was alone in the mill 
 at this time; he was carrying a pan of powder from one room 
 to another; in passing a stove perhaps, a spark, it is thought, 
 fell on the contents of the pan, which instantly exploded; the 
 shock threw Douglass through the door, a sudden rebound 
 carried him back again, prostrating him to the floor. He 
 rose to his feet, not realizing for the moment the amount or 
 the nature of the injuries he had received. He had the 
 presence of mind to close the door, and plunging his head and 
 arms into the floom to subdue the pain he suffered; then with 
 dimmed vision, and ignorant as yet of the extent of the dis- 
 aster, he made his darkened way through the orchard to the 
 house. His mother has described his appearance on that 
 fearful occasion. We do not know, he hardly knew, how he 
 reached the house. His face was blackened with powder, his 
 hair was nearly burnt off, his eyebrows singed, the skin 
 of his face, hands and arms burnt and crisped, but he 
 staggered to the arms of his mother bewildered with suffering. 
 A beautiful instance of his tenderness even in this dark 
 moment shall be mentioned here. On first reaching the well 
 
24 MEMOIR* OF 
 
 he attempted to draw water to render his appearance to his 
 mother less shocking; but at this moment she first caught a 
 glimpse of him, hardly knowing her own son. " Don't be 
 alarmed, dear mother; I am not much hurt." These were 
 his first words. His mother describes him to the writer as 
 the most dreadful sight she ever beheld. In a few hours he 
 was totally blind. It was long before he recovered from these 
 injuries. But the vigor of youth, the faithful attention of his 
 father's friend, Dr. Wai worth, with those tender cares that 
 come from a mother's love, ere long restored the youthful 
 philosopher to health and vision. 
 
 The science of botany had early engaged his attention. 
 Geology, less attractive to the young, soon divided his interest, 
 and these studies became a passion with him. He could not 
 pick up a pebble but his mind would dispose of its geological 
 relations or its mineral qualities. 
 
 In crossing a fence you might see him seize the shield or 
 cocoon of a moth, hidden to ordinary eyes, place it carefully 
 in his pocket, and on his return to the house put it in a safe 
 place where he could detect its final exit. But he was never 
 a mere collector of specimens, an amateur, in science. He 
 would master the principles that must underlie all scientific 
 studies. He was a great reader, and before he became so 
 absorbed by his various duties in Michigan, he had found the 
 time to read history, especially English and American. The 
 example of his father had quickened his taste. A friend and 
 companion, Judge Samuel Douglass, tells the writer that 
 while young Houghton was recovering from the powder 
 explosion, and after he could use his eyes with safety, he 
 beguiled his time in reading Homer's Iliad. But his reading 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 25 
 
 outside of special science could not be extensive. He had not 
 the time for the cultivation of a literary .taste, and no time 
 would in the future offer to him the leisure for these more 
 elegant studies, such as had won and distinguished his older 
 brother Alured. But he loved music, and often beguiled a 
 few moments by taking his flute. Indeed he performed on 
 this instrument with great taste and feeling. He would leave 
 the drudgery of office labors now and then, come up stairs to 
 the parlor, and join his sisters in a brief concert. 
 
 His memory was tenacious, what he read he retained, and 
 this not in a loose, desultory way. Even after his professional 
 and scientific studies had entirely absorbed every hour of the 
 day, he would still find a moment to indulge in this earlier 
 taste. A new history or biography would arrest his attention. 
 It is remembered when Botta's excellent history of the United 
 States first appeared, the Doctor could hardly lay down the 
 volume till its pages were devoured. 
 
 He had an excellent judgment and a taste for didactic and 
 epic poetry, and would select the best reading for his sisters. 
 He had read the Iliad of Homer, and Virgil was not a 
 stranger to him. 
 
 But all these studies and indulgences must now be post- 
 poned. Already the professional demands on his time, and 
 the scheme of the Geological Survey of the State were occupy- 
 ing all his powers and filling that active brain with plans for 
 its achievement. 
 
 It was in the year 1837 that Dr. Houghton matured the 
 scheme of the Geological Survey of the State of Michigan. 
 There were few, if any persons in the State at that period 
 whose acquirements fitted them to give council even in a plan 
 
26 MEMOIR OF 
 
 of this nature, and in consequence the labor and responsibility 
 of projecting and maturing such a survey would devolve 
 almost wholly on him. Since that time so many Geological 
 Surveys of States have been organized that such a labor 
 would now be greatly lessened. But Dr. Houghton had no 
 example or model applicable to the state of Michigan to guide 
 him. He proposed to himself a system that should comprise 
 four departments or divisions, geology, zoology, botany and 
 topography, each having its official head, and all united under 
 the general guidance of the State Geologist. 
 
 It would be necessary that this plan should be brought 
 before the Legislature, and it must be approved by that body. 
 The members of the Legislature were assuredly not familiar 
 with the facts or the value of geology, in any sense, either 
 as an economic or as a theoretic science. The departments of 
 zoology and botany might appear to them even of very little 
 practical or public importance. Michigan had just entered 
 into the great family of States; she was as yet inexperienced 
 in public works of all kinds. She was poor, her people were 
 sparsely scattered over a wide field of dense forests, prairies 
 or oak openings. The members of the Legislature were 
 mainly farmers or merchants, hard-working, practical men, 
 timid from inexperience, and economical from habit and 
 necessity. They made no pretense to a knowledge of science, 
 they would be jealous of all attempts at unnecessary expendi- 
 tures of money, they knew well how hard it was to pay taxes. 
 But it was necessary that these plain, practical men should be 
 convinced that geology was not only a noble, true science, 
 that its development would redound to the honor of the new 
 State of Michigan, but that the State Survey would be 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 27 
 
 accomplished within a reasonable period of time, and above 
 all that it would pay. It is honorable alike to Houghton and 
 to the State of Michigan, that at the early period of her inde- 
 pendent existence she was willing to appropriate some eight 
 or ten thousand dollars for this noble object. On his part, it 
 had required a thorough knowledge of the science of geology, 
 its prospective bearing on the polity of the commonwealth, 
 confidence in himself, knowledge of men, tact, vigilance, 
 courage and labor. He, indeed, possessed all these qualities, 
 and he accomplished his purpose. It is true he would meet 
 with active, honest opposition. Under such circumstances 
 there will be always found some narrow minded, some ignor- 
 ant, some obstinate and in opposition, from constitutional 
 meanness, or habitual pugnacity. Some would try their hand 
 at satire or ridicule, but all the arrows of ridicule directed 
 against himself or his pursuits, or insinuations of his boyish 
 inexperience and incompetency, he met with good humor, a 
 sagacious knowledge of the men who opposed, with wit and 
 with unshaken good temper. All these a man can afford to 
 wield when he is sure to win. And in fact over every impedi- 
 ment thrown in his path he triumphed. 
 
 A State Legislature is a good school in which to study 
 diplomacy, and Dr. Houghton found plenty of occasion for 
 the study of this new art, and for its efficient practice. 
 
 Though Dr. Houghton had many friends in the Legislature 
 of the newly organized State, which then met at Detroit, 
 there were many also who could not or would not realize the 
 importance of a scientific exploration of the State; nor was 
 this at all strange. Scientific studies, and especially geology, 
 had up to this time received but little consideration in 
 
28 MEMOIR OF 
 
 America. Excepting the institute at Troy, there was no 
 school of science in the country, no chair of science in any 
 university or college. Practically in the western country it 
 was a subject so new and unknown as to be received with 
 suspicion and indifference. 
 
 It became the custom of the more intelligent members to 
 bring to Dr. Houghton's studio the less friendly and intelli- 
 gent ones, who were there so instructed in the subject nearest 
 to the Doctor's heart as to enable them to form independent 
 judgments. 
 
 Among the members of the Legislature of 1837 was a 
 worthy farmer from Macomb county, a man of commanding 
 presence, genial, and a general favorite, but totally ignorant 
 of the first principles of science. Naturally he looked down 
 upon the little Doctor with some contempt, nor would he be 
 persuaded by his best friends to visit the Doctor in his studio, 
 examine his collection and listen to his expositions. He 
 could find on his own farm quite as good specimens of stones, 
 sticks and dry herbs, and he poured ridicule over the whole 
 matter. At last he was induced by a few boon companions to 
 accompany them to Dr. Houghton's house for an evening. 
 They were met by the Doctor as boon a comrade as the best 
 of them in his parlor, and all sat down to cards. Dr. 
 Houghton entertained them with stories brim-full of jollity 
 and fun, and it was late when they were ready to leave. Not 
 a word had been uttered on the subject of the survey, or any 
 matter pertaining to science. The Macomb member was 
 delighted. He swore that the little Doctor was a right good 
 fellow, and had more in him than many a man of twice his 
 size. The friendship thus begun never wavered. The mem- 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 29 
 
 ber from Macomb voted for the appropriation, specimens and 
 all, and he remained a firm friend ever afterwards. 
 
 Will not even the most exacting find excuse for such 
 finesse in consideration of the end in view * At all events the 
 story will serve to illustrate the versatility of the hero of it, 
 and the ease with which he won the hearts of all. 
 
30 MEMOIR OF 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 STATE GEOLOGIST CHARACTER AND BESULTS OF THE 
 SURVEY METHODS HARDSHIPS INCIDENTS PLAN 
 FOR CONNECTING THE LINEAR AND GEOLOGICAL SUR- 
 VEYS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 
 
 Dr. Houghton had a warm, efficient friend and coadjutor 
 in the young Governor, Stevens T. Mason, and on the passing 
 of the law establishing this scientific department of the State, 
 Houghton was immediately appointed geologist. 
 
 After a rapid reconnoissance of the State under a small 
 appropriation in 1837, an act was proposed by the Legislature 
 in March, 1838, contemplating a full organization of the geo- 
 logical department. 
 
 The seasons of 1838 and ' 39 were spent in explorations of 
 the lower peninsula and the portion of the upper peninsula 
 bordering on Lakes Huron and Michigan. The reader is 
 referred to the Appendix for a summary and review of the 
 annual reports of the Geological department from its first 
 inception. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 31 
 
 In a brief memoir by Mr. Hubbard published in the 
 American Journal of Science, soon after the death of Dr. 
 Houghton, the scheme matured by the State Geologist is thus 
 alluded to: 
 
 " The plan upon which this survey was organized reflected great credit 
 upon the enlarged scientific views and enterprise of Dr. Houghton, and may 
 be considered as a model. It comprehended four departments, namely, 
 geology and mineralogy proper, zoology, botany and topography, each having 
 its official head and assistants, and all united under the general direction and 
 surveilance of the State Geologist. Thus, while all were expected to work in 
 concert, by a division of labor the results would necessarily be more extended 
 and accurate. One of the duties connected with the topographical depart- 
 ment may be considered as novel to a geological survey, and could at least be 
 but ill accomplished in any of the older States. Like all the States north- 
 west of the Ohio, the system of rectillinear surveys had been applied to 
 Michigan, by which the State is divided into towns and ranges of six miles 
 square, which again are subdivided into thirty-six square miles or sections. 
 The topographer was directed to furnish the geologist and his two assistants 
 in geology with skeleton plats of these townships, copied from the returns of 
 the Deputy United States Surveyors, on a scale of two inches to the mile, 
 these serving the latter as a basis for laying down with more than ordinary 
 accuracy and facility as well the geological as the topographical and civil 
 features of the country. These being returned to the topographer, were 
 reduced by him to the scale adopted for a series of State and county maps, 
 the publication of which was projected as a part of the results of the survey. 
 
 The condition of the State finances permitted the issuing of a few only of 
 the maps thus prepared, rather as specimens, but they sufficed to show that 
 for comprehensiveness, minuteness and fidelity of detail, these maps of the 
 counties of Michigan far exceed anything of the kind ever attempted in this 
 country." 
 
 They would have accomplished, had the scheme, for which 
 abundant material was collected, been carried out in the 
 liberal spirit with which it was conceived, and with far more 
 accuracy, what the State and general government have since 
 attempted by triangulations, at a vastly enhanced cost. We 
 shall see that the same idea entered into and formed a part of 
 the plans for connected linear and geological surveys which 
 
32 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the comprehensive and practical mind of Dr. Houghton sub- 
 sequently applied to the linear surveys in progress in the 
 Lake Superior region. 
 
 The scheme for the survey of Michigan which Dr. Hough- 
 ton had entertained, and which he now proceeded to mature, 
 showed evidences of that large comprehensive spirit which, 
 reaching out beyond the present aspect of things, grasps the 
 future demands of science. It showed, in fact, a good deal of 
 creative organizing genius, for which the Doctor was not 
 undistinguished. Unfortunately the financial calamities of 
 the country, which fell on the western States with unpar- 
 alleled severity, proved fatal to a portion of this plan and 
 greatly crippled the efficiency of the Geological Survey 
 proper. 
 
 Before the close of the second year he was obliged to 
 abandon the departments of zoology and botany, so that the 
 State lost the great advantage of a prosecution of these kindred 
 sciences, hand in hand with its geology. This was to be 
 regretted, because in the virgin state of the country there 
 would be found many plants and animals which with the pro- 
 gress of settlement would become either wholly extinct or 
 dispersed. 
 
 His report for this second year, notwithstanding, com- 
 prised very copious and valuable reports by the State Zoolo- 
 gist and the Botanist, of the animals and plants so far made 
 known. A reference to these will be found in the Appendix. 
 
 The season of 1840 was passed by the geological corps 
 in an exploration of the southern coast of Lake Superior, 
 and the general results were reported by Dr. Houghton to 
 the Legislature the following February. In regard to the 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 33 
 
 mineral wealth of that region, the State Geologist saw very 
 clearly its future importance, but he was extremely cautious 
 in his statements. He knew how easily the public pulse 
 might be excited and speculators induced to rush in and 
 appropriate extensive tracts of mineral land. But the time 
 would soon come when these evidences would be too plain and 
 patent to allow him, from conscientious motives, or any 
 politic scruples, to withhold such information from the 
 public. 
 
 His reports sent in to the Legislature, brief but compre- 
 hensive, offered such an array of facts bearing on the mineral 
 wealth of the upper peninsula, so philosophically deduced, 
 and carrying such order and system into what all previous 
 observers has regarded as unintelligible confusion, that public 
 attention was speedily attracted to that region, and thousands 
 of the bold or inquisitive residents of States further south 
 and east were soon wending their way to the Lake Superior 
 mineral region. 
 
 With few exceptions, all the vast region touching the 
 great lake of the Northwest was an uninhabited wilderness; 
 dense, tangled unbroken forests. These exceptions were the 
 hunting and fishing communities, half Indian, half French, 
 that had found a lodgment under the cliffs of a bleak coast. 
 
 The novelty of the geological positions taken by Dr. 
 Houghton, and their non-conformity in many particulars with 
 the state of facts existing in other well known mining districts, 
 created a profound incredulity in the minds of those who had 
 received their teachings in other schools of science. In truth, 
 so bold and unlocked for were some of the statements made by 
 
 the young Geologist of Michigan, that he was at this time 
 (3) 
 
34 MEMOIR OF 
 
 called by some of the solons of the east "the backwoods 
 geologist/' or "the boy who had a good deal yet to learn," 
 and in these phrases, no doubt, there was implied both 
 incredulity and derision. 
 
 Perhaps even the accomplished and learned editor of 
 "Silliman's Journal of Science" may be suspected at this 
 time of a want of that catholic spirit of liberality that should 
 always characterize a scientist. 
 
 But Dr. Houghton was a courageous and independent 
 observer, and it should be observed here that the lapse of 
 years and the progress of discoveries under more favorable 
 circumstances have absolutely redeemed the sagacious sug- 
 gestions, and confirmed the almost intuitive accuracy of his 
 observations. Indeed, his conclusions, apparently founded 
 on a limited examination, have proven singularly prophetic. 
 This is the more remarkable from the limited means he had at 
 command, the brevity of time he had to complete the explora- 
 tion, the vastness of the areas to be examined, as well as the 
 extreme difficulties of traversing an unbroken wilderness. 
 But we may repeat and emphasize the fact that all subsequent 
 explorations of this mineral region, so far from discrediting a 
 single fact stated or any position taken at that time by the 
 State Geologist, have confirmed, with singular minuteness, all 
 the theories propounded and every prediction he made. Nor 
 have later observations been able to add much that did not 
 flow mainly from Houghton' s acute and cautious examina- 
 tions. 
 
 His fourth and last report of the geology of the upper 
 peninsula, Prof. Winchell speaks of as "a masterly descrip- 
 tion of the mineral veins of the trap, conglomerate and other 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 35 
 
 rocks." He says: " Dr. Houghton's report, published in 1841, 
 furnished the world with the first definite information relative 
 to the occurrences of native copper in place on Lake Superior, 
 and the mining interest now rapidly growing up in that region 
 has been to great extent created by the attention directed to it 
 by the report of my late predecessor." 
 
 This report of Dr. Hough ton's, with others of special 
 interest to the public, that were laid before the legislature, 
 will be found in a subsequent portion of this volume. But 
 the arduous labors which Dr. Houghton imposed upon him- 
 self in developing the geology and mineral wealth of Mich- 
 igan, can hardly be realized. They have not been told. He 
 was no egotist, and his assistants, taking example from their 
 leader, thought only of duty and success. Now and then we 
 get slight intimations of their labors through reports and let- 
 ters. By day they were often wading unknown streams, 
 threading a trackless forest, making their observations, secur- 
 ing specimens of rocks, fossils or minerals. The nights often 
 made sleepless by swarms of mosquitoes, drenching storms 
 and the howling of wild beasts. They would eke out the 
 scanty provisions they could carry by such game as they might, 
 by chance meet. 
 
 Exposed thus to cold and wet, to storm and perils of many 
 kinds, it is not surprising that Dr. Houghton' s health should 
 have suffered severely. He mentions this in one of his 
 reports, a rare instance of any allusion made by him to the 
 hardships he encountered. To the legislature he says : 
 
 Feb., 1841. 
 
 " It is a matter of regret to me that the sufferings and hardships to which 
 I have been exposed in conducting the field work over this wilderness portions 
 of our State, have so far impaired my health, as to render it impossible for me 
 
36 MEMOIR OF 
 
 to enter into so minute details as had been anticipated. I regret this the more 
 since it leaves many wide spaces in portions of the present report which are 
 of much consequence to a proper understanding of the whole. But since the 
 annual reports are intended to refer rather to the progress of the work, than 
 to its results, and since the whole will be embraced in a more perfect form 
 hereafter, this defect is of less importance than it otherwise would be." 
 
 To realize these hardships one must have the experience of 
 living exiled for two or three months in the midst of unknown 
 forests, and being obliged to strip the bark from trees and 
 creep under their shelter to escape the fierce storms by night, 
 satisfied with a few hours of rest, but always in good cheer. 
 Houghton says in one of his letters, i i the darkest moments 
 are rendered comparatively light and cheerful from the grand 
 scenes that surround us, and that sense of duty in our pur- 
 suits which gives nerve and courage to meet every peril. " 
 
 It was in the season of 1840 that an incident happened, 
 related to the author by one of the men present, which vividly 
 illustrates the dangers he was destined to encounter. It is 
 mentioned here, because at the time Dr. Houghton lost his 
 life there were persons ready to censure him for needless 
 exposure; they felt perhaps that he had been careless of a life 
 so valuable to science, and so important to his own fame; but 
 this idea would be absurdly unjust. Life to Dr. Houghton 
 must have been as precious as to anyone. It is true he was 
 without fear in danger, and would never spare himself to 
 accomplish a great purpose. In the course of his explorations 
 amid the wilderness, or on the unfrequented waters of the 
 upper lakes, he had often encountered perils of a frightful 
 nature. He had faced these and overcome them. He was 
 indeed fearless to heroism in danger. But he was never reck- 
 less at any time, rather was he deliberate and cautious by 
 nature. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 37 
 
 On this occasion he was making his way along the rock- 
 bound coast of Lake Superior. He was in his " Mackinaw 77 
 row- and sail boat, the same that was subsequently dashed to 
 pieces in a storm. Mght was approaching, black clouds sud- 
 denly overcast the heavens, and the darkness of midnight 
 seemed in a few moments to overshadow them. He was 
 approaching the celebrated Pictured Bocks, well out to sea. 
 But he had some fourteen miles still to reach his destination. 
 His men, obedient to his will, tried hard to keep off from the 
 shore, but the wind blew a gale. Thunder and flashes of 
 lightning added their horrors to the scene. With all their 
 effort to keep out to sea, the storm was taking them directly 
 on the rocks, against which the fierce waves were heard to 
 dash. Houghton saw there was hardly a chance to escape, 
 for their frail bark was speedily sweeping them to inevitable 
 destruction. He knew that at wide intervals along these 
 perpendicular ledges there were narrow breaks or rifts cut 
 away by rivulets. Such a break might possibly, if reached in 
 time, admit of shelter ; these were in truth but narrow 
 crevices as it were, sloping rapidly up, and in a storm hardly 
 to be seen. But this was their only hope. While the wind 
 whistled and moaned, and the waves broke in thunder, leaping 
 high up the cliff, the geologist stood firm at the helm, 
 guiding the tossing boat to avoid the threatened wave that 
 might swamp them, his eagle eye taking in the long range of 
 sandstone cliffs, watching with intense eagerness, in the midst 
 of this terrific tempest to discover, if possible, one of those 
 slight breaks in the rocky walls that threatened any moment 
 to receive them, to crush and grind them to pieces. The boat 
 now almost touching the dreaded rocks, he might only dis- 
 
38 MEMOIR OF 
 
 cover a possible haven of safety by the lurid flashes of 
 lightning. Suddenly amid breathless silence and the pallid 
 faces of those faithful assistants, save the roar of the elements, 
 that imperfect narrow opening appeared, and the frail bark 
 with its precious freight was whirled in and shot up the slope, 
 safe on the narrow gravelled beach; and here these storm- 
 beaten toilers of the sea remained until daylight. 
 
 It will be seen that Dr. Houghton in the prosecution of his 
 favorite studies, and to achieve his great mission, was no mere 
 theoretic, parlor geologist. He loved to study the operations 
 of nature in the midst of her wildest scenes. He would not 
 trust to the speculations of others, however plausible. His 
 mind could only be satisfied when he had put everything into 
 the crucible of observation and experiment, and tested each 
 for himself. Other men have been smitten with this im- 
 passioned love of science, this profound desire for new 
 discoveries, but they are not so numerous that we can afford to 
 forget them. 
 
 Dr. Houghton had early attached to him several of the 
 young men of Detroit, who became afterwards closely associ- 
 ated with him in his scientific survey of the State; others were 
 drawn to him from sympathy, some were connected with him 
 in business, while others again pursued the study of the 
 natural sciences under his instructions. These associates 
 constituted a kind of club, called sometimes "the Houghton 
 boys." His influence on the deportment and habits, on the 
 intellectual discipline of these associates was admirable and 
 lasting. How many names of high, hopeful and ardent young 
 friends and co-laborers come up to me as I write this. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 39 
 
 As he had been the leader when but a child among his little 
 associates, so the same trait was conspicuous now that he had 
 to deal with men. And why should he fear danger ? Among 
 these wild and stormy scenes he was in his chosen element. 
 He never hesitated to face the snow storm, or the sleet of hail 5 
 if capsized in an open boat, as often happened, he and his 
 men could swim or wade ashore. In truth he was well fitted 
 for these encounters. He brought to bear his experience, a 
 deep steady enthusiasm, indomitable courage, and heroic self- 
 sacrifice. He had the entire confidence of his boatmen and 
 associates, who were bound to him like children to a parent; 
 and they were inspired by a common danger, they were 
 enthralled by the example of purpose, decision and energy, 
 by confiding counsel and, in fine, by the unfailing resources of 
 genius. 
 
 The report of 1841 was the last one made by the State 
 Geologist to the legislature; the poverty of resources of the 
 young State having compelled a suspension of the survey, but 
 Dr. Houghton had other resources within himself. 
 
 The linear survey of the public domain had been early 
 projected by the United States government; and these surveys 
 had been in progress in the State of Michigan, as in other 
 portions of the nation's property not yet deeded to settlers. 
 Dr. Houghton had found from time to time great advantage 
 in hi explorations by enlisting the intelligent minds of the 
 public surveyors in the cause of geology and the related 
 sciences. In fact the doctor saw in this union a rare chance 
 to carry forward his own scientific examinations on a large 
 and permanent scale. It was indeed at that moment an enter- 
 prise opened up to him, novel in its character, quite original, 
 
40 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and full of promise in the promotion of his special studies. 
 This idea was nothing less than to achieve a thorough geolo- 
 gical, mineralogical, topographical and magnetic survey of 
 the new wild lands of the United States, contemporaneously 
 and in connection with the government survey. 
 
 As the law making provision for the State geological sur- 
 vey proper would very soon expire, leaving still a large terri- 
 tory in the upper peninsula unexplored, Dr. Houghton set 
 about the perfecting of this double and more complete survey 
 of the public domain. At one of the annual meetings of the 
 American Geologists, held at Albany, New York, Dr. Houghton 
 explained his views in regard to the new methods by which 
 he proposed to carry on the public survey of the national 
 domain. This idea was well received by the members of the 
 association, and as chairman of the committee appointed, 
 Houghton proceeded to Washington. This was in 1844, dur- 
 ing the session of the 45th congress, that the doctor laid his 
 scheme before the Secretary of the Interior. It was carefully 
 considered, and its objects were approved. Its feasibility, 
 however, was but cautiously admitted. To be sure its great 
 value to these natural sciences was seen and acknowledged. 
 But there were difficulties that seemed to block the way 
 some indifference and some "red tape,' 7 perhaps. Doubts 
 were expressed if deputy surveyors could be found sufficiently 
 versed in these sciences to undertake such a work with any 
 reliable prospect of success. In this dilemma, Dr. Houghton 
 did not hesitate; he offered at once to take the contract him- 
 self, a contract to complete the survey of the upper peninsula, 
 making upwards of four thousand square miles, at a price but 
 little in excess of the sum that would be paid for the single 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 41 
 
 survey such as it had been under the established system. 
 This prompt action on the part of Dr. Houghton showed the 
 authorities his entire confidence in the plan he had devised, 
 and inspired confidence on the part of the government to 
 adopt it. Dr. Houghton had already submitted this scheme 
 of survey to the Hon. Lucius Lyon, U. S. Surveyor General, 
 who heartily approved it. It was also endorsed by a joint 
 committee of the State Legislature of Michigan. The Doctor 
 had a corps of surveyors early in the field, and his plan was 
 fully tested before his untimely death. Its success was even 
 beyond his expectations, and prominent scientists, we under- 
 stand, have expressed regret that this new and enlarged 
 mode of survey of the public lands has not been con- 
 tinued. 
 
 The Hon. Lucius Lyon, Senator in Congress, and afterwards 
 Surveyor General, says, in his reports to the Commissioner of 
 the General Land Office, in 1845, speaking of this survey, 
 "that enough has been done to show clearly the great value 
 ' l of such accurate geological and topographical surveys as the 
 "one in which he was engaged, and to demonstrate the practi- 
 "bility of carrying them on in connection with the leading 
 "surveys of the public realms, without increasing the ex- 
 penditures of the government for surveying more than one- 
 "half a cent per acre over a rough and thickly wooded 
 "country like that on Lake Superior. And further, the 
 "additional information which such a survey would give if 
 "finally adopted, would certainly be worth to the purchaser 
 " of the public land far more than the small extra cost. In a 
 "mining region its value and importance would be greatly 
 " increased. It would enable the government to know at once 
 
42 MEMOIR OF 
 
 " the exact location and probable value of every section and 
 "quarter section of the mineral lands." 
 
 The reasons for this abandonment have not been given. 
 It will always require some personal enthusiasm and indepen- 
 dence to carry forward schemes of improvement in which the 
 public is not immediately aggrandized or benefited. In this 
 more thorough survey of the national domain, the deputy 
 surveyors had been instructed to make notes of soils, forest 
 growth, running streams, coal, and minerals of all kinds, 
 geological appearances, etc., and to make collections of rock 
 specimens and fossils; all these would be received at the 
 General Land Office at Washington. Indeed, Houghton's 
 scheme contemplated a scientific bureau at the seat of govern- 
 ment, where would be gathered not only all the information 
 embodied in the field notes, such as must speedily accumulate 
 in this enlarged system of organized labor and observation, 
 extending from the great lakes to the Pacific, but, in addition, 
 there should be found at this bureau duplicate specimens of 
 everything pertaining to the individual States, as these should 
 advance in their more detailed and scientific explorations. 
 
 Such were some of the ambitious plans which the young 
 savant of Michigan had formed which, indeed, he matured 
 and tested with every promise of success. It was his ambition 
 and his hope to carry this large enterprise to a complete 
 success. 
 
 But the sudden and calamitous death of Dr. Houghton 
 prevented even the final report of the geology of the State, as 
 well as the more complete work, including the several depart- 
 ments originally comprised in the survey. But it is due to 
 his memory to state here that the amount of materials in the 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 43 
 
 form of maps, notes, charts, drawings, specimens of the geology, 
 botany, mineralogy and zoology, which now enrich the cabinet 
 at Ann Arbor, perhaps surpass those of any other State in the 
 Union excepting New York. It is needless to say that 
 to the students in these various departments, as well as to the 
 more advanced scientists, their value is not easily over- 
 estimated. It is true that since his death large and important 
 additions have been made to the State Cabinet by purchase. 
 His widow has bestowed on the university an extensive and 
 most precious Herbarium, Dr. Houghton's private collection, 
 gathered and preserved through many years. Soon after 
 Houghton's appointment as geologist of the State, the Eegents 
 of the University appointed him Professor of Geology and 
 kindred sciences in that institution. He held this chair at the 
 time of his death. The university, which has expanded to 
 such dimensions in the last forty years, was at that time in its 
 infancy, and needed, as it received, the fostering care of 
 enlightened citizens, who were often obliged to give time and 
 labor with slight compensation. 
 
 The disinterested sacrifices of men of letters and science 
 during the probationary struggles of liberal institutions are 
 not always remembered after their maturity and success has 
 been assured. Houghton's duties in the meanwhile in the 
 field and wilderness had been too numerous and too pressing 
 to admit of a continuous attention to the special work of a 
 Professor at Ann Arbor. But he found time to give lectures 
 now and then, and his counsel was constantly sought in the 
 administration of its affairs at that time. His influence, 
 indeed, was felt as a magnetic vital power in the embryonic 
 struggles, as in the more mature growth of this favorite 
 institution of Michigan. 
 
44 MEMOIR OF 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 HONORS SOCIETY HOME AND FAMILY THE ANNUAL 
 EEPORTS STORM ON LAKE SUPERIOR SCIENCE AND 
 DUTY DEATH. 
 
 It was an honor for a young man not yet thirty years old 
 to be offered the Presidency of the State University, but his 
 reply is equally honorable to him, that he "could be of more 
 service, perhaps, outside, for the present." 
 
 During his brief career up to 1844 he had been the 
 recipient of honors at home and abroad, unsought and rare for 
 one so young. And he had organized and conducted a 
 geological survey of the State with singular energy and 
 success. 
 
 Let us now go back a few years. Before he was nineteen 
 years old he had been appointed assistant professor at the 
 Scientific School at Troy, K Y. Yielding to the invitation at 
 Detroit, he had hardly opened his office in the spring of 
 1830, when he was appointed surgeon and botanist to the 
 expedition for the discovery of the sources of the Mississippi, 
 organized by Henry E. Schoolcrafb. As President of the 
 Young Men's Society, he succeeded Franklin Sawyer, who was 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 45 
 
 afterwards so favorably known as Superintendent of Public 
 Instruction. Within a few years, (1842,) he had been elected 
 Mayor of Detroit for two years in succession. He was made 
 an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia; 
 a member of the College of Natural History, Vermont ; a 
 member of the Hartford Natural History Society, Connecticut; 
 a member of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec; a 
 member of the Boston Society of Natural History. He was 
 appointed State Geologist of Michigan in 1837; a member of 
 the Geological and Historical Society, Newark Seminary, State 
 of Ohio; an honorary member of the Antiquarian Society, 
 Copenhagen, Denmark; a member of the National Institute of 
 Washington ; and Professor of Geology, Mineralogy and 
 Chemistry in the University of Michigan. 
 
 Eegarding a man so young, the recipient of so many unso- 
 licited honors, and who has left so deep and lasting an impres- 
 sion upon the popular thought and sympathy, it is natural 
 and proper that we should wish to form some definite idea of 
 his personal appearance. 
 
 Dr. Houghton's height was about five feet five inches, a 
 little less, perhaps. His father, Judge Houghton, of Fredonia, 
 New York, was small in person, about the size of the Hon. 
 Alvah Walker, of St. Johns, of this State. All the members 
 of his family were of the medium size. His hands and feet 
 were small and delicately formed; his head was large, well 
 developed and well balanced; his nose was prominent like his 
 father's, a little Roman in aspect, and of generous proportions; 
 his eyes were blue, verging towards hazel; they were well shel- 
 tered underneath light but rather massive brows, and were 
 bright and merry at times, and expressed his feelings without 
 
46 MEMOIR OF 
 
 disguise. His ears had been scarred by that powder explo- 
 sion, and his nostrils and mouth had retained some marks of 
 that disaster. In early boyhood, he had suffered long and 
 severely from a hip disease, and this had left one leg a little 
 short, not enough to give him a limp, but it had produced a 
 slight inclination to one side, with a swing or roll of the body 
 as he walked; the head somewhat inclined. He was not aware 
 of this himself; these blemishes were instinctively disguised, 
 and so completely that not even his intimate friends would be 
 likely to' notice them. 
 
 His temperament was warm and nervous; his movements 
 were quick and earnest. His voice rang out with the melody 
 of unaffected enjoyment, or the gayety of social and confiding 
 intimacy. But he had command of all his faculties; he could 
 in a moment control his language and his feelings. His sensi- 
 bilities were feminine in delicacy; a tale of suffering would 
 suffuse his eyes with tears, an appeal to his kindness or to his 
 purse brought a quick response. 
 
 Like most men of ability engaged in the pursuit of science 
 or letters in the new States of the west, Dr. Houghton saw the 
 importance of making friends of the political leaders of par- 
 ties, and to associate in their minds the cause of good govern- 
 ment and wholesome laws with the progress of scientific dis- 
 coveries. He had, indeed, the faculty of inspiring others with 
 a portion of his enthusiasm, and to awaken a profound respect 
 for his pursuits. He was young, ardent, and generous to a 
 fault. His intercourse with all who had claims on him was 
 the ideal of frankness and cordiality. Was it strange, then, 
 that he should win all ? But while he maintained the dignity 
 of science as a pursuit in itself worthy of all devotion and 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 47 
 
 every sacrifice, he did not disdain to point out and insist on 
 the economical features of a liberal cultivation of the natural 
 sciences. It may be stated with entire truth, that all the 
 leading men of the State were his friends, most of these warm, 
 efficient, personal friends. They saw in their midst a young 
 man of singular activity, full of knowledge, ready to impart 
 it, and one so earnest, impetuous and generous, that they 
 could not help being drawn to him by a strong sympathy. 
 This admiration, this confidence, came in part, too, from his 
 liberal conduct towards the young men engaged in kindred 
 pursuits, by the high tone and balance of his character, by 
 the fidelity of his attachments ; in fine, by the transparent 
 probity of his mind. 
 
 But Dr. Houghton would not confine himself exclusively 
 to the study of science; far from this. He was a man young 
 as he was of disciplined habits of business. Had he lived, 
 his fortune was assured. He felt every pulsation of the 
 growth and prosperity of the city and State. His credit was 
 excellent, his word was good as a bond. No one had better 
 judgment of the value of real estate in a new commonwealth, 
 and his investments were good. He understood the tactics of 
 political parties, and would not hesitate to bend them to the 
 cause of the sciences he loved. He was himself a fair, 
 temperate thinker and speaker on all the great questions of 
 national and municipal significance most catholic and liberal 
 towards all who differed with him, and tolerant of opinions 
 and creeds not his own. But no one knew better than Dr. 
 Houghton that there are times when a man can have but one 
 side, andjnust stand by the integrity of his principles and of 
 his faith. 
 
48 MEMOIR OF 
 
 As Mayor of the city of Detroit, we are informed that he 
 often took very decided ground, quite above and outside of 
 party politics. Mr. Silas Farmer, of Detroit, mentions a scene 
 he witnessed at a meeting of the common council. In some 
 discussion the members were excited and loud in their talk, 
 and with evidence of some violence. The doctor bore this for 
 a time, but after a little rebuked them and tried to bring them 
 to order. But after repeated efforts in vain to command 
 silence, he arose from his chair, told them that as Mayor 
 and their presiding officer unless they ceased their wrangling 
 and came to order at once he would vacate the chair and 
 decline to preside over them. This was sufficient; order was 
 instantly restored. It takes a man of nerve and independence 
 to do this. But it was in this way that Houghton won the 
 esteem of all parties and all classes of men. They respected 
 his energetic business habits, and his impartial administration 
 of the municipal government of the city. 
 
 For several years before his death, Dr. Houghton, beyond 
 doubt, was the most prominent and most popular man in the 
 State. Everywhere his ability and energy were acknowledged. 
 No name throughout the distant and rural districts was so 
 often uttered. His bold daring, his generous acts, his good 
 humor, his racy stories, were repeated everywhere. There 
 were certain peculiar qualities in this widespread popularity 
 that can hardly be denned or appreciated. Every man seemed 
 to feel a pride in the growing celebrity of Houghton. His 
 long practice as physician had rendered his person familiar 
 and dear to all. His gentle and sweet nature was better than 
 medicine; his]skill in his profession was not surpassed. After 
 the necessity of withdrawing from practice, many families 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 49 
 
 refused to give him up. All classes, and especially the poor, 
 looked upon him as a personal friend. His stories were 
 always fresh. His small, active figure, his almost boyish 
 manners, the utter absence of all-put-on dignity, were 
 characteristic. But notwithstanding this unstudied and im- 
 pulsive manner, it must be said that no man would ever think 
 of treating him with undue familiarity. His intimacies were 
 well chosen, and he was scrupulous in his respect shown 
 towards others. It was from this sort of hearty cordiality, 
 and from a nature that was not afraid to be open and frank, 
 came those familiar epithets, "the little Doctor," " our Dr. 
 Houghton," "the boy geologist of Michigan;" these were 
 common throughout the State. His name had become a 
 household word. The young and the old everywhere were 
 eager to serve him. No doubt Dr. Houghton was conscious of 
 this general homage, but he never sought and most certainly 
 never encouraged it. 
 
 How much importance he attached to a respectful 
 demeanor in his intercourse with people, the following 
 incident may illustrate. Traveling once with a younger friend, 
 they had occasion to inquire their road, when his companion 
 called to a lad whom they had met, addressing him as "boy." 
 When they had passed on the doctor mildly corrected him by 
 saying, " Always address such a person as ' young man. 7 It 
 appeals to his self respect." 
 
 At one time he was traversing the woods some hundreds of 
 miles northwest of Detroit, when he came to a farm house. 
 He enquired about the rocks, the sources of streams, coal, iron 
 ore, and the kind of trees in that neighborhood. The farmer 
 was somewhat annoyed by his curiosity a stranger in a rough 
 
 (4) 
 
50 MEMOIR OF 
 
 torn dress and snowing such ignorance was offensive, so he cut 
 him short by telling him * e he had better go and see old Dr. 
 Houghton, of Detroit; he knew all about such things and had 
 more time to spare than he had!" 
 
 As a specimen of humor, we recall his visit to the studio, 
 then on Jefferson avenue, Detroit, near his house, to announce 
 that he had just come into possession of ten thousand dollars! 
 This would not surprise anyone in those bright days of specu- 
 lation in corner lots. Some of his young friends present were 
 but too happy to congratulate the Doctor on his good fortune. 
 Nor were they less so when they discovered it to be, not in a 
 land sale, but in the birth of a daughter. This precious gift 
 of fortune was Hattie Houghton, now the wife of the Hon. 
 Morgan, of Coldwater, Michigan, the beautiful mother of 
 sons and daughters. 
 
 With such elements of strength and popularity, it should 
 not be surprising to learn that enthusiastic and eager friends 
 were only too ready to bring his name forward as candidate 
 for the highest office in the gift of the people of Michigan. 
 They knew how faithful he had been to public trusts, that he 
 had ripe judgment, and could govern men. It was near the 
 approach of a political convention of 1844 that would select 
 a candidate for governor. At this time the Geologist, with 
 his assistants, were engaged with their work in the woods in 
 the northern parts of the lower peninsula; they were exploring 
 the wilderness by day, and camping by night under strips of 
 bark torn from the trees for shelter. He would be clothed in 
 a forest suit less fitted perhaps for the governor of the state 
 than for an out door geologist; and so disguised and rough- 
 ened would Dr. Houghton appear with unshaved beard, 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 51 
 
 iron -stained boots, torn and dilapidated clothes, that had his 
 fellow citizens caught a glimpse of him at that moment they 
 might have hooted him from their doors. But while thus 
 engaged and thus adorned, and distant from his constituents, 
 he ran the narrowest chance of being made candidate for 
 governor of Michigan, as we learn, almost by acclamation. 
 But in his. absence, some judicious friends interfered and very 
 firmly resisted this unsought, and, at that time, undesirable 
 honor. They insisted that the geological survey to which he 
 had pledged himself should take precedence of all other 
 claims. And this, no doubt, would be in accordance with the 
 deliberate views of the Geologist himself. Political honors 
 could wait. 
 
 It may be remembered that when Dr. Houghton had been 
 elected mayor of Detroit he was far in the woods pursuing his 
 scientific investigations, and he knew nothing of his being a 
 candidate till his return to the city. See his letter in 
 Appendix. 
 
 The Eeports on the Geology of Michigan, commencing in 
 1838, were sent to the Legislature from session to session, 
 through a period of four or five years. These reports, with 
 one exception, are brief, but they are drawn up with care; 
 they are full of valuable information, evidences of labor and 
 thought, often betraying an acute forethought touching certain 
 geological phenomena, that will not be overlooked by the 
 reader. A phrase will indicate a principle; a few words will 
 often comprise the result of many days of patient and perilous 
 examinations. But they were always clear, and expressed 
 with singular felicity. These reports were not intended to 
 present a full exhibit of his labors in the field through the 
 
52 MEMOIR OF 
 
 preceding year; far from this. They were made brief as 
 possible, that the members of the Legislature should have a 
 general idea of the progress of the work. 
 
 But a more complete account of the whole geological 
 system of the state would be reserved for the indoor work, 
 where he could command the time to arrange his materials 
 for the final report. Such a work was not only in contempla- 
 tion, but had already made great progress. See the remark- 
 able unfinished volume in manuscript at Ann Arbor. 
 
 This large folio volume is very fully and beautifully illus- 
 trated by outline maps of the coast touching Lake Huron, the 
 Straits of Mackinac, Lake Michigan and islands, showing the 
 outcropping of rocks, forest growth, soil, mountain ranges, 
 sand-dunes, head-lands, gulfs and bays. Besides these, and 
 the collection of rocks and minerals, varied specimens of 
 soils, etc. , etc. , deposited in the University, are many draw- 
 ings, beautifully executed on wood by the State Topographer, 
 of fossils, geological sections, views, etc., designed for the 
 final volumes. 
 
 Such is the work that was being prepared for the citizens 
 of Michigan and for the scientific world. Though incomplete 
 it is still a monument of labor, design and method. It may 
 be observed that this manuscript volume has been open and 
 free for the inspection and study of all students in natural 
 science, either in Michigan or in other states. No man ever 
 had more faithful or more disinterested aid than Dr. Houghton. 
 
 It may be remembered that these young men, his assist- 
 ants, who had been his faithful co-workers had not been 
 trained in any school or branch of science; and for this reason 
 the 'care and exactness by which the reports of Mr. Bela 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 53 
 
 Hubbard and Mr. C. C. Douglass and others have been drawn 
 up, is the more remarkable. It is another striking instance of 
 that trait in Houghton's character, the skill of choosing his 
 men. They were very young men, including the Doctor him- 
 self, they made no pretense to being experts in natural 
 science, they had to educate themselves to become good 
 observers, and this is no small matter. It requires vigilance 
 and practice to discriminate the various kinds of rock and 
 minerals, of bog ore, coal and soils, and no inconsiderable 
 amount of study to master even the nomenclature of a science. 
 
 In regard to certain problems involved in the discussion of 
 the question of the presence of minerals in the upper penin- 
 sula, the upheaval of rocks, the origin of mineral veins, and 
 their deposition in rocks apparently not conformable to other 
 regions, in portions of the globe corresponding to Lake 
 Superior geology; these and related questions would engage 
 Houghton's earnest attention. They had never been solved 
 by others hardly had they been intelligently entertained. 
 Houghton would form his opinions as he went forward and 
 got light He was in no haste to proclaim them. In the 
 progress of his careful examinations, his theories would 
 tfecome certainties, and after his convictions were thus sus- 
 tained by hard facts that had come under his own eyes, from 
 personal inspection, he had the courage to proclaim them. 
 
 A meeting of the American Geological Society met in 
 Albany, K Y. Young man as he was, coming from a far 
 western state, a new name in the galaxy of bright stars that 
 shone in the eastern firmament, he had claims to be heard; he 
 arose to his feet in his place to address the learned assembly. 
 He had studied the subject of the Lake Superior mining 
 
54 MEMOIR OF 
 
 region. His opinions founded on his own experience were 
 presented to the association in a modest but clear manner, 
 and he sustained these views with his usual earnestness and 
 
 
 
 ability. It should be remembered that the association was 
 composed of such men as Prof. Hall, the Eogers brothers, of 
 Pennsylvania, Dana, Silliman, Torry, and many others, many 
 of whom were among the most distinguished of living geolo- 
 gists. They would naturally be somewhat incredulous of 
 these new and dubious theories of the "backwoods geologist 
 of Michigan." This quality of independent thought and 
 action on the part of Dr. Houghton has not been surpassed. 
 It was very conspicuously shown in his views on the subject 
 now under discussion. 
 
 He was, indeed, little disposed to be led by other men; he 
 would reject the authority of names. He was not afraid of 
 new paths if they would lead him to truth. Houghton was 
 willing to see and accept of facts with his own eyes, and to 
 apply them with his own honest convictions. Still the 
 Doctor was shy of new theories or mere speculations in 
 science. This feeling might even reach to over- caution or 
 dread. He was by nature cautious, and his hesitation to 
 accept speculative views in science will be remembered as a 
 marked trait in his whole career. His letters and reports 
 attest this. 
 
 As may be inferred, the social qualities of Dr. Houghton 
 were among the elements that drew friends to him. On all 
 subjects connected with the natural sciences his information 
 was very full and his conversation entertaining. His descrip- 
 tions of the characters he had met on the water or in the 
 woods were graphic and racy. He was well read in books 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 55 
 
 pertaining to the sciences he was pursuing, and kept up an 
 extensive correspondence. He could hardly drop into a store 
 or office without being surrounded by a group of admirers. 
 He was quick and cordial to make friends. 
 
 As an instance of tact, we remember a little occurrence at 
 his house one day on Wayne street. The Doctor, looking 
 through the window, saw or supposed he saw a gentleman 
 passing whom he wished to see on some special business, and 
 called to him or tapped on the window; but he discovered his 
 mistake when the tall form of Bishop McCoskry walked into 
 his sanctum. They were not at that time personally 
 acquainted. The Doctor, however, instead of being em- 
 barrassed or ready to apologize, received him with cordiality. 
 He at once began some inquiries as to certain features of the 
 country northwest, where he knew the Bishop had been visit- 
 ing some missionary station, I think, among a small tribe of 
 Indians. It was not necessary that the Bishop should know 
 that Dr. Houghton had made a little mistake. The acquaint- 
 ance thus commenced was a very cordial one and often of 
 service. 
 
 The cause of temperance in these primitive days had not 
 made much progress in Detroit. Good old Jamaica rum, 
 apple toddy, and the sparkling champagne, were as free as 
 water, and many citizens were better acquainted with their 
 seductive qualities than with the natural beverage of their 
 wells. 
 
 Houghton was brought into close intercourse with all 
 classes, and no one would enter more heartily into social life, 
 and it is saying a good deal when we declare that he was 
 absolutely temperate. This resolute abstemiousness was 
 
56 MEMOIR OF 
 
 based on conviction and principle, and will be sufficiently 
 appreciated by those whose memories can go back to the 
 period of 1829 to 7 40. Houghton united with a few other 
 friends of the cause to form the first temperance society of 
 Detroit, and was its first president. 
 
 At that period Detroit was famous for the elegance and 
 refinement of its inhabitants; at the same time society was 
 marked by a charming simplicity. It had been a military 
 post for many years. The governor of the territory was a 
 gentleman of noble presence and of high attainments. It was 
 the residence of a major-general of the United States army. 
 It was often visited by Major-Gen. McComb, commanding 
 general of the national forces. Several families connected 
 with the military had become fixed residents. All these were 
 persons of pleasing manners. The Whitings, the Hunts, the 
 Casses, the Biddies, the Farnsworths, the Trowbridges, the 
 Hastings, the Masons, and other conspicuous families, were 
 abounding in hospitalities and entertainments. Nor was it 
 all dissipation; far from this. There was beauty and gayety, 
 but not a spark yet of shoddy and pretense. The night might 
 be given up to champagne and some "noise and confusion," 
 but there was the balance wheel of culture, love of order, and 
 love of ideas. There was a ready and prompt appreciation 
 of merit. Good manners and good intentions then had their 
 due weight. But for accurate knowledge, for a quick sagacity, 
 for a genial temperament, young Houghton was equal to the 
 foremost. ' His education had been thorough. ~No man in the 
 territory could stand before him. This was not classical, for 
 reasons that have been seen. It was scientific rather than 
 literary. His manners were open, direct and confiding. His 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 57 
 
 mind had been well disciplined by- the habit of writing and 
 by lectures. It was prompt and accurate by a responsible 
 intercourse with men of affairs, even before he was twenty 
 years old. Dr. Hough ton embodied in the character of his 
 mind the Baconian maxim that "Reading makes a full man, 
 talking makes him ready, and writing makes him accurate. 77 
 
 Hougliton had the instincts of a gentleman; he was quick 
 to consider the feelings of others. His patience would be 
 often tried by careless or impertinent callers, frequently 
 speculators in disguise, who would draw from the Doctor 
 information touching the mineral land or the salt springs, but 
 we have no remembrance of any show of irritation under 
 severe trials. 
 
 To escape interruption he often commenced his hard 
 studies late at night, and they were prolonged into the small 
 hours of the morning. Houghton was a bright example of 
 the students of a liberal science; no one can recall on his part 
 a single act of narrow jealousy, though he himself did not 
 always escape the concealed weapons of the envious and 
 the illiberal. 
 
 To escape the possible imputation of taking advantages of 
 his opportunities, Dr. Houghton avoided while in the employ 
 of the state all speculations, though his chances for such were 
 peculiar and abundant. 
 
 The writer was in Canada when Mr. Win. Logan, afterwards 
 Sir William, and so well known as an eminent geologist, first 
 reached the upper province. Kingston was temporarily the 
 seat of government. Mr. Logan had just been appointed 
 geologist of Upper Canada. Before he commenced the 
 examination of Canadian rocks it was important that he 
 
58 MEMOIR OF 
 
 should know what had been done on the opposite shore. Mr. 
 Logan was in great perplexity. He was not familiar with the 
 labors of the New York geologists nor those of Ohio. He 
 entertained some doubt how his inquiries would be received. 
 It will be remembered that he was an Englishman and we 
 were " Yankees;" that in Canada a good deal of ill suppressed 
 irritation still existed among all classes, growing out of what 
 has been termed the "Patriot War." Mr. Logan was an 
 accomplished amateur artist as well as a scientist, and he had 
 called several times on the writer. Learning his anxiety 
 and hesitation, we wrote Dr. Houghton, then in Detroit, but 
 without the knowledge of Logan. In a few days Mr. Logan 
 received a letter from Dr. Houghton full of generous expres- 
 sions of welcome, and the offer of every assistance he could 
 give, proffering access to all sources of information his 
 department could furnish. This was very agreeable to a 
 stranger, and the Canadian geologist called immediately to 
 express his thanks and gratification. 
 
 It was said of Charles Fox, the great orator and liberal 
 statesman of English history this was the language of 
 Edmund Burke that it was impossible to know him and not 
 love him. There was a charm in the deportment and manners 
 of Houghton that one could not resist. His quick sympathy 
 and hearty appreciation drew friends to him and secured their 
 co-operation. His devotion to science, his profound insight 
 into principles obscure often to others, the dangers he 
 encountered, the wilderness he explored, the coasts he 
 traversed, these had made his name associated with that of 
 Humboldt. The nerve, the courage, incessant toil and splendid 
 achievements of the late French savant, Victor Jaquemont, 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 59 
 
 strongly remind us of the bright but brief career of the 
 Michigan geologist. 
 
 The readers of this memoir of Dr. Houghton will pardon 
 the author if he shall dwell at some length on such traits and 
 anecdotes as will tend to illustrate his character. It will be 
 remembered that after a lapse of more than forty years, there 
 will not be found many incidents of his life that can be 
 recalled. It is incidental to a new country that its pioneers 
 shall give their services and their lives to build up and 
 develop the resources of the country, whose population at the 
 time will be but little impressed with the value of such labors. 
 At a later day, when a succeeding generation may desire to 
 do honor and raise monuments to their memory, it will be 
 found that much of the detail of life, many acts and many 
 incidents that would throw light on a career, have passed 
 away forever. No instance can be recalled of his taking 
 credit for generous acts. The following occurrence is here 
 mentioned, and will be remembered by some of the old 
 friends : 
 
 An uncle of Dr. Houghton had bought a farm in Wis- 
 consin, and had moved his family from Chautauqua county, 
 N. Y., to his new home. The financial cyclone of 7 38 over- 
 took him there, and the mortgage on his farm would soon be 
 foreclosed unless paid. In fact, he was in peril of losing his 
 homestead and his family reduced to poverty. He had no 
 resources in Wisconsin. He must seek Dr. Houghton, in the 
 hope that he would be able to relieve him. To do this, he 
 would have to "foot it 7 ' a good many miles even to reach a 
 stage coach, and it would take a full week to reach Detroit. 
 In twenty days his day of grace would run out. At that time 
 
60 MEMOIR OF 
 
 there were no railroads and no telegraphs. Mr. Douglass 
 could not know the fact, but Dr. Houghton himself was deeply 
 embarrassed and hardly knew how it would be possible for him 
 to get through the panic. Perhaps no city in the Union suf- 
 fered more from the utter prostration of business and collapse 
 of credit than did Detroit. 
 
 But the Doctor, when his uncle reached him, worn with 
 anxiety and wearied with travel, cheered him with hope. 
 $700 was necessary to be raised. A good many old professional 
 debts were still outstanding. Houghton resolved that he 
 would raise this amount. He did not write notes and send 
 out bills, but with bills in his hands he started out deter- 
 mined to collect the amount. In forty -eight hours the amount 
 was raised, some of it borrowed, and his uncle started for his 
 home rejoicing, reaching his home just in time to save it. 
 
 Those who knew Dr. Houghton will remember that such 
 an act as this was not exceptional with him. 
 
 The following is related by a friend who was with him 
 traveling east by stage from Toledo along the lake shore this 
 was before the days of railroads. Houghton was on his way 
 to Albany to a meeting of the Association of Geologists. The 
 roads on the low ground by the lake shore in the autumn sea- 
 son were usually bad. Progress was slow; the coach was full 
 of passengers all impatient of delay and mostly disposed to be 
 in bad humor. This friend, an eminent lawyer of Buffalo, 
 the Hon. Henry W. Eogers, a great story teller himself, says 
 that Dr. Houghton' s resources were marvelous and inexhaust- 
 ible. A coach full of total strangers, cramped and confined, 
 shy of too much confidence, like most American travelers, 
 would resist these attacks on their reticent dignity. But long 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 61 
 
 before they reached Albany, Houghton' s versatility, his win- 
 ning ways, his good humor, had captivated everyone. There 
 was one exception, however; an elderly gentleman, who would 
 not yield to these noisy seductions, but wrapped himself in his 
 dignity and reserve. He was also a geologist on his way to 
 Albany, but the two gentlemen were strangers. On his reach- 
 ing Albany, this stranger and member of the association soon 
 found the hall where his associates were to meet. His sur- 
 prise may be imagined, when he saw his recent companion of 
 the stage coach, rise to his feet to address the Association ! 
 
 But we are a little in advance of our journey. The stage 
 was to pass through Fredonia, the residence of his parents; 
 it would pass through about twelve at night. The Houghton 
 mansion stands on the edge of the village. A half mile, per- 
 haps, before they reached the house, Houghton got out of the 
 stage, and ran ahead through rain and mud, to have an inter- 
 view with his mother. He would not ask the passengers to 
 wait for him. This tender affection for his mother was a liv- 
 ing flame of his soul; a tap on the window would bring them 
 again face to face; a few cheering words, a promise to come 
 and make a visit, some advice left for the family, an embrace 
 and a blessing, and the eager, resolute young savant was off 
 and again striding through the mud to overtake the coach. 
 Nothing but death could cool or abate that profound love and 
 devotion he felt for his parents. It is impossible to do justice 
 to Houghton without a reference to these traits of his char- 
 acter; his brothers and sisters he held as dear as his own 
 life. 
 
 Mrs. Houghton, the Doctor's young wife, was the daughter 
 of a Mr. Stevens, of Fredonia, New York; they had known 
 
62 MEMOIR OF 
 
 each other from childhood. She was a young lady of culture 
 and refined sympathies. As soon as the Doctor's business 
 would allow it they were married, and the young couple com- 
 menced their house- keeping. Doctor Houghton bought the 
 substantial frame house on or near the corner of Wayne and 
 Lamed streets, where the family continued to reside up to 
 Houghton' s death. 
 
 Mrs. Houghton was well known to all the leading families 
 of Detroit, a devout Christian, a devoted wife and mother. 
 Her goodness and her charities were the natural offspring of 
 a most tender sympathizing nature and sound Christian prin- 
 ciples. She made her home a welcome resort of her husband's 
 Mends, and her own winning and sincere manners contributed 
 largely to the social popularity of the Houghton house. She 
 was the mother of two daughters, Hattie and Mary, both now 
 living; the eldest is the wife of the Hon. Mr. Morgan, of Cold- 
 water, of this State. Mary is married to Dr. Haroun, who 
 settled in Chicago; both these gentlemen are graduates of the 
 Michigan University. 
 
 Long before and during the first years of the geological sur- 
 vey, the Doctor's house had virtually become a museum of 
 natural history. His private collection was large; he had 
 already accumulated a valuable library, both miscellaneous 
 and scientific. All the lower rooms were given up to these 
 and to the increasing volume of specimens in all branches of 
 natural history. They were constantly accumulating from 
 many sources, and he was finally forced to seek larger rooms 
 for his accommodation. These he found on the corner of Jef- 
 ferson and Woodward avenues, where the Young Men's 
 Library was until recently located. 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 63 
 
 Dr. Houghton had now, in the fall of '45, brought his 
 great labors so far to a close, and so near the time when he 
 would be able to devote his mind to the methodizing his 
 materials, as really to offer him some prospect of comparative 
 rest. He could look back on these struggles with some satis- 
 faction Although his health had suffered severely, he might 
 hope for a restoration, and for a completion of that fame, the 
 foundation of which had been laid in a fervid devotion to the 
 great mission of his life. 
 
 In these pages we have traced his career in the State of his 
 adoption almost from boyhood. The practice of his profession 
 as physician and surgeon in Detroit, with a high reputation, 
 seemed to him only a means. His mind was bent upon the 
 study of the sciences. He saw that this State offered a field 
 for new and important discoveries. He had no fortune to 
 spend, that he might carry on these explorations and labors 
 without assistance; he must educate people up to this great 
 theme; and that wealth which would be the outcome of the 
 scientific examination of the resources of the State of Michi- 
 gan, could only be made a certainty by the united action of 
 the Legislature and the enlightened friends of culture. It 
 was his resolute and persistent mind that would unite these 
 various conflicting elements and fuse them into a power that 
 he could wield. In truth, such was his hopeful nature and 
 the faith he had in his own power, that he never had a doubt 
 of success. All along, his progress was upward and onward. 
 He never halted; even from the moment he landed from the 
 steamer at Detroit, we might believe almost, that a premoni- 
 tion of a brief life had admonished and impelled him to 
 incessant toil. A Christian philosopher has said, that "he 
 
64 MEMOIR OF 
 
 who is cut off in the execution of a noble enterprise has at 
 least the honor of falling in his ranks, and has fought his bat- 
 tle, though he missed the victory." 
 
 It was on the 13th day of October, 1845, that Dr. Hough- 
 ton was lost on Lake Superior. He had left Eagle Eiver in 
 the morning in an open sail boat, making his way along the 
 shore west some eight or ten miles. The Doctor wished to 
 reach the camping ground of his surveying company under 
 the superintendence of a Mr. Hill; as this corps of men were 
 to remain through the long winter in this region, Dr. Hough- 
 ton desired to give them his final instruction, as he would 
 soon return to Detroit. It was late before he reached these 
 men, and the interview was necessarily prolonged into the 
 night. Mr. Hill then advised the Doctor to wait till morning, 
 but Houghton had important despatches that should go to 
 Eagle Eiver, and down the lake by schooner. As the vessel 
 would leave in the morning, it was really important that he 
 should be there, as these opportunities at that season would 
 be very rare, and his anxiety was the greater, therefore, not 
 to fail to be at Eagle Eiver that night. A storm threatened, 
 but it would take only a few hours to get back, and the night 
 was not dark. They were in an open boat propelled both by 
 sail and oars. The wind was rising; a snow storm had set in. 
 The Doctor was at the helm, as was his custom. They were 
 obliged to take in sail and depend on the oars. There were 
 five men in the boat. The weather was cold; 'October on 
 Lake Superior is a late season. They put out about nine 
 o'clock at night. At this time the wind was blowing hard 
 from the north. They had not gone many miles when they 
 discovered that the boat was making but slow progress, 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 65 
 
 though the men were bending well to their work. A storm 
 of snow sharpened by a northern blast beat in the faces 
 of the weather-hardened mariners. It was now necessary to 
 put well out to sea to get around a point of rocks, a low, 
 broken promontory that shelved to a considerable distance 
 seaward. Dr. Houghton's anxiety to reach Eagle Eiver no 
 doubt betrayed him here; but he was not daunted, he encour- 
 aged his men to brave the storm. The waves had increased 
 in violence and were running high. We must remember that 
 this was an open boat with five men, his faithful dog a black 
 and white spaniel, Meemee by name, who ^as always with the 
 Doctor, and often of service his specimens, valuable field 
 book, instruments, notes, etc., such as must accompany him 
 at all times. The frail bark could only be propelled now by 
 oars in the midst of this whirl of wind and wave. The 
 Doctor was accustomed to steer his own boat, especially when 
 there might be danger. They had now rounded the point, 
 and at intervals could see the light through the haze of the 
 storm, at the mouth of Eagle Eiver. Houghton knew the 
 coast well. He was familiar with such storms, and within 
 sight of land did not fear the result. It is easy for us now to 
 say that he ought to have paid more heed to the signs of the 
 coming tempest. But who can blame him for trusting to his 
 own judgment, to his own skill and good fortune? Heretofore 
 these had never deserted him. By courage and intrepidity he 
 had often escaped destruction. No man under such circum- 
 stances can determine the extent of danger, or the moment 
 when he must not venture another chance. His men even 
 now proposed to go ashore, which in itself would be perilous, 
 but the Doctor encouraged them to proceed. " We are not 
 
 (5) 
 
66 MEMOIR OF 
 
 far from Eagle River," he said; "pull away, my boys, we 
 shall soon be there pull steady and hard." Did he imperil 
 the lives of his men, so did he his own life. No danger that 
 they could be exposed to would he shrink from. But amidst 
 the increased violence of the gale the boat encountered the 
 surf and was instantly capsized. They all went under for a 
 moment; Dr. Houghton was raised from the water by his 
 trusty companion and friend, Peter McFarland. He told the 
 Doctor to cling to the keel, then uppermost. " Never mind 
 me," cried Houghton; "you go ashore if you can. Be sure 
 I'll get ashore without aid." Everything in the boat was 
 now lost, scattered on the tossing waves; but the men were all 
 good swimmers, and very soon the boat was righted, the water 
 bailed out, and these devoted heroes all again at their oars 
 obedient to command. But this bright interval was of brief 
 duration. In a moment after, a wave struck her with such 
 force, that the vessel receiving the blow at the stern was 
 dashed high in the air, the boat going over endways, and 
 everyone thrown again into the tumultuous sea. Even at this 
 moment they were not over two hundred yards from the 
 shore. Two of these hardy mariners with exhausted bodies, 
 reached the rocky beach, or rather were thrown with violence 
 on the stones in a helpless condition. But the leader of that 
 devoted band, in spite of Peter's heroic efforts and his own 
 unshaken courage, went down not again to rise. It was in 
 this way and at that moment that Douglass Houghton 
 perished. 
 
 It would be impossible to describe the mournful disap- 
 pointment and grief that touched all hearts when the news of 
 this calamity reached Detroit. It was, indeed, a sincere and 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 67 
 
 profound sorrow. The citizens of Michigan who had watched 
 his progress with so much pride felt now that the most gifted 
 man in the state had been suddenly and mysteriously cut off 
 at the very moment when he was to achieve victory. A light, 
 luminous and expanding had been extinguished. Every man 
 grieved as for the loss of a relative. The city in truth was in 
 mourning. Some outward expression of these overpowering 
 feelings would find utterance. The common council was con- 
 vened for this purpose by the mayor of Detroit. Tender 
 resolutions of appreciation and sympathy were passed, affect- 
 ing allusion being made to the Doctor as so recently presiding 
 over their deliberations. But this action of the common 
 council was thought to be insufficient to express the popular 
 and widespread sentiment of distress. A public meeting was 
 therefore called at the city hall, that the citizens at large 
 might be able in this way to give a wider and more emphatic 
 expression of this universal sorrow. At this meeting resolu- 
 tions offered by the Hon. Zina Pitcher, his early and fast 
 friend, were passed, that embodied the utterance of the most 
 tender sentiments of love, admiration and condolence. In 
 the streets you would hear these words: "Is it true that 
 Douglass Hough ton is dead?" " Is it possible that we shall 
 see our friend no moref Such were the exclamations every- 
 where heard. His fellow citizens could not give him up. No 
 affection, no sorrow could equal this, unless some precious 
 member of one's family had been snatched suddenly from a 
 mother's arms. His whole life so far had been an honor to 
 the state. In science he was distinguished abroad; at home 
 his friends expected to crown him with a special honor. They 
 would place him in the highest position in their power to bestow. 
 
68 MEMOIR OF 
 
 He had, indeed, so identified himself with the best interests and 
 the future of Michigan, was so replete with intellectual and 
 progressive life, so intrepid in action, so faithful to the highest 
 duty. In the course of Houghton' s labors through the wilder- 
 ness or on the bleak coast of the north, how few of his friends 
 in the southern part of the state could realize the dangers that 
 surrounded him ? These perils were constant and far more 
 imminent than could be realized except by those who had 
 shared his hardships. The citizens of Detroit watched his 
 return from these explorations with increasing interest. The 
 story of wreck, of passing down foaming cataracts, of crossing 
 swollen rivers, of wet powder, of short rations, of storm with- 
 out shelter; these were told everywhere. But no one ever 
 thought that Dr. Houghton might at last fall a sacrifice to these 
 exposures. This sort of confidence in his star, in his future, 
 was shared by the whole community. 
 
 The entire coast east and west of Michigan, and the shores 
 of Lake Superior had been traversed. The vast wilderness, 
 from the extreme eastern shores of the upper peninsula to the 
 banks of the Mississippi, on three widely separated but 
 approximately parallel lines, had been threaded in person by 
 Dr. Houghton. His assistants were able and efficient; they 
 were devoted to their chief all glowing with confidence in 
 him and faith in the future. So far the very elements had 
 shielded him The glory of new discoveries in science, a 
 generous ambition, lifted him above the thoughts of rest or 
 fear. Though broken in health, neither storm nor the wilder 
 ness had any terrors for him. He was often in the presence of 
 sublime scenes of nature; the forest growth of untold centu- 
 ries, or the shattered masses of rock, evidences of irresistible 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 69 
 
 and sudden disturbance. He had but few words to express 
 his emotions, but he had all the sensibility to appreciate the 
 grandeur of such scenes. These he felt to be the work of a 
 power beyond that of man, and he loved to contemplate them. 
 This communion with nature removed from his mind the 
 clouds of doubt that might gather there. The deep forests, 
 the rocky coasts, the moaning winds, all spoke to him in a 
 voice which he could understand. 
 
 These aspects of nature he loved; long intimacy with such 
 had made them, as it were, his companions. With all his 
 gayety of manner and social impulses, there was in the con- 
 stitution of Houghton a deep sentiment of reverence for the 
 mysteries of nature, not the systems of man. He did not 
 discuss religious themes, but his convictions were deep and 
 sincere. He respected the creed and services of the church in 
 which he was nurtured, but he did not attempt to solve the 
 mysteries of faith or God's providence. But amidst his labors, 
 surrounded by the visible marvels of the greatest of architects, 
 he saw, u God's temples not made with hands." If indeed he 
 was not bound to any sect, if he was shy of mere forms of 
 worship, he might yet see Deity in the clouds and hear His 
 voice in the winds; nor could it well be otherwise, but that 
 these studies, these associations, should lead him to reverence; 
 and science, the dream of his life, did not undermine his faith. 
 
 It was amid this tumult of the wild elements of nature, 
 amid forces that no skill and no courage could master, in the 
 good cause of science, truth and duty, bravely and tenderly 
 he yielded up his spirit. 
 
 The upper peninsula of Michigan had not been explored 
 in any systematic manner before the time of Houghton. The 
 
70 MEMOIR OF 
 
 large masses of pure copper that had been seen from time to 
 time by adventurous travelers in that region, and especially 
 that unique mass on the banks of the Ontonogon, had excited 
 great curiosity. But all these strange, loose pieces of copper 
 were but bowlders out of place. They had no relation neces- 
 sarily to the rocks in the immediate neighborhood. Although 
 an English company in former years had had the faith or the 
 temerity to sink a shaft on the spot with " great expectations," 
 the scientific truth could only be determined by the careful 
 examinations of a geologist. These outlying bowlders of cop- 
 per had been known for a century, but they had missled every- 
 one. Years before Dr. Houghton had been appointed geolo- 
 gist of the State, he had traversed that pathless region, first 
 by the northern shores of the peninsula, and afterwards more 
 centrally and mostly through a dense wilderness. These 
 earlier explorations were extended to the banks of the Missi- 
 sippi. It was these labors that gave the Doctor intimations of 
 the true relation of the rocks to each other, so that when he 
 entered on the survey to which he had been appointed, he was 
 not without definite views and strong convictions touching the 
 mineral wealth of the upper peninsula; and his subsequent 
 official studies of this little known region resulted in a con- 
 firmation of these earlier conclusions to which his mind was 
 advancing. 
 
 In science, as in letters and art, there must be enthusiasm; 
 nor can we ignore the force of the imagination. It is by this 
 divine gift that the mind can achieve great discoveries and 
 great triumphs. Houghton' s enthusiasm sustained him amid 
 all these past hardships and sufferings; nothing else could 
 have carried him through. These labors, this enthusiasm, 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 71 
 
 will remind one of the great Scotch geologist, the word- 
 painter of the old "Bed-sand Stone Memory," whose works 
 awakened such profound interest throughout England and 
 America, forty years ago. But Hugh Miller had one advan- 
 tage over the Michigan geologist; his rocks were more recent, 
 and were alive, so to say, with the fossil remains of a remote 
 and mysterious vitality. The reconciliation of these discover- 
 ies with certain questions, or axioms of his theology, perhaps 
 disturbed the serenity of an intellect of admirable force; and 
 possibly, at last, shrouded in clouds a life that had been 
 devoted with extraordinary zeal to the cause of science. But 
 there must be a charm beyond language to express, to be delv- 
 ing among rocks that at any moment may open to the eyes 
 some embodied silhouette or skeleton of a fish or reptile some 
 embryonic form that shall point to a connection or an evolu- 
 tion of extinct races of being. 
 
 This promise of fossil existence among the granite and 
 trap rocks of the upper peninsula was not offered as a stimu- 
 lus to Dr. Houghton; he knew they must be barren of this 
 interest. 
 
 One of the greatest of students in science, especially in 
 geology and rock literature, was Louis Agassiz. A careful 
 examination of the deep canons of the Swiss Alps had occu- 
 pied him for several years. The mysterious moraines of these 
 valleys and the striated surfaces of shales and granite, the 
 cutting along the sides of mountain declivities, were phenom 
 ena of a mysterious and unexplained nature. They had been 
 noticed by all observers, and they had puzzled and confounded 
 all. But Agassiz saw in these strange but uniform phenomena 
 the stupendous action of the land ice-bergs, and the grand 
 
72 MEMOIR OF 
 
 system of the glacial degradation of mountain ranges of 
 granite was thus evolved Fortunate was Agassiz beyond 
 most men that he not only lived long enough to see his views 
 fully confirmed and accepted by the savants of the world, but 
 that his lot had been chosen among a people that could 
 appreciate and reward his genius. 
 
 The northern portion of Michigan presented a geographi- 
 cal area of great extent; not less than three hundred miles, 
 touching Lake Superior, stretching west and northward, and 
 from fifty to seventy-five miles in width. It was almost 
 wholly a dense wilderness. The few fishing and trading posts 
 along the coast would be considered hardly an exception. 
 Before Houghton' s time no one had pretended to solve the 
 mysteries that hung over these deep forests, these rugged 
 upheavals of granite, trap, sand and metamorphic rocks. 
 There had been intimations of the presence of minerals of 
 great value. But as no one had been able to determine the 
 relation of these rocks to time and place, so no definite know- 
 ledge as to their contents could be possessed by any one, for 
 those portions of the rock that were visible along the coast, 
 or within gorges that had been opened by disruption, or cut 
 by water courses, presented in fact so much of confusion and 
 complexity, that all observers heretofore had been baffled in 
 every conjecture about them. To examine these with the 
 eyes of an outdoor scientist, to bring the labor, the patience, 
 the power of endurance to bear on these problems, would 
 demand rare qualifications on the part of a geologist and a close 
 inspection of scattered and isolated facts. Their value when 
 applied to theories and results, required a cool head and acute 
 powers of reasoning. In these discussions important princi- 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 73 
 
 pies were involved, and his standing before the world of 
 science would be tested. It required, indeed, a remarkable 
 grasp of thought to be able to arrange and methodize these 
 wide spread and often obscure facts, and so fuse them as to dis- 
 play the genuine metal of truth. That Dr. Houghton pos- 
 sessed these essential qualities no one can doubt who will 
 study the record of labors he has left behind, his letters herein 
 published, and his masterly reports to the legislature. Some 
 of these reports and letters are now for the first time placed 
 before the citizens of Michigan in a connected popular form. 
 
 It has been undertaken to give in an Appendix a careful 
 summary of all the reports which emanated from the depart- 
 ments, while under the surveillance of the first state geologist. 
 These constituted the basis of all the explorations that have 
 since followed, and though much has been published by other 
 men of science, covering the same ground fully and well, 
 the earlier reports can never be superceded in interest and 
 importance to the people of Michigan. It has been the aim 
 of this summary to note the more important points and con- 
 clusions, free from the cumbrous array of facts. 
 
 As the report of 1841 upon the geology of the Lake 
 Superior district has long been entirely out of print, no 
 apology seems to be needed for its republication here in full. 
 
 The summary is followed by a review or general statement 
 of all that has been published on the geology of Michigan 
 since the death of Dr. Houghton. 
 
 Prof. Alexander Winchell, of the Michigan University, 
 has in generous words repeatedly given Dr. Houghton that 
 meed of praise and honor which he had so well earned. 
 Prof. Winchell was appointed State Geologist in 1859. 
 
74 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Speaking of the labors of Houghton, he says: " Though the 
 work was unavoidably arduous for the Geologist, and expen- 
 sive for the State, it served to acquaint us at an early day 
 with many of the sources of our mineral wealth, and to 
 awaken and maintain a lively desire for more full and definite 
 information relative to the coal, salt, gypsum, copper and 
 iron, of which the published reports of progress had afforded 
 hasty glimpses. Dr. Houghton' s report, published in 1841, 
 furnished the world with the first definite information relative 
 to native copper in place on Lake Superior, and the promise 
 of wealth now so rapidly growing up in that region, has been, 
 to a great extent, created by the attention drawn in that 
 direction by the report of my lamented predecessor." 
 
 The sudden death of Dr. Houghton arrested the progress 
 of the Geological Survey of the State. The final report so 
 often alluded to in his brief papers to the legislature, and 
 which must so much depend on Houghton' s faithful perform- 
 ance, has never been given to the public. In the meantime, 
 the labors and sacrifices of the great Geologist are passing out 
 of the memory of men. The notes left by Dr. Houghton, or 
 a compilation of them, together with such materials as could 
 be collected intended for his final report, would have been 
 published, it is stated, but for the refusal of the Executive to 
 act on the resolutions of the Legislature empowering the Gov- 
 ernment to cause such publication to be made. 
 
 There is hardly a sketch of his life to be found in any of 
 our public libraries. His able reports are entirely out of 
 print; it is difficult if not impossible to find a copy, while 
 every season gives us new evidence of the value of his explora- 
 tions. All his discoveries and his convictions are being con- 
 
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 75 
 
 firmed by subsequent observers, and while the State is being 
 enriched by his unpaid labors, his fellow citizens who enjoy 
 the honor he conferred on the State, are to a great extent 
 ignorant of the life and labor of Douglass Houghton. 
 
 A discourse by Prof. Alvah Bradish, giving some more 
 full account of Houghton' s earlier life, and tracing somewhat 
 his earlier career, has been read by invitation before several 
 scientific and literary societies. It was read before the Young 
 Men's Society, of Detroit. The invitation in this case seemed 
 particularly appropriate, as both Dr. Houghton and Mr. 
 Bradish were among the first members and founders of that 
 literary society. It was read before the members of the 
 Audubon Club. Once before the Pioneer Society of this State. 
 The Historical Society of Buffalo had invited its reading 
 before its members; and in 1879, Prof. Bradish read his dis- 
 course by invitation before the Senate and House of Repre- 
 sentatives at Lansing. 
 
76 APPENDIX. 
 
 APPENDIX I. 
 
 PEN PORTRAITS OF SOME EARLY FRIENDS OF DR. 
 HOUGHTON, AT DETROIT. 
 
 At the period when Dr. Houghton came to Detroit to give 
 a course of lectures on the natural sciences, the city might 
 have numbered about four thousand inhabitants. It was still 
 a military post the residence of a Major-General of the 
 United States Army. American officers, with rare exceptions, 
 are gentlemen who respect culture, and the old French fam- 
 ilies were not insensible to the progress of new ideas. The 
 City of the Straits was holding out a welcome arm to the new 
 comers from every State of the Union. Dr. Houghton was at 
 once brought into close relation with the principal and leading 
 men of Detroit; the invitation had come from representative 
 men. This close association, whether professional, or in con- 
 nection with his scientific studies, was of signal service to him; 
 he was not slow to see these advantages, and his rapid advance 
 to the confidence of public men was not alone due to his own 
 enthusiastic devotion to his profession and to science, but 
 largely to the discernment of men of culture and attainments 
 that distinguished the society of Detroit at that period. It 
 has appeared to me that the following pages giving a few pen 
 
APPENDIX. 77 
 
 portraits of some of these early friends of Dr. Houghton 
 would be welcome to those readers who can only know them 
 by tradition : 
 
 GENERAL LEWIS CASS. 
 
 When Dr. Houghton first arrived at Detroit, then a very 
 young man, Gen Cass was governor of the Territory, to which 
 he had been appointed as early as 1814. He was a gentleman 
 of unimpeachable patriotism; he was distinguished for gal- 
 lantry in the war of 1812. The son of a New Hampshire 
 farmer, he entertained a warm sympathy for the great work- 
 ing population of the territory. He had earned a reputation 
 for literary culture. He felt a sincere respect for scientific 
 studies. His early career as Governor of the vast region of 
 the North-western Territory, and the conspicuous sagacity and 
 wisdom shown throughout his long administration, made him 
 a marked character of national significance. Gen.. Cass had 
 been one of those to invite young Houghton to come to 
 Detroit to give a course of lectures on the sciences he was cul- 
 tivating. The young men who came to Michigan from eastern 
 States at that early day would bring letters to the Governor 
 or would find ways to be known to him. It was the pleasure, 
 as it was always in the power of Gen. Cass, to be of great 
 assistance to these new comers, whether in business, in educa- 
 tion, in the professions, or in the cultivation of science. Gen. 
 Cass was a good judge of character, nor is it surprising that 
 the young Professor of Troy should find a warm and efficient 
 friend in the chief magistrate of the Territory. 
 
 Indeed, Houghton was so thoroughly imbued with this 
 passion for science and so absorbed by the ambitious desire to 
 develop the resources of the State, and to make new discover- 
 ies in geology, that it is not necessary to puzzle ourselves to 
 define very exactly the complexion of his political creed. No 
 doubt, in all respects he was a conservative in principle, as 
 his father was before him. His sympathy for the people at 
 
78 APPENDIX. 
 
 large was very cordial and hearty. If we were called on to 
 express by a phrase his political creed, we might say, he 
 would be classed as a Democratic Bepublican, with strong 
 proclivities to an administration that would secure the greatest 
 liberty consistent with an efficient government, without 
 respect to color, creed or race. 
 
 GOVERNOR STEVENS T. MASON. 
 
 Stevens T. Mason was hardly twenty- one years of age when 
 he was elected Governor of Michigan. He was of the Vir- 
 ginia family of Masons. He came to Detroit with his father, 
 who was private secretary to Governor Porter, to which post 
 his son in a short time succeeded. The sudden death of the 
 Governor, in 1834, left the Territory without a head and the 
 young man was thus Acting Governor for a few months. He 
 had an active shrewd friend in the Hon. John IsTorval, subse- 
 quently our United States Senator. Mr. Norval was a lawyer 
 of ability and experience, and would be sought for in counsel. 
 Mason was young, but had been trained in political ideas by a 
 Virginia culture. His father was known as an astute business 
 man; his ancestors for many generations had controlled poli- 
 tical opinions, and were patriots of the best type. Handsome 
 in person, Young Mason had all the elements of a popular 
 favorite. Frank and outspoken like those of his race, genial 
 in manner, abounding in gracious ways, beloved of his com- 
 panions, but too popular to be a hard student; proud of a 
 Southern pedigree, yet democratic in his intercourse with all 
 classes. For a young man, his ideas were of commendable 
 breadth, of high promise, of inflexible honesty; he was ardent 
 and ambitious to distinguish himself. Appreciative of great 
 qualities, and warm in his attachments, he cultivated the 
 friendship of Dr. Houghton. He sympathized earnestly in 
 the studies of the young scientist, and the moment the law 
 was passed creating the department of the Geological Survey, 
 
APPENDIX. 79 
 
 Dr. Houghton was placed by appointment at its head, as 
 the only man in the State, in truth, competent to fill that 
 position. 
 
 GEN. SYLVESTER LARNED. 
 
 The trying scenes of 1832, the first season of the cholera in 
 Detroit, had taxed Dr. Houghton' s skill in the treatment of 
 this fatal malady. In the meantime his practice as physician 
 was large and his reputation growing. This oriental scourge, 
 which reached us in a mild form in '32, became fearful in '34. 
 Among the early victims of the cholera which desolated 
 Detroit in this season of dismay, was Gen. Sylvester Lamed. 
 The General was well known to the citizens of Detroit and of 
 the State. A gentleman of noble and gracious bearing, a 
 lawyer of distinction, in the prime of life and of health, 
 universally respected and beloved, his sudden death gave a 
 shock to the community. At the last stage of his sufferings 
 Dr. Houghton had been called in at the special request of the 
 patient; but he was fast sinking. 
 
 Dr. Houghton sat by his bedside all night and watched 
 every pulsation with profound solicitude, to discover some 
 favorable symptom, some gleam of hope. Gen. Lamed 
 retained his mental faculties up to the last moment. He met 
 the inevitable fate with the calmness of a man at peace with 
 all the world. He took Dr. Houghton by the hand and said 
 he was satisfied that everything that science and skill could 
 do had been done, and thanked him for his attentions, fidelity 
 and sympathy. These were his last words. Not indeed that 
 Dr. Houghton would be more faithful to duty than others of 
 his profession in that trying season, but he was young and 
 ardent, of more than usual gifts, and sympathized warmly 
 with the sufferings of both rich and poor. 
 
 As in the investigations of science, so in the practice of 
 his profession, he could vary old or prescribed methods. As 
 a physician in large practice his success was great, uniting 
 
80 APPENDIX. 
 
 with his skill and knowledge the tender regard and care of a 
 Mend; the sound of his voice would cheer the desponding 
 patient, and do as much for him as medicine. 
 
 DR. ZINA PITCHER. 
 
 There have been but few men in Michigan who have so 
 identified themselves with the educational interests of the 
 State as Dr. Zina Pitcher, a gentleman well advanced in years 
 when young Houghton first cast his lines here. Dr. Pitcher 
 was a brother of the former Lieutenant- Governor of New York. 
 He was a man of enlarged culture, was well read in the science 
 of medicine, was qualified to lecture on many questions of 
 natural science. He attached himself very strongly to the 
 young geologist, who was destined to leave the impress of his 
 character so deeply engraved on the records of Michigan. 
 Dr. Pitcher at one time was president of the Medical Society 
 of the United States, and had received the appointment of 
 Eegent of the University. He was familiar with the ideas of 
 advanced educators in all the States and in Europe. He was 
 accustomed to mingle with men connected with government 
 and with science. 
 
 His studies in natural science were not unworthy a man 
 of liberal views. He took a high stand in the cause of 
 schools, of academic and collegiate culture. No man in the 
 State exercised a more wholesome influence on the opinions 
 and the actions of public men, and in all systems of education 
 or of charity. 
 
 He was a man of staid and distinguished manners, reserved 
 and slow of speech. His thoughts came slow, and his manner 
 was at first apparently cold. But this was the disguise, per- 
 haps, of sensibility and warmth. Young Houghton, of a 
 nervous and impetuous temperament, was the reverse of all 
 this. His ardor was without disguise, and his ideas so rapid 
 and so solicitous for expression, that they hardly found words 
 fast enough. But on the principle, perhaps, that opposite 
 
PEN PORTRAITS. 81 
 
 natures are drawn toward each other, as certain chemical 
 elements under definite conditions will coalesce, so Dr. 
 Houghton was invited to become a partner in the firm of 
 " Pitcher & Rice, surgeons and physicians.' 7 In all of 
 Hough ton's scientific studies he had a cordial and able Mend 
 and coadjutor in Dr. Pitcher. 
 
 Zina Pitcher had been at the Scientific School at Troy at 
 the same time with Houghton, and the friendship and admira- 
 tion he there felt for the young scientist, never for a moment 
 abated. 
 
 HENRY NELSON WALKER. 
 
 It is not with a view of eulogy that we call to mind the 
 early associates of Dr. Houghton, especially those who 
 sympathized with him in his studies or aided him in his 
 labors Among these intimate friends we must not omit the 
 name of Henry N. Walker. They were boys together in 
 Fredonia, New York, and young Walker soon followed his 
 school companion to Detroit, where he pursued his study of 
 law in the office of Chancellor Elon Parnsworth. A friend- 
 ship beginning in the first bud and bloom of life had been 
 kept warm and fresh up to the death of Houghton, in '45. A 
 self made man, like all men who are made of any value, Mr. 
 Walker has occupied various positions of trust and respon- 
 sibility in the State of Michigan. 
 
 A lawyer in successful practice, at one time Attorney- 
 General of the State, as editor and proprietor of a daily 
 journal of commanding influence, as vice-president of a bank, 
 and president of the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad, he has 
 not occupied a place that he was not in every sense competent 
 to fill. His name will live in the history of the State as long 
 as integrity and force of character shall be respected. 
 Walker belonged to the Houghton School of Young Men, and 
 throughout all the labors of the Geologist he found in him a 
 tried friend in sympathy and counsel. It is to such men as 
 
 (6) 
 
82 APPENDIX. 
 
 H. K Walker, Douglass Houghton, Franklin Sawyer and 
 John D. Pierce that the University is largely indebted for 
 services and for many gifts. 
 
 This can be said of but few young men who, beginning life 
 with no means save their own genius and purpose, have 
 become benefactors to public institutions before even their 
 own fortunes had been assured. The beautiful transit instru- 
 ment attached to the observatory at Ann Arbor is a gift from 
 the Hon. H. 1ST. Walker, at a cost of not less than $4,000. 
 At this time no other man of the State had bestowed a gift on 
 this State University so munificent. Mr. Walker's death 
 has occurred while we are writing the closing pages of this 
 memoir of his early associate. 
 
 HENRY E. SCHOOLCRAFT. 
 
 The name of Schoolcraft has a conspicuous place in the 
 early history of Michigan. His "Algic Eesearches," his 
 " Discovery of the Sources of the Mississippi," and other well 
 known works of a scientific nature, or relating to Indian 
 dialects and customs, have made him known in every civilized 
 land. He came to Michigan as early as 1828. He married a 
 grand daughter of a Chippewa chief, and resided much of his 
 time on the Island of Macinac or at the Sault Ste. Marie. He 
 had received the appointment of Indian Agent, an agency 
 that embraced a large extent of territory. He was familiar 
 with many Indian tongues, and had investigated the princi- 
 ples of their various tribal dialects. The expedition to the 
 sources of the Mississippi was organized by Schoolcraft, and 
 was accomplished in 1832. Dr. Houghton, a young gifted 
 scientist just settled in Detroit, but with the reputation 
 already established of rare attainments, was appointed sur- 
 geon and botanist to this expedition, and the report he made 
 of the flora of the region he traversed displayed the accuracy 
 of a trained observer. It seems proper to mention Mr. 
 Schoolcraft here, because Dr. Houghton was thus intimately 
 
PEN PORTRAITS. 83 
 
 associated with him, and because he was one of the ripe 
 scholars in the territory who would appreciate the superior 
 attainments of Houghton, as he was himself a distinguished 
 scientist with a national reputation. In questions of Indian 
 ethnology and the lingual peculiarities of the nomadic races of 
 North America, there is no higher authority than Henry E. 
 Schoolcraft. He was an ambitious author, with great confi- 
 dence in his opinions; certainly a deep scholar in Indian 
 antiquities, ingenious in his theories, with abundance of 
 words and roots to sustain his views as to the similarity or 
 diversity of races; a man of untiring devotion and industry, 
 and voluminous in his publications. 
 
 To Mr. Schoolcraft, in concert with Dr. Houghton and 
 Maj. Henry Whiting, the State owes the Indian names that 
 have been adopted for most of the northern counties. 
 
 MAJOR HENRY WHITING, U. S. A. 
 
 It is with peculiar pleasure that we connect this name 
 with Dr. Houghton. In the early days of Detroit few names 
 were more conspicuous. In 1834 Col. Whiting had already 
 been settled in the city for several years. He was quarter- 
 master in the U. S. army; he was well and liberally educated. 
 His culture was kept fresh by the habits of a student; his 
 reading was extensive. He was a polished writer and a 
 ready debater. He would often^ take part in the discussions 
 before the Young Men's Society, and the Major did not dis- 
 dain to pay homage to the muse of Poetry, and he wrote with 
 grace and facility. He was the author of two published vol- 
 umes of poems. Though more given to the amenities of litera- 
 ture, he was interested in questions of natural science. He 
 had read several papers before the Historical Society, relating 
 to the climate and waters of the upper lakes. These are pub- 
 lished in a small volume, including discourses by Gen. Cass, 
 Schoolcraft, and Maj. John Biddle. His studies, in fact, 
 
84 APPENDIX. 
 
 would lead him to sympathize with the pursuits of Dr. 
 Houghton, and he did not fail to cultivate his acquaintance, 
 and become an earnest and appreciative friend of the future 
 Geologist. Mrs. Col. Whiting was a niece of Major- General 
 McComb, a general of the national forces. She was a lady 
 most interesting and lovely in person and manners, and she 
 knew how to make her house the resort of the best people in 
 the city, and the young persons who were desirous to improve 
 their manners or cultivate conversational powers would be 
 found at her house. Maj. Whiting had taken the precaution 
 to study law during his spare moments, and was admitted to 
 practice at the bar at Detroit. In this he was governed by a 
 wise forethought, that he might wish at some future time to 
 retire from the army, and would thus have a profession to fall 
 back on. 
 
 Major Whiting was a rare example of an army officer 
 rising out of and above the mere routine of a martinet, sym- 
 pathizing earnestly but temperately with the new ideas 
 involved in science and government. Handsome in person, 
 tall and imposing in figure, of gracious and winning manners, 
 his sympathies were quick and warm. At Lundy's Lane, 
 more than twenty years before, under Gen. Scott, he had seen 
 service, and was in the midst of a sharp conflict; brave and 
 gentle as a true chevalier of the olden times. To know him 
 and Mrs. Whiting was a passport to every house in Detroit. 
 He was a true Christian gentleman, and his commendation 
 would secure confidence and success. 
 
 His friendships were not lightly given nor hastily with- 
 drawn. It was the countenance and friendship of such men 
 that sustained Dr. Houghton throughout his brief and labor- 
 ious career. 
 
 CHAHLES C. TROWBRIDGE. 
 
 It is remarked by the late Hon. C. C. Trowbridge, that Dr 
 Houghton on his first arrival at Detroit, youthful and even 
 
PEN PORTRAITS. 85 
 
 boyish as he was in appearance, was at once received into the 
 best social and intellectual circles of the city without reserve. 
 He took his place as one "to the manner born, 7 ' as he was, 
 indeed, in all respects; and it may be added in regard to the 
 leading families who controlled the social standards in those 
 early days, it was a way they had to accept the new comer for 
 what he was capable of doing, for sterling qualities, without 
 regard to family, station or money. The days of pretense, if 
 they were ever to reach Detroit at some future period, at least 
 would be postponed for many years to come. It has been seen, 
 not only that the young scientist was cordially welcomed, but 
 that very speedily he was recognized as a leader among the 
 young men of the city with whom he associated. 
 
 YOUNG MEN'S LITERARY SOCIETY. 
 
 Already it has been mentioned that the Young Men's Lit- 
 erary Society was largely indebted to Dr. Houghton for its 
 early organization in 1832. In these generous labors he was 
 united with Franklin Sawyer, a young man from Boston, of 
 superior education and rare natural gifts; he was the first 
 superintendent of public instruction in Michigan. Dr. 
 Houghton would insist that Sawyer should be the first presi- 
 dent of the new society thus formed, he taking the vice-presi- 
 dency. The second year, however, the members elected 
 Houghton as president. So of other associations and organi- 
 zations looking to public improvements, young Houghton was 
 among the first to give a helping hand. His young friend, 
 William N. Carpenter, was associated with him in the Sunday 
 school of the church in which he had been baptized as an 
 infant. 
 
 At the time of his arrival at Detroit he would need assist- 
 ance in preparing his apparatus for experiments, to illustrate 
 his lectures on chemistry; and the Hon. John Owen, then a 
 clerk in Dr. Chapin's drug store, would lend a helping hand. 
 
86 APPENDIX. 
 
 Nor would young Owen resist altogether the enthusiasm of the 
 youthful lecturer. Not only were the young men that sur- 
 rounded Houghton inspired by his enthusiasm, but they 
 seemed often to be inocculated with a passion for the sciences 
 that he was cultivating; nor would they be insensible to the 
 sterling qualities of honor, courtesy and probity that ever dis- 
 tinguished the young scientist, whose example indeed, was 
 destined to inspire and raise the standard of culture of one 
 entire generation. 
 
 It was at that period that George 0. Bates, a student at law 
 in the office of the Hon. Henry S. Cole, Attorney-General of 
 the State, became a prominent character among his ambitious 
 companions, conspicuous for grace of person and for style of 
 public speaking quite irresistable to a popular audience. And 
 Jacob M. Howard, of a logical cast of mind, a deep student, 
 made himself felt in our discussions, and gave promise for 
 that distinction in a larger field, which in a few years after he 
 won in the Senate of the United States. 
 
 We might go on and sketch thus briefly these word por- 
 traits of many other bright ambitious companions of young 
 Houghton, but shall be obliged to restrain our pen, and con- 
 fine it to a simple mention of some of these leading young 
 men, many of whom have been heard of in the years that 
 have followed. 
 
 John Talbot, of scholarly tastes, Morgan L. Martin, Henry 
 Stringham, Lieut. Senter, H. N. Walker, Alexander Buell, 
 Silas Douglass, Henry G. Hubbard, Franklin Sawyer, Henry 
 Penney, Peter E. DeMill, George Eeed, A. S. Williams, E. N. 
 Wilcox, James V. Campbell, Samuel Douglass, George E. 
 Hand, Stevens T. Mason, Marshall J. Bacon, Isaac Roland, 
 George C. Bates, H. H. Emmons, Levi Bishop, Col. A. T. 
 McEeynolds, D. B. Duffield, Bela Hubbard, J. W. Waterman, 
 Alvah Bradish, and others. 
 
 Most of these young men were brought into close relation 
 with Dr. Houghton, either in business, in connection with the 
 institutions of the State, or in the charities of the city. No 
 doubt we have omitted many names that should belong to this 
 
PEN PORTRAITS. 87 
 
 group. But of the younger class, these will include the 
 largest portion of the companions of Houghton from the period 
 of his arrival in Detroit, in 1831, up to the time of the relin- 
 quishing his professional labors for the geological survey of 
 the State. 
 
 It should be stated that most of these young men were 
 early members of the Young Men's Literary Society, of Detroit. 
 
 It is not unsuitable to say, too, that there never has been a 
 literary society established in any of the new States that has 
 exercised a more wide-spread and solid influence on intellec- 
 tual and aesthetical culture than this Young Men's Society, of 
 Detroit. 
 
 Indeed, there are but few men of mark in Michigan, who, 
 beginning their career in Detroit, have not felt and acknow- 
 ledged its influence. Most of these have taken an active part, 
 either by lectures or debates, or as efficient officials, sustaining 
 its credit and activity with untiring zeal and patriotic devo- 
 tion. If such a spirit as this -that animated the founders of 
 the Young Men's Society, of Detroit, could continue to preside 
 over the conduct of a literary society, there is no good reason 
 why its prosperity should not be perpetual. 
 
88 APPENDIX. 
 
 PAET II. 
 
 STATEMENTS REGARDING THE DEATH OF DR. HOUGHTON. 
 
 The following remarks are from the " Wolverine," a 
 paper published at Flint, Mich., dated 1874 : 
 
 No event in its day created more general and painful 
 interest than the untimely fate of Douglass Hough ton, cut off 
 in the very prime of his manhood and the midst of his useful- 
 ness. No measure can be placed upon what Michigan owes 
 him for the results of his early discovery and promulgation of 
 the vastness and variety of her mineral wealth. His name 
 was famous in both hemispheres, and his memory beloved by 
 all who knew him. But a generation of men have passed off 
 the stage since the crested waves of Lake Superior chanted 
 their murmuring requiem over the remains of the dis- 
 tinguished scholar whom they held in their cold embrace, and 
 a proposition being now before the Legislature to obtain for 
 the new State Capitol Professor Bradish's fall length portrait 
 of Dr. Houghton, it has become a fitting time to revive some 
 of the incidents connected with the loss of a man to whose 
 scientific learning, indefatigable industry and fearless explora- 
 
DEATH OF DR. HOUGHTON. 89 
 
 tion in pursuit of knowledge, not alone Michigan, but the 
 whole United States are so largely indebted. 
 
 Dr. Douglass Houghton was appointed State Geologist in 
 1838 by Stevens T. Mason, the first governor of the State of 
 Michigan. He commenced his professional work at once. 
 
 In 1844, while making the geological survey of our upper 
 peninsula, he discovered, first the large deposits of iron ore 
 in Marquette county, and afterwards the copper in what was 
 then known as Keeweenaw district, now embracing the 
 counties of Keeweenaw, Houghton and Ontonagon. When 
 his report was first published his statements were attacked by 
 the celebrated Prof. Silliman in his journal, and also by the 
 leading geological savants of Europe. It required but two 
 years working of the mines to satisfy the world that the 
 'field geologist' of Michigan was right, and that some of the 
 theories of parlor geology, however much they might be 
 respected for their learning, must yield to the crucible test of 
 actual demonstration. 
 
 The portrait, which it is proposed shall be purchased by 
 the State, has been executed by Prof. A. Bradish, an artist of 
 celebrity. It represents Dr. Houghton standing on the rocks 
 close to the water's edge, with the pictured rocks forming the 
 background. He is dressed in the free out- door costume of a 
 working geologist, with his hammer in hand, his favorite 
 black and white spaniel is standing by, partly in the water. 
 The expanse of the entire of Lake Superior stretches off to 
 the horizon, an archway of broken rock shelving down to the 
 water, in the distance cascades, etc., fill up the picture. The 
 likeness is said to be an excellent one. Petitions to the 
 Legislature to purchase this portrait have been presented from 
 some of the most prominent men and judges of art of our 
 State, and referred to a select committee appointed to report 
 upon the propriety of securing it for the State. 
 
90 APPENDIX. 
 
 As a matter of interest to our readers, we republish from 
 the Detroit "Free Press" of Oct. 28, 1845, the following 
 recital of the melancholy circumstances attending the death of 
 Dr. Houghton, made to the Hon. Lucius Lyon, by our fellow- 
 townsman, Col. E. H. Thompson, who was near the spot when 
 the accident occurred: 
 
 LETTER OF HON. E. H. THOMPSON. 
 
 FORT WILKINS, Lake Superior, October 21, 1845. 
 
 To THE HON. Lucius LYON, 
 
 Survey or -General, of Detroit: 
 
 MY DEAR SIR: 
 
 Enclosed herewith I forward a statement of facts connected 
 with the unfortunate end of Dr. Douglass Houghton, as given 
 by the survivors of the melancholy catastrophy, Peter Mc- 
 Farline, his true and trusty voyager by flood and field for 
 many years, and John Baptiste Bodrie. 
 
 I am aware that in a district of country duly organized 
 with the usual county officers, the law, upon finding the 
 body of Tousin Piquette, demanded an'investigation from the 
 hands of a coroner. This course was impracticable without 
 removing all the witnesses to the Sault Ste. Marie, a distance 
 of more than two hundred miles, and at this late season 
 impracticable. 
 
 Thus situated, upon consulting with Col. Gratiot and 
 others, it was considered as the best and only method of pro- 
 curing the statement of the two survivors in the presence of 
 witnesses to reduce it to writing, signed by them, with the 
 certificate of those present of its correctness. 
 
 Upon this mode of proceeding I have acted in reducing 
 the statements of McFarline and Bodrie, and trust that we 
 shall meet with your approbation and that of the numerous 
 friends of Dr. Houghton. 
 
DEATH OF DR. HOUGHTON. 91 
 
 The original is sent to you, believing that through you in 
 your official character, the intelligence should reach the execu- 
 tive department at Washington, in whose service he was 
 engaged. 
 
 Amid the gloom surrounding the death of Dr. Houghton, 
 it is a matter of congratulation to the world of science, but 
 more particularly to our own State, that all his valuable 
 papers connected with the geology and survey of the northern 
 peninsula for the last six months are saved, with the excep- 
 tion of one small book containing the surveys of a fractional 
 township between Eagle River and the Portage. 
 
 It is indeed strange that out of the many scientific men 
 and hundreds of others who have coasted on the waters of our 
 great inland sea during the past season, only the master spirit 
 of them all should fall. 
 
 The ways of Providence are truly mysterious. The labor 
 and toil of fifteen years, endeavoring to penetrate the veil 
 which shrouds from our view many of the mighty events that 
 preceded the history of our race, and which required only the 
 magic of his pen and the power of the press to place him 
 among the Humboldts of another sphere, is now lost. 
 
 Our country, nay, the world of science were looking with 
 more than Argus eyes for his final report of the geology of the 
 northern peninsula. Michigan beheld his scientific talent and 
 moral worth with pride and admiration; but, alas ! he has 
 tracked the steps of glory to a watery grave. 
 
 I cheerfully avail myself of this opportunity to bear wit- 
 ness to the kindness of Colonel Gratiot and all connected with 
 the mining works at Eagle Eiver, in alleviating the sufferings 
 of the survivors and in administering to their wants, as well 
 as to his unwearied and indefatigable efforts in making with a 
 sufficient force all possible exertions, but without success, to 
 find the body of Dr. Houghton or that of his voyageur, Oliver 
 Larimer. 
 
 I am, 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 E. H. THOMPSON. 
 
92 APPENDIX. 
 
 STATEMENT OF Two or His YOYAGEURS. 
 
 EAGLE EIVER, Lake Superior, Oct. 14, 1845. 
 
 Statements of facts connected with the drowning of Dr. 
 Douglass Houghton, Geologist of the State of Michigan, and 
 two of his men, Tousin Piquette and Oliver Larimer, near 
 Eagle River, on the night of the 13th of October, A. D. 1845, 
 as related by Peter McFarline and John Baptiste Bodrie, 
 survivors : 
 
 Dr. Houghton camped on the night of the 12th of October, 
 at Eagle Harbor; on the morning of the 13th he started in his 
 boat with the undersigned acting as voyageurs, with three bar- 
 rels of flour, a bag of peas, a small quantity of pork, tent and 
 bedding, and a traveling portfolio, for Eagle Eiver, a distance 
 of eight miles to the westward. On arriving at Eagle Eiver 
 they there took in some additional clothing for the surveying- 
 party and proceeded five miles still farther west to the store 
 house of Hassey and Avery; they arrived there at noon and 
 immediately commenced unloading the boat; after waiting 
 some time, the miners at work on the location of Messrs. 
 Hassey and Avery, came in to their dinner, and from some of 
 them Dr. Houghton procured the key of the storehouse and 
 deposited his provisions. 
 
 We all took dinner here, after which we started for Mr. 
 Hill's surveying party, a distance of three miles on the lake 
 coast. Dr. Houghton and McFarline then started into the 
 woods on the line, and not finding Mr. Hill, he returned to 
 the boat and found by the arrival of Tousin Piquette and 
 Oliver Larimer that Mr. Hill and his men were two miles 
 still further up the lake. 
 
 Dr. Houghton then started in his boat in pursuit of Mr. 
 Hill with the undersigned, Tousin Piquette and Oliver Lari- 
 mer; we met Mr. Hill and his party about sun down, and 
 after remaining nearly an hour and transacting some business, 
 we then put back with the same persons for the purpose of 
 reaching Eagle Eiver that night. We had nothing in the 
 boat but some bedding and the portfolio; at the time of leaving 
 
DEATH OF DK. HOUGHTON. 93 
 
 there was a gentle land breeze and a heavy sea from the out- 
 side. Dr. Houghton took his usual seat in the stern as steers- 
 man, while four of us rowed the boat. On arriving opposite 
 the Hassey location, McFarline asked Dr. Houghton if he was 
 going to stop. Dr. Houghton replied, "No, for if I do not 
 get to Eagle Eiver to-night, Oliver will lose his passage down 
 the lake." McFarline then stated to Dr. Houghton, that he 
 was afraid that it was going to blow. Dr. Houghton said, 
 "No, I guess not; a land breeze can't hurt us." By this time 
 we were opposite the store house of Hassey and Avery. 
 McFarline then told Dr. Houghton that he must go ashore at 
 the warehouse as Oliver's baggage was at that place. At this 
 we put into the landing, and after getting the baggage we 
 then stood for Eagle Eiver. 
 
 The wind was about the same as when we left Mr. Hill, 
 except that it commenced snowing a little and growing dark; 
 after rowing nearly three miles we found ourselves opposite a 
 place called the Sand Beach. At this place the wind changed 
 and commenced blowing from the northeast and snowing 
 faster. In a short time we encountered a heavy sea caused by 
 a reef projecting into the lake about a mile and a half. 
 McFarline then asked Dr. Houghton to go ashore at the Sand 
 Beach. Dr. Houghton replied, " We had better keep on 
 we are not far from Eagle Eiver, pull away, boys, pull hard." 
 At this, Bodrie spoke in the French language to McFarline, 
 and said, " We had better go ashore." Dr. Houghton imme- 
 diately inquired of McFarline, "What did Bodrie say?" 
 McFarline told him, when Dr. Houghton replied, "We had 
 better go to Eagle Eiver to-night as we shall there have a new 
 log house to dry us in." The wind and snow kept increasing, 
 and after rowing some time, Dr. Houghton remarked once or 
 twice, " Pull away, my boys, we shall soon be in, pull away," 
 and encouraged us by similar expressions. We commenced 
 shipping water and made but little progress. After knocking 
 and rolling about among the breakers for over an hour and 
 storming all the time, McFarline bailed the boat out and 
 advised Dr. Houghton to put on his life preserver. The bag 
 
94 APPENDIX. 
 
 containing it was handed to him, he placed it at his side; 
 instantly a heavy sea struck the boat and filled it. 
 
 Dr. Houghton then proposed going ashore. McFarline 
 told him he could not land; that the coast opposite them was 
 all rocks. Dr. Houghton immediately put the boat about, 
 saying, u We must go ashore; we can do- nothing here." 
 Within two hundred yards of the shore, they shipped another 
 sea which was followed by a larger billow, and the boat cap- 
 sized with all hands under her. 
 
 McFarline was the first person from beneath, and upon 
 rising to the top of the water, caught hold of the keel of the 
 boat at the stern. Upon looking round, he saw a man's arm 
 about half way out of the water. He instantly lowered him- 
 self and caught the man by the collar of his coat, and upon 
 bringing him up, it was Dr. Houghton, who recognized him. 
 McFarline told him to take off his gloves and to hold on to 
 the keel of the boat. The advice was followed. McFarline 
 still preserving his hold. 
 
 Dr. Houghton then remarked, " Peter, never mind me, 
 try to go ashore if you can; I will go ashore well enough." 
 Instantly a heavy sea struck the boat, throwing it perpen- 
 dicularly into the air. It fell over backwards, and Dr. 
 Houghton disappeared forever. 
 
 McFarline regained the boat, and upon getting in, dis- 
 covered for the first time one of his companions, Bodrie, in 
 the water and clinging to the bow. In this position they 
 both remained some fifteen minutes, but saw nothing more of 
 their companions. A sea washed them out again. McFarline 
 drifted towards the rocks and got a loose hold. In a moment 
 he was washed off and being carried to and fro against the 
 rocks some three times. The fourth wave landed him on the 
 top of a ledge of rocks, and by clinging to a crack or fissure 
 in the rock, and getting hold of a small bush he succeeded in 
 saving himself. 
 
 After landing he looked around him and could see nothing 
 but the boat filled with water and the bedding floating. Soon 
 he heard a voice among the rocks, asking in the French 
 
DEATH OF DR. HOUGHTON. 95 
 
 language, ' ' Who is that f ' McFarline replied, "It is me, 
 Peter." The rescued man was Bodrie. We commenced 
 looking about in every direction and hollowing, but heard no 
 answer. We continued examining until we found ourselves 
 growing chilly and stiff, when Bodrie remarked, "Well, we 
 have lost our brothers; it may be that one of us will get to 
 Eagle Eiver to tell their fate.' 7 
 
 We started, and on the way down McFarline fell several 
 times from exhaustion and cold. Bodrie roused his com 
 panioii up, and finally succeeded in reaching Eagle Eiver 
 between the hours of eleven and twelve at night. We told 
 what had happened, and within an hour the entire coast was 
 lined in search for the bodies, by miners and others who were 
 near at hand. 
 
 (Signed) PETEE McFAELINE, 
 
 BAPTISTE BODEIE. 
 
 EAGLE EIVER, Lake Superior, Oct. 14, 1845. 
 
 We do hereby certify that we were severally present when 
 the above named Peter McFarline and John Baptiste Bodrie 
 gave in their statements of the melancholy occurrence of the 
 death of Dr. Houghton and two of his men on the night of the 
 13th inst., by drowning, and that the above is a correct state- 
 ment as given by them. 
 
 E. H. THOMPSON, Michigan, 
 
 C. H. GEATIOT, Eagle Eiver, 
 
 J. HOUGHTON, JR., Detroit, Mich.. 
 
 J. T. WHITING, Eagle Eiver, 
 
 JOHN HAWKS, M. D., Eochester, N. Y., 
 
 ALGEENON MEEEYWEATHEE, Mich. 
 
 BELA HUBBAED, Detroit. 
 
 In the spring of 1846 the remains of Dr. Houghton were 
 found not far from the scene of the disaster in the previous 
 October. They were half covered with sand, but easily 
 
96 APPENDIX. 
 
 identified. They were interred in Elmwood cemetery, 
 Detroit, now covered by the monument raised to his memory 
 by Mrs. Houghton. 
 
 The night of Houghton' s death and the day following, the 
 snow that had commenced at dusk fell to the depth of three 
 feet. 
 
 BESOLUTIONS or THE COMMON COUNCIL OF DETROIT. 
 
 CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, DETROIT, Nov. 27, 1845. 
 
 At a special session of the common council of the City of 
 Detroit, held Wednesday, Oct., 29, 1845, the following 
 preamble and resolutions were adopted: 
 
 WHEREAS, The lamentable intelligence has reached us 
 that our late esteemed fellow townsman, Dr. Douglass Hough- 
 ton, has met with a sudden death on the waters of Lake 
 Superior; 
 
 AND WHEREAS, The relation which the deceased so lately 
 sustained with us as mayor of the city and ex-officio president 
 of this board, renders an expression of respect and regret 
 proper on behalf of this council ; therefore, 
 
 Resolved, That the members of the common council of the 
 city of Detroit, cherish the most profound respect for the 
 memory of the deceased, and deeply deplore the mournful 
 event which has deprived this State of a man whose talents, 
 acquirements and services have adorned her history and 
 promised still more to enrich her annals, which has deprived 
 this city of a valued, esteemed and most useful citizen, society 
 of an amiable, interesting and beloved member, and his 
 family of an affectionate and devoted head; 
 
 Resolved, That we tender our sincere condolence to his 
 afflicted family upon the occasion of their sad bereavement; 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect, his honor, the 
 mayor, be requested to call a public meeting of our fellow- 
 citizens to be held to-morrow evening at 7 o'clock at the city 
 'hall; 
 
CENOTAPH. 97 
 
 Resolved, That this expression of our feeling be entered on 
 our records, that a copy be furnished the family of the 
 deceased and published in our proceedings in the papers of 
 the city. 
 
 EGBERT E. ROBERTS, 
 
 Clerk. 
 
 THE CENOTAPH AT ANN ARBOR. 
 
 In the beautiful University grounds at Ann Arbor, Mich., 
 has been erected a square monument of lime stone, designed 
 for four tablets, and surmounted by a broken column. Two 
 of the sides are already occupied by white marble tablets to 
 the memory of Professors Whiting and Houghton. The one 
 to Dr. Houghton bears the following inscription: 
 
 TO THE MEMORY OF 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, M. D., 
 
 PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY IN THIS 
 
 UNIVERSITY, AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEYOR 
 
 GENERAL 
 
 IN THIS STATE. 
 
 IN SCIENCE LEARNED, IN ACTION PROMPT, WHILE BOLDLY ENGAGED TN 
 
 PUBLIC DUTY, BY THE OVERTURNING OF A BOAT IN LAKE 
 
 SUPERIOR, HE PERISHED. SINKING, NEVER, ALAS ! TO 
 
 BE SEEN AGAIN UNTIL "THE SEA GIVE 
 
 UP THE DEAD." 
 
 OCTOBER 13, 1845, 
 Aged 36. 
 
 THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN THIS STONE HAVE 
 TAKEN CARE TO PLACE. 
 
 (7) 
 
98 APPENDIX. 
 
 PAKT III. 
 
 THE HOUGHTON PORTRAIT. 
 
 As early as 1834 Mr. Alvah Bradish was a resident citizen 
 of Detroit, a young man and an artist, closely associated with 
 Dr. Houghton, and on intimate terms with his family. 
 
 He had unusual facilities for the study of his countenance 
 and his person. The portrait he painted from life has always 
 been considered an excellent likeness of Dr. Houghton. It is, 
 indeed, the only portrait in oil that he ever sat for. This was 
 before the days of the daguerrtype or the photograph. 
 
 With this original portrait before him, and with a perfect 
 knowledge of Dr. Houghton' s person, the artist has designed 
 a full length portrait, standing at the water's edge, with the 
 pictured rocks of Lake Superior forming a back ground. It 
 has been widely seen and approved by all who knew Dr. 
 Houghton. 
 
 It was offered to the legislature of Michigan for purchase; 
 a bill for its purchase was brought before the legislature in 
 1879. Prof. Bradish was in the capitol by invitation of Gov. 
 Croswell, and all the members of the two houses had visited 
 his room. Besides the full length of Dr. Houghton, a full 
 length of Dr. Henry P. Tappan, first president of the Uni- 
 versity, was on exhibition; also a full length portrait of that 
 eminent statesman, the Hon. Lewis Cass, so long governor of 
 Michigan while a territory; besides other distinguished 
 
MEMORIALS. 99 
 
 citizens of the State. These large paintings were original 
 works by Prof. Bradish. 
 
 During the winter more than three thousand citizens had 
 visited the studio to see these historical portraits, but mainly, 
 it may be said, to pay their respects to the pioneer geologist 
 of the State. Nearly one thousand petitions had been sent to 
 the legislature, coming from all parts of the State, urging its 
 purchase. 
 
 So many years had elapsed since the time of Houghton's 
 death that some hesitation might be looked for among mem- 
 bers who had yet to become acquainted with the career of the 
 first geologist of Michigan. But so well persuaded were the 
 leading members of the legislature of 1879 that this recogni- 
 tion of his services was just and patriotic, that in the senate 
 there were only one or two votes adverse, while in the House 
 the bill for purchase was passed by a very large vote, the 
 members satisfying themselves that the memorial portrait 
 offered by Prof. Bradish had every claim to authenticity, and 
 that it was a faithful representation of the subject of this 
 memoir. 
 
 The bill was promptly signed by the governor, Charles 
 Croswell. It passed into the hands of the board of auditors 
 of this State, who had been authorized by it to purchase the 
 portrait for the State. It still lies there. 
 
 THE PROPOSED MONUMENT. 
 
 If the writer has shown excessive zeal to perpetuate the 
 memory of Houghton, it should be remembered that he is 
 among the few now living who knew him well, that he is the 
 only artist that ever painted him from life it being ten years 
 before the advent of the photograph that most of his 
 associates have passed away, and that life is too precarious to 
 
100 APPENDIX. 
 
 leave these v varied materials and records to the arrangement 
 and handling of a stranger. 
 
 For several years past the author has been solicitous in 
 obtaining materials bearing on Houghton's life and services. 
 His zeal is warmed by the remembrance of his character, his 
 steady friendship and his enthusiasm in the cause of science, 
 in which he lost his life. 
 
 The Michigan legislature was in session at Detroit, then 
 the capital of the State, when the news of the death of Dr. 
 Houghton reached the city. The loss was deemed a public 
 calamity by the representatives. A bill was introduced 
 expressing the general feeling, making an appropriation for a 
 monument to be erected on the shore of Lake Superior, near 
 Eagle Eiver. 
 
 But at that time the financial condition of the State was so 
 depressed that it was thought advisable to postpone action 
 until a later season, and a sum more suitable and more in 
 accordance with public sentiment could be secured. 
 
 If it is surprising, it is hardly creditable, that the monu- 
 ment contemplated by the legislature of '46 has not been 
 followed up by some popular action. One would expect 
 among the enterprising and intelligent citizens of the upper 
 peninsula especially, that almost a spontaneous expression in 
 this direction would have been seen before this date. At 
 Elm wood cemetery, where Dr. Houghton's remains were 
 deposited, there is a plain granite shaft, erected by his widow, 
 that will inform the passer by of the last resting place of 
 Houghton. One of the free schools of Detroit has received 
 his name, in honor of one so zealous to promote popular 
 education. A cenotaph, plain and inexpensive, stands within 
 
MEMORIALS. 101 
 
 the grounds of the University Campus. A name* that is so 
 cherished in this State will not perish. A few yearS hence 
 passengers traversing the waters of Lake Supejripi^ fern* tixo 
 deck of steamers will scan the southern shore along the coast 
 near Eagle Eiver. They will remember what name has been 
 associated with all this region, and especially with the perils 
 of storm and disaster; they will look for some sign that the 
 memory of such a man has not been forgotten. These 
 travelers may not always be disappointed. The time is soon 
 to come when they will discover some monument booming 
 through the mist, perhaps a simple granite shaft broken mid- 
 way, as the life of Houghton was shattered and broken, and 
 the story of his marvelous energy and courage will be read again 
 and again with ever renewed interest. 
 
 The good missionary Marquette died in the performance of 
 duty somewhere near the shore of Lake Michigan, but the 
 precise spot or the time is not known. La Salle, the most 
 courageous and intrepid explorer of the great inland lakes 
 and the waters of the Mississippi, perished amid the wild 
 savannahs of lower Louisiana, not a scientist but eager to make 
 discoveries and to add new lands to the rule of a sovereign 
 who could not heed their importance. He fell by assassina- 
 tion, but no one can name the spot where he perished. 
 
 The adventurous explorer of Florida, De Soto, stimulated 
 by motives less pure perhaps, perished on the banks of the 
 Mississippi, and was buried in its waters. It may be 
 remembered that these courageous pioneers were in the midst 
 of a race or races of nomadic habits, who had no written 
 language, kept no records and had no history. There are 
 good reasons and some apology for our ignorance of the last 
 
102 > APPENDIX. 
 
 moments nd final resting places of these adventurous heroes. 
 
 But there can be no apology for our indifference or neglect of 
 
 ' ;"- " - ' 
 
 of those whose services are conspicuous, whose 
 
 persons are remembered, whose labors have enriched the 
 State, and whose fame is a part of the inheritance of the 
 present generation of men in Michigan. In the county of 
 Eoscommon there is a beautiful lake some fifteen or twenty 
 miles in length which bears the name of Houghton. It was 
 the way our people had to honor the names of men who were 
 devoting their energies to the service of the State. But so 
 easily and rapidly will errors become installed in the popular 
 thought, that an eastern gentleman sojourning a while on the 
 banks of this secluded lake, was taken by a resident to a 
 point of land overlooking the waters, and was shown the very 
 spot where Dr. Houghton was drowned! 
 
 The reader will not censure the author for offering the 
 following quotation from a gentleman well known to the 
 citizens of Michigan. In a report to the legislature, the Hon. 
 Lymah D. Norris speaks of Houghton' s death as "truly a sad 
 loss to the State of Michigan. An enthusiastic lover of 
 science for itself, and for no selfish end, with a constitution 
 that seemed never to know fatigue or fear, labor or danger, 
 he had with all a kindly, loving heart, that drew to itself all 
 who were brought within its circle. Simple as a child, and 
 unassuming as he was scholarly, he wrote his name on the 
 history of this State, there to remain forever. The influence 
 that such men have live after them, and if there is anything 
 of unsensational enthusiasm in the advocacy of the writer of 
 this report, of such geologic work as would most gratify the 
 spirit of that great and good man of science (if permitted to 
 
TESTIMONIALS. 103 
 
 participate in the cares of this mortal life), it springs from the 
 recollection of many months of intimate intercourse had with 
 him in the earliest days of our University. 
 
 "His small, compact form, sinewy figure, crowned with a 
 dome-like brain, usually bent downward like a full head of 
 wheat, as he sauntered across the college campus, surrounded 
 by his then 'baker's dozen' of the students of those days 
 always welcome companions to him is one of the memorial 
 pictures never to be effaced. Then with his forward and 
 downward look he seemed ever to be interrogating Mother 
 Earth and asking for her secrets, while no rare bug or beetle, 
 or blade of grass, or stone, escaped his notice, but was seen 
 and examined and taken as the text for many pleasant and 
 instructive lectures to the loving group that stood around 
 him." 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 After the death of Dr. Houghton the Hon. Bela Hubbard 
 and Mr. William A. Burt were appointed and requested to 
 prepare reports based on the field notes and other materials 
 of Houghton' s uncompleted labors. As Assistant State 
 Geologist, Mr. Hubbard submitted a brief but comprehensive 
 report of these labors. In conclusion he says: "In attempt- 
 ing this duty the undersigned cannot be unmindful of the 
 very meagre and imperfect sketch here presented, when 
 compared with whatever proceeded from that master mind, 
 whose genius first developed and whose indomitable energy 
 tracked through all its difficulties a system not only intricate 
 in itself but novel to science, and in a region at that time 
 destitute of all ordinary facilities for scientific investigation. 
 
104 APPENDIX. 
 
 To the same active and philosophical mind we owe the system 
 of the union of the geological with the lineal surveys of the 
 land of the United States, the first experimental results of 
 which are now returned to this department." 
 
 This memoir of Dr. Houghton had been nearly completed 
 before the author had seen the report of Mr. T. B. Brooks to 
 the Board of Geological Surveys of the State of Michigan. 
 This able report had escaped his notice, being absent from 
 the State when it was first made, but he cannot deny himself 
 the satisfaction of giving to the reader these generous words 
 of an able scientist, competent to appreciate the genius and 
 the labor of his predecessor. 
 
 From the report of T. B. Brooks to the Board of Geological Survey 
 of the State of Michigan, Vol. I, page 12: 
 
 "The honesty, skill and enthusiasm with which this field 
 work was executed, resulted in the collection of a large 
 amount of geological data, which at the completion of the 
 survey would have left little to be done save the final report, 
 with which the master mind should classify, group and 
 harmonize these facts, and thereby develop nature's laws 
 from the mass of materials collected. 
 
 " Dr. Houghton 7 s untimely death by drowning on Lake 
 Superior while in the midst of his labors prevented him from 
 performing this crowning work. Anyone familiar with the 
 geology of the upper peninsula and who will peruse tjjie 
 manuscript notes left by Dr. Houghton, will be convinced 
 that his views regarding the geology of the older rocks were 
 far in advance of his time, and such only as geologists years 
 after arrived at, and those which are but now, thirty years 
 after he recorded them, universally accepted. In 1843 the 
 financial troubles of the State of Michigan, arising out of the 
 five million loan, as it was called, were of such a character as 
 to cause the legislature to withhold the annual appropriation 
 
THE SOLAR COMPASS. 105 
 
 for the geological survey, which then had been for several 
 years in successful operation under the directions of Dr. 
 Houghton. Thoroughly interested in his scientific work, and 
 believing that the best interests of the State and the cause of 
 science demanded the continuance of the survey, Dr. Hough- 
 ton solicited from the general government the aid which his 
 own State felt unable to grant, and succeeded in obtaining in 
 the appropriation for the public survey of the upper peninsula 
 of Michigan an additional allowance per mile, to cover the 
 cost of the geological work. 
 
 u ln order to expedite the work and insure the best 
 scientific results from the adoption of his plans, Dr. Houghton 
 himself took the contract from the government for completing 
 the survey of the upper peninsula which had previously been 
 begun in 1840, under the direction of the Hon. William A. 
 Burt, U. S. Deputy Surveyor. In 1844 Dr. Houghton com- 
 menced operations under his contract, the field work being in 
 charge of Mr. Burt, who received in compensation therefor 
 the extra allowance granted by the government. 
 
 "It is proper to add that Mr. Burt entered with deep 
 interest into Dr. Hough ton's plan, and had during his surveys 
 in the lower peninsula collected for him many specimens 
 and important geological information not required by his 
 instructions " 
 
 WM. A. BURT AND HIS SOLAR COMPASS. 
 
 In 1844 a party consisting of Mr. Burt, Jacob Houghton, 
 younger brother of Dr. Houghton, and others (young Hough- 
 ton being the barometer man), was engaged in establishing 
 township lines and making geological observations as previ- 
 ously described. On the 19th of September, while running 
 the eastern line of town 47 north, range 27 west, the great 
 iron township as it proved, they observed by means of the 
 solar compass a remarkable variation in the direction of the 
 needle. 
 
106 APPENDIX. 
 
 Mr. Houghton, who kept a diary, says: "On the evening 
 of the 18th of September we reached the lake and established 
 the northeast corner of town 47 north, between the Chocolate 
 and Carp rivers. We then run west the township line, and 
 camped at the town corner, on the east side of Teal Lake, on 
 the 18th September. On the morning of the 19th we started 
 running the line south, between the ranges 26 and 27. So 
 soon as we reached the hills to the south of the lake the 
 compass man began to notice the fluctuation in the variation 
 of the magnetic needle. We were, of course, using the solar 
 compass, of which Mr. Burt was the inventor, and I shall 
 never forget the excitement of the old gentleman during the 
 changes of the variation, the needle not actually traversing 
 alike in any two places. He kept changing his position to 
 take observations, all the time saying: 'How would they 
 survey this country without my compass? What could be 
 done here without my compass f 
 
 "It was the full and complete realization of what he had 
 foreseen when struggling through the first stages of his inven- 
 tion. At length the compass man called for all to come and 
 see 'a variation that would beat them all.' As we looked at 
 the instrument, to our astonishment the north end of the 
 needle was traversing a few degrees to the south of west. Mr. 
 Burt called out, 'Boys, look around and see what you can 
 find. 7 We all left the line, some going to the east and some 
 to the west, and all of us returning with specimens of iron 
 ore, mostly gathered from out crop This was along the first 
 mile from Teal Lake. We carried out all specimens we 
 could conveniently.' 7 (See Appendix <E,> vol. 2, Geology of 
 Michigan, unpublished manuscript at the University. These 
 extracts and comments and notes are by Mr. T. B. Brooks, 
 who had the compilations of these volumes in charge, a work 
 of great interest, and performed with ability and fidelity.) 
 
GOLD DISCOVERY. 107 
 
 DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN THE MINERAL EEGION. 
 
 Immediately after the death of Dr. Houghton, in 1845, the 
 report became current that he had added to his discoveries of 
 copper, silver, iron and lead, that of gold, but as his notes of 
 that year were lost with him, it became generally supposed 
 that there was no foundation for the rumor. As passing years 
 brought no confirmation through further discovery a genera- 
 tion, in fact, having passed away before the existence of the 
 precious metal became a practical fact the alleged discovery 
 by Dr. Houghton was long treated as a myth. 
 
 It will be remembered by those who have read the fore- 
 going pages that Dr. Houghton was at that time carrying 
 forward the connected linear and geological survey of the 
 mineral region under a contract with the government, conse- 
 quently he had several parties of surveyors in the field. 
 Among them was Mr. Samuel W. Hill, who is well known 
 throughout the Lake Superior region. We here copy from 
 the " Marquette Mining Journal" his statement, which 
 would seem to set the question at rest: 
 
 SAMUEL W. HILL'S EECOLLECTIONS OF DR. HOUGHTON' s 
 GOLD DISCOVERY ON LAKE SUPERIOR. 
 
 S. W. Hill, who was with Dr. Houghton on his geological 
 survey of the Marquette iron region about forty years ago, 
 said that he was sent up with a party of men to where 
 Kegaunee now stands, and they pitched their tents a hundred 
 rods northeast of the city, where the Doctor was operating at 
 the mouth of the Chocolate Eiver. One day the Doctor visited 
 their camp to see how they were progressing at that end of 
 the survey. He arrived at the camp in the afternoon, and, 
 after resting and refreshing himself, he took a pick and went 
 out among the hills. Eeturning just before darkness set in, 
 he said: "Mr. Hill are you aware we are in a gold region?" 
 Mr. Hill replied that he was not. "But," said the Doctor, 
 "we are;" and he took some specimens of rock from his 
 
108 APPENDIX. 
 
 haversack which were quite richly charged with gold. Mr. 
 Hill asked the Doctor if there was much of it. Dr. Houghton 
 answered that he had not examined the ground very closely, 
 and also said he did not wish anything said about it just then, 
 as they had already had some trouble with the men, and if 
 these should become aware that they were in a gold region 
 they might desert them to hunt for it themselves. 
 
 Unfortunately, that fall Dr. Houghton was capsized in a 
 squall at Eagle River and drowned, and all his notes were 
 lost with him. Mr. Hill says the Doctor came from a north- 
 east course not from the northwest, as I had been previously 
 informed and that he could not have been over a mile or so 
 away, which would be about on a range with the Eopes vein. 
 Mr. Hill also said the specimens then found were sent to 
 Detroit, and Jacob Houghton, a brother of the Doctor, had 
 some of the gold extracted and made into a breastpin, which 
 he wore for years. [T. Meads, in Marquette Mining Jour- 
 nal.] 
 
 A MEMORIAL WINDOW. 
 
 It has been reserved for a stranger to do what State and 
 citizens have failed to accomplish, viz., to erect at and near 
 the scene of his scientific labors and triumphs, some suitable 
 memorial of Dr. Houghton. 
 
 As we go to press the following notice comes to hand of a 
 beautiful memorial window put up in St. Paul's church, 
 Marquette. The article is copied from the " Marquette 
 Mining Journal," January, 1889, and is from the pen of Hon. 
 Peter White: 
 
 A HOUGHTON WINDOW THE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL WIN- 
 DOW JUST PLACED IN ST. PAUL'S CHURCH. 
 
 Mr. A. Langfear Norrie, a New Yorker by birth, after 
 passing seven years in London and other parts of England 
 
MEMORIAL WINDOW. 109 
 
 acquiring his education, returned to his native country seven 
 or eight years ago. Hearing almost fabulous stories of the 
 mineral wealth of Northern Michigan, and of the new iron 
 fields steadily being opened up here, he was seized, notwith- 
 standing his great inherited wealth, by the laudable ambition 
 of achieving success through his own personal efforts, unaided 
 by wealth or friends, and he came to Michigan almost 
 immediately after his return. He made Marquette his head- 
 quarters and, donning the garb of an explorer, joined the 
 hardy class always to be found in the forests of the upper 
 peninsula looking for timber or mineral wealth. 
 
 He traversed the Marquette and Menominee regions, sub- 
 jecting himself to all the hardships of life in the wilderness, 
 and then struck into what is now known as the Gogebic 
 range, and within a couple of years had located the great 
 Norrie mine, which in the season just ended shipped over 
 400,000 tons of Bessemer ore. A simple reference is made to 
 these facts to explain Mr. Nome's friendly feeling for Mar- 
 quette, where he was always welcome, and where by the 
 qualities within him he made many warm friends. In the 
 last two years he has resumed his residence in New York, but 
 is still an occasional visitor to his Michigan home. 
 
 While here he had heard and read of the exalted 
 character and service to the State of Dr. Douglass Houghton, 
 as the first Michigan State Geologist, and of his sad fate. 
 This suggested to his mind some suitable memorial. With 
 this in view he wrote to a prominent citizen of Marquette an 
 offer to put a Hough ton memorial window in St. Paul's 
 church in this city, and pursuant to his instructions the offer 
 was made to the rector and vestry of the church as a Christ- 
 mas gift, December 25, 1887. It was promptly accepted on 
 that day, and Mr. Norrie at once ordered the window from 
 the celebrated firm of Clayton & Bell, London, Eng. At the 
 suggestion of Mr. D. F. Charlton, the architect, Mr. Norrie 
 ordered a brownstone tracery, instead of the wood sash, in 
 which to set the window. This was cut here by James E. 
 Lawrence, and is in itself a work of art. 
 
110 APPENDIX. 
 
 The window is now in place in its brownstone fittings. 
 The reporter has examined it, and only regrets his inability 
 to adequately describe the beauty of finish, harmonious blend- 
 ing of color, exquisite design and perfect loveliness of its 
 toute ensemble, the same attributes of perfection being found in 
 each separate figure. It is a poem in glass. The emblems 
 can be only imperfectly described, and the reader should visit 
 the church for himself and see the window with the sunlight 
 streaming through it. In the lower right hand corner appears 
 the " Salutation" Mary saluting Elizabeth before the birth 
 of John the Baptist, while in the lower left hand panel is the 
 "Annunciation" the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary the 
 coming birth of Christ. The two panels forming the centre 
 section of the window are really one in design, and represent 
 the " IsTati vity ' 7 and the t( Adoration" Mary and Joseph 
 with the child in the manger, and the visit of the three wise 
 men, kings of the east, one with gold, another with frankin- 
 cense, and the third with myrrh. The beauty of the three 
 faces, and figures is wonderful. It is noticeable that the 
 artists follow the ancient tradition, and picture one of the 
 kings as a Nubian. The upper panel, circular in form, also 
 relates to the design of the centre section. It represents the 
 " Glorification " the song of the angels, and the star throw- 
 ing its light down upon the stable in Bethlehem for the 
 guidance of the kings. 
 
 The window is mediaeval in design and finish, and is 
 striking in the attention paid to details. It is perfect in its 
 smallest part, and the richness of coloring cannot be sur- 
 passed. Between the lower panel and the center section is 
 the inscription from Isaiah, "The Gentiles shall come to Thy 
 light and kings to the brightness of Thy rising," while across 
 the bottom, just above the sash, are the words, "Douglass 
 Houghton, M. D., State Geologist, born Troy, N. Y., Sept. 
 21, 1809; drowned Eagle Eiver, Mich., Oct. 13, 1845. Pre- 
 sented Xmas 1887, by A. L. N." 
 
 Dr. Douglass Houghton was the first State Geologist of 
 Michigan. He was appointed immediately on the admission 
 
MEMORIAL WINDOW. Ill 
 
 of this State into the Union, at about the same time that, as a 
 result of "The Toledo War," Michigan acquired the upper 
 peninsula. In May, 1840, Dr. Houghton came to Lake 
 Superior and the upper peninsula in canoes and small boats, 
 accompanied by Bela Hubbard and Columbus C. Douglass as 
 his assistant scientific expert geologists. Of the same expe- 
 dition was Frederick Hubbard, in charge of instrumental 
 observations, H. Thielson, civil engineer, Charles W. Penny 
 and six Canadian oarsmen. 
 
 The State has gained much knowledge, and information 
 through the work of this commission, but the boat occupied 
 by Dr. Houghton was capsized and he was drowned October 
 13, 1845, oif Eagle Eiver. He had completed his summer's 
 work on this peninsula, and was returning home with all the 
 notes of the season's discoveries and observations, all of which 
 were lost with him. 
 
 In this connection it may not be inappropriate to copy a 
 tribute to Dr. Douglass Houghton by an upper peninsula 
 State senator in 1875, in an address before both houses of the 
 legislature that year. It is here given: 
 
 " At length, in 1841, the first report of the geological 
 survey of the upper peninsula was made by the Michigan 
 State Geologist, Dr. Douglass Houghton. 
 
 1 ' Here I must pause, for Douglass Houghton is a name 
 which no true Lake Superior man, or Michigan man, ever 
 passes without a tribute, perhaps unspoken but none the less 
 striking, deep and pure, in the bottom of his heart. 
 
 "The world has now but just turned from the pageant 
 which followed to an illustrious tomb the scarred and weather- 
 beaten frame of that great man, Dr. Livingstone, who gave up 
 'his life to his God humbly kneeling by his rough couch in the 
 wilds of Africa, where no white man's foot had ever trod, in 
 magnificent solitude. 
 
 "We have here no enormous London, no rich and cultured 
 people, bowing in enthusiasm before the throne of intellect, 
 science, genius and heroism; no titled, hereditary lords and 
 
112 APPENDIX. 
 
 sovereigns in funeral train; no vast and sombre monumental 
 pile where rest in peace the ashes of the mighty dead. 
 
 ""We are a rough, practical, money -making race. Seldom 
 in our busy day can we pause to ponder on the goodness of a 
 by-gone friend, and we shudder to think how soon the stream 
 of life will close over our heads after we, too, have followed. 
 
 "But we have great, warm, working, western hearts, 
 which the icy waters that were his winding-sheet cannot chill, 
 and they shall be our Westminster Abbey, Douglass Hough- 
 ton's mausoleum. We will fix our eyes on his noble life and 
 death, and by striving with generous ardor to emulate them, 
 erect to him the imperishable memorial which history ever 
 grants the teacher, and, perhaps by God's grace, may follow 
 him to heaven." 
 
LETTERS. 113 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 LETTERS OF DR. HOUGHTON. 
 
 TO HON. AUGUSTUS PORTER. 
 
 This letter to the Hon. Augustus Porter, member of Con- 
 gress from Detroit, is in reply to one of inquiry copied from 
 the " National Intelligencer," Washington, D. C.: 
 
 DETROIT, December 26th, 1840. 
 MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 Yours of the 17th inst. has just come to hand, and it is 
 highly gratifying to me that steps have been taken in relation 
 to the Sault Ste. Marie canal at an early day in the session. 
 The importance of this work to Michigan is appreciated by 
 but few of our citizens, and its importance in a national point 
 of view is hardly appreciated at all. 
 
 The fact is, the great mass of our people are disposed to 
 look upon the upper peninsula as having a climate so rigorous 
 and a soil so poor as wholly to unfit it for agriculture. Now, 
 both these suppositions are without ground, and I will 
 venture to say that the soil and climate as a whole are better 
 adapted to the purposes of agriculture than that of the New 
 England States. I do not speak on this subject without 
 knowledge, for I have traversed the length of Lake Superior 
 
 (8) 
 
114 APPENDIX. 
 
 by canoes, oar and sail boats, five times; have ascended fre- 
 quently, though not always, to the sources of every stream 
 entering the lake from the south side; have crossed from the 
 lake to the Mississippi River by three different lines, and 
 have made many hundred miles of traverses of land where I 
 did not follow the course of the stream. The Indians, after 
 leaving the immediate shores of the lake, raised corn, and it 
 was a sure crop. The average latitude of the south coast is 
 nearly 46 deg. 30 min. In only one respect do I imagine 
 there has been an over-estimate of the resources of this 
 district, and this is with timber. The amount of pine com- 
 pared with what has been usually supposed, is, I imagine, 
 small. The quantity of sugar maple is vastly greater than 
 has been supposed, and frequently this is of the most mag- 
 nificent growth I have ever seen. The exports of this district 
 for the present must consist chiefly of peltries, fish and 
 minerals. Upon the two first of these the last census will 
 give you full statistical returns, and I would add that the 
 fishing is conducted under very great disadvantage and 
 increased expense in consequence of keeping vessels con- 
 stantly upon the lake with a crew under pay, while they 
 necessarily lie idle during a large portion of the year. 
 
 Of the mineral resources of the country I am unable to 
 speak as definitely as could be wished, for the reason that my 
 field notes are not yet reduced to form. Much time is 
 required to place the observations for geological locations of 
 fixed points in such a shape as to make a whole, and until 
 this is done I am unable to fix the precise limits of the mineral 
 region. 
 
 Ores of zinc, lead, iron and manganese occur in the 
 vicinity of the south shore of Lake Superior, but I doubt 
 whether these, unless it be zinc and iron, are in sufficient 
 abundance to prove of much importance. Ores of copper are 
 much more abundant than either of those before mentioned, 
 and a sufficient examination of them has been made to satisfy 
 me that they may be made to yield an abundant supply of 
 the metals. I do not mean by this that copper is to be found 
 
LETTEBS. 115 
 
 in that region, as is the popular opinion, pure and without 
 labor, but that capital may be safely invested in raising and 
 smelting of these ores with profit to the capitalist. 
 
 The district which is believed to contain the chief of the 
 copper ores lies upon the south side of the lake and towards 
 the westerly end. It stretches partly parallel to the lake for 
 a distance a little less than one hundred and thirty miles, and 
 has an average breadth of three to four miles. These dimen- 
 sions are given a little at random, but they cannot vary far 
 from the truth. This district only reaches the shore of the lake 
 at a single point; from this it stretches off on a crescent form 
 about twenty-eight miles inland, and again approaches within 
 half a mile of the coast. The mineral district of Lake 
 Superior bears a very striking resemblance, in a geological 
 point of view, as in all other respects, to that of the celebrated 
 copper and tin district of Cornwall and Devon, England, and 
 its area is vastly greater. The veins of ore traversing the 
 mineral district of Lake Superior, in those portions I have 
 examined closely, are of very frequent occurrence, and range 
 from a few inches to fourteen feet in width. I do not now 
 recollect (I write without a reference to field notes) that I 
 traced any of those veins over a mile in length, and most of 
 them less, but the difficulty of tracing them depended on the 
 covering of earth and the obstacles from the thickness of the 
 timber and the undershrub. The average width of the worked 
 veins in Cornwall is about four feet, which is considerably 
 less than the average of those of the district examined near 
 Lake Superior. I brought from Lake Superior on my return 
 to Detroit this fall from four to five tons of copper ores, and 
 am now busily engaged in making an analysis of them. Thus 
 far they have proved equal to any ores I have ever seen, and 
 their value for purpose of reduction cannot be doubted. The 
 average per cent, of metal is considerably above that of the 
 ores of Cornwall. While speaking of the ores I am reminded 
 of the beautiful specimens of native copper which came out 
 with the ores in opening some of these veins. They are not 
 very abundant, but some of them are very fine. In opening 
 
116 APPENDIX. 
 
 a vein with a single blast, I threw out nearly two tons of ore, 
 and with this were many masses of native copper, from the 
 most minute specks to about forty pounds in weight, which 
 was the largest mass I obtained from that vein. Ores of 
 silver occasionally occur with the copper, and in opening one 
 vein small specks of native silver were observed. There are 
 as yet, however, no evidences of the existence of this metal in 
 sufficient abundance to be of practical value. 
 
 It has been my desire in all examinations connected with 
 these important subjects to be sure and not deceive myself, 
 and to draw no conclusions but such as are strictly based 
 on observation. 
 
 The collection of minerals I have brought from the regions 
 of Lake Superior have turned the heads of most of those 
 persons who have examined them, but it is not so with my- 
 self, for I know full well the many difficulties and embarrass- 
 ments which will surround the development of the resources 
 of this district of country. That it will eventually prove of 
 great value to our citizens and to the nation there can scarcely 
 be a shadow of doubt, but the time when this can be done 
 must in a great measure depend on the general policy of our 
 government. This should be a liberal one, and such as will 
 give stimulus to individual enterprise, while it will prevent 
 a monopoly. The construction of the Sault Ste. Marie canal 
 will add very much to the facilities, and in fact at this time 
 without it nothing could be done except at enormous and 
 ruinous expense. 
 
 I hope to see the day when instead of importing the whole 
 of the immense amount of copper and brass used in our 
 country we may become exporters of both. 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOtf, 
 
 State Geologist. 
 
 TO RICHARD HOUGHTON. 
 
 It would seem that the plan of Mr. Lucius Lyon, mentioned 
 in the following letter, in reference to the appointment of Dr. 
 
LETTERS. 117 
 
 Houghton as Naturalist, was not carried out, for in June 
 following we find him on Lake Superior, connected as surgeon 
 and botanist with the Schoolcraft expedition, as will appear 
 in a subsequent letter. 
 
 Bichard, to whom this letter was addressed, was then at 
 Lockport, ~N. Y. : 
 
 FREDONIA, N. Y., Feb'y 21, 1832. 
 To Richard Houghton : 
 
 DEAR BROTHER: As I suppose that Lydia and Sarah, 
 who have scribbled on the other side, have given you the 
 most important news respecting our mighty city and its 
 citizens, I will briefly attend to my own matter. Since you 
 left here I have heard from Secretary Cass through Mr. Bates 
 Cook, and he talks favorably. There is now no vacancy in 
 the medical staff of the army, but there is a bill before the 
 House for increasing the number, and I presume it will pass. 
 
 I have received from Mr. Lucius Lyon, agent or commis- 
 sioner to settle some of the Indian boundaries at Galena, 111. , 
 an invitation to accompany him the ensuing season, in sett- 
 ling the Indian bounds under the Treaty of Prairie du Chien, 
 of 1830, in the Northwest territory, as naturalist. He will 
 apply to the war department for a direct appropriation for 
 that purpose, and he offers to^ furnish me forty dollars per 
 month from his own pocket, in addition to which he will 
 defray my expenses from the time I leave home until I return 
 next fall. The route is as follows: Beginning at the Missis- 
 sippi one hundred and fifty miles above Galena, and running 
 up the Iowa Eiver to its source, thence to the upper forks of 
 the Des Moines Eiver, thence to Calumet Eiver and down 
 that river to the Missouri, somewhere near Council Bluffs, 
 then down the Missouri Eiver to the Western boundaries of 
 the State of Missouri, thence north on said boundary to the 
 northwest corner of the State, thence by a circuitous route to 
 the upper forks of the Des Moines Eiver as aforesaid. The 
 lines of the Iowa Eiver and across the Des Moines will be 
 
118 APPENDIX. 
 
 treble, one line on each side of the centre line, and at a dis- 
 tance of twenty miles from it. The greater part of the route 
 will be through a country almost wholly unexplored. It will 
 undoubtedly afford a rich field for investigation, particularly 
 in the department of botany, and should an appropriation be 
 made for that purpose will afford a handsome salary. If I do 
 not receive other orders from the war department I shall 
 probably leave here for Galena as early as the first of April. 
 My route will be down the Ohio, and up the Mississippi by 
 the way of St. Louis, and my return in the fall by the way of 
 the Illinois Eiver to Chicago, and across the peninsula of 
 Michigan to Detroit. 
 
 I shall look for further instruction from Mr. Lyon in about 
 twenty days, when I will write more upon the subject; other 
 things which I mentioned to you will be deferred until next 
 fall. My business is so urgent that I shall not be able to 
 visit Lockport as I anticipated. Eemembrauces to Mr. 
 Brown and family. Please write me immediately. 
 
 Your brother, 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 
 TO RICHARD HOUGHTON. 
 
 Dr. Houghton had been appointed as surgeon and botanist 
 to the Schoolcraft expedition for the discovery of the sources 
 of the Mississippi. This letter is to his younger brother 
 Eichard, who fell a victim to the cholera two years after at 
 Detroit: 
 
 AMEEICAN FUE CO. POST. 
 
 FOND DU LAC, June 24, 1832. 
 MY DEAR BROTHER: 
 
 We arrived at this place, which is twenty -four miles 
 beyond the head of Lake Superior, on the St. Louis Eiver, 
 last evening. I was much surprised upon our arrival, at the 
 
LETTERS. 119 
 
 village -like appearance which it presents. There are several 
 capacious log buildings and these are surrounded by a 
 stockade, and this gives it almost the air of a fort. Directly 
 in the rear of the post, the hills rise almost to mountain 
 heights and upon the opposite side of the river they are seen 
 stretching as far as the eye can reach in either direction. 
 The trading clerks and voyageurs of the American Fur Co. 
 who trade west and north of the head of Lake Superior, about 
 two hundred in number, are now collected here, and in 
 addition to these there are between two and three hundred 
 Indians of the band now situated at this place, now present, 
 and adding our own party we can muster between five and 
 six hundred persons, so that you can well imagine we have 
 lively times. Some of these half French and half Indian 
 traders have traversed during the winter most of the country 
 bordering on the upper Mississippi Eiver, while others have 
 been as far west as the Eocky Mountains. 
 
 Mr. Aiken, the director of the company in this section of 
 the country is now here his headquarters at Sandy Lake. 
 He is European French, I suppose, is affable and intelligent, 
 and has been in the Indian country more than twenty years. 
 I also met here a German physician with whom I was before 
 acquainted, who has engaged in the Indian trade, and passed 
 the last winter at Rainy Lake. All the traders will leave 
 here to-morrow for Mackinac, for the purpose of receiving 
 their annual supplies. This day is Sunday, and we are 
 stationary. To -morrow our baggage will be arranged in pack- 
 ages smaller than is usual, weighing ninety pounds, and will 
 commence passing around the falls of this river upon the 
 Portage, which is nine miles in length. The Portage is, in 
 consequence of excessive rains, nearly impassable, and for 
 this reason it is calculated that our voyageurs can only carry 
 two packages each, weighing one hundred and eighty pounds, 
 at a load. Between this and Sandy Lake it will be necessary 
 to make about seventeen miles of portage, which will alone 
 occupy about six days. Our precise route is but just deter- 
 mined We will proceed from this place by the Grand Port- 
 
120 APPENDIX. 
 
 age, St. Louis Eiver Portage Aux Coteau, Savannah River, 
 Savannah Portage, Sandy Lake and Sandy River, to the 
 Mississippi River. From thence ascend the ^Mississippi 
 River, pass by Little Lake Winnipeg to Upper Red Cedar 
 Lake, and from thence to Lac La Bishop; from thence return 
 by another route to Upper Red Cedar Lake, then proceed by 
 Leach River to Leach Lake, thence by a series of portages 
 and small lakes to the source of the River de Carbeau, the 
 great southwest fork of the Mississippi, thence descend the 
 River de Carbeau to the Mississippi, and the latter stream as 
 far as fifty miles below the Falls of St. Anthony, thence we 
 will proceed by the St. Croix River and River Brule, with 
 only a short portage to Lake Superior, which we will enter 
 from the southern shore about four hundred and sixty miles 
 above the Sault Ste Marie. We hope to complete this im- 
 mense journey so as to arrive at the Sault Ste. Marie between 
 the middle and the last of August. You can scarcely imagine 
 the difficulties which we will be obliged to encounter, and 
 they certainly beggar description. Although I am now 
 twelve hundred miles from you, I consider this the place 
 where I in reality commence my journey. 
 
 I find the vaccination of the Indians an irksome task, 
 chiefly in consequence of the great numbers. Last evening 
 after our arrival I operated upon two hundred and forty at 
 one sitting, and I shall complete the band to morrow. As yet 
 I have only found a few who had never heard of vaccination. 
 It is astonishing to learn the fearful dread they have of the 
 small-pox. When I commence operating they crowd around 
 me with their arms ready, and anxiously wait their turn. I 
 keep an accurate list of the number, age and sex of those 
 vaccinated, together with the tribe and band to which they 
 belong. 
 
 The season is hardly sufficiently advanced to admit of an 
 extensive collection of plants, but I am doing more than could 
 have been expected. I received another letter from Prof. 
 Torry, respecting my plants of last year, after my arrival at 
 the Sault Ste. Marie, and I was much gratified to learn that 
 
LETTERS. 121 
 
 the opinion I had given respecting those which I supposed to 
 be undescribed species was supported by the New York 
 botanist. This will give me fresh courage to push the subject 
 this season. My mineral collection, as yet, has been but 
 small. I wish you to write me at the Sault Ste. Marie, so that 
 it can reach there by the 20th of August. We have good 
 health so far, and while our men have hard times upon the 
 portage I have more leisure to make my scientific examina- 
 tions than I could under other circumstances. To- morrow 
 morning I expect to take up the brachial artery in a case of 
 advanced aneurism. 
 
 Love to all members of the family, 
 
 Your affectionate brother, 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 
 TO HON. JACOB HOTJGHTON. 
 
 DETROIT, Dec. 20, 1834. 
 DEAR FATHER: 
 
 I have neglected writing you much longer than I intended, 
 but this has arisen wholly from fatigue of business, leaving 
 me with hardly sufficient energy to sit down to write what 
 was not an absolute necessity. Since our return to the city 
 our health has been constantly good, I think mine has hardly 
 ever been better. Lydia seems contented, and I think she is 
 pleased with our place. In business I am still prospering; it 
 is constantly and rapidly increasing, and that among the most 
 respectable citizens. My charges, which are perfectly good, 
 from the time of my return from Fredonia to the first of 
 January, although the town has been healthy, will amount to 
 between one thousand and thirteen hundred dollars, the time 
 being less than thirteen months. 
 
 I had proposals some time ago from a physician whom I 
 supposed to be doing the most business in the city, for a co- 
 partnership, and though I was convinced that if my health 
 remained good it would be of no advantage to me, I was upon 
 
122 APPENDIX. 
 
 the whole disposed to look upon it rather favorably. We 
 compared estimates of our charges, and I was astonished to 
 find that mine exceeded his by several hundred dollars for 
 the last year. 
 
 I confess that I was not without some little feeling of 
 gratification that I was able to make such a comparison with 
 one who has been in business here sixteen years. The result 
 was that we concluded to join our business as soon after the 
 first of January as the new office can be fitted up, but a per- 
 quisite will be allowed me worth some four or five hundred 
 dollars a year. 
 
 I have just closed the purchase of two city lots near my 
 president residence, and situated near the centre of the city 
 on a pleasant street only one hundred and twenty feet from 
 Main street. They cost me sixteen hundred dollars; of this I 
 pay six hundred dollars down, and the balance is to be paid 
 in equal payments of one and two years with interest. I 
 propose to build on these lots next summer. They are fifty- 
 three feet front and sixty feet deep. I think I will be able to 
 build two substantial brick houses for four or five thousand 
 dollars, without involving myself, against which I intend to 
 guard rigidly. One I propose to occupy myself, and the 
 other will rent readily for three or four hundred dollars per 
 annum. I consider the purchase of the lots so much of a 
 bargain that I would not release them for five hundred dollars, 
 and I do not doubt from their situation that they will be 
 worth double their present cost in two years time. I have 
 finally determined to invest all my earnings in lots and build- 
 ings, and in order that the income may be permanent I will 
 build nothing but of the most durable kind. Temporary 
 structures will give greater profit at present, but in the end 
 the erection of such would be bad policy. Should my present 
 practice continue for four or five years, and my life and 
 health be spared, I may be able to return to Fredonia with a 
 handsome support for my brothers and sisters who may 
 require it. But after all, it is not for myself that I toil, nor is 
 it for myself that I rejoice in my pecuniary success. I rejoice 
 
LETTERS. 123 
 
 in the prospect that I will be able to free a kind and indulgent 
 parent from the toil of business for which his age unfits him. 
 I feel that I have much to repay, and I only hope that my 
 life may be spared to repay it. I only wish to be able to 
 labor successfully that it shall be done. I desire to invest 
 what I have already made so that the interest may go towards 
 the education and support of the family, and when I have 
 once done this the income will be regular. I have been 
 anxious to hear from Alexander, but he does not write me. 
 His proper education I look upon as a matter of great import- 
 ance; his success in life depends upon it. I daily become 
 more and more convinced of the utter inability of an unedu- 
 cated man to occupy any prominent situation without much 
 humiliation. I have not written this about Alexander 
 because I feel any less interest in the other members of the 
 family. I know no division of interest, but I feel that I 
 already want the assistance of Alexander, and as if he would 
 be fitted to occupy a situation which I have now in view. I 
 constantly think of you all. Though I have said nothing of 
 mother, aunt, Sarah and Jacob, it is not from a want of 
 thought. I look anxiously for the time when I may set 
 myself down by you. I may not be able to do this very 
 soon, but I shall labor with no less pleasure to be able to add 
 to the comforts of all the members of the family at home. 
 Your affectionate son, 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTON. 
 
 At this date, 1834, he was in full practice of his profession, 
 but great opportunities were then opened to young profes- 
 sional and business men to lay the foundation of fortunes. 
 Dr. Houghton's knowledge of business and high credit would 
 lead him to enter with energy the field of real estate invest- 
 ments. Mr. Henry G. Hubbard was associated with him in 
 the purchase of real estate. His father, the Hon. Thomas H. 
 Hubbard, of Utica, N. Y., had met Dr. Houghton in Detroit, 
 and was inspired with great confidence in his business quali- 
 
124 APPENDIX. 
 
 fications and his transparent integrity of character. Mr. 
 Hubbard was a gentleman of ample fortune, but of a careful 
 and cautious nature, and the fact that he did not hesitate to 
 entrust the large sum of $20,000 to Dr. Houghton as a loan 
 shows a rare confidence in his character, and is a pleasing 
 evidence of these qualities of order, sagacity and probity that 
 even then were marked traits of Dr. Houghton. 
 
 One of those investments it may be worth while to notice 
 particularly as showing not merely good judgment of the 
 young real estate operator, but his influence over men. 
 
 The Brush farm, now in the heart of the City of Detroit, 
 -was then managed by Edmund A. Brush, whose policy was 
 opposed to the sale of any portion, but to lease instead. No 
 one had been able to prevail upon the owners to part with the 
 title to a single lot. Dr. Houghton determined to try his 
 skill upon the hard head of Mr. Brush. Meeting him one 
 day, the conversation led to some chaffing upon the subject of 
 real estate management, in which the Doctor bore pretty hard 
 upon the obstinate refusal of Mr. Brush, so different from the 
 custom of other men, to sell. "I will sell/' said Mr. Brush, 
 "if I get my price." "Well, now, what would you take for 
 those ten acres north of Gratiot street?" "I would take 
 $10,000," said Brush, naming what he considered a good 
 round price and beyond the means of his interrogater. 
 "Done," said the Doctor, and the bargain was consummated 
 before it was allowed to get cold. Dr. Houghton associated 
 Henry Gr. Hubbard with him in the venture, which proved 
 profitable. The tract is known as the "Houghton Section." 
 
 The Doctor felt it as a duty to himself and to his family 
 not to neglect these opportunities for investments. But these 
 
LETTERS. 125 
 
 new business complications, with his professional engage- 
 ments, were now telling on his health, and he was forced to 
 relinquish to some extent his practice. 
 
 It should be remembered, however, that Dr. Houghton 
 did not give up at any time his interest in science, and the 
 trip mentioned in the following letter was in part to make 
 certain examinations in reference to the salt springs. 
 
 TO HON. JACOB HOUGHTON. 
 
 DETROIT, April 2, 1836. 
 DEAR FATHER: 
 
 Your two letters were received last evening, and I have 
 but a moment to answer them in, as I am about making a 
 short trip into the country this morning. I shall be gone 
 some eight or ten days. 
 
 You will have seen by the Detroit Journal before you re- 
 ceive this, that Dr. Eice and myself have dissolved our part- 
 nership by my withdrawing from the profession. The fact is 
 that the measure was necessary for common prudence, as I 
 have stretched my arms so wide that my profession was a loss 
 rather than a profit. Mr. Hubbard has returned, having per- 
 fected through his father, an arrangement by which we are 
 enabled to draw for $20,000 with additional sums when re- 
 quired. This was perfected by the elder son, Henry G. Hub- 
 bard, who has been indefatigable in assisting us. The truth 
 is I appear to have gained the perfect confidence of the bank- 
 ing interest here, and it is giving me a powerful engine for 
 perfecting my plans. I design to pursue such a course as to 
 retain that confidence. 
 
 I purchased yesterday 2,600 acres of pine lands which cost 
 $1.25 per acre, worth now from $5.00 to $10.00 per acre. The 
 tract embraces three valuable mill seats. I have sold a small 
 
126 APPENDIX. 
 
 tract which I purchased about two weeks ago for $5.00 per 
 acre. 
 
 On my return from the country, if possible, I shall visit 
 Fredonia, and I shall wish Lydia and Sarah to return with me, 
 and if you think it best, it will be well for Alexander to be 
 prepared to go to Gambia at the same time. 
 
 I shall be able to remain with you only a day or so, as I 
 will be obliged to return here promptly. Later in the season 
 I hope to spend a longer time with you. 
 
 Your affectionate son, 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 
 These investments, it will be observed, were all made pre- 
 vious to the connection of Dr. Houghton with the Geological 
 Survey. While State Geologist, Dr. Houghton was scrupu- 
 lously careful to avoid speculations of all kinds, even those 
 that could not be supposed to derive any aid from his position 
 and opportunities. All proffers of the kind he declined, from 
 fear of private motives being attributed to his actions. Would 
 that all men in public station were equally uncompromising. 
 
 TO HON, JACOB HOUGHTON. 
 
 DETROIT, January 17, 1841. 
 DEAR FATHER: 
 
 Your letter of the llth inst. has just come to hand, and it 
 reminds me how very remiss I have been in writing you, but 
 between sickness and overwhelming pressure of business, my 
 mind has been incessantly occupied. 
 
 My rheumatism has so far left me that I am able to attend 
 to my official duties, and were it not for the great number of 
 hours I am compelled to work, there can be no doubt that my 
 health would be completely restored. The disease was the re- 
 sult of excessive fatigue and exposure, and I do not imagine it 
 
LETTERS. 127 
 
 will be of any permanent injury to my constitution. I have 
 now been busily engaged for several days in analyzing minerals 
 from Lake Superior localities, preparatory to my report, which 
 will be sent in on the 1st of February. As yet I have scarcely 
 touched it, and the remaining time is short. Our Legislature 
 is in session, and I believe the department over which I pre- 
 side is in greater favor than it ever has been before, for which 
 reason I anticipate but little embarrassment. 
 
 The publication of the maps of the department is steadily 
 progressing; and the engraving which is done at Washington, 
 D. C , will require my personal attention, and if health will 
 "permit I shall leave home for that city as early as the 15th to 
 the 20th of March, which will enable me to attend the Geologi- 
 cal Convention at Philadelphia, the first week in April. My 
 down trip will probably be either by the way of Columbus or 
 Cincinnati, but I hope to be able to return by the way of New 
 York, in which case I shall spend a day or two with you, 
 somewhere between the 15th of April and the 1st of May. 
 
 I shall probably be required to spend the coming season in 
 the Lake Superior country, but this is not certainly deter- 
 mined. Some difficulty is about occurring with respect to our 
 boundary on the west, with Wisconsin. I refer to State line 
 between Green Bay and Lake Superior. If any action is had 
 upon the subject, I suppose my services will be required there, 
 which will divert my labor for a time from the Geology Sur- 
 vey. At any rate I have the prospect of another season of 
 severe labor before me. 
 
 We are all well, and Hattie is as fat and mischievous as 
 ever. She says, ' ' ask grandpapa if he is not coming to see her 
 some day. 7 ' The Fredouia boys are all well. Stephen Snow 
 has been sick, but has now recovered. Dr. Silas Douglass is 
 in the United States service stationed at the Arsenal at Dear- 
 born. He is doing well; is associated with a fine, gentlemanly 
 corps of officers who are highly educated. He is improving 
 in every way, and is receiving good pay. We are suffering 
 terrible pecuniary embarrassment in our State; not so much in 
 consequence of our home debts as from deranged condition of 
 
128 APPENDIX. 
 
 the currency. It is almost impossible to procure a draft or 
 such money as may be transmitted east at any rate of ex- 
 change. 
 
 I am gradually bringing my own affairs into such con- 
 dition as to be unembarrassed. The amount of taxes I am 
 called on to pay, together with some minor debts, have rub- 
 bed hard, and I have found it exceedingly difficult to make 
 the end of the year meet. My tax for the last year was about 
 $2,000, and this added to other expenses you know is no small 
 item to raise in these times of embarrassment. 
 
 It is now somewhat doubtful whether I will remove to Ann 
 Arbor in the spring. My house there is finished, and is quite 
 a splendid mansion; but I am not desired to be upon the 
 ground until the institution is fairly organized, and at least a 
 sufficient number of the faculty to make a society of our own. 
 Harriet joins with me in sending love to all members of the 
 family. I am anxious that Jacob should pursue his studies 
 industriously and prepare himself for a situation at West 
 Point. Say to Lydia that I had a letter from Mr. Bradish a 
 few days ago, and shall answer it soon. 
 
 Your affectionate son, 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 JACOB HouGrHTON, ESQ. 
 
 TO HON. JACOB HOUGHTON. 
 
 DETROIT, March 13, 1841. 
 DEAR FATHER, 
 
 I have just returned from an exceedingly fatiguing 
 journey which has called me from home for a time of 
 nearly three weeks, for which reason your letter of Febru- 
 ary 19, is just received. The unlocked for intelligence 
 of the death of my young protege, Charles Morrison,* 
 could scarcely be more keenly felt were he my own son. I had 
 watched his progress in all that could serve to elevate him to 
 
 *A young Indian half-bred. 
 
LETTERS. 129 
 
 the rank of a highly intellectual man, with pride, and I had 
 looked forward with pleasure to the day when he should re- 
 turn to his parents and to the country from which he came, to 
 aid in bringing about a moral and intellectual change in that 
 whole country. I had looked upon him as the pattern which 
 his associates from the same region of country, would follow. 
 But how vain are all our hopes ! The very prop upon which 
 I was resting has been taken away. It is however, to be 
 hoped, that this calamity may not act unfavorably upon others 
 now at the school in Fredonia, or discourage others from enter- 
 ing the institution. It would be well for you, jointly with Mr. 
 Palmer, to write to Mr. Morrison. It would check any un- 
 favorable impressions and be a consolation to his father. If 
 some lady would write to Mrs. Morrison, no doubt it would 
 console her much, and might lessen objections that might be 
 likely to grow up against sending children out of the country 
 to school. I wish all the effects of Charles to be preserved 
 with the utmost care, together with all his letters and papers. 
 Mr. Snow is just on the point of starting for Fredonia, and I 
 have but a moment left to write you. During my absence 
 from the city, and without any knowledge whatever, on my 
 part, I have been elected mayor. Upon first hearing the re- 
 sult, I had determined to refuse to serve. But my friends ad- 
 vised differently, and I have consented to qualify, which must 
 be done to-morrow. The duties are exceedingly arduous, and 
 it will be impossible for me to perform them with satisfaction 
 to myself, for which reason, I will probably resign after two 
 or three weeks. My duties during the current year will be 
 more arduous than ever, though it is .likely I shall be absent 
 from home comparatively little. My health is much improved 
 though not fully restored. I had intended to write to Mr. 
 Palmer, and you will please say that I have only been pre- 
 vented by the constant interruption of a crowd of office seekers 
 and friends, so that I have been unable to do so. 
 In great haste, I am, 
 
 Your affectionate son, 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 
 JACOB HOUGHTON, ESQ. 
 (9) 
 
130 APPENDIX. 
 
 TO HON. JACOB HOUGHTON. 
 
 DETROIT, Nov. 14, 1841. 
 DEAR FATHER: 
 
 In consequence of the great pressure of business by which 
 I have been surrounded since iny return from Lake Superior, 
 I have delayed writing you much longer than had been 
 intended. Although my health during the summer was poor, 
 I have nevertheless been able to accomplish a large amount of 
 work, and have done much towards the completion of the 
 field work of the geology and topographical part of the 
 survey. My health is now steadily improving and will, I 
 think, eventually be fully restored, though it probably never 
 will be such as to permit the performance of as active duties 
 as those that have already been done. 
 
 I am now busily engaged, in addition to other duties, in 
 arranging the immense mass of materials that have been 
 steadily accumulating during the five years that we have been 
 engaged in the work, for my final report. But this report will 
 not probably appear until two or three years from this time. 
 
 Our University at Ann Arbor has commenced operations, 
 and there is a tolerably strong class, but at the present 
 juncture I do not think it prudent for me to remove to that 
 place, though it is possible I may think it advisable to do so 
 in the coming spring. My pecuniary affairs seem to demand 
 that I should remain here for a time, for my private business 
 during the progress of the geological survey has suffered very 
 much. In the unsettled condition of monetary affairs by 
 which we are surrounded it is exceedingly difficult for me to 
 make the ends meet, and this year it has not been done, the 
 result of which is that I have to renew my attention to busi- 
 ness to avoid falling into -deeper difficulties hereafter. We 
 have the dawn of brighter days in our State, but for the 
 present it is exceedingly difficult to proceed in any direction 
 without suffering loss. The large amount of unproductive 
 real estate which is on my hands embarrasses me much in the 
 way of payment of taxes, and unless the wheel should turn up 
 
LETTERS. 131 
 
 I shall be compelled to suffer sacrifices to meet these. Jacob 
 is now attending the University in this city, and is making 
 good progress in his studies. Columbus returned in safety, 
 and I sent him immediately to Midland county, where I have 
 men at work at the salt springs. This saved me an arduous 
 journey, which it was desirous for me to avoid at this season 
 of the year. 
 
 Our salt springs are succeeding well, and I have gained 
 quite a victory upon a subject which by many of our citizens 
 was regarded as visionary but no matter to what improve- 
 ments out attention may be turned, or however important, 
 there are those who at first would doubt and throw cold water. 
 
 Although I do not propose to remove to Ann Arbor for 
 the present, I shall spend some little time there before the 
 winter sets in, in arranging a portion of the collections. This 
 collection of specimens, which is exceedingly choice, has now 
 been a long time in boxes, and our people are desirous to 
 have a portion at least so arranged as to permit examination. 
 
 I learned by Columbus that the Misses Oaks will remain 
 at your house for a time, to which I make no particular 
 objection if they prefer to do so. They are the daughters of 
 an old and particular friend, and I feel a deep interest in their 
 welfare. They will, without any doubt, make good progress 
 in their stiidies and endear themselves to our people. The 
 young boys will require careful watching, and above all they 
 must be kept apart as much as possible, for one object is to 
 break up all association as much as can be done. 
 
 I hope to visit you in the spring, when on my way to the 
 annual convention of Geologists, and trust to make a longer 
 visit than the last time. Martha, who has been in charge of 
 our domestic affairs since the confinement of Mrs. H., 
 has been ill from fatigue, but is now quite recovered. Samuel 
 Walker and Mr. Snow are all in good health and in active 
 business. 
 
 Please remember me to mother and all of the family, as 
 also to Misses Oaks and the young boys, not forgetting Charles 
 
132 APPENDIX. 
 
 Morrison, to whom I wish you to say, that I look to him to 
 set an example to the other boys of manly conduct, associated 
 with studious habits. 
 
 Your affectionate son, 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTOK 
 JACOB HOUGHTON, 
 
 ISTew York. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 133 
 
 PAET V. 
 
 GENERAL SUMMARY AND SYNOPSIS OF THE WORK DONE 
 UNDER THE FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 The following summary will serve to show the great extent 
 of the field covered by the investigations under the first 
 organized geological survey, the amount of labor involved, 
 and the general results so far as they are given to the public 
 in the annual reports. These have been for a long time 
 entirely out of print. 
 
 As since the close of that survey, by the untimely death of 
 the State Geologist, the State has again entered upon the 
 detailed work of geological survey, the results of which are 
 before the public in several printed volumes, covering much 
 of the same ground, it is deemed unnecessary to republish 
 more fully than the statements here contained. 
 
 In regard to a portion, however, particularly the report of 
 1841, the matters treated of being not only original but so 
 important that they have constituted the basis of all subse- 
 quent investigations, it has been deemed advisable to 
 republish a large part in full. 
 
134 APPENDIX. 
 
 SUMMARY AND SYNOPSIS OF THE WORK PERFORMED BY THE 
 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN UNDER ITS FIRST 
 
 ORGANIZATION. 
 
 The original Act for the organization of a State Geological 
 Survey was approved by Governor Mason, February 23rd, 
 1837. (Laws of Michigan, 1837, page 14.) 
 
 It provided for the appointment of a State geologist, and 
 it appropriated annual sums, increasing from $3,000 the first 
 year to $12,000 the fourth year. 
 
 Dr. Douglass Houghton, of Detroit, received from Gov- 
 ernor Mason the appointment, and his first report was made 
 to the governor, January 25th, 1838 (37 pages). It sets forth 
 that at as early a day as a sufficient corps could be organized 
 the geologist proceeded to a rapid and general reconnoisance 
 of such parts of the State as the limited time would permit. 
 
 These examinations had chiefly for their object the 
 determination of the rock formations, their extent and order 
 of super position. 
 
 Of the annual reports which he is called upon to make he 
 proceeds to say, that they t( should only embrace a brief 
 abstract of such facts as may be deemed of immediate prac- 
 tical importance or tend to a general development of the 
 resources of the State, or as may serve to show the progress 
 of the survey, for which reasons these portions which may 
 be considered of a* strictly scientific character will be omitted 
 until the final report will be made." 
 
 The report then proceeds to describe the general character 
 of the peninsula, particularly of its northern portion, about 
 which much misconception prevails. It then briefly describes 
 the rocks of the lower peninsula, the superficial extent of 
 country occupied by them, so far as determined, and their 
 places of outcrop. These pages are followed by a particular 
 account of the brine springs of the State, with sundry 
 analysis and comparisons with the springs of other States, and 
 some practical conclusions. It then alludes to the beginning 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 135 
 
 made in the departments of zoology and botany, under the 
 direction of Doctor Abram Sager, and of the topographical 
 map of the counties which were in progress, being reduced 
 from the original returns of the United States Survey. 
 
 This preliminary report was followed February 1st, 1838, 
 by an appendix containing, u with a view to facilitate the 
 progress of the survey, certain queries proposed to the people 
 of the State, with suggestions to the proprietors of lands that 
 they forward to Detroit specimens of minerals, rocks, marls, 
 peat, petrifactions and soils, 7 ' all which was intended to 
 interest the people, and draw out facts for future investiga- 
 tion. 
 
 REORGANIZATION AND REPORT. 
 
 During the winter of 1837-8 the survey was reorganized on 
 a larger basis (Laws of 1837-8, p. 119), and with particular 
 reference to the provision made, in addition to the geological 
 department proper, for zoological, botanical and topographi- 
 cal departments, it appropriated the annual sum of $12,000 
 for the years 1838 to 1841. The following cprps of officers 
 was appointed by the governor on the nomination of the State 
 geologist: 
 
 Douglass Hough ton, Geologist 
 
 Abrarn Sager, in charge of zoological department. 
 
 John Wright, in charge of botanical department. 
 
 Sylvester W. Higgins, topographer and draughtsman. 
 
 Columbus C. Douglass, assistant to the geologist. 
 
 Bela Hubbard, assistant to geologist. 
 
 William P. Smith, in charge of mechanical zoology. 
 
 On the 22nd of March, 1838 (Laws of 1837 8, p. 119), a 
 new act received the approval of the governor, reorganizing 
 the survey on a more comprehensive plan, and with more 
 detailed provisions. Under this act, January 1st, 1839, the 
 
136 APPENDIX. 
 
 State Geologist sends to the legislature a report (eight pages) 
 in relation to the improvement of State salt springs, under the 
 provisions of an act approved March 24th, 1838. In this the 
 geologist refers to his visit to the principal salt wells of Ohio, 
 Pennsylvania and Virginia, for the purpose of comparison 
 and analogy, " those of New York being so very differently 
 situated, geologically, that a satisfactory comparison with 
 them can scarcely be instituted at this time." 
 
 He describes the mode of occurrence of our salt springs, 
 the probable depth of the boring required, and the best 
 method of improvement. Details are given of the prepara- 
 tory work done on Tittawawassee Eiver in Midland county, 
 and the embarrassments which beset operations, owing to the 
 unsettled state of the country, the distance from supplies, and 
 the sickness of those employed, and the small amount of the 
 appropriation for this purpose, also to the necessity for the 
 presence of the State Geologist in person at other and remote 
 points, all which caused temporary abandonment of the work. 
 
 THE SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 was made to the legislature, February 4th, 1839 (thirty-eight 
 pages). It mentions the organization of the geological board, 
 in accordance with the act of March 22nd, 1838, "in such a 
 manner as to constitute a geological and mineralogical, a 
 zoological, a botanical and a topographical department.' 7 
 
 That "the heads of the departments took the field at an 
 early day and continued their arduous duties until the 
 inclemency of the season compelled a suspension of labor, 
 since which time they have been busily engaged in arranging 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 137 
 
 a great amount of information which has been obtained in 
 such a manner as may eventually be made available." 
 
 The individual labors of the 8tate Geologist had been 
 chiefly devoted to an examination of the coast of those por- 
 tions of our State bordering on Lakes Huron and Michigan; 
 also to " a general examination of some of the central and 
 southern counties, preparatory to the more minute examina- 
 tion, which has been commenced and which it is proposed to 
 renew with the first opening of spring." 
 
 This report of the geologist details the topographical and 
 general character of the northern portion of the peninsula 
 west and north of Saginaw Bay, a portion then but imper- 
 fectly known, and also the general character of the rocks of 
 that portion, showing their line of bearing, and the connection 
 of our geology with that of the neighboring States. 
 
 Special remarks follow upon the clays, marls and gypsum 
 of the peninsula. 
 
 An interesting portion of the report is devoted to a con- 
 sideration of the change of elevation in the waters of the 
 great lakes, " which were then at a higher point than had 
 been known for many years, a subject of great interest prac- 
 tically in connection with lake harbors and with the agricul- 
 tural interest of the State " Dr. Houghton distinguishes the 
 then high stage of the waters, from the fluctuations due to 
 annual and temporary causes. Many facts are stated, going 
 back to the beginning of the century. In leading to his con- 
 clusions, viz., that the increase is due to increased rain fall, 
 he points out the fact that the waters of the interior lakes and 
 streams have also risen, and that these changes have not been 
 peculiar to Michigan, but manifested over the whole western 
 
138 APPENDIX. 
 
 country. He refers also to the succession of cold and wet 
 seasons which prevailed in 1838. 
 
 This whole subject had been heretofore clouded in much 
 mystery and theory, and the data and reasoning of Dr. 
 Hough ton were the first to throw light on the real causes.* 
 
 Eeference is made to the progress of the geological and the 
 botanical departments, and to the collections made for the 
 University. 
 
 In the topographical department maps of the several 
 counties had been projected on a scale of two miles to the 
 inch, a size which enables him to place upon them most of 
 that information which will be required for the use of town 
 and county officers, as also the complete geology and topo- 
 graphy of the country. "Upon these skeleton plats the 
 assistants were required to fill up the deficiencies, and return 
 the same with the streams carried out across the interior of 
 the sections; the soils, marshes, timbered lands, openings, 
 prairies, woods, etc., etc , as well as^ the geology and topo- 
 graphy accurately delineated. " 
 
 The documents occupying this second annual report 
 contain: 
 
 No. 1 Eeport of Dr. Abram Sager, zoologist of the 
 survey. Appended to his report Dr. Sager gives, in a cata- 
 logue of ten pages, the results of his labors in his department 
 for the past year, being of such mammals, birds, reptiles, 
 amphibia and molusca as had come under notice in the State, 
 and adds that of many of the species contained the requisite 
 
 *It may please the interested reader to find the whole theory of lake fluctuations 
 practically discussed by Bela Hubbard, in his " Memorials of a Half Century," 1888. 
 He has had the advantage of half a century of observations to add to those of Dr. 
 Houghton, and he shows, further, the nature and extent of the connection between the 
 lake fluctuations and the general phenomena of climate of the lake region. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 139 
 
 number (the law required seventeen specimens of each species 
 to be preserved) have been procured, and of some a much 
 larger number than was required, with a view to exchanges. 
 " Altogether a considerable amount of material has been col- 
 lected towards forming a history of the subjects of our 
 investigations.' 7 
 
 No. 2 Report of Dr. John Wright, botanist of the survey, 
 sets forth that his examinations have been made in the two 
 most southern ranges of counties; that he has been enabled to 
 examine between eight hundred and nine hundred native and 
 naturalized species of phenogamous or flowering plants, and 
 to collect specimens of each, amounting in all to about nine 
 thousand, all in an excellent state of preservation. When 
 not too large the entire plant is preserved, roots, stems, 
 leaves, flowers and seeds. He confines for the present the 
 notice of the plants to a catalogue of their names, reserving a 
 detailed account for the final report. This catalogue occupies 
 twenty -eight pages. 
 
 No. 3 Next follows report of S. W. Higgins, topographer 
 of the survey. The topographer details the methods pursued 
 to obtain complete maps of the several counties, and regrets 
 the absence of a thorough hydrographical survey of the lakes 
 by the general government. This had been commenced when 
 Gen. Cass occupied the war department, but had extended 
 only from the foot of Lake Huron to Middle Island. (Since 
 the date of this report the whole chain of lakes and their 
 connecting rivers has been systematically and accurately 
 surveyed, and charts published showing meanderings, 
 windings, etc.) 
 
140 APPENDIX. 
 
 This report describes with much detail never before col- 
 lected, the situation of Michigan relatively to other portions 
 of the continent, and to the mountain chains, table lands, 
 streams, etc., giving tables of elevations, and depths and 
 areas of all the lakes. 
 
 It touches upon the subject notably treated by Dr. Hough- 
 ton, of the great rise in the waters of the lake during the last 
 five years, with some data extending back to 1814, and comes 
 to the same conclusion, that the causes must be looked for in 
 the increased quantity of rain fall. Accompanying this 
 report was a map of the State, exhibiting projections of all 
 the levels which had been taken across the State, in the course 
 of engineering operations on the various works of public 
 improvements; also the general profile of heights collected 
 from all sources and tabulated for reference. He states that 
 1 i maps of twenty counties are in a state of forwardness, five 
 being finished, to which during the next year a large number 
 would be added." Drawings will also be given of such 
 remains of ancient works and tumuli as are scattered through 
 St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and other counties. 
 
 No. 4 Eeport of C. C. Douglass, assistant geologist. 
 Gives details of the geology, etc., of the central counties, 
 including examinations of the coal district; the coal beds of 
 Ingham and Eaton counties, with their associated rock forma- 
 tions are particularly described. Much information of a 
 practical nature is embodied, relative to the soils, rocks, 
 marls, springs, timber, etc. 
 
 No. 5 Eeport of Bela Hubbard, assistant geologist. 
 Includes the supervision of Wayne and Monroe counties, 
 their general topographical and geological features, their 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 141 
 
 rocks, clays, soils, and agricultural characters. The report 
 refers to the subject then of so great an interest, the encroach- 
 ment of the lake waters during the past two years. He says, 
 "Many acres of formerly arable lands in both counties are 
 now embraced by the waters. Numbers of orchards, the 
 growth of a century, have become a prey to the flood, and 
 families of the old French inhabitants are driven from the 
 homes till now occupied from childhood."* It alludes to 
 remedies which may be resorted to, to afford protection 
 against these encroachments. Some important remarks are 
 made regarding road constructions, and in derogation of the 
 inadequate methods usually obtaining. 
 
 A glossary of geological terms closes the document. 
 
 THE THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE GEOLOGIST 
 
 (thirty pages) was made to the legislature February 3d, 1840. 
 It gives a general description of the topography and geology 
 of the southern slope of the upper peninsula, to which the 
 formal attention of the State Geologist was principally 
 directed during the season of 1839. This embraces the 
 numerous and intricate islands and channels skirting the 
 north shore of Lake Huron and in the Ste. Marie's Eiver, and 
 the range of hills extending westwardly from this river as 
 far as Bay du Noquet. In this district of Michigan is 
 embraced that interesting group of limestones and sandstones 
 now included within the Paleoozoic times, as upper and lower 
 Silurian rocks. The limestones are characterized by abun- 
 dant fossil remains, of which a large collection was made. 
 The lowest rocks of this series is the Lake Superior sandstone. 
 
 *See note page 138. 
 
142 APPENDIX. 
 
 The true position of this rock has been subject of dispute 
 among geologists, but it was shown by Dr. Houghton to rest 
 upon the primary or azoic rocks, and to be referable to the 
 Potsdam sandstone of New York. 
 
 A few pages of the report are given to the clay ironstone 
 of Branch county, and the bog ore of Kalamazoo and other 
 counties, which the State Geologist was particularly instructed 
 to examine. The gypsum and inarl beds of the State are 
 again referred to, and a general reference to the geological 
 and topographical departments, which in the plan of organ- 
 ization are mutually dependent. 
 
 The Geologist refers to the departments of zoology and 
 botany, which unfortunately, owing to the failure of adequate 
 appropriation, consequent upon the embarrassed condition of 
 the State finances, had become suspended by the resignation 
 of the assistants in those departments. 
 
 The documents accompanying the third annual report, 
 contained: 
 
 No. 1 Eeport of S. W. Higgins, topographer, January 
 12, 1840, accompanied by an engraved map of Wayne county, 
 illustrative of the scale and method adopted for the county 
 maps in progress. The topographer states that since the date 
 of his last annual communication his time has been occupied 
 in the drafting office, mostly in compiling and adapting to the 
 scales of the proposed maps the details of information fur- 
 nished in the progress of the geological survey and of the 
 United States linear surveys. Among the most arduous of 
 the labors of the department was the procuring of copies of 
 almost all the original patents. The importance of these is 
 shown by many instances of conflict between these original 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 143 
 
 patents and the section lines of the subsequent United States 
 surveys, by the fact that of 130,000 acres of these lands, "no 
 maps existed which can be in any manner depended upon, 
 while these lands include a large portion of the coast line 
 from Monroe to Lake Huron. 
 
 He enumerates the following counties as among those of 
 which the material of the maps in progress are completed or 
 nearly so, viz., Wayne, Jackson, Lenawee, Calhoun, Branch, 
 St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien, Livingston, Washtenaw, Ingham, 
 Eaton, Hillsdale, Monroe, Oakland, Genessee, Ionia, Kalama- 
 zoo and Van Buren. 
 
 The concluding seven pages of this report contain items 
 of information whose interest is not diminished but rather 
 increased by the lapse of time. They are, therefore, here 
 copied in full: 
 
 Roads and Highways. 
 
 The roads and highways of our State claim a remark, as 
 excelling in many particulars those of the east, both in 
 respect to their uniform grades and their passable condition 
 at all seasons of the year. The cause of the first mentioned 
 superiority is common to most of the western country, viz., 
 the even and level nature of the surface, which is at most 
 gently undulating or rolling, with the total absence of 
 mountains or high hills. The second arises from the nature 
 of the soil, it usually containing much sand and gravel in its 
 composition. 
 
 The roads in the openings and plains offer to the traveler 
 a variety of routes, with the choice of diverging at pleasure, 
 the scattered oaks leaving sufficient space between for the 
 passage of horses or carriages, while the prairie is one wide, 
 unbounded highway, where no obstacle is present for pursu- 
 ing whichever course curiosity may direct. These roads 
 
144 APPENDIX. 
 
 require the expenditure of little or no labor to keep them in 
 repair. 
 
 The only exception to the above remark is found in those 
 roads which, commencing at the different frontier towns on 
 the eastern coasts, lead across a low, timbered belt of country 
 for the distance of six, ten and fifteen miles, and where the 
 soil, as in some other districts, is clay. In these districts 
 they require to be worked at no inconsiderable expense, to 
 keep them passable during the wet periods of the fall and 
 spring. ~i" 
 
 The Chicago Turnpike or Trail. 
 
 Among the most noted of the highways of the State, the 
 " Chicago road" claims a particular notice. It was formerly 
 to the western tribes of Indians, the Sauks, Foxes, Winne- 
 bagoes, Menomonees, Potawatamies, etc., what the national 
 road from Cumberland to St. Louis now is to the whites. 
 They were constantly traversing ifc in periods of war and 
 peace, or when treaties were negotiating and different and 
 distinct tribes were to be represented. 
 
 The Sauks from the Mississippi, in great numbers, in late 
 years were accustomed, by this route, to reach Fort Maiden 
 to receive their annuities from the British government. 
 
 There were no parallel trails across the peninsula, and the 
 trails from the Potawatamies in Indiana and Illinois, and 
 from the Foxes, and Menomonees, etc., of the northwest, all 
 joined near the south bend of Lake Michigan, and uniting 
 into one led directly to Detroit. 
 
 Persons even well acquainted with the appearance of an 
 ordinary Indian path are astonished at the width and depth 
 of the track which is visible in places to this day. 
 
 Such was the directness and facility of this route that the 
 United States made an appropriation some time after the 
 erection of a territorial government for the northwest, causing 
 a survey to be made of it from Detroit to Chicago, and letting 
 it in sections for the construction of a turnpike. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 145 
 
 
 
 This trail is supposed to be as long as any other within the 
 territory of the United States, being two hundred and forty 
 miles from Detroit to the point where it received those diverg- 
 ing trails from the south and north-west, and the length of 
 some of its branches cannot be less than three hundred miles 
 further, while* numerous smaller ones enter from different 
 directions, by which means the early pioneers of the west 
 easily threaded their way through these regions, and into the 
 valley of the Mississippi beyond. 
 
 Natural Woods of Michigan. 
 
 The arrangement which this subject calls for properly 
 belongs to the department of botany. Nevertheless, without 
 attending to the details which should accompany a catalogue 
 of an entire flora, it will be sufficient to exhibit generally the 
 geographical boundaries of such of the larger productions as 
 are required for constant use, either in farming, building, or 
 for the market. 
 
 Oak is the predominant growth of the peninsula. Among 
 the varieties, the white is in the greatest abundance. 
 
 The shingle or laurel oak, and the red oak, are next 
 abundant. And the burr oak, though not usually found 
 intermixed in common with the other varieties, abounds, not- 
 withstanding, over extensive areas, not unfrequently to the 
 exclusion of other kinds. 
 
 The surest indication of a good soil accompanies the last 
 mentioned, and the finest and largest crops of wheat are there 
 produced, for the reason that the soil contains a larger amount 
 of calcareous matter. 
 
 Dividing the peninsula by an east and west line, nearly 
 corresponding to that of the northern railroad, a botanical 
 map would represent the northern portion as having by far 
 the greatest burthen of timber, possessing a proportionable 
 quantity of the different varieties found elsewhere in the 
 State. 
 
 Marked limits may be given to those districts in the 
 southern portion, where a few groves of pines are found. 
 (10) 
 
146 APPENDIX. 
 
 Their localities are in the vicinity of the water courses of Kent 
 and Ottawa counties, and among the timbered lands of 
 Allegan, extending in comparatively small tracts along the 
 borders of Lake Michigan, nearly to New Buffalo, in Berrien. 
 In crossing the State through the interior counties none are 
 met, until reaching the central part of Genesee, Lapeer and 
 St. Clair. Here they are again found in the same range of 
 northern townships, where they first occur, in the counties 
 before mentioned. 
 
 North of this belt or zone, which is the natural boundary 
 between the oak openings and plains of the south, the forest 
 abounds promiscuously with the white, yellow and Norway 
 pine, white cedar, tamarack, ash, oak, birch, sugar maple, 
 sycamore, beech, lynn, elm, white wood, black walnut, etc. 
 
 There are, however, extensive districts nearly continuous 
 from Ottawa, Kent, and Ionia counties, northward, of open- 
 ings and small prairies, particularly a few miles inland from 
 White Eiver, and from Great and Little Sable points. But 
 on ascending the Maskego Eiver until reaching its source, 
 thence north, on both sides of the Principal Meridian, exten- 
 sive tracts occur, in many instances free from a mixture of 
 other timber, while in other places the sugar maple and 
 beech are not unfrequently found commingled with pines of 
 immense girth. 
 
 The fact of the white wood and black walnut accompany- 
 ing the sugar and beech, as seen occupying the districts 
 inland, from the Sable points, in towns 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 
 north of ranges 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 west, would, to the most 
 ordinary agriculturist, demonstrate the superiority of the 
 soil, and, when taken in connection with the limited tracts of 
 oak openings and the great amount of the most valuable 
 timber, it seems difficult to determine any preference of the 
 southern over the northern portions of the State. 
 
 The soil is not considered of so good a quality on the east- 
 ern side of the peninsula, immediately along the shore of 
 Lake Huron, owing to its low, level and sandy qualities, con- 
 sisting chiefly of the debris of sand rock. Consequently the 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 147 
 
 timber is generally stunted, and consists, in greater propor- 
 tion, of birch, tamarack and cedar. 
 
 Where pine occurs it is mostly too small to be profitably 
 made use of. But at every advance inland both improve. 
 
 The face of the country throughout the northern interior 
 is high and rolling, or undulating, and appears to one 
 acquainted with the southern part of the peninsula to bear a 
 close resemblance in its general contour. 
 
 It may be considered, then, as a question fully decided, 
 that more than one-half of the State is heavily timbered, in 
 that part lying above the northern railroad; that the sugar 
 and pine are here the most common, as well as the most valu- 
 able timber; that the other kinds are found in situations 
 equivalent to their occurrence further south, upon streams 
 and bottom lands, or upon plains and openings. 
 
 No tree is held in higher estimation by the Indians than 
 the sugar maple, and no source of complaint is more grievous 
 than a separation from it by removal to places where it is not 
 found. 
 
 The pine, if not wasted or wantonly destroyed by fire or 
 otherwise, will furnish an abundant supply for a long time to 
 come. 
 
 Variation of the Magnetic Needle. 
 
 The surveys of Michigan were intended to correspond 
 with the true meridian, excepting those of Mr. Greely, before 
 mentioned, which were made without an observation to deter- 
 mine the true north. There appears, however, a variation 
 between his first and last surveys of about one degree. 
 
 This difference is palpable on tracing the lines along the 
 first donation lands, to the rear of the "back concessions,' 7 so 
 called, but the time which elapsed between running the front 
 and rear lines may account for this in some measure, being 
 about three years, during which, it is well known, there must 
 have been a greater or less alteration in the magnetic meri- 
 dian. The needle, in this instance, was attracted westward. 
 
148 APPENDIX. 
 
 Mysterious as the movement of this instrument is ac- 
 counted to be, were greater attention devoted to an examina 
 tion of the causes that effect it, instead of a diminished 
 confidence in many of its results, its habits, though governed 
 no doubt by a subtle influence, would be intimately known, 
 and its uses appreciated accordingly. The rights of our 
 citizens to their property is closely connected with this 
 inquiry. 
 
 Columbus, in his first voyage to America, first noticed the 
 deflection of the needle, and since that time the subject has 
 engaged the unceasing attention of the scientific, particularly 
 for the last few years, insomuch that measures are now taken, 
 both in Europe and America, to investigate fully the causes 
 which are known constantly to affect it. 
 
 In 1835 the line of no variation was known to run longi- 
 tudinally through about the middle of Lake Huron, the varia- 
 tion on the shore twelve miles above the foot of the lake was 
 6 min. east; on Pointe aux Barques, in lat. 43 deg. 51 min. 36 
 sec. ; seventy miles from the foot of the lake it was 1 deg. 
 38 min. ; twenty miles west of Pte aux Barques on the same 
 parallel it was 2 deg. 6 min. ; farther west, at the mouth of 
 the Saginaw River, in lat. 43 deg. 36 min. 30 sec., 2 deg. 19 
 min. east; at the same time it was 2 deg. 10 min. at Detroit, 
 lat. 42 deg. 18 min. 
 
 This line of no variation, has had, for the last eighteen 
 years, a slow and perceptible movement westward, whereby 
 continual changes are observable in the magnetic meridian. 
 
 The rate of movement, from 1810 to 1322, was from 2 deg. 
 48 min. to 3 deg. 13 min. 22 sec., equal to 25 min. 22 sec. 
 increase of east variation. From 1812 to 1828 a decrease 
 from 3 deg. 13 min. 22 sec. to 2 deg. 50 min. ; (yearly differ- 
 ence, 4 4-10) and for the last twelve years, up to 1840, a 
 decrease 2 deg., 50 min. to 2 deg. ; (yearly difference, 4 min. 
 10 sec.) 2 deg. being the variation at this time at Detroit, 
 where the above observations were taken. 
 
 The progress made in the surveys of the public lands 
 during the last three years has further developed this subject. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 149 
 
 In 1837, on Lake Michigan, near the mouth of Grand 
 Eiver, the variation was 4 deg. 30 min. east; thirty miles 
 north, on the south side of Little Point aux Sable, it was 6 
 deg. 15 min. east; and twelve miles further, on the north side 
 of the same point, 6 deg. 00 min.; at the mouth of Pierre 
 Marquette Eiver, seventy- eight miles above Grand Eiver, 4 
 deg. 34 min. east. 
 
 In 1838 the north boundary of town twenty-four north, 
 range 16 west, on the shore of Lake Michigan, ninety- nine 
 miles above Grand Eiver, in lat. 44 deg. 31 min., it was 4 
 deg. 30 min. east; thirty miles east on the same parallel, 2 
 deg. 50 min. east; sixty miles east on the same parallel, 2 deg. 
 45 min. east; ninety miles east, same parallel, at the principal 
 meridian, 2 deg. east. 
 
 The magnetic meridian of Detroit, then, would pass at 
 this time diagonally across the State, having a bearing from 
 Detroit to the mouth of Saginaw Eiver, thence to where the 
 township line number twenty-four intersects the principal 
 meridian, passing off the northern boundary of the State into 
 Lake Michigan near the Little Traverse Bay, and intersecting 
 the western extreme of Point Wabashance. 
 
 Further data could be furnished were it thought necessary, 
 but the foregoing is presumed to be sufficient to call the atten- 
 tion of practical surveyors to the importance of accurately 
 making and recording their observations. 
 
 Diurnal Variation. 
 
 Besides the absolute variation, a daily motion has been 
 observed constantly to accompany the needle. 
 
 The amount of this variation corresponds to the tempera- 
 ture, and therefore at the period of the united heat of the 
 earth and atmosphere the diurnal variation will be greatest. 
 This variation tends to increase the absolute western, and 
 decrease the eastern variation, because the north end of the 
 needle in this case invariably points to the west. 
 
 Messrs. John Mullett and W. A. Burt are the only gentle- 
 men who have communicated to me their observations. These 
 
150 APPENDIX. 
 
 were made without a thermometer to determine the degree of 
 temperature, yet during several summers, the correspondence 
 of their observations, with those made elsewhere, agree as to 
 the amount of variation, the mean of August and September, 
 being 14 min. Mr. Burt found the maximum for one day 40 
 min., but it is probable that other causes were in combination. 
 
 Errors Arising from Incorrect Observations. 
 
 The known inaccuracy of the first public surveys, un- 
 doubtedly arose from errors in making observations to ascer- 
 tain the variation, and shows a recklessness to obligation, 
 which was probably induced by the newness of the country, 
 and apparent distance of detection. 
 
 The fairest portion of the State was subdivided with this 
 evident want of skill, and with a carelessness in the first 
 surveyor* which has already resulted in a vast amount of 
 trouble and absolute loss, to a portion of our citizens. 
 
 The area embraced by these surveys may be traced on the 
 map, commencing at the south boundary of the State; thence 
 northward forty eight miles to the base line; thence fifty-four 
 miles up to town No. 9, N ; thus passing along the meridian 
 of seventeen towns, of six miles square. Eange lines, inter- 
 secting these meridians at right angles, were also begun at the 
 southern boundary of the State, at the principal meridian, 
 and closing 'on the eastern border of the State. 
 
 The lines throughout this whole tract were run at a varia- 
 tion differing but little from 4 deg. 39 min. 
 
 The error lies in a too great variation of about 1 deg. 30 
 min., as is proved: 
 
 1st. By platting these surveys in connection with those 
 since made, where a convergency, too great, of two miles is 
 observable on a meridian of fifty miles. 
 
 *Mr. Wampler. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 151 
 
 2d. By the incorrect manner in which the surveys them- 
 selves close; in many instances, a difference of 2 deg. and 3 
 deg. being necessary to meet the exigence. 
 
 3d. From the records of actual observations, made both 
 before and since. 
 
 4th. From the improbability of the variation ever having 
 been so great at or near Detroit. 
 
 In 1810, Col. Jared Mansfield records the variation at 
 Detroit, at 2 deg. 48 min. 00 sec. east. 
 
 In 1822 Messrs. Mullett and Lyon, do., 3 deg. 13 min. 22 
 sec. east. 
 
 Between the time of the above two observations, during 
 the years 1816, ' 17 and ' 18, the error was committed, and if 
 Mr. Wampler, who performed the surveying, was right, then 
 from 1810 to 1816 the variation had increased from 2 deg. 48 
 min. to 4 deg. 39 min., making a difference of 1 deg. 51 min. 
 in six years, or equal to 18 min 30 sec. each year, an unheard 
 of phenomenon on this meridian, when it is further considered 
 that in 1828 it was reduced to 2 deg. 50 min., decreasing in a 
 ratio of 4 4-10 min. per year only, and 4 min. 10 sec. being 
 the average annual decrease since that time. 
 
 I am inclined to attribute the error to a neglect of observ- 
 ing the motion of the north star at the time of observation. 
 This star revolves around the pole once in 23 hours and 56 
 minutes, and when at its greatest eastern or western elonga- 
 tion is 1 deg. 34 min., nearly, from the pole. The western 
 elongation was, no doubt, substituted for the meridian, which 
 it was intended to observe, whereby the error occurred. 
 
 Little, if any, attention was afterwards manifested to cor- 
 recting this error, and it is doubtful whether a suspicion 
 existed in regard to it, for being satisfied with having obtained 
 an observation at one point at the beginning of the survey, 
 three years were afterward consumed in establishing town 
 lines, without an alteration of 5 min. of a degree, advancing 
 
152 APPENDIX. 
 
 with each line westerly over a space of 100 miles, as in the 
 instance of towns Nos. 17 N. 
 
 Now, so far as the best information collected up to this 
 time in regard to the increase of magnetic variation (which is 
 stated by Prof. Loomis in the American Journal of Science, 
 Vol. 34, to be about 1 deg. in 60 English miles), these lines on 
 the western boundary of the survey should have been run at 
 a variation of 1 deg. 40 min. greater than on the eastern. 
 Hence arises the cause of that series of fractional townships 
 adjoining the principal meridian, throughout the extent of 
 this survey. 
 
 Decrease of Elevation in the Waters of the Lakes. 
 
 All that is necessary to observe on this subject is a notice 
 of the decrease in the level of the waters of the great lakes 
 during the past year. 
 
 It is a question, I believe, satisfactorily determined at the 
 present time that there exists no perceptible tide 'in them 
 which can be referable to planitary influence, yet for a long 
 time to come, it is presumed, the ordinary fluctuations pro- 
 duced by atmospheric agency will be considered a tidal wave, 
 nor will the persuasion be easily dismissed that so great an 
 expanse of water can remain unaffected at least to some 
 degree'. 
 
 The question is also as fully determined as to their general 
 rise for a succession of years, and then their general subsid- 
 ence to a certain minimum, the actual degree of which as well 
 as the maximum, were not recorded previous to the year 
 eighteen hundred. 
 
 Their elevation in 1838 was given in my report of last 
 year. The waters had then attained to five feet three inches. 
 This proved to be a greater flood than had occurred within the 
 last century. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 153 
 
 Table of elevation and depression in the waters of the Lakes, com- 
 pared with that of June 7, 1819, 
 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Inches 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Inches 
 
 August 21, 1838, highest stage, 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 03 
 
 September, " decrease, 
 
 
 
 03 
 
 5 
 
 00 
 
 October, " " 
 
 
 
 09 
 
 4 
 
 03 
 
 November, " 
 
 1 
 
 00 
 
 3 
 
 03 
 
 December, " " same, 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 03 
 
 January, 1839, " 
 
 1 
 
 08 
 
 1 
 
 07 
 
 June 10, " increase, 
 
 2 
 
 01 
 
 3 
 
 08 
 
 July 31, " " 
 
 
 
 03 
 
 3 
 
 11 
 
 Sept. 20, " decrease. 
 
 
 
 09 
 
 3 
 
 02 
 
 Oct. 28, " " 
 
 
 
 09 
 
 2 
 
 05 
 
 Nov. 27, " " same, 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 05 
 
 Jan. 30, 1830, " 
 
 1 
 
 08 
 
 
 
 09 
 
 No. 2 Eeport of C. C. Douglass, assistant geologist, Jan. 
 12, 1840. This report states that the time of the assistant has 
 been chiefly occupied with a detailed examination of the 
 northern and western counties so far as the United States 
 surveys had extended. 
 
 After describing many extensive deposits of marl and 
 clays, Mr. Douglass describes the coal bearing rocks included 
 in one division of these counties, with observations upon the 
 range and extent of this series of rocks in this State. Local 
 details are given of the lower and upper coal groups and their 
 associated sand and lime rocks and shales, with sections of the 
 rocks at various localities. 
 
 No. 3 Eeport of B. Hubbard, assistant geologist, Jan. 12, 
 1840, details his examinations in the southern range of 
 counties, mostly west of the principal meridian. These 
 examinations have embraced the collection of all facts of a 
 geological and agricultural character which could serve to 
 illustrate the capabilities of the soil, and the general wealth 
 
154 APPENDIX. 
 
 and resources of the conntry. In connection with these 
 objects he adds, "I have been able to fill up the skeleton 
 maps furnished by the State Topographer of each town in the 
 several counties, in such a manner as to afford at once a com- 
 plete view of the soils, timber and topographical details, 
 courses of streams, village and mill seats, and all recorded 
 roads of the townships, to correct errors in streams and lakes 
 arising from inaccurate surveys, and to plat a great number of 
 lakes, streams, etc., which were altogether omitted in the 
 notes of the original survey. The topographical features of 
 the district are described in general, the extent of timber, 
 soils and scenery, followed by the general geological structure 
 of that part of the State, with such economical considerations 
 as are deducible. A table is given of the superposition of 
 rock strata in. Hillsdale county, some account of the extensive 
 tertiary and diluvial deposits, with the accompanying clays, 
 marls, peats, tufas, bog ores, boulders and conglomerates. 
 Mr. Hubbard describes an ancient lake ridge, whose course 
 was traced for more than sixty miles, parallel to Lake Erie 
 and Detroit Eiver. This ridge had a width of several hun- 
 dred feet, a somewhat conical form, and a height of about 
 twelve or fifteen feet above the flat land on the lake side. It 
 is composed of layers of coarse and fine gravel and beach sand 
 reposing upon the clays which constitute the subsoil of the 
 contiguous country. No doubt remains that this ridge once 
 constituted the boundary of an immense expanse of water, 
 which became afterwards circumscribed to the dimensions of 
 the present lake. It is ascertained that this ridge has a 
 uniform elevation above Lake Erie of 107 or 108 feet. 
 
 "It is plain that this ridge could not have been formed 
 during that turbulent state of the waters which brought upon 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 155 
 
 the rock covered surface of the country its immense deposit 
 of diluvium, but must have resulted from a quiescent state of 
 the waters. " He then proceeds to speculate upon the results 
 of the supposed elevation of the waters of the lake to the 
 height of this ridge, in the distribution of land and water 
 surfaces, and the immensely broad and continuous sea which 
 must have filled the valleys of the St. Lawrence and the Mis- 
 sissippi, "in which whatever of dry land remained were as 
 islands in the deep. But one theory is possible, namely, that 
 the elevation of the lakes relatively to the land was the result, 
 not of their increased actual elevation but of the diminished 
 elevation of the land itself. 
 
 "The facts and suppositions above stated lead to several 
 important conclusions in determining the alluvial deposits of 
 the peninsula as distinguished from those which are classed as 
 diluvials, and they indicate three great eras since the forma- 
 tion of the newest rocks. 
 
 "1st. After the elevatory process had commenced and land 
 appeared above the surface, at this period was formed the 
 immense mass of diluviums. 
 
 "2d. When the upheaving force became stationary at 
 successive intervals, during which periods lake alluvions would 
 be forming over the area then occupied by the waters. 
 
 "3d. The era of present levels, when the lakes assumed 
 their present forms in successive order, beginning with the 
 most elevated." 
 
 Jan. 9, 1840, the State Geologist presented a report rela- 
 tive to the improvement of salt springs (seven pages). 
 
156 APPENDIX. 
 
 The subject details the steps which had been taken for the 
 erection of the machinery required for the borings at the 
 State salt wells ; the contract made with a practical mechanic 
 from Kenawha, Virginia; the failure of the contractor to 
 fulfil his undertaking, in consequence of assigned fears as to 
 the health of the country, and he details embarrassments 
 which beset the prosecution of the work, and the onerous 
 duties devolving on him as State Geologist, which prevented 
 absolutely a personal direction of the improvements in 
 progress. 
 
 After giving an account of the condition of the buildings, 
 shops and engines at the Tittabawassee and Grand Eiver 
 borings and the extent of the borings accomplished, and that 
 a point had been reached where the expense in future would 
 be comparatively small, he states that in consequence of the 
 embarrassments existing in the Internal Improvement Fund, 
 and in the failure to receive the installments of the appropria- 
 tion, and which compelled the Geologist to provide means 
 from his private resources, it became necessary to suspend 
 operations in the month of September. He prays a release 
 from the duties and responsibilities connected with the 
 superintendence of the improvement of the Salt Springs, as 
 incompatible with the proper discharge of the duties imposed 
 upon him as State Geologist. 
 
 THE FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 Of the State Geologist bears date Feb. 1, 1841 (88 pages). 
 The Geologist states that his ' l individual labors during the 
 past season, 1840, had been chiefly devoted to surveys con- 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 157 
 
 nected with the northern slope of the upper peninsula, and 
 regrets that the hardships to which he has been exposed in 
 conducting the field work over the wilderness portions of our 
 State have so far impaired his health as to render it impos- 
 sible to enter into so minute details as had been anticipated.' 7 
 He then enters upon a 
 
 General Description and Topographical Features of the Upper or 
 Northern Peninsula. 
 
 The topography and general features of the upper and 
 lower peninsulas differ so widely from each other, that, with 
 the simple exception of a part of the easterly extremity of 
 the upper peninsula, they scarcely admit of a comparison. 
 The wide contrast exhibited by the two districts is wholly 
 dependent upon geological differences, and these are so 
 strongly marked that they could not fail to attract the notice 
 of the most superficial observer. 
 
 In the last report I had the honor to lay before you, some 
 general references were made to the topography of the south- 
 ern slope of the upper peninsula, which embraced simply 
 those portions bordering on Lakes Huron and Michigan, and 
 extending from Point de Tour to Monominee Eiver. 
 
 Although the rocks of the district extending from Point 
 de Tour to Chocolate Eiver, upon the northerly or Lake 
 Superior slope, belong to an older series than those lying 
 south, and are different in composition, the general features 
 of the two districts, nevertheless, bear a close resemblance. 
 Easterly from Point Iroquois, the country is for the most part 
 flat, or but slightly elevated, and the near approach of the 
 rock to the surface so far prevents the descent of the waters 
 as to give rise to extensive districts of wet and swaly land. 
 Westerly from point Iroquois to Chocolate Eiver the country 
 is more elevated and has a much smaller proportion of wet land. 
 A range of hills, having an elevation varying from 300 to 600 
 feet above Lake Superior, commences a little easterly from 
 
158 APPENDIX. 
 
 Point Iroquois, and stretches very nearly west, or but a few 
 degrees north of west, until the western escarpment again 
 appears upon the coast, giving rise to the elevated hills of 
 which the Pictured Bocks and Grand Island form a part. 
 The outline of this range of hills has the most perfect regular- 
 ity, being unbroken and uniformly covered with a dense 
 growth of timber. 
 
 West from Chocolate Eiver, to our boundary line at Mon- 
 treal Biver^ the physical character of the country is widely 
 different from that of the district before referred to. This 
 country is made up of a series of irregular, knobby ranges of 
 hills that have a general easterly and westerly direction, with 
 intervening valleys of flat or gently rolling land. These hills 
 not unfrequently rise to a height of from 600 to 900 feet, very 
 near to the immediate coast of Lake Superior, and at a dis- 
 tance of 15 to 20 miles south from the coast, portions of some 
 of the ranges rise to a height of 1,200 to 1,300 feet above the 
 level of that lake. The ragged and broken outline which this 
 district presents, when viewed in detail, from the lake, con- 
 trasts in a striking manner with that of the country lying 
 east from Chocolate Eiver, for instead of the regular and 
 unbroken range of hills uniformly covered with a dense forest 
 that occur in the latter districts, we have a series of ranges 
 of broken hills, with knobs not unfrequently nearly or quite 
 destitute of timber. The escarpments of these hills are some- 
 times so abrupt as to render them difficult of ascent. 
 
 The only exception to the general easterly and westerly 
 direction of these ranges of hills, occurs in that range con- 
 stituting the Porcupine Mountains. These mountains rise 
 somewhat abruptly almost upon the immediate coast of Lake 
 Superior, at a point 37 miles north-easterly from the mouth of 
 Montreal Eiver, and from this point they stretch inland, in a 
 direction which, for the first thirty miles, is very nearly 
 south-south-west, after which their course is more westerly, 
 and in the direction of the sources of the Wisconsin Eiver. 
 The most elevated points of the Porcupine Mountains, near to 
 Lake Superior, attain an altitude of very nearly 950 feet, but 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 159 
 
 several of the knobs, at a distance inland, rise from 1,100 to 
 1,300 feet above the level of the waters of that lake. 
 
 The valleys, before referred to as separating these ranges of 
 hills, are uniformly heavily timbered, and by far the largest 
 proportion of this timber is beech and maple. 
 
 The length of the hilly or mountainous district, estimating 
 in a direct line west from Chocolate Eiver to the boundary 
 line on Montreal Eiver, is very nearly one hundred and sixty 
 miles, and it does not probably extend, at any point, more 
 than 20 to 25 miles south of this line. Estimating this hilly 
 district to extend regularly 20 miles south of a line drawn 
 from the points before mentioned, the greatest width of the 
 district would be opposite Keweenaw point, which extends 67 
 miles north from this line, making the total width at this 
 point 87 geographical miles. The very great irregularities of 
 the coast, with the numerous deep bays and projecting points 
 upon the north, together with the irregularities of the ranges 
 of hills upon the south, cause so great variations in the width 
 of the district, that it is impossible, with the present informa- 
 tion upon this subject, to estimate the width of the district 
 with any great degree of accuracy. Keweenaw Bay, of Lake 
 Superior, stretches 60 miles, estimating from the extremity of 
 Keweenaw Point, into this hilly or mountainous country. 
 
 South from the range of hilly country alluded to, and 
 extending to green Bay, the country at first becomes more 
 level and finally flat, though with several regular and 
 unbroken ranges of hills. In topography and general char- 
 acter it more nearly resembles that district of country which 
 lies east from Chocolate Kiver. 
 
 Of the district of country lying between the hilly country 
 and Green Bay, less is known than of any other portion of the 
 upper peninsula. The extent of my duties did not permit 
 me to extend my examinations very far into it, nor was I 
 enabled to obtain any information as to its general char- 
 acter. 
 
160 APPENDIX. 
 
 The streams which discharge their waters into Lake 
 Superior upon its south shore, are invariably short, and with 
 very few exceptions, the quantity of water they discharge is 
 small. This remark, in fact, may apply to the whole of the 
 region of country surrounding that lake, for this immense 
 body of water is completely surrounded by hills that, at no 
 great distance from the lake, fall away more or less rapidly. 
 Thus, while many of the streams discharging their waters into 
 Lake Michigan, Green Bay and the Mississippi Eiver, have 
 their sources near to the south shore of Lake Superior, so 
 also, many of those streams which discharge their waters 
 northerly into Hudson's Bay, have their sources near to the 
 north coast of the lake. The near approach of the summit 
 of the ranges of hills surrounding the lake, to the immediate 
 coast, leaves the area of country draining into Lake Superior, 
 comparatively small. 
 
 The most important of the streams entering Lake Superior 
 upon its south shore and within the limits of our State (com- 
 mencing near the foot of fehe lake and enumerating westward- 
 ly), are the Tequoimenon, Train, Chocolate, Death, Yellow 
 Dog, Huron, Portage, Fire Steel, Ontonagon, Iron, Presque 
 Isle, Black and Montreal rivers. Besides these, there are 
 innumerable creeks, which are usually known to voyageurs as 
 rivers, for this term is applied indiscriminately to all. The 
 waters of most of these streams are remarkably transparent 
 and pure, with brisk currents and numerous cascades, and 
 they almost invariably contain an abundance of the brook 
 trout, a circumstance which I mention from the fact that this 
 fish is scarcely known in the streams of the southern 
 peninsula. 
 
 The Tequoimenon Eiver, which is the only stream east 
 from Chocolate Eiver that in reality breaks through the range 
 of sandstone hills, before mentioned as extending westerly 
 from Point Iroquois, has its embouchure about 18 miles south 
 from White Fish Point, and near the foot of the lake. The 
 discharge is through loose sands, and there is an average of 4 
 
FIBST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 161 
 
 to 4 feet water over the bar. Having passed the bar, the 
 water for a distance of 7 to 8 miles varies from 10 to 15 feet 
 in depth. 
 
 Some of .the sources of this stream approach very nearly to 
 Lake Michigan, being directly at the base of the range of 
 lime rock hills, referred to in my third annual report. 
 
 The Toquimenon Eiver, with the exception of a distance 
 of some four to five miles, while passing through the range of 
 sandstone hills before alluded to, is, through its whole course, 
 a sluggish stream, though at many points having a strong, 
 deep current. The character of the river in its passage 
 through the range of hills referred to, is totally changed, for 
 it has there numerous chutes and falls, with almost continuous 
 rapids. At one point the whole body of water contained in 
 the stream is precipitated by a single leap from a height of 46 
 feet, and the effect of this fall is much heightened by the 
 elevated and overhanging rocks that bound the river on either 
 side. 
 
 Most of the small streams discharging into Lake Superior 
 between the foot of the lake and Chocolate Eiver, have their 
 sources to the north of the elevated range of hills mentioned, 
 or minor branches only decend from those hills. 
 
 Chocolate Eiver, which discharges its waters into Lake 
 Superior at a point 146 miles very nearly due west from the 
 Saut de Ste. Marie, is a stream of considerable magnitude, 
 though in consequence of the loose sands at its mouth it is 
 difficult of entrance at ordinary stages of water even with 
 barges of moderate draught, but when once the bar is passed 
 the stream is found to be deep, and for several miles has a 
 width varying from 80 to 150 feet. 
 
 This stream will be made a point of reference in the 
 strictly geological portions of this report, for it winds along 
 near the line of junction of two widely distinct geological 
 districts, the general features of one being characterized by its 
 ragged and broken hills, while the other is not less marked by 
 its generally level or regularly undulating surface. 
 
 (11) 
 
162 APPENDIX. 
 
 Chocolate Eiver takes its name from the dark color of its 
 waters. 
 
 Those streams which occur between Chocolate Eiver and 
 Keweenaw Bay ; are, with the exception of Huron Eiver, 
 small; though were we to refer to the published maps of this 
 district, we would suppose that some of these streams were of 
 very considerable length. But with the exception of 
 Huron Eiver and Eiver Des Morts, I believe they all have 
 their sources in small lakes lying along the bases of the 
 elevated hills already described. These hills rarely recede 
 farther than three to five miles from the coast, and the length 
 of the streams forming the outlets of the lakes referred to, is 
 governed wholly by these features. 
 
 Ontonagon Eiver, which is one of the most important of 
 the rivers discharging its waters into Lake Superior, upon its 
 south shore, has its embouchure very nearly fifty -five miles 
 east, or rather north-easterly, from the western boundary of 
 the State, at the mouth of Montreal Eiver. Ontonagon Eiver 
 has its sources in a very great number of mountain lakes, 
 situated in part upon the south-easterly spurs of the Porcu- 
 pine Mountains, and in part in the hilly district formed by 
 the easterly and westerly ranges of hills before described, 
 which ranges, upcn this portion of the coast, curve very con- 
 siderably to the south. Some of the sources of the Ontonagon 
 Eiver approach very near to the sources of the Chippewa 
 Eiver of the Mississippi. The great number of small tribu- 
 taries of the Ontonagon, which are simply the outlets of the 
 small lakes referred to, are concentrated into two, principally 
 branches, that finally unite and form the principal river, at a 
 distance of about eighteen miles from the coast of Lake 
 Superior. The smaller tributaries are mostly mere torrents, 
 with frequent perpendicular falls, and high banks, sometimes 
 of precipitous rock. The main stream, from the junction of 
 the two principal branches to within five or six miles of the 
 lake, is rapid and shoal, but below this the stream is compara- 
 tively still, and with a good depth of water. The mouth of 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 163 
 
 the Ontonagon Eiver is obstructed by a bar of sand, over 
 which there is usually, at low stages, about six feet of 
 water. 
 
 The principal rivers west from Ontonagon Eiver, and 
 within the limits of our State, have already been stated to be 
 Iron, Presque Isle, Black and Montreal Eivers. These 
 streams are all short, and the amount of water discharged by 
 each separately is comparatively small. Their waters descend 
 from the elevated mountain region immediately south from 
 the coast, and since the whole streams are concentrated before 
 passing from these elevations, their waters are discharged in 
 body and they descend with very great rapidity. A greater 
 variety of grand and beautiful scenery than that presented by 
 some of these streams in their descent to the lake, taken in 
 connection with the rugged and wild character of the country, 
 can scarcely be conceived. I was particularly struck with the 
 great variety of picturesque views furnished by Black Eiver, 
 in its descent from the elevated country on the west side of 
 the Porcupine Mountains to Lake Superior. The stream was 
 estimated to fall about five hundred feet in a fraction over four 
 miles, and this descent is made up by a constant succession of 
 falls, chutes and rapids, which continue with so little inter- 
 ruption that the waters for the whole distance may be said to 
 be constantly white foam. The stream is bounded upon 
 either side by banks elevated from one hundred to three hun- 
 dred feet, sometimes sloping away from the stream, somewhat 
 gently, and again rising in mural precipices of rock, separated 
 from each other by so short distances as to appear scarcely 
 sufficient to permit the passage of the waters of the river. 
 The most considerable fall does not exceed fifty feet, and 
 they are usually from ten to thirty feet in height, but their 
 constant succession and variety add much to its interest. 
 
 Montreal Eiver is a comparatively small stream, made up 
 of numerous small tributaries that rise among the ranges of 
 hills to the south-west and south-east of its mouth. The 
 passage of the river through the range of hills near the lake, 
 
164 APPENDIX. 
 
 gives rise to several very considerable water-falls, as also to 
 much rugged and wild scenery. Almost directly at the place 
 of embouchure into Lake Superior, there is a perpendicular 
 fall of about 40 feet. This stream, it will be recollected, 
 forms a portion of the boundary between Michigan and 
 Wisconsin. 
 
 By the act admitting Michigan as a State into the con- 
 federacy, and in which her boundaries are denned, it does not 
 appear to have been the intention to include within her limits 
 any portion of territory lying upon the north shore of Lake 
 Superior, but in consequence of the peculiar shape of the 
 coast at that point where the national boundary line "last 
 touches Lake Superior," at the mouth of Pigeon Eiver, a 
 direct line to the mouth of the Montreal Eiver, if followed 
 literally, would throw within the State of Michigan several 
 small rocky islands, together with a few miles of the south 
 cape of Pigeon Bay, situate on the north coast. This boun- 
 dary leaves in Wisconsin the whole of the Apostles' group 
 of islands, near to the south coast, while it includes within 
 Michigan, Isle Eoyale, situate near to the north coast of the 
 lake. 
 
 Isle Eoyale is little less than an island of rock rising 
 abruptly from the lowest depth of the lake, in irregular hills, 
 to a height varying from 100 to 450 feet above the level of the 
 lake. The island has a length of a fraction over 45 miles from 
 north-east to south west, and a breadth varying from 3 to 8 
 miles. The most northerly point of the island is very nearly 
 in latitude 48 deg. 12 niin. 30 sec. north, and the parallel of 
 longitude 89 deg. west from Greenwich, crosses the island a 
 little east from its centre. Its nearest approach to the main 
 land is near its north-westerly end, where it is separated from 
 a point of the north coast, a few miles east from Pigeon Eiver 
 by a distance of a fraction less than 13 miles. Isle Eoyal is 
 separated from Keweenaw Point of the south coast, by a dis- 
 tance of 44 miles, and the elevated hills of this point may be 
 distinctly seen from Isle Eoyale when the atmosphere is clear. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 165 
 
 Nearly the whole of the north-westerly side of Isle Eoyale 
 is a continuous, elevated, rocky cliff, which will scarcely 
 admit of a landing, but the south-easterly side, together with 
 the easterly and westerly ends, are deeply indented with bays, 
 which form secure harbors. The north-easterly end is made 
 up of a series of elevated, rocky spits, with intervening bays. 
 These spits of rock continue for a length varying from 10 to 
 12 miles, with a width scarcely exceeding half a mile, and 
 altogether they may not inaptly be compared to the hand 
 with the fingers half spread. The bays have a sufficient 
 depth of water to admit vessels of the largest class to enter 
 nearly one-third the whole length of the island. 
 
 Much of Isle Eoyal is absolutely destitute of soil, and the 
 island has a most desolate appearance, but notwithstanding 
 this it is of immense value for its fisheries, which are as yet 
 scarcely appreciated. 
 
 General Geology of the Upper Peninsula. 
 
 The geology of the upper or northern peninsula of Michi- 
 gan, when compared with that of the southern or lower 
 peninsula, bears a striking contrast, for while that of the 
 district last referred to is uniformly regular, with rocks, 
 which, though rarely exposed to view, are few and for the 
 most part but little disturbed, over large areas of country, 
 the upper peninsula embraces a much greater number of 
 rocks, distributed over a somewhat smaller district of country, 
 and a portion of which are so much disturbed as to render 
 their delineation exceedingly complex and difficult. 
 
 The widely different topographical features of the easterly 
 and westerly portions of the northerly part of the upper 
 peninsula would lead the most casual observer to infer that 
 the geological features of the different districts would be 
 equally distinct, and in this he would not be disappointed. 
 
 I have already referred to the rugged and broken character 
 of the country extending westerly from Chocolate Eiver to 
 our boundary at Montreal Eiver, and have also attempted to 
 
166 APPENDIX. 
 
 define its general length and breadth. This district, which is 
 essentially made up of primary, trap and metamorphic rocks, 
 with intervening sedimentary rocks, usually occupying the 
 valleys and out boundaries, may be estimated to cover an area 
 equal to a little more than one- fourth of the whole of the 
 upper peninsula. To the east and south of this district the 
 rocks are wholly sedimentary, consisting of a series of sand- 
 stones, limestones and shales. 
 
 With a view of rendering the local details of the separate 
 formations more intelligible, I will first describe in general 
 terms the rocks occurring in so much of the peninsula as has 
 been examined, together with their general extent. This will 
 necessarily involve a repetition of a very small portion of the 
 report last made, upon the subject of the limestones of the 
 south and east portions of the peninsula, but since the exami - 
 nations of the past year have enabled me to add another mem- 
 ber to the limestone group, and to define with more certainty 
 its outline, this may not be devoid of interest. 
 
 1. Primary Rocks. The rocks constituting what may be 
 considered as the true primary group of this region are chiefly 
 granite, syenite and syenitic granites. The members of the 
 group are first seen upon the south coast of Lake Superior, 
 constituting a rocky point known as Little Presque Isle, a 
 little south-east from Eiver Des Morts. These rocks fre- 
 quently appear upon the coast north westerly, nearly as far as 
 Huron Eiver, and the Huron Islands, off the mouth of Huron 
 Eiver, belong to the same group. West from Huron Islands 
 no rock appears upon the coast which, in a strict sense, I 
 should regard as primary. The rocks of this group rise upon 
 or near to the coast, in irregular and broken ranges of hills, 
 to a height varying from 300 to 700 feet above the waters of 
 the lake, and these hills, or ranges of hills, are continued in 
 a south-westerly direction. The precise limit of the primary 
 rocks to the westward, has not yet been determined, but they 
 are known to extend nearly or quite to the sources of the 
 Wisconsin Eiver. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 167 
 
 A portion of the south-westerly prolongation of the Por- 
 cupine Mountain range is made up of rocks belonging to the 
 primary group, but its precise limit here has not yet been 
 determined. 
 
 2. Trap Rocks. Flanking the primary rocks already de- 
 scribed on the north and north -west, are a series of ranges of hills 
 stretching in a direction generally south-westerly and north- 
 easterly, which attain an altitude of from three to nine hun- 
 dred feet above the lake. They are more regular, or rather 
 less broken in outline than the primary hills; a change, how- 
 ever, which in the transition is noticed to take place gradually 
 from one group to the other, or in other words the knobbed 
 character of the ranges becomes less and less apparent as we 
 cross them in a north-westerly direction, or from the primary 
 range. These hills are composed of rocks, differing at first 
 but slightly from those of the primary group, but gradually 
 the difference becomes more and more apparent as we proceed 
 northerly. The rocks of those hills nearest the primary 
 range may possibly be regarded simply as rocks of that group, 
 more or less altered, though the rocks of the outer ranges are 
 plainly trap. The range of these rocks, which may be said to 
 commence at the very extremity of Keweenaw Point, extends, 
 after a slight curve to the north, in a general south-westerly 
 direction, gradually receding from the coast, until at the 
 crossing of the Ontonagon Eiver, it is nearly 25 miles inland. 
 Westerly from Ontonagon Eiver the range becomes confounded 
 with the northerly portions of the Porcupine Mountains, 
 while west from these mountains a portion of what may be 
 considered the same range of rock has taken a more westerly 
 course and approaches the coast, until at the crossing of the 
 Montreal Eiver it is but a few miles distant from Lake 
 Superior. West from the Porcupine Mountains a second 
 range of trap is continued at a distance of from fifteen to 
 twenty miles inland. The trap range of Keweenaw Point 
 may be estimated to compose one-third the entire width 
 of the point, and the south-easterly portions of the range are 
 
168 APPENDIX. 
 
 made up of compact greenstone, while those portions to the 
 north-west are amygdaloid. 
 
 The ranges of hills constituting the north-westerly part of 
 Isle Royale, and extending its whole length, are of similar 
 rocks, and single knobs of well defined trap rock occasionally 
 occur in the very midst of the primary region before referred 
 to, upon the south coast; the proofs of the character of which 
 will be shown as we advance. 
 
 3. Metamorphic Rocks. Flanking the primary rocks on 
 the south, is a series of stratified rocks consisting of talcose, 
 mica and clay slates, slaty hornblende rock, and quartz rock; 
 the latter rock constituting by far the largest proportion of 
 the whole group. In traversing the country south-easterly 
 from little Presque Isle, the point referred to as the most 
 south-easterly prolongation of the granite, this last rock 
 passes almost insensibly into a serpentine rock, which has a 
 regular jointed structure, sometimes approaching to stratifica- 
 tion; continuing in the same direction we find a series of 
 hornblend slates, talcose, mica and clay slates, resting against 
 the serpentine rocks, and still farther to the south-east the 
 rock becomes almost uniformly quartz. The rocks of this 
 group dip irregularly to the south and south east, while the 
 cleavage of the slates is very uniformly to the north. 
 
 The rocks of the metamorphic group stretch into the 
 interior in a westerly or rather south-westerly direction, form- 
 ing the south-easterly part of the hilly region. 
 
 Eocks referable to this group also occur upon the north 
 coast of Lake Superior. 
 
 4. Conglomerate. The rock to which I shall restrict this 
 term does not occur well characterized at any point east from 
 the district referred to as the commencement of the trap 
 group, nor has it been noticed resting upon any of either the 
 primary or metamorphic rocks, but is invariably seen resting 
 upon the trap rocks. Commencing upon the north side of the 
 trap, at the extremity of Keweenaw Point, the conglomerate 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 169 
 
 flanks the trap upon its northerly side, as far west as the 
 boundary of our State; nor does it stop here, for the same 
 rock is seen at intervals as far west as the head of Lake 
 Superior. A similar rock also rests upon the trap of Isle 
 Eoyale, facing the south-east. 
 
 In the course of the range of conglomerate upon the south 
 shore, it forms a nearly continuous range of hills, with some- 
 what steep escapements, but with a generally rounded outline. 
 These hills sometimes rise to a height of from three to five 
 hundred feet above the level of the lake. 
 
 The conglomerate attains a very great thickness, being 
 greatest at its westerly prolongation, and it gradually thins 
 out as we proceed north-easterly ; but the irregularity in 
 thickness is so very considerable that variations of several 
 hundred feet are not uncommon within the space of a few 
 miles. 
 
 The conglomerate rock of the south coast dips in mass 
 irregularly to the north and north-west, while that of Isle 
 Eoyale dips to the south-east. 
 
 5. Mixed Conglomerate and Sandstone. The rock or rocks 
 to which I have affixed the above name consists of an alter- 
 nating series of coarse conglomerates and red sandstones, 
 resting conformably upon the conglomerate rock before 
 described. In strictness, these rocks should probably be 
 considered as a member of the conglomerate itself, but for the 
 sake of convenience in description I have deemed it desirable 
 to separate them. 
 
 This mixed rock was only noticed, as before stated, resting 
 upon the conglomerate, and this only between Point Kewee- 
 naw and Montreal Eiver. Its thickness immediately west 
 from and upon the flanks of the Porcupine Mountains, is very 
 considerable, but it wedges out rapidly both easterly and 
 westerly, and on the east, near the extremity of Keweenaw 
 Point, it wholly disappears. 
 
 The mixed rock dips regularly to the north and north- 
 west. 
 
170 APPENDIX. 
 
 6. Lower or Red Sandstone and Shales. The red sandstone, 
 with its accompanying red and gray shales, occupies a much 
 larger extent of the country bordering upon Lake Superior 
 than any other single rock or group of rocks. It rests upon 
 the primary and metamorphic rocks, immediately west from 
 Chocolate Biver; upon the conglomerate and mixed rocks from 
 near Eagle Kiver, of Keweenaw Point, west to the head of 
 Lake Superior; upon the primary trap, metamorphic and 
 conglomerate rocks of the north shore of the lake, and upon 
 the conglomerate rock of Isle Eoyale. It is this rock which 
 forms the basis of the level plateaus or valleys occupying the 
 spaces between the several ranges of hills south from Lake 
 Superior, and west from Chocolate Eiver. In these last 
 situations this rock is frequently seen undisturbed to surround 
 the bases of isolated knobs of granite, though when near to 
 or in contact with knobs or trap there are invariable evidences 
 of very great disturbance. 
 
 The rocks of this group attain their greatest thickness at 
 their westerly prolongation, gradually thinning out as we 
 proceed easterly. 
 
 With the exception of that portion of the coast extending 
 from Point Iroquois, at the foot of the lake, to Grand Island, 
 the predominating rock upon the immediate coast, both on 
 the south and north shore, is this red sandstone; for even the 
 primary trap and conglomerate rocks are almost invariably 
 skirted with a band of it. It is also over this rock that the 
 waters of Lake Superior are discharged at the Sault de Ste. 
 Marie. 
 
 The sandrock forms the chief portion of the group, the 
 shales occurring rather, as beds than otherwise, as will be 
 hereafter described. 
 
 The red sandstone both upon the north and south shores of 
 Lake Superior invariably dips into the basin of that lake, 
 which may therefore be regarded as a synclinal axis. 
 
 7. Upper or Gray Sandstone. Upon the south shore of 
 Lake Superior, and extending from Point Iroquois to Grand 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 171 
 
 Island, a sandstone occurs, differing widely in its appearance 
 from that before described. This sandstone rests unconform- 
 cibly upon the red sandstone, the former dipping gently to the 
 south or south-east, while the latter dips very considerably to 
 the north or north-west. 
 
 The elevated range of hills before described as commencing 
 a little easterly from Point Iroquois and extending to the 
 Pictured Rocks, are composed of this rock. From the 
 Pictured Rocks, the range of hills curves more to the south, 
 stretching very far to the south-west, but its precise limit is 
 not yet determined. 
 
 In its easterly prolongation the gray sandstone thins out 
 rapidly. It is last seen at the Neebesh Rapids of the Riviere 
 Ste. Marie, on the east, at which point, in consequence of not 
 having been sufficiently examined farther westerly, it was 
 confounded with the red sandrock in the last report which I 
 had the honor to lay before you. 
 
 8. Sandy Lime Rock.* Resting immediately upon this 
 upper or gray sandstone is a sandy limerock, which, although 
 nearly wanting at the very easterly extremity of the pen- 
 insula, as we proceed westerly occupies a more important 
 place. This rock, which, as its name implies, is intermediate 
 between a sandstone and limerock, may be seen on Sailor's 
 Encampment Island of the Riviere Ste. Marie, as also at 
 several points in the vicinity of Monusco Bay, from whence 
 it stretches westerly, occupying nearly the central portion of 
 the peninsula for a distance of at least sixty miles; from which 
 its precise range and limit has not yet been determined. The 
 outcropping edge of this rock appears at a level very consid- 
 erably below that both of the sandstone to the north, and of 
 the limestones to the south. Its width for the distance men- 
 tioned varies from ten to fifteen miles, and it dips uniformly 
 to the south-south-east. 
 
 The sandy limerock has not yet been examined with suffi- 
 cient care to admit of accurate description. It contains but 
 
 *The names which have been affixed to the several sand and lime rocks are regarded 
 as merely temporary, and are introduced, for the present, barely to facilitate descrip- 
 tion. 
 
172 APPENDIX. 
 
 few fossils, but those few are sufficiently characteristic, were 
 there no other considerations, to separate it from the lower 
 limerocks and shales. 
 
 Upon the sandy limerock to which reference is above made 
 rests the lower limerock and shales, and upon this last the 
 upper limerock, both uniformly dipping to the south or south- 
 east. These limerocks were described in general terms, in 
 my third annual report, and although many additional facts 
 have been gathered respecting their character, range and 
 extent, it is, perhaps, unnecessary to lay them before you at 
 this time. I will barely add, with respect to them, that the 
 suggestion there mentioned, that a more careful examination 
 of these limestones would render a farther division of the 
 groups necessary, has been fully confirmed. 
 
 I had hoped to lay before you a profile section of the rocks 
 of the upper peninsula, but the impossibility of having it 
 engraved in time to accompany this report has led me to defer 
 it. I regret this the more since many of the facts connected 
 with a full understanding of the economical portion of this 
 report are so intimately dependent upon the general geology 
 of the country that in the absence of correct maps, and with- 
 out a profile section of the rocks. I fear it will be impossible 
 for me to render the most important portion, so far as regards 
 the prosperity of the State, intelligible. 
 
 As it is, I can only, in the place of this, lay before you a 
 general section of the rocks of the upper peninsula, together 
 with their thickness, so far as the same has been satisfactorily 
 determined. This section is intended simply to represent 
 the order in which the several rocks rest upon each other. 
 
 Having already described in general terms the range and 
 extent of the rocks of the upper peninsula, so far as the same 
 have been examined, the limits of the present report will 
 admit of nothing more than a general description of the 
 characters of these rocks, and I shall not attempt a minute 
 description of any members of the series, except such as are 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 173 
 
 more or less connected with subjects which are supposed to be 
 of immediate practical importance. 
 
 Section Illustrative of the order of super-position of the Rocks of 
 the Upper Peninsula. 
 
 
 
 Thickness in Feet. 
 
 9. 
 
 8. 
 
 7. 
 6. 
 5. 
 4. 
 3. 
 2. 
 1. 
 
 Tertiary Clays and Sands. 
 
 mean 700 
 extreme 6,500 
 extreme 4,200 
 extreme 5,260 
 
 Upper Limerock Group (embracing as 
 members the Druinmond Island and 
 Mackinaw limestones). 
 
 Lower Limerock and Shales. 
 
 Sandy or Intermediate Limestone. 
 
 Upper or Grey Sandstone, 
 
 Lower or Eed Sandrock and Shales, 
 
 Mixed Conglomerate and Sandrock, 
 
 Conglomerate Bock, 
 
 Metamorphic, Trap and Primary rocks. 
 
 PRIMARY BOCKS. 
 
 Although the usual ternary compound of quartz, feldspar 
 and mica, occurs but rarely in the primary, in the vicinity of 
 the coast of Lake Superior, and in fact but rarely in any por- 
 
174 APPENDIX. 
 
 tion of the range which I have visited, nevertheless, the great 
 mass of rocks included within this range, may, in a broad 
 sense, be called granite. The compound above referred to is 
 more common in the westerly than in the easterly portion of 
 the range. The more common rock is made up of quartz, feld- 
 spar and hornblende, giving rise to a very dark colored sye- 
 nite ; occasionally mica enters sufficiently into the compound 
 to form syenitic granite, and sometimes the place of the horn- 
 blende in the syenite is supplied by schorl or tourmaline, thus 
 giviog rise to a schorl rock. 
 
 The rocks of the southeasterly portion of the primary range 
 of hills are more clearly defined as granitic rocks, than those 
 situated more northerly, for they are more distinctly and large- 
 ly crystaline in structure, and quartz enters much more large- 
 ly as a constituent into their composition. As we proceed 
 north-westerly, from the south-east boundary of the primary, 
 over the several broken ranges of hills, we find the character 
 of the rocks in mass almost imperceptibly changing. The 
 quartz as a mineral gradually forms a less important part, and 
 it finally almost wholly disappears, leaving a binary compound 
 of feldspar ?.?A hornblende, which then assumes a granular 
 structure, constituting greenstone. The intermediate rock, 
 between the syenite and greenstone ranges, may not inappro- 
 priately be called a syenitic greenstone. 
 
 The primary rocks which appear in the vicinity of Lake 
 Superior, in the several ranges of hills extending from a point 
 opposite little Presque isle,* to Huron river, are essentially 
 either syenite or syenitic granite. The rock, as a whole, is 
 extremely compact, and the constituent minerals are mostly in 
 small crystals, though occasionally the feldspar assumes a 
 more largely crystaline form. 
 
 The granitic rocks, so far as the range has been examined, 
 in a southwesterly direction, are largely traversed by dykes, 
 that are almost without exception made up of materials in all 
 respects indentical with the greenstone, before alluded to, as 
 forming the more northwesterly ranges of hills. The courses 
 
 *A little south-east from River Des Morte. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 175 
 
 of these dykes or veins are invariably marked by striking 
 changes in the character of the rock traversed, and in the larger 
 dykes, the evidences of the changes produced by the heat of 
 the injected matter, extend to several hundred feet upon either 
 side of the dyke itself. The connection between the rocky mat- 
 ter composing these dykes and the ranges of greenstone, lying 
 northwest, is clearly identified, not only by the perfect simi- 
 larity in mineral character, but also from the fact, that as we 
 proceed in the direction of the ranges of greenstone, the dykes 
 become much more frequent, until at length it becomes diffi- 
 cult to determine which of the rocks predominate in quantity. 
 
 These facts serve to throw much light upon the relative 
 ages of the several ranges of hills, or in other words, serve to 
 show the order in which they were severally uplifted; facts 
 which will be more fully shown when we come to consider the 
 present position of the overlying sedimentary rocks. These 
 facts are not only important, to enable us to understand the 
 many changes which have taken place, with regard to the re- 
 lative position of the land and water, but they are rendered of 
 practical importance for the reason, which I think may be 
 satisfactorily shown, that the mineral region of the upper 
 peninsula, to be hereafter described, is strictly confined to only 
 the outer portion of the rocks of a single epoch. 
 
 The veins and dykes of greenstone, referred to as travers- 
 ing the granite rocks, do not, in this portion of the group, ap- 
 pear to have any regular magnetic bearing, for they traverse 
 the rock in all directions. Veins of any other matter are very 
 rarely seen traversing the granite. In a single instance, what 
 was regarded as a true vein of porphyry, having a width 
 of nearly three feet, was noticed, which vein is crossed, at 
 angles of 53 and 107, by a vein of greenstone, having a width 
 somewhat less than that of the porphyry. In this instance, 
 the greenstone is clearly the most recent vein. 
 
 The veins of greenstone traversing the granite, vary from 
 a mere line, to 50 or 60 feet in width. The intimate blending 
 of the material composing these veins, together with the chemi- 
 cal differences, causes them to disintegrate or waste away 
 
176 APPENDIX. 
 
 more rapidly than the rock they traverse; the result of which 
 is, that deep grooves are frequently left in the granite, the 
 simple result of the wasting away of these dykes or veins. 
 This is peculiarly the case upon the coast of the lake, where 
 the rocks are subject to the action of the waves, which have, 
 in some instances, so removed the debris as to leave long and 
 narrow bays, with high perpendicular walls, occupying simply 
 the space once occupied by the dyke. The Huron islands, 
 which are simple elevated granite knobs, appear, upon first 
 examination, as a mass of rocks, completely rent in many 
 places, with portions separated from each other by narrow 
 clefts, having perpendicular walls of great height. "While 
 these rents are of sufficient width to admit of being traversed 
 by small boats, the perpendicular walls are so little varied in 
 their elevation as scarcely to leave a point, in these narrow 
 passages, where a landing can be effected. A careful examin- 
 ation of these passages shows them to be simply the spaces once 
 occupied by dykes or veins of greenstone, which having disin- 
 tegrated, and the detrital matter having been removed by the 
 action of the waves, has left the walls of the more enduring 
 granite rock, unbroken and almost untouched. 
 
 Upon the north coast of Lake Superior, well defined granite 
 and syenite, or syenitic granite, occasionally appear upon the 
 immediate coast of the lake, but more frequently these rocks 
 are flanked on the south by greenstone, with occasional nar- 
 row bands of sandstone ; thus precisely reversing the magnetic 
 order of those rocks upon the south coast. 
 
 TRAP BOOKS. 
 
 Were we to consider the rocks of the district under con- 
 sideration, strictly in their chronological order, those rocks 
 which I propose to treat as trap rocks, would undoubtedly 
 follow those slates and quartz rocks which are considered as 
 metamorphic, and which may be regarded as identical in time 
 of uplift with those rocks before alluded to, as being inter- 
 mediate between the granitic and trap rocks. The almost in- 
 sensible gradations by which the granitic rocks pass into the 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 177 
 
 greenstone of the trap formation, and the near analogy of the 
 whole of the rocks of both formations, to each other, renders 
 it more convenient, at the same time that it is more simple to 
 follow the arrangement or order that I have adopted. 
 
 I have already stated that in passing from the granitic re- 
 gion on the south side of Lake Superior, in a direction north- 
 westerly, we cross a series of ranges of hills, varying in height 
 from three to nine hundred feet above the lake, and that in 
 pursuing this course, we observe that the character of the 
 rocks gradually and almost insensibly change, until at length 
 they become well defined greenstone.* 
 
 The rocks of the outer or northwestern range of hills, which 
 were clearly the last of the series of uplifts, bears more un- 
 equivocally the evidences of igneous origin, than either of the 
 outer ranges alluded to. The rock upon the south flank of 
 these hills, is invariably very compact greenstone, while upon 
 the north -westerly line it is almost equally invariably an amyg- 
 daloid, or at least, has an amygdaloidal structure. The causes 
 of this difference of structure of the rock, upon the opposite 
 sides of this range of hills, when carefully examined upon the 
 ground, are very apparent, for it is evident, as will hereafter 
 be shown, that the uplift of the rocks of this range of hills 
 was wholly upon the south-easterly side, and while the rocks 
 of this portion were in a solidified state, or in other words, 
 that a point in Lake Superior may be regarded as a fixed axis 
 of the uplifted mass. That this was the case, is shown by the 
 fact that the sedimentary rocks to the south or south-east are 
 scarcely disturbed, so far as regards this range of hills, while 
 the sedimentary rocks on the north or north-westerly side are 
 
 *In the present report, I use the term greenstone, in its generic sense, applying it to 
 all the compact rocks, of a granulated structure, belonging to the trap range. By far 
 the larger proportion of these rocks are greenstone, in its most restricted sense, or in 
 other words, are composed of feldspar and hornblende; but the term is also used to in- 
 clude rocks which in a strict sense would be considered as altered syenite, syenitic, 
 granite, hornblende rock and angitic rock. 
 
 The term amygdaloid, I apply, as it is usually applied to that portion of the rock 
 having a difference of form simply, without any reference to the constituents of the 
 rock. This generic use of terms is employed for the reason that the limits of the present 
 report will not allow any thing more than a very general consideration of the subject. 
 The term trap is used in such a sense as to include both the greenstone and amygdaloid, 
 though it may sometimes prove that the amygdaloid has had its origin from the fusion 
 of the lower portions of the sedimentary rocks. 
 
 (12) 
 
178 APPENDIX. 
 
 invariably tilted to a high angle near the range of hills, which 
 angle gradually decreases as we pass farther and farther from 
 the hills themselves. These sedimentary rocks, which upon 
 the north side always dip from the range of trap hills, are in 
 their close proximity to the trap inclined at angles varying 
 from 45 deg. to 85 deg. Dykes of from fifty to four or five 
 hundred feet are of frequent occurrence, traversing these 
 sedimentary rocks, but the widest of these have invariably 
 been protruded between the strata of the sedimentary rocks, 
 and consequently have the same general inclination. The 
 result of these frequent dykes, which occur at comparatively 
 short distances from the main body of trap, is that the sedi- 
 mentary rocks frequently so far lose their original character 
 as scarcely to be recognized. 
 
 The rocks of the complete north-western escarpment of 
 this range of hills were evidently in an intense state of 
 ignition while in contact with the sedimentary rocks, as is 
 clearly shown by the very great changes which have taken 
 place in the rocks last alluded to. In fact, I am disposed to 
 refer the origin of much of the amygdaloid rock to the fusion 
 of the lower portions of the sedimentary rocks referred to, 
 for the reason that as we pass south from this junction the 
 amygdaloid rocks wholly disappear, their place being sup- 
 plied by greenstone; and again, so intimately are they blended 
 that it is frequently impossible to determine where the 
 amygdaloid ceases and the upper sedimentary rocks com- 
 mence. Fragments of the sedimentary rocks, the characters 
 of which can be clearly recognized, are not of rare occurrence, 
 imbedded in the amygdaloid rock, a circumstance which 
 although by no means conclusive, should not be overlooked in 
 considering this subject. 
 
 I would not wish to convey the idea that the amygdaloid 
 rocks have their origin exclusively from the altered sediment- 
 ary rocks, but simply that the change in the structure of the 
 trap from greenstone to amygdaloid may and no doubt does 
 depend upon the proximity of the sedimentary rocks to the 
 trap while the latter was in a state of ignition. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 179 
 
 I have been compelled to tread upon grounds which may, 
 perhaps, be considered theoretical, but it would appear to be 
 necessary in order to convey a proper idea of the condition of 
 the rocks composing the range of hills under consideration. 
 These views, however, would not have been alluded to at this 
 time had it not been for the fact that an understanding of all 
 that relates to the mineral resources of this portion of our 
 State is more or less intimately connected with this portion of 
 the subject. 
 
 Although the general range of the trap hills has been 
 already given, I will define as nearly as is in my power the 
 line of junction between the trap and sedimentary rocks upon 
 the north escarpment, premising that the elevation at which 
 this junction takes place is usually at a height of from 100 
 to 500 feet above the lake, and only in a single instance does 
 this line reach the coast of the lake. Commencing almost 
 directly at the extremity of Keweenaw Point, this line passes 
 in a south-westerly direction, gradually receding from the 
 coast ; it crosses Sturgeon or Portage Lake near its centre, 
 after which it recedes still more rapidly from the coast, until 
 finally it is seen to cross the upper forks of the Ontonagon 
 Eiver, and soon after the whole is apparently lost in the range 
 of the Porcupine Mountains, which last range has a course so 
 much to the south-west as probably to completely intersect the 
 first range mentioned. On the west side of the Porcupine 
 Mountains the range of hills and the line of junction appear 
 again, but many miles farther north than they would have been 
 looked for ; from thence the true line gradually approaches 
 the coast, until, at its point of crossing the Montreal river, it 
 is but about two miles above the mouth of that stream. 
 
 To the north and north-west, through the whole of the dis- 
 tance described, this trap is bounded by hills of conglomerate 
 and sandstone, more or less elevated, but usually not exceed- 
 ing 400 feet. To the north-west of these hills of sedimentary 
 rocks, a dyke of trap is seen to extend for many miles along 
 the line of coast of Keweenaw point, and so great is the width 
 of the dyke, that unless carefully examined, its character 
 
180 APPENDIX. 
 
 might easily be misunderstood. It lies in a plane parallel to 
 the stratification of the sedimentary rock by which it is em- 
 braced, and with that rock dips to the north-west The dyke 
 is chiefly made up of greenstone, but not unfrequently large 
 portions of the mass consist of amygdaloid, in which the 
 amygdules are filled or composed of quartz, chalcedony, agate, 
 calc. spar, zeolite, etc. 
 
 The dykes just referred to, so far as their relation to the 
 amygdaloidal portion of the trap is concerned, as also the many 
 others similarly situated with respect to the superincumbent 
 sedimentary rocks, will be regarded in the same light as con- 
 temporaneous veins, though they are only contemporaneous 
 with the uplift of the strata, and not with their deposit. But 
 there is still another class of veins which not only traverse a 
 portion of the trap rocks, but also the upper sedimentary 
 rocks, and which may be regarded as true veins. These last 
 mentioned veins traverse the rocks at a high angle with the 
 line of bearing of the sedimentary rocks, as also with the line 
 of junction of those last mentioned with the trap rocks. The 
 composition of these veins is widely different from that of the 
 contemporaneous veins or dykes before referred to. As this 
 subject will be treated more at length in a succeeding portion 
 of this report, I deem it unnecessary at this time to refer more 
 particularly to the subject. 
 
 A single knob of trap appears under circumstances which 
 add very much to its interest, at what is usually known as 
 Presque Isle, an elevated rocky point immediately north-west 
 from Eiviere Des Morts, and almost directly within the gran- 
 itic region. This point of land has its origin from the simple 
 elevation of a mass of trap rock which rises on the north in 
 abrupt cliffs varying from 20 to 60 feet in height. The trap 
 is mostly greenstone, though portions of it are so largely im- 
 pregnated with a dark colored, almost black serpentine, as to 
 deserve the name of serpentine rock. 
 
 The knob of trap under consideration is possessed of addi- 
 tional interest, from the unequivocal evidence of uplift, as 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 181 
 
 / 
 
 also from the manner in which these evidences are exhibited. 
 The cliffs of trap occupy the very extremity of the point, 
 while the neck and central portions are made up of conglomer- 
 ate or trap tuff and sandrock resting upon the trap. These 
 upper rocks also appear upon the immediate coast, in cliffs of 
 from 20 to 60 feet in height, and in many places they are seen 
 resting directly upon the trap. The stratification of these 
 sedimentary rocks has been very much disturbed, and they 
 invariably dip at a high angle in all directions from the trap 
 itself. The character of both rocks, at the immediate line of 
 junction is almost completely lost, and the evidences of change 
 most unequivocally marked. But the most curious feature of 
 the whole is that the sedimentary rocks for a distance of 
 several hundred feet have been completely shattered or 
 broken into minute fragments, which, having retained their 
 original position were again cemented by the injection of 
 calcareous matter. This injection has filled the most minute 
 fissures, and so perfect is it that in looking upon the face of 
 a mural cliff of these rocks, the veins may be easily seen at a 
 distance of many rods, forming as it were, a complete net 
 work over the cliff, and so minute is it that a single hand 
 specimen frequently contains many hundreds of these veins. 
 
 This knob of trap, like the rock before described, is also 
 traversed by veins of a date subsequent to the uplift of the 
 rock. 
 
 The whole of the north western portion of Isle Eoyale is 
 made up of trap, and in truth that rock constitutes by far the 
 largest proportion of the rocky mass of the island. The two 
 northerly ranges of hills already alluded to as traversing the 
 island in its greatest length are wholly trap. The most 
 northerly range of hills is composed almost exclusively of 
 greenstone, while the rock of the south or south-easterly 
 range becomes more decidedly amygdaloidal in its structure; 
 thus reversing the order which these portions of the rock bear 
 to each other upon the south shore of the lake. 
 
 The ranges of hills immediately bounding Lake Superior 
 upon its north coast are almost invariably either well defined 
 
182 APPENDIX. 
 
 trap or altered syenite, while the decidedly primary rocks 
 usually appear in ranges of hills to the north of these; thus 
 following the reversed order of the rocks upon the south 
 coast. 
 
 The character of the trap rocks of Lake Superior has per- 
 haps been sufficiently described to answer the purpose for 
 which this hasty sketch is intended; and I will only add that 
 they are usually distinctly jointed, and where they approxi 
 mate to the sedimentary rocks, there is not unfrequently so 
 distinct a cleavage opposed to the joints in direction as to give 
 the appearance of stratification. The jointed structure of the 
 trap rocks sometimes, though rarely, passes to what may be 
 termed a rudely columnar structure. Upon one of the long 
 rocky points forming the north-easterly extremity of Isle 
 Eoyale this rock assumes the columnar form, and the columns 
 are tolerably well defined, having a height of from 80 to 90 
 feet. The columns are also seen, but less perfectly developed, 
 forming the coast of a small rocky island two or three miles 
 south from the point last alluded to. These are the only 
 points in the trap of Lake Superior where I have noticed the 
 rock to assume this form. 
 
 METAMOKPHIC BOCKS. 
 
 The general direction of the rocks composing this group, 
 has already been described, and they are confined exclusively 
 to the range of hills lying upon the south-east side of the 
 granitic rocks. The general direction of these hills is south- 
 west and north-east. 
 
 The outline of the hills of the metamorphic group is less 
 broken than either the granitic or trap ranges, but these rocks 
 sometimes rise in abrupt conical peaks, closely resembling 
 those of the granitic rocks. 
 
 The area of country occupied by rocks of this group is 
 less than that of either the primary or trap, the general 
 average width not exceeding six to eight miles. The precise 
 limit of the group in a south-westerly direction is not known. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 183 
 
 It lias already been stated that Chocolate Eiver is the 
 boundary on the south-east, between these and the sediment- 
 ary rocks, and that they extend in a north-westerly direction 
 from this stream to the granite, against which they rest. The 
 group is made up of an alternating series of talcose and mica 
 . slates, sometimes graduating into clay slates, with quartz and 
 serpentine rocks, the quartz rocks constituting by far the 
 larger proportion of the whole mass. Since it would be 
 nearly impossible to describe the alternations of these several 
 rocks, in such a manner as to be understood without the aid 
 of a diagram or section, no attempt will be made to do so. 
 
 The cleavage of all these rocks is usually north or north 
 10 deg. west, at an angle which in the main varies but little 
 from 80 deg., but the mass of the group appears to dip 
 regularly to the south or south-west. The talcose slates and 
 quartz rocks alternate frequently with each other, and with 
 the rock which has been called serpentine rock less fre- 
 quently. 
 
 The quartz rock is usually distinctly granular, though it is 
 sometimes compact, with a conchoidal fracture. It usually 
 separates by cleavage into masses or strata, having a consider- 
 able degree of regularity, and varying from a few inches to 
 several ; feet in thickness. The rock is usually more or less 
 regularly jointed. 
 
 The rock which for the sake of convenience I have denomi- 
 nate serpentine rock bears a close resemblance to greenstone, 
 being essentially composed of granular feldspar and horn- 
 blend, with which serpentine is intimately blended. This 
 rock only occurs in the talcose slate as we approach the 
 granitic region, and possibly a more close examination may 
 show it to be a simple series of dykes lying parallel to the line 
 of cleavage of the slate rocks. 
 
 The metamorphic rocks are occasionally traversed by trap 
 dykes. The group of rocks under consideration has been 
 comparatively little examined, and the more minute details 
 connected with it will be taken up at some future time. 
 
184 APPENDIX. 
 
 CONGLOMERATE BOCK. 
 
 The lower of the sedimentary rocks to which I have 
 attached this name appears to be invariably connected with, 
 or to rest upon, the trap rock, nor has it been noticed to any 
 extent in connection with either of the other lower rocks, for 
 it wholly disappears as we approach the granitic and meta- 
 morphic groups. Of all the sedimentary rocks this is the 
 most variable in thickness, and not unfrequently does a few 
 miles make a difference of several hundred feet. The con- 
 glomerate rock may without doubt be considered as a trap- 
 tuff which was gradually deposited or accumulated around the 
 several conical knobs of trap during their gradual elevation, 
 and which would necessarily occupy the complete spaces or 
 valleys between the several irregular ranges of knobs or 
 hills. 
 
 If we regard this conglomerate rock in this light, we will 
 at once perceive why the rock should be variable and irregular 
 in its thickness. 
 
 The pebbles of which the mass of the rock is composed 
 consist of rounded masses of greenstone and amygdaloidal 
 trap, of which the former make up by far the larger propor- 
 tion, and scarcely a pebble of any other rock than trap enters 
 into its composition. These pebbles vary in size from that of 
 a pea to several pounds weight, but the average size may be 
 stated at 1? to 2 inches in diameter. The pebbles are usually 
 united by a mixed calcareous and argillaceous cement, more 
 or less colored by iron, and so firm is this union that the 
 most compact and tough of the greenstone pebbles will fre- 
 quently break through as freely as the cement, and crevices 
 and narrow veins are frequently seen passing indiscriminately 
 across the pebbles and cement. This fact is the more worthy of 
 notice since the pebbles are almost without exception made 
 up of the hardest and most indestructible portions of the trap 
 rock. 
 
 The conglomerate rock can scarcely be said to occur in 
 such form as to be well defined, in any portion of the country, 
 
FIEST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 1'85 
 
 excepting upon the northern flank of the outer trap range, 
 before referred to. On the outer or northern side of Kewee- 
 naw Point, the conglomerate commences near the extremity 
 of the point, and extends several miles westwardly, forming a 
 series of abrupt and precipitous cliffs upon the immediate 
 shore, as also a range of well defined hills a little in the 
 interior, which hills have an elevation varying from 200 to 
 300 feet. After appearing for a few miles upon the coast, this 
 rock gradually stretches into the interior, following the line 
 before described as the most northerly boundary of the outer 
 trap range of hills, and invariably occupying a place to the 
 north of this range, and it may be observed, nearly or quite 
 continuously, as far as Montreal river, which stream it crosses 
 at a short distance above its mouth, thus making its complete 
 length within the limits of Michigan, computing its southerly 
 curve, something over 140 miles, but the jrock does not cease 
 at Montreal Eiver, for it may be seen at short intervals in the 
 interior as far westwardly as the head of Lake Superior. 
 
 At the trap knob of Presque Isle conglomerate is imper- 
 fectly developed, but on the south-westerly side of Isle Eoyale 
 it is more perfectly developed, flanking the hills of trap upon 
 the southerly side. 
 
 The conglomerate rock is imperfectly stratified in masses 
 of immense thickness, and it dips upon the south shore of 
 Lake Superior regularly to the north and north-west,* usually 
 at high angles varying from 30 to 85 deg., while upon Isle 
 Eoyale and the north shore the dip is reversed, being south 
 and south-easterly, or in other words the rock upon all sides 
 dips in the direction of the lake basin. 
 
 Upon the south shore of the lake the thickness of this 
 rock was not estimated at any point west from Montreal Eiver, 
 a little east from which it attains its greatest thickness, being, 
 as estimated, 5,260 feet. In addition to the great variations 
 in thickness over comparatively small districts, the formation 
 
 *This variation in the dip is in conformity with the variation in the direction of the 
 trap hills. 
 
186 APPENDIX. 
 
 wedges out as we pass easterly along the range, and so rapid is 
 this change that near its easterly prolongation the thickness 
 was estimated at something less than 1,000 feet. 
 
 The greatest estimated thickness of the rock upon the 
 north coast is a fraction less than 2,300 feet. 
 
 I have already stated that this rock is frequently traversed 
 by dykes of trap, which are usually parallel to the line of 
 stratification and dip of the rock. These dykes, which have 
 sometimes a thickness of 50 to 60 feet, and even several hun- 
 dred feet, are sometimes continuous for many miles, and are 
 many times repeated. In addition to the dykes just alluded 
 to the rock is frequently traversed by veins of a more recent 
 date, which traverse alike the trap and conglomerate rocks, 
 always at very high angles with the line of bearing of the 
 conglomerate. These veins, which are usually more perfectly 
 developed near the line of junction of the two rocks, or for a 
 distance of a few thousand feet upon each side of the junction, 
 are clearly true veins, and since, with a few unimportant 
 exceptions,, they are the only veins belonging to this range 
 which are metalliferous they will be considered more fully 
 under a separate head. 
 
 MIXED CONGLOMERATE AND SANDBOCK. 
 
 This rock* formation is made up of an alternating series of 
 conglomerate and red sandstones, which rest comformably 
 upon the conglomerate rock last described, dipping with that 
 rock into the bed of Lake Superior. The mixed rock was not 
 noticed upon the north side of the lake, or upon Isle Eoyale, 
 but upon the south shore the rock was traced continuously 
 for a distance of about 130 miles, extending from a few miles 
 westerly from the extremity of Keweenaw Point to Montreal 
 Eiver. It follows the line of the conglomerate before 
 described, stretching from Keweenaw Point in a south-west- 
 erly direction,, and again curving to the north-west, forming, 
 as it were, a crescent between the points before mentioned, the 
 result of which is that the rock only appears for a very 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. ' 187 
 
 limited distance upon the coast of the lake, at Keweenaw 
 Point. 
 
 From a point about eighteen miles easterly from Montreal 
 River the rock wedges out rapidly as we proceed westerly 
 from that point, and as we continue towards the head of Lake 
 Superior the rock wholly disappears or becomes merged in the 
 conglomerate rock below and the sandrock above. The 
 greatest observed thickness of this rock is 4,200 feet. 
 
 The conglomerate portion of the mixed rock consists of 
 strata of conglomerate, varying from a few feet to several hun- 
 dred feet in thickness, and it is composed of materials in all 
 respects resembling those constituting the conglomerate rock 
 before described, and these materials are united by a similar 
 cement. 
 
 The sandstone portion of the formation occurs in strata of 
 very nearly corresponding thickness, and the two rocks may 
 be said to form nearly equal portions of the complete mass. 
 But the material of which this sandstone is composed differs 
 widely from that of the true sandrock lying above, for while 
 the latter is chiefly made up of quartzose materials the former 
 is composed of materials bearing a close analogy in composi- 
 tion to those of the conglomerate rock itself; or in other words 
 the sand consists chiefly of greenstone, so much comminuted 
 as when cemented to compose a coarse sandstone. It will 
 thus be seen that the members of this formation differ only 
 in the degrees and fineness of the material, and the character of 
 this material will explain sufficiently why the true conglomer- 
 ate, and the mixed rocks are referable to the same origin, for 
 the materials of the several members of the group have their 
 origin and trap rock, and as a whole may perhaps be regarded 
 as a trap -tuff. 
 
 The coarser conglomerate of the formation is scarcely 
 separated by lines of stratification, and the strata appears 
 usually in mass embraced between the strata of sandstone, 
 but the stratification of the latter rock is perfect, and it bears 
 evidence of having been deposited in shoal water, in the very 
 
188 APPENDIX. 
 
 abundant, perfectly defined ripple marks which it exhibits 
 through its complete range. 
 
 No fossils were noticed in connection with either the mixed 
 rock or the conglomerate lying below it. 
 
 Dykes of greenstone occasionally appear in the mixed 
 rock, but less frequently than in the rock below. These dykes 
 almost invariably occupy places between the strata of the 
 rock, and correspond in position to the direction and dip of 
 the rocks by which they are embraced, or in other words, the 
 rocky matter composing the dykes appears to have been 
 injected in a plane corresponding with that of the stratifica- 
 tion of the embracing rock. As in the conglomerate below, 
 these dykes have produced very great changes in the color 
 and structure of the mixed rock bounding them upon either 
 side. 
 
 In addition to these, the mixed rock is occasionally (though 
 less frequently than the rock below) traversed by veins or 
 cross courses of a more recent origin than the dykes (which 
 latter they usually cross at a high angle), their course usually 
 being at an angle of at least sixty degrees, opposed to the line 
 of bearing of the mixed rock. These cross veins are usually 
 made up of calcareous spar or a sub-granular limestone, and 
 more rarely of some variety of quartz and imperfect trap rock, 
 the latter of which is usually of the amygdaloid variety. 
 
 BED SANDSTONE AND SHALES. 
 
 That rock to which I have applied the name of red sand- 
 stone is emphatically the chief rock that appears upon the 
 immediate coast of the south shore of Lake Superior, and the 
 same remark will apply, in a more limited degree, to the com- 
 plete coast of the lake. A traveler proceeding westerly 
 along the coast, from Grand Island to the head of the lake, 
 would imagine he had seen little else than red sandstone, and 
 in fact, were he to confine his examinations to the immediate 
 coast, he would see no other rock for nineteen-twentieths of 
 the distance. From Grand Island westerly to the mouth of 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 189 
 
 Chocolate Eiver, no other rock is seen in place, and from 
 Chocolate Eiver to Keweenaw Point, embracing the complete 
 width of the primary, metamorphic and trap ranges, the hills 
 forming these groups are almost invariably surrounded or 
 flanked at their bases by this sandrock, so that even along this 
 portion,, the hills are, for a large proportion of the distance, 
 cut off from the lake by a narrow belt of the rock under con- 
 sideration, and westerly from Keweenaw Point to the head of 
 Lake Superior no other rock appear upon the coast, if we 
 except several trap dykes in the vicinity of the Porcupine 
 Mountains, and a series of more recent deposits of clay and 
 sand that appear west from Keweenaw Point. This sand rock 
 also occurs upon the southerly side of Isle Eoyale. 
 
 The material of which the red saudrock is composed differs 
 widely from that of the sedimentary rocks before described, 
 for while the rocks last referred to are made up of materials 
 clearly of trappean origin, and in which the material is very 
 rarely quartz, the rock under consideration is composed of 
 materials, the predominating portions of which are clearly de- 
 rived from the granitic and metamorphic rocks, and in which 
 quartz occurs abundantly, though with this, there is usually 
 associated more or less sand, that has all the characters of the 
 comminuted trap, constituting that portion of the mixed rock 
 before referred to. Magnetic iron sand sometimes becomes a 
 constituent of the red sandrock, and occasionally continuous 
 strata of several inches thickness, are almost wholly composed 
 of this material. The material composing this rock is usually 
 cemented by calcareous matter highly colored by the per oxid 
 of iron, though not unfrequently these are associated with 
 argillaceous matter. 
 
 While the chief mass of the rock is a coarse grained, some- 
 what compact sandrock, there are portions of the formation 
 where there are well formed red and grey flags, and red and 
 green shales, forming, as it were, beds of a very considerable 
 thickness and occupying large districts of country. These red 
 and green shales are more largely developed in that district 
 extending from Granite Point westerly to Keweenaw Bay, and 
 
190 APPENDIX. 
 
 upon the south side of Keweenaw Point, extending from the 
 head of the bay to near the extremity of the point they are 
 particularly largely developed. These shales more usually 
 occur in alternating bands of deep red and green colors, the 
 red usually largely predominating, and they are made up of 
 argillaceous matter, with sand, the whole of the materials 
 being of extreme fineness. 
 
 On the south-east side of Keweenaw Bay, near its head, an 
 argillaceous rock appears, and extends for a short distance 
 along the coast which is an anomaly. The rock is evidently 
 embraced in, or rather may be said to constitute a member of 
 the sandstone series, but it differs widely from any other rock 
 seen in connection with it. This argillaceous rock sometimes 
 appears in the form of a slate, though its most usual form is 
 that of compact strata, frequently of several inches thickness, 
 and which closely resembles indurated clay. A peculiar 
 appearance is given to this rock by the innumerable layers or 
 very thin strata which compose the mass, being of different 
 colors, sometimes red, grey and dark brown, alternating in the 
 same hard specimen. 
 
 The material of which this argillaceous rock is composed 
 possesses an extreme degree of fineness, and is so soft as 
 readily to be cut with the knife, which qualities render it a fit 
 material for the manufacture of pipes, to which purpose the 
 Indians of the country have long applied it. It has also been 
 applied to use in sharpening tools, but its softness is a seri- 
 ous objection to its use for that purpose. 
 
 A similar argillaceous rock also appears at several other 
 points in the interior or southerly from that already described, 
 but as yet I have been unable to determine its thickness at any 
 point. The finely represented bands or zones, which may 
 fairly be supposed to represent the original lines of deposition, 
 are very much contorted, and in such a manner as to lead to 
 the conclusion that this change must have taken place very 
 soon after the deposition of the rocks and while they were 
 still in an unindurated state. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 191 
 
 The rocks belonging to the red sandstone formation bear 
 the evidence of having been almost universally deposited in 
 shoal water, for ripple marks occur abundantly at all points 
 where the rock takes on the decided character of sandrock, 
 and these ripple marks may frequently be seen, for many rods 
 together, as distinctly and clearly defined as they are at the 
 present day in the loose sands forming the bottom of some of 
 the shoal bays of Lake Superior. Fossils are rare in the red 
 sandstone, and in fact, I have never seen any other than fuco- 
 ides, of which there are three species, that are tolerably well 
 defined. 
 
 The red sandrock is less frequently traversed by dykes of 
 trap than either of the rocks before described, though dykes 
 were sometimes noticed traversing the whole of the several 
 rock formations up to and including the red sandstone. Upon 
 portions of the north coast, where the conglomerate and mixed 
 rocks are more frequently wanting, and where the red sand- 
 rock is brought more nearly in contact with the trap, these 
 dykes are of more frequent occurrence. It is deserving of 
 remark, that where the lower rocks are either wholly or in 
 part wanting, the red sandstone usually becomes of a deep 
 brown color, and the material of which the sand is composed, 
 gradually changes from that before described to greenstone. 
 
 I have already stated that the sandrock, at its westerly pro- 
 longation, attains its greatest thickness, which was estimated 
 at 6,500 feet, but as the rock continues easterly it gradually 
 and quite regularly diminishes in thickness, and beyond Saut 
 de Ste. Marie the thickness is very inconsiderable. The ave- 
 rage rate of diminution which takes place in the thickness of 
 the rock as we proceed easterly, was shown by a great number 
 of observations upon the south-westerly portions of the coast 
 of Lake Superior to be a fraction over fifteen feet to the mile, 
 but this rate of decrease could not be satisfactorily estimated 
 upon the lower or easterly half of the coast. The red sand- 
 rock thins out as we proceed southerly or inland from the 
 coast at a still more rapid rate, as was most satisfactorily 
 shown where it is connected with the several primary, meta- 
 
192 APPENDIX. 
 
 morphic and trap ranges of hills, for all or nearly all the 
 valleys, after passing the outer or northerly range of trap 
 hills are based upon this sandrock, and since we have every 
 reason to believe that this sandrock was deposited in part 
 during the gradual elevation of the several chains of hills it 
 would follow that over those districts which were last elevated 
 the rock would attain its greatest thickness. I have already 
 alluded to the order in which the several ranges of hills 
 appear to have been uplifted, and since more particular refer- 
 ence will be made to this hereafter I leave the subject for the 
 present. 
 
 The red sandrock south from Lake Superior, as well as 
 upon the immediate coast, dips regularly northerly, while 
 that upon the north coast dips invariably southerly, or, as has 
 already been said of the lower rocks, this rock dips upon all 
 sides regularly into the basin of the lake. The quantity of 
 dip is exceedingly variable, being always very much increased 
 as it approaches the trap, and diminishing as it approaches 
 the primary and metamorphic ranges. 
 
 The line of cleavage of some of the members of the lower 
 sandrock and shales is frequently irregular and opposed to the 
 true stratification of the rock. 
 
 UPPER OR GRAY SANDROCK. 
 
 The only remaining rock which separates the red sandrock 
 from the limestones lying to the south is a gray or brownish 
 sandrock, that is almost wholly composed of grains of quartz, 
 usually feebly cemented with calcareous matter. The com- 
 position of this rock differs from that of the lower sandrock, 
 in being more exclusively quartz, while in epoch of deposition 
 the rock under consideration should not be confounded with 
 that of the red sandstone. It has already been stated that the 
 red sandrock of the south coast dips regularly northerly, 
 while the upper or gray sandstone dips equally regularly 
 south or south-easterly, in which respect the last mentioned 
 rock conforms to the limestones resting upon it, while it rests 
 itself upon the uptilted edge of the red sandrock below. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 193 
 
 I have already stated that this rock was first noticed rising 
 in hills at a point not far distant from Eiviere Ste. Marie, and 
 south-east from Point Iroquois; from this point it stretches 
 westerly in an elevated and very regular chain of hills that 
 are upon the coast, as far as Tequoimenon Bay, westerly from 
 which the shape of the coast is such that these hills do not 
 again appear upon it, until we reach that precipitous portion 
 of the lake coast known as the Pictured Kocks, where the 
 fury of the waves, aided by frost, has acted upon the feebly 
 cemented material of which the rock is composed to such an 
 extent as to leave large portions of what was originally the 
 northern escarpment of these hills along this coast in high 
 mural and overhanging precipices. Westerly from the 
 Pictured Eocks the ranges of hills which are composed or 
 made up of this rock stretch in a south-westerly direction, 
 passing completely to the south of the primary, trap and 
 inetarnorphic regions. The westerly prolongation of this rock 
 has not yet been determined. 
 
 The upper sandrock, like the lower, abounds in clearly 
 defined ripple marks, and its line of cleavage is very irregu- 
 lar, frequently being opposed to the line of stratification over 
 very considerable districts of country. Two indistinct species 
 of fucoides were all the fossils noticed in connection with it. 
 
 I was unable to obtain any observations upon the thickness 
 of the upper sandrock, which were satisfactory, but from the 
 imperfect observations which were obtained I was led to con- 
 clude that the average thickness as far westerly as the 
 Pictured Eocks does not vary very far from 700 feet. The 
 upper sandrock, like the rocks before mentioned, wedges out 
 as we proceed, in an easterly direction. 
 
 TERTIARY CLAYS AN.D SANDS. 
 
 As in the lower, so in the upper peninsula, the older rocks 
 are more or less covered by deposits that may be severally 
 arranged under the above head. To these deposits it is my 
 intention at the present time barely to allude. 
 
 (13) 
 
194 APPENDIX. 
 
 Stratified clays and sands similar to those skirting the 
 borders of the lower peninsula are seen at many points, and 
 continue for long distances upon the coast of Lake Superior; 
 and they are also largely developed at many points in the 
 interior of the country. These deposits sometimes attain a 
 thickness of from 200 to 300 feet, and they are spread over the 
 less elevated portions of the district The character of these 
 clays and sands bear a close resemblance to those described in 
 a previous report, as occurring upon the lower peninsula. 
 
 ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY. 
 Rocks. 
 
 The series of limerocks resting upon the sandrock last 
 described were noticed in the report which was laid before 
 you at a previous session, and the limits of the present report 
 will not permit me to refer to them more fully at this time. 
 My observations will, therefore, only include those rocks 
 which lie below the limestones. It will be borne in mind that 
 the whole of the group of limestones are embraced in the 
 southerly portion of the upper peninsula, and that their out- 
 cropping edges do not reach within many miles of the coast of 
 Lake Superior. This is an important fact, for it shows the 
 whole of the northern part of the upper peninsula to be 
 deficient in materials for the manufacture of lime, which are, 
 in truth, wholly wanting. 
 
 Materials adapted to the purposes of building abound 
 throughout the district of country under consideration, and 
 though they vary exceedingly in value for that purpose, yet 
 no portion of the country can be said to be without a supply. 
 
 Among the most valuable of the materials for this purpose 
 the syenites and syentic granites deservedly rank first, and 
 they occur of a quality which may be advantageously worked 
 at various points in the primary range. Some of the syenites 
 near the coast of the lake are so situated as to be readily 
 quarried, and they may be made to furnish a beautiful and 
 durable material for building The color of these syenites is 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 195 
 
 usually a very dark gray, from the predominance of hornblend 
 in the composition, but this is by no means invariably the 
 case. 
 
 The metamorphic group scarcely furnishes a fit material 
 for use as a building stone, for the structure of its schists 
 would be an effectual bar against their use, and the difficulties 
 of working the quartz rock will probably prevent that rock 
 being applied to that purpose. 
 
 Some of the compact greenstones and altered syenites of 
 the trap range may be made to furnish an excellent building 
 stone, which, although in powers of resisting the action of 
 disintegrating agents may be less than that of the unchanged 
 syenite, nevertheless possess a very great degree of dura- 
 bility. The greenstone ranges of hills frequently for very 
 considerable distances are made up of rock in which the 
 jointed structure is so perfectly developed that regular blocks 
 of a convenient size for building may be obtained with com- 
 paratively little labor. 
 
 The conglomerate rock is scarcely applicable to use for 
 purposes of building. 
 
 A very good building stone may be obtained from many 
 portions of the lower or red sandstone formation, and though 
 the cement of this rock is usually not very perfect, yet frequently 
 such changes have taken place in the rock that it has almost 
 taken on the character of granular quartz rock, in which cases 
 its durability is very much increased. The strata of this rock 
 are usually of a convenient thickness to admit of being easily 
 quarried, and they are so regular that the stone will require 
 but little dressing. 
 
 The upper, or gray sandrock, being almost uniformly but 
 feebly cemented and sometimes decidedly friable, is of less 
 value as a building stone than either of the rocks before men- 
 tioned. Those portions of the upper sandrock where the cal- 
 careous cement is perfect, but not sufficiently hardened, might 
 be rendered much more capable of resisting the action of the 
 elements if allowed to remain under shelter a sufficient length 
 of time to allow this change to take place. 
 
196 APPENDIX. 
 
 The value of the limestones of the southern part of the 
 peninsular, for the purposes of building, as also for the manu- 
 facture of lime, was mentioned in a previous report upon the 
 geology of that district of country. As has already been 
 stated, these limerocks do not reach within many miles of the 
 coast of Lake Superior, and it is certainly to be regretted, that 
 the shore of the northern portion of the peninsular is destitute 
 of this important material. Nor have I seen any marls of suf- 
 ficent extent in the district to admit of application to any of 
 the purposes to which it is applicable, or to supply, even in 
 part, the deficiency in limestone. All the lime which would 
 appear to be capable of being applied to practical purposes is 
 that of the calcareous spar, composing the veins traversing the 
 sandrock, and these are not only rare, but they are also of 
 very limited extent. 
 
 MINERALS AND MINERAL VEINS. 
 
 In considering this portion of the subject, I propose to treat 
 the minerals of the different formations separately, so far as 
 the same can be done, and, although this method will neces- 
 sarily cause some repetition, it will enable me to show more 
 perfectly than could otherwise be done, the connection be- 
 tween those minerals that may be regarded as of practical value 
 and the rocks to which they belong. 
 
 As a whole, the rocks of the upper peninsula are deficient 
 in number of minerals, though some few individual species occur 
 abundantly. 
 
 Minerals of the Primary Rocks. 
 
 The following list can by no means be regarded as perfect, 
 but it will serve, at least, to convey an idea of the small num- 
 ber of minerals which are found in connection with the rocks 
 of this group : 
 
 Schorl, Mica, 
 
 Tourmaline, Feldsdar, 
 
 Hornblende, " red, 
 
 Actynolite, Quartz. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP MICHIGAN. 197 
 
 Minerals of the Metamorphic Group of Rocks. 
 
 Quartz, common, Iron, scaly red oxid of, 
 
 " milky, " haematite, 
 
 " greasy, " pyritous, 
 
 " tabular, Steatite, 
 
 Serpentine, common, Eovaculite. 
 
 Of the minerals enumerated as occurring in the metamor- 
 phic rocks, the milky variety of quartz is abundant, sometimes 
 composing almost entire ranges of hills. The novaculite is 
 also abundant, but of coarse variety. This last is associated 
 with the talcose slates. The remaining minerals appear either 
 disseminated or forming druses in the quartz rock, though 
 sometimes they occur in thin beds or veins, in the talcose slate, 
 which beds conform to the line of cleavage of that rock. Al- 
 though the haematite is abundantly disseminated through all 
 the rocks of the metamorphic group, it does not appear in suf- 
 ficient quantity at any one point that has been examined to be 
 of practical importance. 
 
 Minerals of the Trap Rocks. 
 
 Quartz, common, Steatite, common, 
 
 I l smoky, Asbestus, 
 
 " milky, Amianthus, 
 
 " greasy, Calcareous spar, 
 
 " radiated, Copper, native, 
 
 " mainillary, " pyritous, 
 
 II drusy, " black, 
 
 " amethystine, " red oxid of, 
 
 Chalcedony, " azure carbonate of, 
 
 Carnelian, " green carbonate of, 
 
 Jasper, " " " ferruginous, 
 
 Agate, common, Lead, sulphuret of, 
 
 " fortification, " carbonate of, 
 
 Augite, Iron, pyritous, 
 Actynolite " red oxid of, 
 
 Serpetine, " hydrate of, 
 
 " pseudomorphous, " silicate of, 
 
 Chlorite, common, Manganese, ferruginous oxid of, 
 
 " earthy, Silver, native, (very rare.) 
 
198 APPENDIX. 
 
 Since a consideration of the minerals contained in the trap, 
 will also involve a portion of those embraced in the conglome- 
 rate, the mixed rock, and red sandrock and shales, I will, 
 before referring minutely to those of the trap rocks, lay before 
 you a list of those which occur most frequently in the sedi- 
 mentary rocks last mentioned. The fact that veins of mineral 
 matter, traversing the trap, are frequently continued across 
 the several sedimentary rocks, and that dykes are of frequent 
 occurrence in these latter rocks, would lead to the inference 
 that there would be a considerable degree of resemblance in 
 the character of the minerals embraced in these dykes and 
 veins, in both the trap and sedimentary rocks and to a certain 
 extent, this inference would be true ; but it should be borne 
 in mind, as has already been stated, that the veins, in travers- 
 ing the several upper rocks, undergo very great changes in 
 mineral character. 
 
 Minerals of the Conglomerate, Mixed Rock and Red Sandrock. 
 
 Calcareous spar Copper, native, f 
 
 Quartz, common, " pyritous,f 
 
 " milky, " blue carb. of, f 
 
 " drusy, lt green carb. of,f 
 
 Chalcedony,* " earthy green carb. of, f 
 
 Carnelian,* " black, f 
 
 Jaspar,* Zinc, siliceous oxid of, 
 
 Agate,* " carbonate of, 
 
 Iron, pyritous, 
 
 " black oxid of, (cemented iron sand,) 
 
 " red oxid of, 
 
 " hydrate of, 
 
 " silicate of. 
 
 *Occasionally occurring among the pebbles constituting the mass of the conglo. 
 merate. 
 
 tChiefly in those portions of the veins traversing the conglomerate. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 199 
 
 Mineral Veins of the Trap, Conglomerate, etc. 
 
 In order to render the subject of the mineral veins travers-. 
 ing the above rock so far intelligible as may be in my power, 
 I have already been particular to define, as far as could be 
 done without maps and sections, the relation which the trap 
 rocks, together with the superincumbent conglomerate, mixed 
 sand and conglomerate and red sandrock bear to each other, 
 and it will be necessary in considering the mineral contents of 
 these rocks and the veins traversing them to keep this relation 
 constantly and clearly in view. 
 
 It will be recollected that the north-westerly range of hills, 
 commencing at the extremity of Keweenaw Point and stretch- 
 ing from thence in a south-westerly direction into the interior, 
 were referred to as being more clearly of trappose origin than 
 either of the other ranges, and that the rock of the southerly 
 portion of this range is either compact greenstone or altered 
 syenite, while that of the northerly flank is almost invariably 
 either an amygdaloid or a rock approaching to toadstone. 
 
 The several ranges of hills to the south of that last alluded 
 to are either well formed, compact greenstones, altered syenite 
 or, as we approach the primary range, imperfectly formed 
 granites. So far as the several ranges of hills lying south 
 from the northerly range are concerned, they would appear to 
 be, as a whole, deficient in minerals, and the rocks are not 
 apparently traversed by veins or dykes of any more recent 
 date than that of the uplift of the northerly trap hills. 
 
 Veins clearly of a date posterior to the uplift of that por- 
 tion of the trap rock last mentioned are of frequent occur- 
 rence, and these veins not only traverse a portion of the trap 
 range, but also pass into the conglomerate, and sometimes 
 completely across the three sedimentary rocks immediately 
 above the trap, thus having an unbroken length of several 
 miles. The class of veins to which I now allude, where they 
 occur in a connected or continuous portion of the range rarely 
 vary more than 12 to 15 deg. from a right angle to the line of 
 bearing of the sedimentary rocks, and in pursuing this course 
 
200 APPENDIX. 
 
 they necessarily cut across the dykes of trap before alluded to 
 as so frequently appearing between the strata, and conforming 
 to the dip of the lower sedimentary rocks. 
 
 That the veins under consideration belong to a single epoch 
 is inferred from the fact that none have been noticed with 
 other veins crossing them, as also for the reason that none 
 have ever been noticed with dislocations, heaves or disturb- 
 ance of any kind, save what may be referred to causes con- 
 nected with their immediate origin. 
 
 That these veins must be regarded in the strictest sense as 
 true veins, cannot be doubted, and that their origin or source 
 over the extended district alluded to has been the same is 
 inferred from the perfect identity of their mineral contents, 
 for a description of one of these true veins may be said to be 
 essentially a description of the whole. Thus, while the 
 mineral contents of the different portions of the same vein 
 change as the rock traversed changes, the corresponding por- 
 tions of different veins almost invariably bear a striking and 
 close resemblance to each other. 
 
 These veins, as has already been stated, where they 
 traverse connected ranges of the trap are regular in course 
 and direction, but when they are connected with a single 
 uplifted knob of that rock they are irregular and can scarcely 
 be denned, appearing in the latter instance rather as matter 
 injected into the fissures of a shattered mass of rock than as 
 connected veins. 
 
 The importance of carefully studying the relation which 
 these veins bear to the rocks which they traverse, as also the 
 relation which they bear to the numerous trap dykes, together 
 with the few cotemporaneous veins noticed in the trap, is 
 very much increased by the circumstance that these veins are 
 more or less connected with or rather contain metallic mate- 
 rials which, it may be fairly inferred, will hereafter become of 
 very considerable practical importance. In fact, so far as we 
 may be enabled to judge from the examinations already made in 
 this district of country, it is confidently believed that most, if 
 not all the metalliferious veins of the upper peninsula belong 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 201 
 
 to veins of the epoch of those under consideration. It is true 
 that native metals, more particularly copper, are sometimes 
 found in place occupying the joints or natural septae of the 
 greenstone, but in these instances the amount of metal is 
 always comparatively small, and, with one or two exceptions, 
 I have invariably been able to establish some connection be- 
 tween the native metal occupying these joints and the ter- 
 mination of some metalliferous vein that traverses other por- 
 tions of the rock not far distant, and it is believed that the 
 metal filling these joints has invariably resulted from the 
 action of causes precisely analagous to those which have placed 
 similar metals in the veins to which I have alluded. 
 
 The earliest, as well as all travelers who have visited the 
 district of country under consideration, have not failed to make 
 frequent allusion to the loose masses of native copper that have 
 been occasionally found scattered over it, nor has any one failed 
 to allude to the large bowlder or loose mass of that metal upon 
 the Ontonagon River. Almost invariably, the opinion has 
 been expressed, from the frequent occurrence of these masses, 
 that the metal must be abundant in the country. But, after 
 all, the true sources from which these masses had their origin, 
 or the relation which they held to the rocks of the district 
 would appear never to have been understood ; and all or nearly 
 all that was known of their true relations was left to conjee 
 ture. The result of this has been, that while some have 
 excessively magnified everything connected with the subject of 
 which, in truth, nothing was known, another class, equally far 
 from what is really true, have regarded these masses of native 
 copper as bowlders transported from high northern latitudes.* 
 
 *The vast area of country over which the bowlders of native copper, from the district 
 under consideration, together with its westerly prolongation, have been transported is 
 worthy of remark. They are not of unfrequent occurrence in the sand and gravel of the 
 southern peninsula of Michigan, and since the commencement of the geological survey 
 many of these masses have been met, some of which weigh from seven to eight pounds. 
 In the vicinity of Green Bay a mass was discovered some ten years ago which weighed 140 
 pounds, if my memory serves me correctly. Loose masses of a similar character have 
 been met with in various other portions of Wisconsin, as also at various points in 
 Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. In these cases the occurrence of these masses of native 
 copper are no more indications of the existence of veins of the metal in the immediate 
 vicinity, than are the immense numbers of primary bowlders scattered over the southern 
 peninsula of Michigan indications of the existence of primary rock in place, in the dis- 
 trict where they are found. 
 
202 APPENDIX. 
 
 As far back as 1831 and 1832 I had occasion to pass no less 
 than three times along the south coast of Lake Superior, as 
 also to ascend several of the important tributaries of that lake, 
 and during these years I passed by three different routes, 
 widely separated from each other completely across to the 
 Mississippi River. It is true that these journeys made through 
 a complete wilderness, uninhabited except by savages, were 
 necessarily made under circumstances that admitted of only 
 very general observations j but the result of these previous 
 examinations have proved of immense service to me in aiding 
 the labors of the past season. I allude to these journeys and 
 examinations at this time, in order to show you the difficulties 
 by which a full understanding of the subject under considera- 
 tion is surrounded, for I became satisfied at that time, not only 
 that the subject was not understood by the mass of those who 
 had traversed the country, but that even the natives of the 
 country had no knowledge of the true sources from which the 
 transported masses of copper had their origin. 
 
 During the time of the examinations referred to a bare 
 glimmer of light was thrown upon the subject by an examina- 
 tion of some small masses of copper found occupying the 
 joints of the greenstone ; as also by the examination of a 
 single vein in the conglomerate, containing the ores of copper, 
 which has since been found to be the termination of a vein 
 that is somewhat obscurely continued from the trap region. 
 
 While these examinations were sufficient to enable me to 
 draw the inference that the masses of native copper came chiefly, 
 if not wholly from the trap, and more rarely from those sedi- 
 mentary rocks resting immediately upon it, it was supposed that 
 this occurrence would follow the general law, and that it, to- 
 gether with the other ores of the metal, would occur in greatest 
 abundance near the line of junction of this rock, with the over- 
 laying sedimentary rocks. Nothing, or at least very little, was 
 known of the true extent or range of the trap rocks, and the 
 very great inaccuracies in the published maps of the country, 
 rendered it almost impossible to apply even the data on hand 
 to such purpose as to relieve the embarrasment. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 203 
 
 With a full knowledge of these difficulties I determined 
 during the past season to endeavor to surmount them by so 
 far adding to our geographical knowledge of the coast of the 
 lake and its immediate vicinity as to enable me to place what- 
 ever geological observations of importance might be made in 
 such condition that the relation of the several parts might be 
 understood. Having sufficiently accomplished this I pro- 
 ceeded to a very minute examination of the several rocks 
 overlaying or resting against the trap, together with a deter- 
 mination of the thickness of the several members and their 
 rate of decrease or wedging to the east. With these data I 
 was enabled, by noting the dip of the rock upon the coast, to 
 determine, with sufficient accuracy for the purposes to which 
 the rule was to be applied, the line of junction between the 
 trap and conglomerate rocks. This rule when put in practice 
 enabled me to decide with a very considerable degree of 
 certainty this line of junction, when the rocks were covered 
 with a very considerable thickness of detrital matter, and 
 when so covered I was enabled by traversing the country on 
 the line of bearing of the upper rocks the more readily to 
 gain access to such points as would admit of examination. 
 
 These observations soon showed me that this line of junc- 
 tion between the trap rock and the south edge of the conglo- 
 merate, instead of pursuing a course parallel to the coast, 
 only continued its parallelism for a few miles westerly from 
 the extremity of Keweenaw Point, after which for a long dis- 
 tance it recedes from the coast rapidly. These facts served to 
 explain in part why the subject of the origin of the masses 
 of copper had remained a mystery, for the country through 
 which this line passes is hardly ever passed over even by the 
 Indians, and probably large portions of it have never been 
 passed over by whites, but in addition to this the obscure 
 character of the metalliferous veins is such that they would 
 scarcely attract the observation of the traveler whose atten- 
 tion was not called especially to the subject, for many of the 
 richest ores are so far from having the appearance of the pure 
 metal that they would be the last suspected to contain it in 
 any form. 
 
204 APPENDIX. 
 
 That the connection of these ores with the containing rocks 
 was not understood by the English mining company whose 
 attention was turned to this subject at an early day is to be 
 inferred from the fact that they commenced their operations 
 at Miners' Eiver, where the rock is the upper or gray sand- 
 stone, which has never been observed to contain mineral 
 veins; and also on Ontonagon Eiver, near the mass of native 
 copper, at which point a shaft was commenced and carried 
 about 40 feet through a reddish clay, at which point the red 
 sandrock was reached. Now, although the metalliferous 
 veins sometimes pass from the trap across the red sandstone, 
 these veins in the red sandrock have never been noticed to 
 contain any other ores than those of zinc and iron, unless it 
 be at the immediate point where the vein crossing comes in 
 contact with a dyke of trap, which condition does not exist at 
 the point alluded to on Ontonagon Eiver. What indications 
 could have induced those Quixotic trials at the points where 
 they were commenced is more than I have been able to divine, 
 and as might have been anticipated, the attempts resulted in 
 a failure to find the object sought. 
 
 Having thus in a general manner set forth the obscurity by 
 which the subject of the true source of the transported masses 
 of native copper has been surrounded, together with some of 
 the reasons which have served to prevent its being fairly 
 understood, I will now proceed to a general sketch of the 
 metalliferous veins of the district, so far as the same have been 
 examined, premising that our knowledge of them is still 
 deficient in very many important particulars which can only 
 be supplied by a careful and continued examination of the 
 subject, which, in fact, can only be said to be but just com 
 menced. 
 
 I have had occasion to refer to the outer or northerly range 
 of hills, or those from which the metalliferous veins may be 
 said to spring as being composed of trap rock, and lest what 
 has been said may not be fairly understood, I will repeat, that 
 the more southerly part of the range is uniformly composed of 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 205 
 
 compact greenstone, under which head I not only include true 
 greenstone, but also those forms of altered granular gneiss and 
 gneissoid granite, which sometimes are associated with it, 
 while the outer or northerly portion of the same range is 
 usually composed of an amygdaloid form of trap. The cells 
 of the amygdaloid are usually filled with the different varie- 
 ties of quartz, carnelian, chalcedony and agate, and sometimes, 
 though more rarely, with native copper or with calcareous 
 spar, though they are sometimes entirely empty, constituting 
 a perfect toadstone. 
 
 The metalliferious veins cross this range or trap, usually 
 very nearly at right angles to the prolongation of the hills, and 
 are frequently continued fn the same course across the upper 
 or sedimentary rocks, thus crossing the latter at an angle vary- 
 ing but little from their line of bearing. While the continuity 
 of course of the vein may remain perfect in its complete pass- 
 age from the greenstone across the several members of the 
 conglomerate, mixed and red sandstone rocks, the character 
 and mineral contents of the vein undergoes essential change, 
 and not only does the vein appear to be influenced in its min- 
 eral contents, but also in its width, for, as a general rule, the 
 width of the vein increases as we proceed northerly, or from 
 the greenstone. Thus, the vein which may appear only a few 
 inches in width, or as a bare line in the southerly or greenstone 
 portion of the range, increases in width rapidly as it ap- 
 proaches and passes across the amygdaloid, and at or near the 
 line of junction between the amygdaloid and the sedimentary 
 rocks it will frequently be found to have attained a thickness 
 of several feet, while in its passage across the sedimentary 
 rocks it is usually either still further increased in width, or 
 becomes so blended with the rock itself, as to render it diffi- 
 cult to define it boundaries. 
 
 These metalliferous veins, like those which cccur under 
 similar circumstances in other portions of the globe, do not 
 continue uninterruptedly of any given width for great dis- 
 tances, nor is their width increased regularly, for they fre- 
 quently ramify or branch off in strings, that pursue a course 
 
206 APPENDIX. 
 
 generally somewhat parallel to the general direction of the 
 main vein, and which eventually again unite with it. Some- 
 times these ramifications or branches destroy, as it were, for a 
 considerable distance the whole vein; but they at length unite 
 again, and the main vein is, after their junction, as perfectly 
 developed as before. 
 
 While traversing the most compact southerly portions of 
 the greenstone, the veins are most frequently made up of a 
 very compact and finely granulated greenstone, sometimes 
 associated with steatitic metals and silicate of iron, under 
 which circumstances they usually are destitute of any other 
 metallic mineral, but occasionally, instead of the materials 
 above mentioned, their place is supplied by native copper, 
 without vein stone or matrix, and usually free from nearly all 
 earthly impurities, but almost invariably incrusted with oxid 
 or carbonate of the metal. Those portions of the vein travers- 
 ing the greenstone, in which native copper occurs, under the 
 circumstances above mentioned, are invariably thin, rarely 
 exceeding 3 to 4 inches in thickness and usually considerably 
 less, and they are liable to very considerable variation in width 
 from the divergence caused by the vein traversing the joints 
 of the rock, where these joints produce the same character of 
 change as is produced by the ordinary ramification of a vein. 
 
 As these metalliferous veins traverse the northerly portion 
 of the range or approach the sedimentary rocks, they undergo 
 a gradual change in width as well as in mineral character, 
 and it has been noticed that where the amygdaloid is most 
 largely developed, the vein, as a general rule, has not only a 
 greater width, but also has its mineral contents more perfectly . 
 developed, a circumstance which might fairly have been 
 inferred from the fact that those points where the amygdaloid 
 occurs most largely may be regarded to have been so many 
 centres of intensity of action at the time of the original uplift 
 of the range, from which circumstance they would remain in 
 a softened state, or in such condition as to admit of the more 
 perfect formation of these cross veins for a longer space of 
 time after that condition has been passed at other points. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 207 
 
 In the outer or amygdaloid portion of the rock the vein is 
 almost invariably accompanied by a veinstone of quartz, 
 involving all the varieties before mentioned as associated with 
 the trap rocks, which quartz, though occasionally it occurs 
 massive, of several feet in width, usually appears in the shape 
 of a series of irregularly ramifying and branching minor 
 veins, that may be said to constitute the main vein. These 
 subordinate veins of quartz, which may be stated as the true 
 veinstone, vary from a mere line to several inches in thick- 
 ness, and in the aggregate they may be said to constitute from 
 one-third to one-half the total thickness of the vein. In their 
 branches and ramifications, they sometimes include portions 
 of the rock which they traverse, at other times they embrace 
 imperfectly formed steatite, with silicate, carbonate and red 
 oxyd of iron * and occasionally, though more rarely, it is 
 associated with carbonate of lime, usually assuming the form 
 of an opaque rhombic spar. 
 
 As the main vein traverses the conglomerate and overlay- 
 ing rocks to, and including the red sandstone, these veins, as 
 a general rule undergo still farther changes, for very soon 
 after entering the conglomerate the veinstone changes from its 
 quartzose character and is made up either wholly of calcareous 
 matter, mostly rhomb spar, or of this mineral with occasional 
 ramifications of quartz, the whole usually including and some- 
 times investing fragments of the conglomerate or the pebbles 
 of that rock separated. 
 
 As the vein is continued still farther in the direction of 
 and into the red sandstone, these changes are still noticed, 
 and eventually the vein is found to be composed either entirely 
 or mostly of calcareous spar, and eventually so completely is 
 its metalliferous character lost that it would not if examined 
 singly be suspected to be any portion of a metalliferous vein. 
 
 The metalliferous character of these veins is most largely 
 developed almost directly at or near to | the line of junction of 
 the trap and sedimentary rocks, and they rarely continue, 
 without considerable change, for a greater distance than one- 
 
 *The latter closely resembling the Gossan of the Cornish miners. 
 
208 APPENDIX. 
 
 fourth to one- third of a mile on either side of the line, though 
 a few veins were noticed in which in the southerly or trap 
 extension the character of the vein continued for a distance of 
 over a mile nearly unchanged, while in its passage through 
 the conglomerate for half that distance its character was also 
 perfectly preserved. 
 
 The mineral character of the veins is somewhat varied in 
 those having different degrees of thickness, though it is diffi- 
 cult, if not impossible, to lay down any rule which would 
 characterize this change. The different veins vary very 
 greatly in width, ranging from a mere line to 14 or 15 feet, 
 the greatest observed width of any single vein. 
 
 In the descriptions of the veins given above I only intend 
 to include those which are most perfectly developed, for in 
 addition to these there are also many which are imperfectly 
 formed and short, and in which many of the above characters 
 are in part or entirely wanting. These latter are usually of 
 little practical importance, and thus far have been compara- 
 tively little examined. 
 
 Of the metallic minerals occurring in those portions of the 
 true veins which traverse the trap rocks, together with that 
 portion of the conglomerate immediately resting upon or against 
 the trap, by far the most important consist of the several ores 
 of copper with which iron occurs disseminated in the forms 
 before described, and occasionally, though very rarely, native 
 silver has been detected associated in the same vein. After 
 as minute an examination of the subject as 'circumstances will 
 permit I am led to the conclusion that the only ores of the 
 metallic minerals occurring in those portions of the veins which 
 traverse the rocks last alluded to, which can reasonably be 
 hoped to be turned to practical account, are those of copper. 
 
 In these portions of the veins, the metal referred to, occurs 
 very frequently in the form of native copper, with which are 
 associated the red oxyd, azure carbonate, green carbonate, and 
 more rarely what may be denominated copper black, and still 
 more rarely, pyritous copper. None of these have been noticed 
 in a crystaline form. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 209 
 
 It must not be imagined that these several minerals make 
 up the whole or even any very considerable portion of the 
 entire length and breadth of the veins in which they occur, 
 for they are distributed in bunches, strings and comparatively 
 narrow subveins, in a manner precisely analagous to that in 
 which these ores are usually distributed in similar rocks in 
 other portions of the globe. The quartz veinstone, before des- 
 cribed, has always so much of the green tinge communicated 
 by the carbonate of copper that it cannot fail to be detected ; 
 but the presence of disseminated native copper in this vein- 
 stone, would, at first, hardly be suspected, and it is not until 
 a fresh fracture has been made and the mineral closely exam 
 ined that the numerous dark points and minute threads are 
 discovered to be copper in a native state. Large portions of 
 this quartz veinstone, (when the included metal can scarcely 
 be detected by the naked eye,) when examined with a glass 
 are found to contain very delicate threads of native copper 
 that traverse the quartz in every possible direction, and so 
 completely is this latter mineral bound together that it is 
 fractured with difficulty, and its toughness is very greatly 
 increased. 
 
 The specific gravity of this veinstone is very considerably 
 above that of ordinary quartz, and usually, the difference is so 
 considerably, even in those masses where the copper can 
 scarcely be detected by the naked eye, as to be apparent to 
 even the most careless observer. But in addition to this finely 
 disseminated condition of the native copper in the veinstone, 
 it is also disseminated in a similar manner through the rocky 
 matter embraced by the veinstone and in the amygdaloid and 
 conglomerate portions of the rocks, it sometimes extends for a 
 distance of from two to three feet into the rocky matter on 
 either side of the veins, sometimes completely, or in part, fill- 
 ing the cells of the amygdaloid rock. 
 
 The conditions above described refer to the main portions 
 of the veins only, while there are other portions in which the 
 copper appears to be concentrated in larger masses, constitu- 
 ting bunches and strings, and in which places the sides or walls 
 (14) 
 
210 APPENDIX. 
 
 of the veins are sometimes wholly made up of thin plates of 
 native copper. In these portions of the metalliferous veins 
 where the metal appears, as it were, to be concentrated, it also 
 occurs much in the form before described except that the 
 masses of metal vary from the merest speck to that of several 
 pounds weight. In opening one of these veins, at a concen- 
 trated point, the observer, unless he had previously examined 
 other portions of the vein would be led to erroneous con- 
 clusions as to its richness, a source of error which cannot be 
 too strongly guarded against ; for while the vein for a short 
 distance may be found to be exceedingly rich in mineral, the 
 mineral in another portion of the vein may either wholly or in 
 part disappear, a condition which is similar to that observed 
 in those veins of copper that have been extensively worked 
 and found to be most productive on the continent of Europe 
 and the island of Great Britain. 
 
 The excess of native copper (compared with the other ores) 
 which occurs in these portions of the veins is a peculiar feature, 
 for it may be said, in truth, that other ores are of rare 
 occurrence. In those portions of the veins traversing the trap, 
 and where other ores do occur, it is usually under such cir- 
 cumstances as to favor the presumption that their origin is 
 chiefly from that which was previously in a native form ; for 
 the carbonates and oxyds almost invariably appear either 
 investing the native copper or intimately associated with it, 
 though they sometimes appear in distinct sub- veins. Pyritous 
 copper is so rare in connection with the trappean portions of 
 the veins as scarcely to deserve notice. 
 
 I have already stated that native silver occasionally, 
 though very rarely, occurs in the trappean portions of these 
 veins, intimately associated with the copper^ but it is in so 
 minute quantities as to render it probable that it will not prove 
 of any practical importance. Other mixed compounds of 
 this metal occur so rarely as scarcely to deserve notice. 
 
 Leaving the trap rock, the character of these veins as they 
 traverse the conglomerate undergoes important changes, for 
 not only does the veinstone become gradually changed from 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 211 
 
 quartz to calcareous spar, but the amount of native copper 
 diminishes, and its place is either supplied wholly or in part 
 by ores of zinc and calcareous spar, or wholly by this latter 
 mineral. There are, however, occasional exceptions to this 
 general rule, for occasionally the place of the native copper in 
 the veins, in their passage through the conglomerate, is sup- 
 plied by a variety of complex compounds of the same metal, 
 which compounds are of exceeding interest; but this change 
 would appear always to be intimately connected with or to 
 bear some relation to the dykes of trap which traverse the 
 conglomerate rock. Several instances of this kind were 
 noticed upon the northerly side of Keweenaw Point, either 
 directly upon or near to the coast, as also at several other 
 placas in the interior westerly from Keweenaw Point. A vein 
 which may without doubt be referred to as one of this char- 
 acter (though in consequence of intervening bays and lakes 
 between it and the ranges to the south, its connection with the 
 main 'range has not been seen), will serve to illustrate the 
 character referred to. 
 
 This vein, which reaches the immediate coast of the lake 
 upon the easterly cape of the bay known to the voyageurs as 
 the Grande Marrais of Keweenaw Point, terminates, so far as 
 examinations can be made, in the coarse conglomerate rock. 
 The coast of the lake for many miles on either side is made up 
 of abrupt cliffs of a similar rock, the rock, as usual, being 
 made up of coarse rolled pebbles of trap, chiefly cemented 
 with calcareous matter, which is usually associated more or 
 less with the red oxyd of iron. Immediately south of the 
 coast a heavy dyke of trap traverses the conglomerate, which 
 dyke corresponds in position with line of bearing and dip of 
 the conglomerate rock. 
 
 The vein, which at its termination upon the immediate 
 coast of the lake has an extreme width of about 10 feet, may 
 be traced in the bed of the lake, in a direction north 5 deg. 
 east, for a distance of several rods, after which, in consequence 
 of the depth of water, it is completely lost. This vein at the 
 point where it appears upon the coast, may be said to be in 
 
212 APPENDIX. 
 
 a concentrated state, or in a condition analagous to that before 
 described, where the native copper occurs in the condition of 
 bunches and strings, though the condition in which the metal- 
 lic minerals occur is essentially different from that in the trap, 
 for instead of native copper we have several mixed forms of 
 the green and blue carbonates of copper and copper black, 
 more or less intimately associated with calcareous spar, and in 
 the adjoining rock and in small ramifying veins occasional 
 small specks and masses of native copper, weighing from one 
 to three ounces occur, but these are by no means abundant. 
 No quartz occurs as a veinstone, and none of the ores have 
 been noticed in a crystaline form. 
 
 It has already been stated that these true veins in travers- 
 ing the conglomerate, frequently almost loose their character, 
 and it becomes difficult to define their absolute width, or, in 
 other words, it would appear as if at the time of the formation 
 of the veins the conglomerate had not been perfectly 
 cemented, the result of which would be that the mineral mat- 
 ter, which, under other circumstances, would constitute 
 a perfect vein, would frequently appear in only an imperfect 
 one, or the mineral which would, under other circumstances, 
 make up the vein itself, may have been injected latterly through 
 the interstices of the rolled masses constituting the conglome- 
 rate, in which case the mineral would, in fact, take the place of 
 the ordinary cement, thus simply investing the pebbles of the 
 conglomerate. Now, although at the point under consideration 
 a wide and remarkably distinct vein is developed, the rock, 
 for many feet on either side, has the interstices between the 
 pebbles filled wholly or in part with various mixed and irregu- 
 lar forms of the ores, accompanied by calcareous matter, as 
 before stated, and with occasional specks and small masses of 
 native copper. 
 
 Those veins traversing the conglomerate take on a similar 
 character to a greater or less extent rather frequently, but the 
 place of the copper is more usually supplied by the siliceous 
 oxyd, and more rarely by the carbonate of zinc, which com- 
 pounds sometimes may be seen forming a perfect or partial 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 213 
 
 cement to the rock for considerable distance on either side of 
 the main vein. These ores of zinc, like those of copper, are 
 uniformly amorphous, and almost invariably more or less 
 associated with some form of carbonate of lime, with which 
 they may, under some circumstance unless closely examined 
 be confounded. 
 
 Although these copper and zinc ores occasionally appear 
 in considerable quantities in those portions of the veins tra- 
 versing the conglomerate, they usually embrace or simply 
 encrust portions of the rocky matter ; or rather the rocky 
 matter and those ores appear to be coarsely and mechanically 
 mixed. These veins furnish beautiful cabinet specimens of 
 the blue and green carbonates of copper, and more rarely of 
 pyritous copper, together with the other varieties mentioned. 
 
 Having already devoted a larger space to the consideration 
 of these veins than had been intended, I will simply add, that 
 in pursuing their course northerly across the mixed rock and 
 the red sandrock, their mineral character is nearly or quite 
 lost, the veins as before stated, being made up either entirely 
 of calcareous spar or of that material containing |very meagre 
 ores or zinc. 
 
 The district of country to which these veins have been 
 referred, thus far, only comprises the ranges of hills south of 
 Lake Superior, but veins of a very similar character, and of 
 similar mineral contents also occur upon Isle Eoyale. The 
 order and changes in the character of the veins upon Isle 
 Eoyale is necessarily reversed, or in other words, the southerly 
 point of the vein corresponds to that of the north point in the 
 district south of Lake Superior. The mineral veins of Isle 
 Eoyale have not been examined with sufficient care to enable 
 me to determine with much certainty their average width or 
 value. Those examined were mostly narrow, the widest not 
 exceeding 18 inches, but in these the mineral contents are 
 essentially the same as in those upon the south side of the lake. 
 Native copper in very thin plates was occasionally noticed 
 occupying irregularly the joints of the compact greenstone of 
 Isle Eoyale, but invariably in comparatively small quantities. 
 
214 APPENDIX. 
 
 It should, however, be noticed of Isle Royale, that the veins, 
 so far as examined, are less perfectly developed in their pass- 
 age across the conglomerate and that they very rarely contain 
 any traces of zinc. 
 
 Upon the north shore of the lake, no attention was given 
 to the subject of mineral veins, but from the character of the 
 geology of that district it may be inferred that they will also 
 be found in portions of it, and that, where they do occur, they 
 will be uniformly either directly upon or not far from the 
 coast of the lake. - s! v 
 
 In addition to the regular veins already described, irregular 
 veins frequently occur traversing the whole or portions of the 
 outliers of trap, or those knobs which appear to have been 
 elevated singly j and although these veins may without doubt, 
 be referred to the same epoch as the regular veins before 
 described, they nevertheless frequently differ considerably in 
 mineral contents. 
 
 The limits of the present report will not permit a separate 
 description of these several distinct trap knobs. I will there 
 fore confine my remarks to that already referred to, as occur- 
 ring upon the south coast of Lake Superior, immediately north- 
 west from Riviere Des Morts, and which forms the promon- 
 tory known as Presque Isle. 
 
 In nearly all those portions of this knob where the trap, 
 conglomerate and sandstone are exposed in such a manner as 
 to permit examination, each of the rocks are seen to be tra- 
 versed by innumerable irregular ramiiying veins, which in the 
 sandstones are made up of quartzose and calcareous matter; 
 but many of which near the junction of the igneous and sedi- 
 mentary rocks are metalliferous, and this metalliferous char- 
 acter is more fully developed as the veins are extended into 
 the trap rocks. 
 
 The metalliferous portion of these veins rarely exceed 
 three to four inches in width, and they ramify in such a man- 
 ner that the mineral uniformly occupies situations similar to 
 bunches or strings at the junction of the ramifications. The 
 minerals contained in the metalliferous portions of the veins 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 215 
 
 are sulphuret and carbonate of lead, earthy, green carbonate 
 of copper, pyritous iron, and more rarely pyritous copper. 
 Occasionally there is a quartzose, or mixed quartzose and 
 calcareous veinstone, but more usually the several metallic 
 minerals are blended in a base of rocky matter. The sul- 
 phuret of lead is distributed in the form of small cubic crys- 
 tals, while the other metallic minerals are usually distributed 
 either in irregular masses or investing portions of the rocky 
 matter. These associations are referred to as showing the 
 character which these irregular veins assume rather than 
 from any supposed value which they may possess for practical 
 purposes. 
 
 In addition to the minerals referred to, the trap of Presque 
 Isle occasionally contains asbestus, common serpentine and 
 imperfect agates, the two former minerals usually occupying 
 the narrow joints of the rock. 
 
 Before referring to the economical considerations connected 
 with the veins which have been described, I will briefly refer 
 to another situation in which the ores of copper have been 
 observed in intimate connection with the trap range of rocks. 
 
 The southerly side or greenstone portion of the trap range 
 appears to have been elevated in such a manner as to have 
 caused but little disturbance to the sandrock lying between 
 that and the range of simply altered rocks lying still farther 
 to the south, but near to the junction of the sandrock and 
 greenstone there is usually a red slate resting against the trap, 
 and which may be said to fill up, in a measure, the irregulari- 
 ties in the ranges of hills. This slate, which is sometimes 
 seen of 100 to 200 feet in thickness, though usually it appears 
 as a mere band, is traversed by irregular and imperfect veins 
 of what may be denominated a ferruginous steatite, containing 
 placentiform masses of greasy and milkish quartz, that some- 
 times contain more or less of the ores of copper. The earthy 
 carbonates of copper are also sometimes so intimately con- 
 nected with these veins of steatitac matter as at first to be 
 scarcely recognized. More rarely, distinct, very thin veins of 
 green carbonate of copper occurs, well characterized, in this 
 
216 APPENDIX. 
 
 red slate, though these veins are never of any great length. 
 The red shale extends more or less perfectly along the whole 
 length of the trap range skirting that range of hills upon the 
 south, but I have not yet been enabled to devote sufficient 
 time to its examination to enable me to determine whether 
 any portion of these veins can be regarded as of practical 
 importance. The examinations which have been made would 
 lead me to look unfavorably upon the ^e veins, and I regard 
 them as having an origin completely distinct from that of the 
 veins which traverse the northerly escarpment of the trap 
 rock. 
 
 Having thus considered all the general circumstances under 
 which the several ores of copper, zinc, lead, iron, manganese 
 and silver have been noticed in connection with the trap rock 
 and the sedimentary rocks immediately resting upon it, it be- 
 comes important to consider how far inferences may be drawn 
 from these examinations as to their occurrence in such quan 
 titles as to be of practical importance. I have already stated 
 that so far as regards the ores of lead, iron, manganese and 
 silver, I am led to conclude that at none of the points 
 examined do they occur in veins or otherwise sufficiently de- 
 veloped to warrant favorable conclusions as to their existence 
 in sufficient quantities to be made available, and from all that 
 is now known of the country, I am led to infer that neither of 
 these, unless it be iron, will be so found.* 
 
 The examinations which have thus far been made of those 
 portions of the veins containing ores of zinc have not been 
 extended sufficient to enable me to determine with much 
 satisfaction their extent as a whole. At several points in the 
 veins these ores are sufficiently abundant to admit of being 
 profitably worked, but I would be unwilling, from an exami- 
 nation of a few points to attempt to determine the character of 
 the whole. 
 
 In considering the practical value of the copper ores of the 
 upper peninsula of Michigan, where we are as yet compelled 
 
 * These remarks are intended to apply directly to'the trap region. Beds of bog iron 
 ore occur east from Chocolate River, which probably may at some future day be pro- 
 fitably worked. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 217 
 
 to judge from our examination, of what may be said to be the 
 simply superficial portions of the veins, we can arrive at no 
 safe conclusions, except by comparison of the district with 
 those districts similarly situated, which have been extensively 
 worked in other portions of the globe. Comparisons of this 
 character, to be really useful, must necessarily be sufficiently 
 minute to enable us to understand the relations which the ores 
 in the district compared bear to each other in all respects, 
 which circumstances renders it necessary that a degree of 
 minute information should be at hand, that is not at all times 
 to be obtained. As the information on hand with respect to 
 the copper and tin veins of Cornwall, England, is more minute 
 than that of any mineral district known, I propose, in order to 
 avoid confusion, to confine my comparison to this district, 
 simply, premising that however closely the two districts may 
 resemble each other in character, it does not follow, as an 
 axiom, that because the district with which we compare our 
 own has been largely and profitably productive, that of 
 Michigan must necessarily be so too, for it will be seen, as the 
 subject is pursued, that there are not only several points in 
 which it is impossible with our present knowledge of that 
 of Michigan, to institute comparisons, but there are also some 
 points on which there is a considerable degree of discrepancy. 
 
 The comparison instituted in the main is intended to refer 
 rather to the character and contents of the mineral veins of 
 the two districts than to the geology, although some general 
 reference becomes necessary to the geology of the districts to 
 render the comparison perfect. The topography of the Corn- 
 ish district bears a close resemblance to that of Michigan, both 
 districts being marked by their irregular and broken outline, 
 and by the occurrence of more or less frequent, nearly insu- 
 lated knobs, rising to a considerable height above the elevation 
 of the general ranges. 
 
 Although the older rock of Cornwall, or that from which 
 the metalliferous veins of the districts may be said to have 
 their origin, is more distinctly granitic than that of the met- 
 alliferous region upon Lake Superior, the elements of which 
 
218 APPENDIX. 
 
 the rocks are composed may be regarded as essentially bearing 
 a very close resemblance ; a resemblance which, it is con- 
 ceived, would have been still more perfect had the granitic 
 rocks of Cornwall been subjected to the action of secondary 
 causes similar to those of the region under consideration. The 
 rocks resting upon or against the granitic rocks of Cornwall, 
 consist of clay slates, hornblende rocks, etc., which bear little 
 real analogy to the rocks resting directly upon the trap of Lake 
 Superior, but it is conceived that the composition of these 
 upper rocks has little bearing upon the origin of the metal- 
 liferous veins, and maj 1 be regarded as in a measure unimpor- 
 tant ; and however much these rocks may differ they are tra- 
 versed alike by the metalliferous veins o/ the lower rocks in 
 such a manner that the close resemblance cannot be mistaken. 
 Itis a matter of history that the ores of tin have been more 
 or less extensively raised in the mineral district of Cornwall, 
 from the earliest settlement of the island of Great Baitain, but 
 the working of the veins of copper at an early day does not 
 appear to have been carried oa to any very considerable extent. 
 The great importance to which the produce of copper from the 
 Cornish veins, (in a district which compared with the mineral 
 district of our own State is of very small dimensions) has 
 arisen, will be shown from the accompanying table, which I 
 have reduced from the official returns included in the several 
 years, and which table, it will be seen, shows for a series of 
 years the average annual amount of copper produced from the 
 ore, the average amount for which it sold, together with the 
 amount per cent, of copper contained in the ore, and the average 
 value of the copper per pound at the smelting house. This 
 table, which has been drawn with great care from data that 
 can scarcely lead to incorrect results, will not only serve to 
 show the large aggregate amount of the metal produced, but 
 it also shows from the low average per cent, of metal contained 
 in the ores, if we had no further knowledge upon the subject, 
 that much capital must be required for, and a large amount of 
 labor applied to the raising and smelting of these ores, a 
 circumstance which should be carefully borne in mind in all 
 that relates to the mineral district of Michigan. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 219 
 
 Table showing the average annual produce of the copper mines of 
 the county of Cornwall, England, from 1771 to 1822. 
 
 YEARS. 
 
 Average 
 No. of tons 
 of ore 
 per year. 
 
 Av. No. 
 tons cop- 
 per pro- 
 due' d per 
 year. 
 
 Average 
 amount per 
 year for which 
 sold. 
 
 Av. per 
 cent cop- 
 per pro- 
 duced 
 from ore. 
 
 Av. val. 
 of the 
 copper 
 per 
 pound. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c. m. 
 
 1771 to 17755 years, 
 
 28,749 
 
 3,449 
 
 $ 846,283 
 
 12 
 
 10 9 
 
 1776 to 17805 " 
 
 27,580 
 
 3,309 
 
 826,609 
 
 12 
 
 11 1 
 
 1781 to 17866 
 
 34,354 
 
 4,122 
 
 962,380 
 
 12 
 
 10 4 
 
 1796 to 1802 7 " 
 
 51,483 
 
 5,195 
 
 2,125,046 
 
 10 
 
 18 2 
 
 1803 to 18075 " 
 
 70,923 
 
 6,160 
 
 3,174,725 
 
 8 
 
 23 
 
 1808 to 1812 5 " 
 
 70,434 
 
 6,498 
 
 2,886,835 
 
 9 
 
 12 9 
 
 1813 to 18175 " 
 
 82,610 
 
 7,272 
 
 2,878,723 
 
 8 8 
 
 17 6 
 
 1818 to 18225 " 
 
 94,391 
 
 7,757 
 
 3,111,811 
 
 8 2 
 
 17 9 
 
 The general resemblance in the mineral contents of the cop- 
 per veins of Cornwall and those of Michigan is for the most 
 part very great, though in some respects there is a consider- 
 able discrepancy. It should, however, be remarked that some 
 difficulty exists in comparing the mineral veins of Cornwall, 
 where several of them have been worked to depths varying 
 from 1,000 to 1,500 feet, with those of Michigan, where the 
 examinations are nearly superficial. 
 
 In making these deep excavations, not only in the county 
 of Cornwall, but also in the copper districts of Bohemia, 
 Hungary, Silesia, Transylvania, Saxony, etc. (some of the 
 veins in the latter district having been explored to a depth 
 very considerably greater than those of Cornwall), an im- 
 mense mass of facts has been accumulated, with respect to the 
 general formation and mineral character of veins, or lodes of 
 copper, which facts have led to an understanding of many 
 of the contingencies connected with its associations so 
 universal that when applied to this mineral they may be 
 regarded as general laws that may fairly be inferred to govern 
 with more or less certainty all those lodes or veins which have 
 similar geological relations. Though a general consideration 
 of those relations of the veins of other countries may perhaps 
 
220 APPENDIX. 
 
 be regarded as somewhat foreign to the present report, I deem 
 it more advisable to refer to these general laws in such a man - 
 ner as to leave the reader to judge by comparison the condi- 
 tion in which the ores of Michigan may be fairly inferred to 
 occur, rather than to draw conclusions directly, and in so 
 doing it will also become necessary to refer to some of the 
 characters of mineral veins or lodes in general. 
 
 Veins are usually divided into two general orders, viz: 
 i i cotemporaneous veins, or those which are formed at the same 
 time as the containing rock, and true veins, whose formation is 
 supposed to be subsequent to that of the rocks which are con- 
 tiguous to them." A true vein may be denned to be "the 
 mineral contents of a vertical or inclined fissure, nearly 
 straight, and of indefinite length and depth."* The contents 
 of a true vein, as a general rule, differ widely from the char- 
 acter of the rocks which it intersects, though this does not 
 invariably hold good, and the vein also, as a general rule, has 
 well defined walls 
 
 The contents of contemporaneous veins bear a much closer 
 resemblance to the rocks which embrace them, and as a gen- 
 eral rule, they a shorter, more crooked, and less perfectly 
 defined than true veins. 
 
 The metalliferous veins being contained under the head of 
 true veins, it is to these that the whole of my remarks will be 
 directed. 
 
 Metallic veins are the repositories of most of the metals 
 excepting iron, manganese and chrome, which occur more 
 frequently and abundantly in beds than in veins. The thick- 
 ness of metallic veins varies from a few inches to many feet, 
 and the same vein also varies in thickness in different parts of 
 its course, sometimes contracting to a narrow string of ore and 
 then expanding again to a width of many feet The deposits 
 of metal in the veins are as irregular as the widths of them, 
 and so much so as to render the profits of mining proverbially 
 uncertain. Ore is generally found to occupy certain portions 
 of the veins only, differing constantly in extent, whether the 
 
 *Carne, on the mineral veins of Cornwall. 
 
FIEST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 221 
 
 length or depth on the course of the vein be considered, or the 
 portion of its width which is filled up by it. No veins occur 
 which are regularly impregnated with metal to any great 
 extent, and when ore is found, it is in what the miners aptly 
 term bunches or shoots, or in interspersed grains and strings, 
 which are more or less connected with or embraced in vein- 
 stone, that, according to the rock which the veins intersect 
 will be fluor spar, calcareous spar, quartz, etc. The unpro- 
 ductive parts of veins, even in the most profitable mines, gen- 
 erally far exceed in extent the productive parts, but that mine 
 is considered to be rich which has either frequent or extensive 
 shoots of ore, and the great art of the miner consists in tracing 
 and working the valuable accumulations of the metals, with 
 as little waste of labor and expense on the poorer portions of 
 the veins as possible. "In the mines of Cornwall the ores of 
 copper and tin commonly occur in detached masses which are 
 called bunches of ore, and the other parts of the vein being 
 unproductive are called deads." 
 
 The depth to which metallic veins descend is unknown, for 
 we believe no instance has occurred of a considerable vein being 
 worked out in depth, though it may sink too deep to render the 
 operation of the minor profitable, or it may branch off in a 
 number of strings which are too much intermixed with the 
 rock to be worked to advantage.* Some veins appear to grow 
 wider while others contract as they decend. 
 
 The superficial part of a vein generally contains the ore 
 in a decomposing state, and it frequently happens that the 
 ores in the upper and lower parts of the vein are different ; 
 thus, ' i in Cornwall, blende or sulphuret of zinc often occupies 
 the uppermost part of the vein to which succeeds tinstone, and 
 at a greater depth copper pyrites." When a metallic vein in 
 its descent passes through different kinds of rock, it is fre- 
 quently observed that the products of the vein vary in each 
 bed, and when it passes through regularly stratified beds of 
 the same rock there are particular strata in which the vein is 
 always found most productive. This change in the productive- 
 
 *Koenig. 
 
222 APPENDIX. 
 
 ness of mineral veins is more particularly noticed at or near to 
 the transition from unst ratified to stratified rocks ; thus granite, 
 syenite and those rocks which [have a graniti-form structure 
 are frequently noticed to contain metals at or near their junc- 
 tion with stratified formations. On the other hand, the veins 
 which traverse stratified rocks are, as a general law, more 
 metalliferous near such junctions than in other portions.* 
 
 Where a rock is crossed and penetrated by a great num- 
 ber of small veins in every direction, the whole mass is some- 
 times worked as an ore and is called by the Germans a " stock - 
 worke." Where the ore is disseminated in particles through 
 the rock, such rocks are also worked for the ore when it exists 
 in sufficient quantity. 
 
 As a general rule, those metals which are oxydable at ordi- 
 nary temperatures, or which readily combine with sulphur 
 rarely occur in a metallic state, but are usually found in com 
 bination either with sulphur, oxygen or acids. The chief ore 
 of copper raised from the mines of Cornwall, is the yellow 
 sulphuret, though the blue and green carbonates and arseniate 
 are more or less distributed ; native copper and the oxyds are 
 also, though more rarely, found. 
 
 By a comparison of what has been said upon the character 
 and mineral contents of metallic veins in general, I trust a just 
 view of the real condition in which the" ores of copper are inva- 
 riable found, will have been conveyed, and that, by the aid of 
 this we will be enabled to examine, without undue expecta- 
 tions, those mineral veins which occur within the limits of our 
 own state. In the main, the resemblance between the charac- 
 ter and contents of the copper veins of Cornwall and Michi- 
 gan, so far as can be determined, is close ; the veinstones (with 
 the exception of fluor, which I have never observed in the 
 latter, ) are essentially the same ; but in instituting this com- 
 parison, it should be borne in mind that the metallic veins of 
 Cornwall have been in progress of exploration for centuries, 
 and that shafts and galleries have been carried to great depths, 
 while of those of Michigan, simply superficial examinations 
 
 *Lyell. Necker. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 223 
 
 have as yet been made, and these in a wilderness country, 
 under circumstances of the utmost embarrassment and attend- 
 ed with the most excessive labor, privation and suffering. 
 
 In respect to the character of the ores which occur in the 
 two districts, there are important differences, for while pyri- 
 tous copper is the most important workable ore not only in 
 the Cornish mines, but also in those of other portions of our 
 globe, it is comparatively a rare occurrence in the mineral 
 district of Upper Michigan ; for, as I have already mentioned, 
 the mineral of the trappean portions of the veins in the latter 
 district is essentially made up of strings, specks and bunches 
 of native copper, with which more or less of the oxyds and 
 carbonates are associated ; while those portions of the veins 
 traversing the conglomerate are characterized by the occur- 
 rence of the oxyds and carbonates, with occasional metallic 
 and pyritous copper, or the places of all these are supplied by 
 ores of zinc, associated with more or less calcareous matter. 
 In the thin mineral veins of Presque Isle, pyritous copper is 
 more abundant, where it is associated with sulphuret of lead, 
 as before mentioned. 
 
 The occurrence of this native copper in the veins, and the 
 manner in which it is associated with the veinstones, in all 
 respects corresponds with the ordinary association of the other 
 forms of ores in those veins that have been extensively worked 
 in other portions of the globe ; but I confess that the prepon- 
 derance of native to the other forms of copper was regarded 
 as an unfavorable indication, at least until this had been found 
 to be more or less universal with respect to all the veins. It 
 should, however, be remarked, that in those portions of the 
 veins where the quartz of the vein and the accompaning rock 
 are very compact, the native form is much more common than 
 in those portions where the veinstone and accompaning rock 
 are more or less cellular and soft. 
 
 The worked copper veins of Cornwall are stated by Mr. 
 Carne to average from three to four feet in width, and to have 
 a length as yet undetermined. But few have been traced for 
 
224 APPENDIX. 
 
 a greater distance than one to one and a half miles, and but 
 one has been traced for a distance of three miles. 
 
 The veins which I have examined in the mineral district of 
 Michigan, exceed the average of those last mentioned, but the 
 imperfect examinations which have been made render it diffi- 
 cult to determine this with certainty. I have traced no one 
 vein for a further distance than one mile, and usually for dis- 
 tances considerably less. It was not, however, supposed that 
 these veins terminated at the points where they were left, but 
 the father examinations were abandoned at these points in 
 consequence of physical difficulties connected with the present 
 condition of the country. 
 
 The native copper is frequently free from all foreign matter 
 and is as completely malleable as the most perfectly refined cop- 
 per, but it more usually contains disseminated particles of 
 earthy minerals, chiefly quartz. I have not been able to 
 detect the alloy of any other metal in a single instance. 
 
 The fatigues and exposures of the past season have so far 
 impaired my health that as yet I have been unable to analyze 
 as carefully as could have been wished the several ores fur- 
 nished by the mineral veins of the upper peninsula, but 
 sufficient has been done to show satisfactorily that the copper 
 ores are not only of superior quality, but also that their 
 associations are such as to render them easily reduced. Of 
 those which have been examined, embracing nearly the whole 
 (and not including the native copper), the per cent, of pure 
 metal ranges from 9.5 to 51.72, and the average may be stated 
 at 21.10. Associated with some of these ores I have detected 
 a metal, the character of which remains as yet undetermined. 
 
 Were the analysis of the several ores of copper sufficiently 
 perfected I should deem it unnecessary to lay them before you 
 at this time, for with what is now known of the district, it is 
 conceived the result would lead to erroneous rather than to 
 correct conclusions. The analysis of separate masses of ore, 
 no matter how much care may be taken to select the poor as 
 well as the richer ores for the examinations, will usually be 
 far from giving the average per cent, of what would be the 
 
FIRST, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 225 
 
 product when reduced to practice. I have, in order to arrive 
 at safe conclusions not only analyzed but also assayed many of 
 them, but when we come to consider what constitutes the true 
 value of a vein of copper ore we will perceive why it is 
 unsafe to judge of the whole by the analysis of small portions. 
 
 By reference to the previous statistical table of the product 
 of the copper mines of Cornwall it will be seen that the 
 average produce of the ores since 1771 has never exceeded 12 
 per cent, of the metal, and that from 1818 to 1822 it was only 
 8.2. This shows the aggregate, and it is well known that 
 while many of the productive veins are considerably below 
 this, the largest average per cent, of any single vein in that 
 district, it is believed, has never been over 20 per cent., and 
 it should be borne in mind that this average is taken after the 
 ores have been carefully freed from all the rocky and other 
 impurities which can be separated by breaking and picking. 
 
 The value of a vein may be said to depend upon the abun- 
 dance of the ore, and the ease with which it can be raised and 
 smelted, rather than upon its purity or richness. Upon this 
 point, with respect to our own mineral region, public opinion 
 would perhaps be more in error than upon any other, and 
 most certainly we could hardly look for a mineral district 
 where the character of the ores was more liable to dissemi- 
 nate and keep alive such errors. The occurrence of masses of 
 native metal either transported or in place is liable to excite, 
 with those who have not reflected upon the subject, expecta- 
 tions which can never be realized, for while in truth the 
 former show nothing but their own bare existence, the latter 
 may be, as is frequently the case, simply imbedded masses 
 perfectly separated from all other minerals, or they may be 
 associated in a vein where every comparison would lead to 
 unfavorable conclusions as to the existence of copper in any 
 considerable quantities. I have frequently noticed very con- 
 siderable masses of native copper occupying the joints of com- 
 pact greenstone, under such circumstances as I conceive might 
 readily excite in many minds high expectations, but a little 
 reflection would satisfy the most careless observer of the use- 
 
 (15) 
 
226 APPENDIX. 
 
 lessness of exploring these joints under the expectation or 
 hope of finding them a valuable repository of the metal. 
 Again, not only native but also the other ores of copper occur 
 in veins, either so narrow as to render it useless to pursue 
 them, or so associated as to render it probable that explora- 
 tion would not be attended with success. 
 
 While I am fully satisfied that the mineral district of our 
 State will prove a source of eventual and steadily increasing 
 wealth to our people, I cannot fail to have before me the fear 
 that it may prove the ruin of hundreds of adventurers who 
 will visit it with expectations never to be realized. The true 
 resources have as yet been but little examined or developed, 
 and even under the most favorable circumstances we cannot 
 expect to see this done but by the most judicious and 
 economical expenditure of capital at those points where the 
 prospects of success are most favorable. It has been said of 
 the Cornish district, in respect to the supposed large aggre- 
 gate profits, that " a fair estimate of the expenditure and the 
 return from all the mines that have been working for the last 
 twenty or thirty years, if the necessary documents could be 
 obtained from those who are interested in withholding them, 
 would dispel the delusion which prevails on this subject, as 
 well as check the ruinous spirit of gambling adventure which 
 has been productive of so much misery."* And if these 
 remarks will apply to a comparatively small district, which has 
 been explored and extensively worked for centuries, with how 
 much more force must they apply to the mineral district of our 
 own state. I would by no means desire to throw obstacles in 
 the way of those who might wish to engage in the business of 
 mining this ore, at such time as our government may see fit to 
 permit it, but I would simply caution those persons who would 
 engage in this business in the hope of accumulating wealth 
 suddenly and without patient industry and capital, to look 
 closely before the step is taken, which will most certainly end 
 in disappointment and ruin. 
 
 'Hawkins on the tin of Cornwall. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 227 
 
 The extreme length of what I have denominated the mineral 
 district, (within the limits of Michigan) may be estimated at 
 a fraction over 135 miles, and it has a width varying from one 
 to six miles ; but it must not be imagined that mineral veins 
 occur equally through all portions of it, for sometimes, for 
 many miles together none have been noticed, and the situation 
 of the country is such as to render it probable they never will 
 be. The range and course of the mineral district has been so 
 far defined as to render it unnecessary to say more upon this 
 subject, to enable such persons as may wish to examine, to 
 pass directly along its complete length. 
 
 I have thus far omitted to allude particularly to the large 
 mass of native copper which has been so long known to exist 
 in the bed of Ontonagon Eiver, less perhaps this isolated mass 
 might be confounded with the products of the veins of the 
 mineral district. That this mass has once occupied a place in 
 some of these veins is quite certain, but it is now perfectly 
 separated from its original connection, and appears simply as a 
 loose transported bowlder. 
 
 The attention of the earliest travelers was called to this 
 mass of metallic copper by the natives of the country, and it 
 has been repeatedly described by those who have visited it. 
 The mass now lies in the bed of the westerly fork of the 
 Ontonagon Eiver, at a distance which may be estimated at 26 
 miles by the stream from its mouth. The rugged character of 
 the country is such that it is but rarely visited, in proof of 
 which I may state that upon my visit to it during the last 
 year I found broken chisels where I had left them on a pre- 
 vious visit nine years before, and even a mass of the copper 
 which at that time had been partially detached, but which for 
 the want of sufficient implements I was compelled to abandon, 
 was found, after that interval, in precisely the same situation 
 in which it had been left. 
 
 The copper in this bowlder is associated with rocky matter, 
 which, in all respects, resembles that associated with that 
 metal in some portions of the veins before described, the rocky 
 matter being bound together by innumerable strings of metal ; 
 
228 APPENDIX. 
 
 but a very considerable proportion of the whole is copper in a 
 state of purity. The weight of copper is estimated at from 3 
 to 4 tons. 
 
 While the mass of native copper upon Ontonagon Eiver 
 cannot fail to excite much interest, from its great size and 
 purity, it must be borne in mind that it is a perfectly isolated 
 mass, having no connection whatever with any other, nor does 
 the character of the country lead to the inference that veins of 
 the metal occur in the immediate vicinity, though, as before 
 stated, the mineral district crosses the country at a distance of 
 but a few miles. 
 
 The occurrence of carnelian, chalcedony, agate and ame- 
 thystine quartz, in the amygdaloidal portion of the trap, has 
 already been noticed, and these minerals are considerably 
 abundant. They frequently possess very great beauty and 
 perfection, and when ground and polished they may be used 
 for all the purposes to which those minerals are usually 
 applied. 
 
 Minerals of the Upper or Gray Sandstone. 
 
 Though the upper sandrock is largely exposed along that 
 portion of the lake coast known as the Pictured Eocks, rising 
 to a very considerable height in precipitous cliffs, there have, 
 nevertheless, been no minerals noticed in connection with it 
 except iron pyrites. Along a portion of the distance, how- 
 ever, the rock of the cliff is frequently colored by broad, 
 vertical bands, having a variety of tints (which have given 
 name to this portion of the coast), and these bands have been 
 by some travelers supposed to indicate the existence of 
 important minerals in the rock; but the coloring matter of 
 these bands is merely superficial. It chiefly consists of the 
 oxyd and carbonate of iron, with occasional faint traces of 
 carbonate of copper, both having been deposited from waters 
 while trickling down the cliffs, the same having previously 
 percolated the rock. 
 
 No mineral veins have been noticed in connection with 
 this rock. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 229 
 
 Progress and Condition of the Survey, etc. 
 
 Notwithstanding the very many physical difficulties by 
 which the geological survey of the upper peninsula of our state 
 is surrounded, we have, nevertheless, been enabled to accom- 
 plish a much larger amount of the work than reasonably could 
 have been hoped ; but there still remains much to be done 
 before its geology and mineralogy can be fairly understood. 
 Comparatively little has heretofore been known of the range 
 and extent of the several rock formations, and, while the labor 
 of the past season has shown the most interesting of these to 
 have a much larger area than we had previously been led to 
 infer, it has also shown that the amount of work required to 
 enable us fairly to understand the geology and mineralogy of 
 that interesting region was considerably more than we had 
 reason to look for. 
 
 The reports of the several assistants will exhibit to you the 
 progress that has been made during the past season in the 
 surveys of the southern peninsula. Messrs. B. Hubbard and 
 C. C. Douglass were engaged with me during the early part 01 
 the season in the upper peninsula ; after which, they returned 
 to carry forward the geological and topographical surveys of 
 the lower peninsula. I was also accompanied, during a small 
 portion of the season, by Mr. Frederick Hubbard, who acted 
 as special assistant, and who has embodied a small part of his 
 numerous observations in the form of a report, which is hereto 
 appended. 
 
 The survey of the lower peninsula is mainly completed, but 
 there are some few spaces, both in the geological and topo- 
 graphical portions of the work, which require to be filled up 
 before the results can be fully laid before the public. 
 
 The drafting of the topographical portion of the survey has 
 advanced steadily towards completion, and the several county 
 maps are in progress of publication in conformity to your 
 instructions. 
 
 While we had hoped to have been able to bring the survey 
 to a close within the time originally contemplated, from the 
 
230 APPENDIX. 
 
 above statement of the progress and condition of the work, it 
 will be seen, that some further time will be necessary for its 
 final completion ; but while this time will be essential to reach 
 the object sought to be attained by our state, no further 
 appropriation will be necessary for that purpose. 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, 
 
 State Geologist. 
 
 Appended to the report of the State Geologist of 1841 is 
 the following: 
 
 No. 1 Eeport of Frederick Hubbard, special assistant, 
 Utica, K Y., November 20, 1840. This report submits the 
 results of a portion of the observations for the variation 
 of compass, latitudes, surveys of harbors, etc., made by 
 direction of the State Geologist during the recent expedition 
 of the geological corps to the upper peninsula. 
 
 It sets forth that the subject of latitudes was made a mat- 
 ter of particular attention, no regular survey ever having 
 been made by the general government of that part of the lake 
 lying within the boundary of our State. A table of latitudes 
 is given of principal points, also a table of magnetic varia- 
 tions, the angles being measured with a theodolite containing a 
 needle of great delicacy. By platting these variations it 
 appears that there is a constant increase in the amount of 
 deflection in passing westward, and at the same time that the 
 increment is not in proportion to the westing, but is in a 
 decreasing ratio. 
 
 The line of no variation was found to pass through Ste. 
 Marie River, crossing Drummond Island near its western, and 
 St. Joseph through its central or eastern part. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 231 
 
 Mr. F. Hubbard thus alludes to some interesting irregu- 
 larities in the deviations: 
 
 ' ' By marking upon the map the points 1, 2 and 3, etc. , 
 degrees of variation, and drawing through them lines parallel 
 to the lines of no variation, it will be perceived that there are in 
 a few cases important deviations from the general regularity in 
 which the deflections are found to increase. These are by far 
 too great to be attributed to errors in observation, to diurnal 
 variation, or to the effect of atmospheric disturbing causes. 
 It appears highly probable that something may be due to the 
 outline of coast, to the unequal distribution of land and 
 water, and to the influence of an open extent of sea on the 
 one hand and of a mountain range upon the other. In all 
 these cases there is a deflection of the needle towards the open 
 lake, tending when the land lies to the west of the place of 
 observation to increase the amount of easterly variations, and 
 the contrary. Thus we find about the Eiviere des Morts, 
 where the trend of the shore is northerly, at the several points 
 to the east of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and at the village of 
 La Pointe, lying to the eastward of a high range of hills upon 
 the main land, a too great deflection towards the east, as if 
 the needle was actually affected by some repulsive influence 
 existing in the land or a contrary principle in the waters. 77 
 
 Accompanying this report are maps of Grand Marais and 
 Copper Harbor as fixed by triangulations, with soundings. 
 
 No. 2 Eeport of C. C. Douglass, assistant geologist, Janu- 
 ary 4th, 1841, states that the duties performed under the 
 immediate direction of the State Geologist in the region of 
 Lake Superior by the geological assistants necessarily delayed 
 their work in the southern peninsula. The report is 
 confined to remarks on the general character and geology 
 of the northern portion of the lower peninsula. 
 
 This portion of the State, then new to settlement, was 
 generally thought to be too far north, and too flat and wet to 
 
232 APPENDIX. 
 
 admit of successful agriculture. Mr. Douglass shows that 
 this conclusion is wholly unwarranted as regards the greater 
 part of the country, that the land continues to rise as we pro 
 ceed into the interior, until it attains an elevation equal to if 
 not exceeding any other part of the peninsula. That the 
 upland is generally rolling, with a soil of sand and clay 
 loams; is clad with evergreen timber interspersed with exten- 
 sive tracts of beech and maple; that this character of country 
 extends into the interior for many miles in the vicinity of 
 Traverse Bay, bordering on a series of beautiful lakes varying 
 in length from two to eighteen miles, and generally free from 
 marsh and swamps. He alludes to the fact that the Ottawa 
 Indians living on Grand and Little Traverse Bays and 
 Manistee Eiver have extensive cultivated fields which uni- 
 formly produce abundant crops, etc. 
 
 The general geology of the district he arranges in tabular 
 form, and announces the fact that by " referring to the above 
 locations of the rocks of Lakes Huron and Michigan it will 
 be seen that the same rocks, with one or two exceptions, occur 
 on both sides of the State, having the same geological posi- 
 tion; also that they have very nearly parallel and uniform 
 positions. And from their outcrops the rocks would appear 
 to have a bearing nearly north 70 deg. west, and south 70 
 deg. east, which line of bearing corresponds with the outcrop 
 of the black bituminious slate on the east side of Lake Huron 
 and Upper Canada.' 7 
 
 A general description is given of the rocks of Lakes Huron 
 and Michigan within his district that contained fossils and 
 minerals, and of their economical value and their want of it. 
 Allusion is also made to ancient lake ridges, corresponding in 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 233 
 
 character with the one determined by Mr. Hubbard in the 
 reports of last year, as occurring in the southern part of the 
 
 State. The elevations extended to 140 feet above the present 
 
 \ 
 
 water level; they were found most fully exhibited on the 
 islands and on the main land bordering the straits of 
 Mackinaw. 
 
 No. 3 Report of B. Hubbard, assistant geologist, January 
 24, 1841, states that upon the return from the portion of our 
 State bordering on Lake Superior, where his services had been 
 required during a large part of the season, he recommenced 
 the detailed surveys in the organized counties of Michigan. 
 These were conducted with a more especial view to the deter- 
 mination of the extent and value of the coal district of the 
 peninsula. He adds: " A great mass of information both of 
 practical and purely scientific character, and which could not be 
 transferred to the maps nor be suitably embodied in the annual 
 reports, has been compiled from my field notes, arranged for 
 future reference and for such use as may be found advisable 
 in the final report of the survey. " 
 
 The report then proceeds to exhibit a comprehensive view 
 of the rock formations throughout the organized counties of 
 the State. 
 
 "The 'geological section' attached/ 7 he states, "will serve 
 to exhibit at a glance the succession of the rock formations, 
 from the universally superimposed sands and gravels down 
 to the great lime rock formation of the southern portion of 
 the State bordering on Lake Erie. This is intended to show 
 the rocky basis which would be exhibited to view if the coun- 
 try could be cleft through in a line from Lake Erie to Maple 
 Eiver in Clinton county. The rocks in this section are 
 
234 APPENDIX. 
 
 grouped according to their distinguished characters and rela- 
 tive positions, and each group is distinguished by an alpha- 
 betical letter corresponding to the table. Subdivisions are 
 given in the body of the report." 
 
 NOTE. This " geological section," which is here repro- 
 duced from the field notes of Mr. Hubbard, was intended to 
 accompany his report but had to be omitted because of the 
 want of a capable engraver at Detroit. It is here published 
 for the first time. 
 
 General Geology of the Organized Counties of Michigan. 
 
 In the " section " alluded to the rocks embraced within the 
 district under consideration are divided into groups, as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 A. Erratic block group, or Diluviums. a. Alluvions, 
 ancient, recent. 
 
 B. Tertiary clays. 
 
 ( Upper coal and shale. 
 
 O foal measures J Lower coal and shale - 
 ' ^ 1 Including sandstones. 
 
 [ Limestone stratum. 
 
 D. Sub carboniferous sandstones. 
 
 E. Clay c nd kidney -ironstone formation. 
 
 F. Sandstones, of Point aux Barques. 
 
 G. Argillaceous slates and flags, of Lake Huron. 
 H. Soft, light colored, sandstones. 
 
 I. Black, aluminous slate. 
 K. Limerocks, of Lake Erie. 
 
 These will now be considered, as nearly as may be, in their 
 consecutive order, beginning with the highest in the series. 
 
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FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 235 
 
 ERRATIC BLOCK GROUP, OR DILUVIAL DEPOSITS. 
 
 These consists of sand, pebbles, and large water-worn 
 masses of previously existing rocks, with occasional small 
 local beds of clay. They have a thickness varying from one 
 to upwards of one hundred feet ; they form a universal mantle 
 to the rocks and constitute the soils of all the interior counties. 
 
 As this whole deposit is one of transport by water, and is 
 made up of the detritus and disruptured fragments of hetero- 
 geneous formations, its character depends upon that of the 
 rocks from which it is derived. For instance, sand constitutes 
 by far the greater proportion, and this circumstance may be 
 in part accounted for, from the fact of the immense extent of 
 sandstone rocks existing farther to the north ; and in part, by 
 the fact, further disclosed by the geological researches in the 
 peninsula, that an immense thickness of rocks, mostly sand- 
 stone, which composed the upper series of the coal measures, 
 has been broken up and removed from our geological series. 
 Fine gravel constitutes the diluvium in the next proportion, 
 and is the result of a similar abrasion of rocks of harder ma- 
 terials. Owing to the friable nature of the sandstones, as 
 might be expected, few large boulders of that material occur. 
 Limestone pebbles and boulders are abundant ; a condition 
 which also might be looked for, when we take into view the 
 immense extent and thickness of the limerocks of our state, 
 they being by far the most prominent formation above the 
 primary. 
 
 These relations of the component parts of our diluviums 
 give a character to the soils of the peninsula, which enables 
 us to compare them most favorably with those of most other 
 states in the union. Thcugh being very generally what may 
 be denominated sandy or gravelly, and often answering in 
 appearance to a description of soils which, in the eastern states, 
 are considered as absolutely barren, the variety and due 
 intermixture of their components, and more particularly the 
 large proportion of carbonate of lime which is combined with 
 them, either in the form of pebbles, or in a very comminuted 
 
236 APPENDIX. 
 
 state, impart to them unusual strength and fertility. The 
 latter circumstance is that which so admirably adapts them 
 to the growth of wheat, and in this respect, most of the soils 
 of the peninsula may fairly be pronounced unrivalled. 
 
 Whatever may have been the causes which swept these 
 materials over the face of the rocks, whether oceanic currents 
 or bodies of floating ice, the character of these diluviums, as 
 well as numerous accompanying facts, plainly imply that they 
 came in a direction northerly from their present beds, and 
 often from great distances. Consequently we find intermin- 
 gled, as well as scattered upon the surface, numerous rounded 
 fragments of those primary rocks which are known to exist in 
 the peninsula of northern Michigan and in Canada, from the 
 size of the largest " hard-heads " down to fine gravel. In pro- 
 ceeding from our state southerly, these deposits are found 
 gradually to thin out, evincing a diminution of the sustaining 
 power with the increased distance from the original bed of the 
 transported materials. So that, while the peninsula of Michi- 
 gan has been most liberally supplied with an uncommonly 
 deep and arable soil, made up of a variety of materials, the 
 states of Ohio and Indiana, on the south, are in great parts 
 destitute ; its place being supplied by the clays of the next 
 lower formation. 
 
 The deposition of these materials took place with or with- 
 out apparent order and uniformity, according to the character 
 of the existing surface, and other circumstances which may 
 have governed the transporting forces. From this cause con- 
 siderable variations are to be found in the depth, nature and 
 composition of the diluviums, and hence, also, material differ- 
 ences are occasioned in the soils and other characteristics of 
 the country. In many places a uniform stratification has taken 
 place, as if the result of quiet deposition. This is more par- 
 ticularly apparent on the east and south side of the main ridge 
 of the peninsula, and may be considered as a natural conse- 
 quence of so considerable an obstacle as this partial barrier 
 must have interposed to the force of northerly currents. Here, 
 wells have been carried to the depth of 90 feet, through beds 
 of stratified gravel. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 237 
 
 Throughout all the diluviums, thin local beds of clay are of 
 frequent occurrence, and occasional strata of hard pan or 
 cemented pebbles. These clays, unlike those of the tertiary, 
 
 contain little or no lime. 
 
 
 
 Most of the country thus covered by the diluvial deposits 
 exhibits the action of strong currents and eddies in a very 
 striking manner. Districts of many miles extent frequently 
 present a continued and close succession of rolling knobs or 
 cones of gravel, with deep intervening basins. The more 
 ordinary character of surface is a gentle roll or slight undula- 
 tion, occasionally subsiding to a perfect plain. 
 
 Except where a deposit of clay underlies, the growth of 
 timber is almost invariably scanty, constituting what are 
 denominated " oak openings." The character of their timber 
 changes with the varying conditions of the soil, from white 
 and black oak to burr oak or hickory, and the plains are fre- 
 quently altogether destitute of timber. A dense growth of 
 the usual hard wood timber sometimes occurs over isolated 
 tracts, in swales, or along banks of streams. Of the character 
 of country described are found the three most southerly 
 ranges of counties, with the exception of those which imme- 
 diately border the peninsula on the great lakes, together with 
 parts of the adjoining counties, and the counties of Ingham and 
 Eaton. All the latter have a sub-stratum of 'clay belonging 
 to the great deposit to be presently described, and in conse- 
 quence differ very materially in surface, soil and timber. 
 
 To this extreme thickness and comparatively loose texture 
 of the diluviums, may be ascribed the great abundance of 
 springs, and consequently of the small streams which irrigate 
 the whole surface of the state, affording abundance of that ele- 
 ment so desirable to the farmer. An undulating surface gives 
 to most of these a sufficiently rapid flow to prese; Ye a healthy 
 current and to furnish a sufficiency of mill powei From the 
 same cause, also, little difficulty is experienced in obtaining 
 pure water by sinking of wells, and it may safely be said that 
 Michigan is better supplied with living water, uniformly dis- 
 tributed, than any other state in the Union. 
 
238 APPENDIX. 
 
 The vast numbers of small lakes for which Michigan is so 
 remarkable, are due to the same causes. They occupy gene- 
 rally deep hollows, seemingly scooped out of the mass of dilu- 
 vium, and are fed by the living springs that percolate through 
 it. The number of these peninsular lakes is stated by the state 
 topographer at not less than 3, 000 ; being in proportion of one 
 acre of water to every thirty-nine of dry land. 
 
 Another striking feature in the peninsula landscape is the 
 number and extent of wet prairies or marsh. Of these the 
 proportion is much larger than of the lakes, and they often 
 cover many miles of surface. These have their origin also 
 from springs issuing from the diluvium, aided often by the 
 artifical dams of the beaver, and from being originally mere 
 pools or shallow lakes, in time they become receptacles for 
 beds of marl and peat. From the very tolerable hay which 
 these prairies afford, and the very early supply of tender 
 " feeding" for cattle, in the spring, the apparently waste 
 places have been an invaluable aid to the settlement of the 
 country. The primitive settler came hither, not to a desert 
 waste or a " howling wilderness," but to lands cleared without 
 aid from the woodman's axe, and verdant with unsown crops. 
 He did not wait to provide pasture, but brought his herds 
 and flocks with him, and the marshes furnished them ample 
 sustenance throughout the year. And we hazard nothing in 
 saying that these marshes, waste as many of them are now 
 suffered to be, are destined to become still more valuable in 
 sustaining the failing vigor of the country whose youthful 
 prosperity they promoted. Their successful drainage is no 
 longer a matter of experiment. Scarcely a marsh of much 
 extent exists, which is not capable of thorough drainage, with 
 comparatively small expense, and, when thus subdued, of fur- 
 nishing a soil rich almost beyond comparison. The literally 
 exhaustless beds of marl and peat with which these marshes 
 abound, constitute another item of value no less important. 
 But the consideration of these may more properly be referred 
 to the head of Recent Alluvions. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 239 
 
 But though affording a medium for the absorption of rain 
 waters and their percolation through strata of gravel or quick- 
 sand, the diluviums are rendered sufficiently retentive, by the 
 alumina contained in them, and by seams of cemented gravel 
 and sand. Were it not for this, the moisture absorbed by our 
 light, sandy soils, would soon be drained oif and lost to the 
 crops. A sub-stratum of cemented gravel, retentive of water, 
 is common to many if not all the prairies, and to this circum- 
 stance may no doubt, in great measure, be ascribed their 
 accumulation of rich loam and consequent fertility. 
 
 Much curious inquiry has been excited on the question of 
 the causes which produced the peculiar varied and open char- 
 acter of so large a portion of our peninsula. After the view 
 which we have just taken of our diluviums, it may seem less a 
 matter of surprise, that portions of the state should be adapted 
 to the production of a dense growth of hard timber, and others 
 only to the several species of oaks or to hickory, according to 
 the continually varying conditions of the soil and its sub- 
 strata The existing analogies of the vegetable world, which 
 exhibit similar results elsewhere, might lead us co infer these 
 changes, and we may, without doubt, attribute to the peculiar 
 characteristics of our diluvial envelop, and its varying con- 
 ditions, the accompanying peculiarities in the features of the 
 country and the growth and character of its timber. 
 
 How far the impervious character of the u hard pan," 
 which so generally, if not universally, forms the sub-stratum 
 to the prairies and plains, may account for the destitution or 
 sparse growth of large trees, we are not altogether prepared to 
 decide, and, therefore, avoid for the present, considerations 
 which at best may be considered somewhat theoretical. Nor 
 will we assume to decide, with confidence, upon the extent of 
 the eifects produced by the ravages of the annual fires which 
 formerly swept over these tracts. It is but reasonable to con- 
 clude that all these, and perhaps other concomitant causes 
 have operated together in producing the results we witness, 
 while, according to peculiar circumstances, one of these several 
 causes may have operated more or less powerfully than others. 
 
240 APPENDIX. 
 
 ANCIENT ALLUVION. 
 
 As the consideration of that immense mass of materials to 
 which has been applied the name of diluviums or erratic block 
 group, was necessary, in order to a correct appreciation of 
 those lesser deposits now to be considered, (which are asso- 
 ciated with, and in fact compose a part of the former, ) that 
 important group claimed our first attention. We come now 
 to the consideration of a class of deposits which may be called 
 alluvial. 
 
 Some interesting facts in relation to the assumption that the 
 waters of the great lakes were formerly at a much higher 
 level than at present, covering a large part of the border 
 portions of the peninsula, were noticed in my report of last 
 year. During the past season a continuation of the "ridge," 
 which is supposed to coincide with the beach of the ancient 
 lake, has been traced through Macomb into St. Clair county/ 
 and further facts confirmatory of the positions assumed last 
 year were observed in other more northerly districts. In the 
 county of Macomb this ridge has been much broken up by 
 crossing streams, and is very irregular, showing frequently 
 the existence of large entering bays and curvatures of the 
 coast. This was the more particularly noticed from the fact 
 that elsewhere, so far as observed, the course of the ridge is 
 very remarkably continuous and well defined. In this county 
 also a number of inferior ridges of evidently similar origin 
 were observed between the main one and the present lake 
 shore, leading to the supposition that the subsidence of the 
 waters did not take place gradually and constantly, but that 
 sudden lapses occurred and the water line had been stationary 
 at intervals. 
 
 The soil and detrital matter superficially covering that 
 portion of the peninsula which is embraced between this 
 ancient lake ridge and the present shores of the lakes, I have 
 denominated ancient alluvion, to distinguish them as well from 
 alluvions now in process of formation as from the immense 
 mass of diluviums which overspreads the whole interior of the 
 State beyond this separating ridge. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 241 
 
 The portion thus distinguished by alluvial deposits em- 
 braces a broad belt of border country, varying in width from 
 about 25 to 50 miles. It is, with small local exceptions 
 heavily timbered and very level. But on passing the bound- 
 ing ridge there is in general an almost immediate change to a 
 soil of coarser character and a more undulating surface. 
 This ancient alluvion is a deposit from a quiescent condition 
 of the waters, and similar to that which is now taking place 
 in the beds of the present lakes. It forms in general but a 
 thin mantle to the underlying formations, consisting often of 
 mere ridges of sand, and owing to the deprivation of its lime, 
 has in general less fertility than the diluviums. 
 
 The heavily timbered district is not altogether coincident 
 with the extent of this alluvion, but is dependent chiefly upon 
 the following cause. Throughout their whole extent the 
 alluvions are underlaid by the tertiary clays. These are a 
 formation anterior to both the dilluviums and alluvions, and 
 are frequently found extending far beyond the old lake ridge. 
 The country thus underlaid is that which is almost wholly 
 clothed with a dense growth of timber. This formation will 
 be found described under the head of tertiary clays. 
 
 RECENT ALLUVIONS. 
 
 Under this head I shall here allude only to local beds of 
 marl, bog ores and peat. 
 
 Marl occurs in the greatest abundance, universally dis- 
 tributed throughout the diluvial district, and consists of local 
 deposits which originate solely from the lime so profusely 
 contained in the diluviums. Such beds are in constant pro- 
 cess of formation and increase wherever that ingredient 
 exists. As' it is present in a much less degree in the ancient 
 alluvion no extensive beds are consequently found throughout 
 the district occupied by the latter. 
 
 Bog iron ores are deposits originating in a similar manner 
 from the iron contained in the soil, which is dissolved out by 
 the rain waters and collects in low grounds. 
 
 (16) 
 
242 APPENDIX. 
 
 Peat beds are exclusively of vegetable origin, and are com- 
 mon both to the alluvial and diluvial districts. 
 
 The character, abundance, and value of the marl, peat and 
 bog ore beds of our State having been fully dwelt upon in the 
 reports of last year, I shall make no further remarks upon their 
 practical applications. I cannot avoid, nevertheless, once 
 again directing the attention of the farmer of Michigan to the 
 fact of the unexampled abundance in which the two former 
 occur, conveniently distributed for universal use as a manure, 
 and urging the use of them, as the cheapest and in most cases 
 the best of mineral manures, and which will be found a very 
 important means of improvement in his agricultural economy. 
 
 Organic Remains. 
 
 Bones of the mastodon were last year discovered in the 
 ancient alluvion, in the western part of Macomb county. 
 They were mostly so much decayed as not to bear exposure to 
 the atmosphere, and a molar tooth only has been preserved. 
 Similar relics were several years ago disinterred on the Paw 
 Paw Eiver in Berrien county. There is now in possession of 
 a gentleman in this city a vertebral bone of enormous size 
 said to have been found many years ago upon the St. Joseph 
 Eiver, and which is pronounced by the State zoologist, Dr. 
 Sager, to be the caudal vertebra of a whale. It measures in 
 vertical diameter, including spinous process, 18 inches; 
 transverse diameter, including lateral processes, 2 feet; diameter 
 of body, 11 inches; length of body, 1<H inches; length of 
 spinous process, 9 inches. Its weight is 21 Ibs., which is 
 probably less than one-half its original weight, as the bone is 
 partially decayed. 
 
 TERTIARY CLAYS. 
 
 These extensive deposits belong to an era subsequent to 
 the removal of the upper coal bearing rocks. They cover all 
 the border counties on the east and west slopes of the penin- 
 sula, and in some instances stretch far inland. These clays 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 243 
 
 extend over more than two-thirds of that part of the State 
 which lies south of Saginaw, Maple and Grand Bivers, em- 
 bracing nearly the whole of the counties of Ottawa, Allegan, 
 Van Buren, Berrien, Monroe, "Wayne, Macomb,St.Clair, Sanilac, 
 Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Lapeer, Clinton and Eaton, and a 
 large portion of lugham, Genesee, Shiawassee, Ionia, Kent, 
 St. Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale and Lenawee. The remaining 
 portions of the counties last named, and very nearly the 
 whole of Oakland, Livingstone, Washtenaw, Jackson, Cal- 
 houn, Kalamazoo and Cass, are destitute of this sub-clay 
 formation, and their diluviums rest immediately upon the 
 rocks. 
 
 A dense growth of timber almost invariably accompanies 
 this formation, whatever may be the immediate soil. We 
 find this observation applicable to large portions of Eaton, 
 Ingham, Clinton, Shiawassee and Genesee counties, though 
 these counties are based in part on the sandstone rocks of the 
 coal series, and have sandy, diluvial soils, while the sandstone 
 country south of them presents little else than oak openings 
 and plains. 
 
 These clays are an extension of the same formation which 
 covers the western and northern part of Ohio, and the east 
 and north of Indiana, and which constitutes the soil of a 
 large proportion of those districts. 
 
 The upper portion is a gravelly, yellowish clay, varying in 
 thickness from one to fifteen feet, and having an average 
 probably not exceeding 5 feet. Beneath this is a similar clay 
 of a blue color, and which in some places has been found to 
 exceed in thickness one hundred and twenty feet. Both clays 
 contain at least 20 per cent., by weight, of carbonate of lime, 
 and this marly character injures them materially for the 
 manufacture of bricks or pottery. 
 
 On the western slope of the peninsula the place of the 
 yellow and blue clays is sometimes supplied by clay of a 
 reddish color of great thickness. No fossils have yet been 
 discovered in any of the clays of this formation. 
 
244 APPENDIX. 
 
 Coal Measures. 
 
 The rocks which include the coal beds of our State occupy, 
 comparatively, but a small portion of that part of the State 
 under consideration, and are embraced within the counties of 
 Jackson, Calhoun, Ingham, Eaton, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Shia- 
 wassee and Genesee. They consist of strata of sandstone, 
 shale, coal and limestone. Covered as these rocks are with 
 thick deposits of diluviums and clays, they make out crops at 
 but few points, and the determination of their order and extent 
 has been a matter of no small difficulty. From the dip of the 
 rocks composing these measures there can be little doubt that 
 the coal basin extends northerly beyond the counties named, 
 perhaps as far as to the head branches of the Tittabawassee 
 and Maskego Eivers. But that country is as yet almost wholly 
 unsettled, and though partial explorations have been made 
 through it since the commencement of the geological surveys, 
 the thick mass of overlying materials has hitherto prevented 
 a determination of the northerly extent of these rocks 
 
 Limestone Stratum. 
 
 As this stratum, from its position, (being the lowest in the 
 series) determines the extent of the rocks considered as com- 
 posing our coal basin, I shall, for the sake of greater precision 
 give to it the first consideration. 
 
 A gray limestone, in irregular, detached beds, is found 
 along the extreme border of the coal bearing sandstones. 
 They are evidently relics, in place, of a thin but extensive 
 stratum, and as no coal has been found below this rock, I have 
 assumed it as the terminating rock of the " coal measures" 
 proper of our state. Following this rock, as it makes its occa- 
 sional appearance, the southerly limits of the coal basin may 
 be traced by a line drawn from the Shiawassee Eiver, at 
 Corunna, through the easterly parts of Ingham and Jackson, 
 between ranges one and two east to near Napoleon in the latter 
 county. It then turns westerly through town three south, 
 ranges one and two west ; from whence, taking a direction 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 245 
 
 north-westerly it pursues an irregular line, passing through 
 Bellevue in the south-west corner of Eaton county to Grand 
 Kapids, in Kent county. Here the liine rock is more extended 
 and a thickness has been determined to it of fourteen feet. 
 The rock is characterized by the fossils Nucula and Cyatho- 
 phyllum vermiculare. This stratum affords the only lime- 
 stone for the kiln or other purposes, except occasional boulders, 
 to be found in the interior of the state, and its value is the 
 more to be appreciated as the formation is itself of very limited 
 extent. 
 
 Lower Coal. 
 
 But two continuous beds of workable coal are ascertained 
 to exist in the state. The lowest of these lies at a small dis- 
 tance only above the limestone stratum, and is associated with 
 a very thick bed of shale, which is also sufficiently bituminous 
 to answer the purpose of an inferior coal. 
 
 Coal of Jackson County. That portion of the lower coal bed 
 which underlies a portion of this county makes an outcrop in 
 the valley of Sandstone Creek, town of Spring Arbor, and has 
 there been penetrated to the depth of three feet. The thick 
 bed of shale opened at Jackson undoubtedly is associated with 
 and belongs to this coal stratum. 
 
 Coal of Ingham County. Passing down the easterly side of 
 the basin the coal is again met with ,in the north-east corner 
 town of Ingham county, where it is embraced in a succession 
 of shales and friable sandstone, cropping out in the bank sand 
 bed of the Eed Cedar Kiver. The coal has here been pene- 
 trated two and a half feet. But neither here nor in Jackson 
 county is the entire thickness of the bed determined. "The 
 coal at this point," as is observed in the report of Mr. Doug- 
 lass, of last year, "is very accessible, and must, ere long, 
 prove of great importance. It is situated on a stream that may 
 be made navigable for flat bottomed boats and perogues, with 
 comparatively small expense, for a considerable portion of the 
 year, and opening a direct communication with Lake Michi- 
 gan. " 
 
246 APPENDIX. 
 
 It may here be observed that the coal of this lower bed, 
 universally, has more than usual compactness and purity, and 
 is equal to the best bituminous coal of Pennsylvania. 
 
 Coal of Shiawassee County. The coal again makes its ap- 
 pearance at the border of the basin near the county seat of 
 Shiawassee county, where it crops out between thick and 
 extensive layers of sandstone in the banks of the small creek 
 entering Shiawassee Eiver. The coal has here a thickness of 
 from three and a half to four feet, and is accompanied by shale 
 the entire thickness of which is not ascertained. This coal is 
 very eligibly situated for mining. It is of excellent quality," 
 and the dip is so slight that but little depth of excavation will 
 be required. This is the only locality in the state where coal, 
 to much extent, has been raised for economical use. Both the 
 coal and associated shale are constantly employed to great 
 advantage at the steam mill of Mr. McArthur, in Corunna, as 
 well as by neighboring smiths. 
 
 From an area of eight by nine feet Mr. McA. raised four 
 hundred and sixty bushels of coal and shale, and he informs 
 me it can be sold at the county seat for ten cents per bushel. 
 
 The underlying limerock stratum makes an out crop about 
 a mile south-west from this point, in a bed of probably many 
 acres in extent. 
 
 Shales of Flint Eiver. The coal bed and its accoinpaning 
 shale may be traced still further east, to the Flint ^ Eiver, in 
 Genesee county. Here the former probably has nearly thinned 
 out, as only loose masses are found in [the bed of the river. 
 The associated black shale and slate may be observed in the 
 river banks, (town eight north, five west, ) where it attains a 
 thickness of sixteen feet, and is underlaid by the sandrock. 
 
 The coal of the Shiawassee and Flint Eivers appears to 
 occupy the extreme edge of the coal basin, which here thins 
 out into a wedge form, narrowing gradually until it terminates 
 in a mere point, probably as far easterly as Lapeer county. 
 The inclination of the strata is north-westerly, to an amount 
 which would soon carry the coal beneath the surface j but 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 247 
 
 appearances seem to warrant the conclusion that at this point 
 a large part of the rocks of the coal measures continued north- 
 erly have been entirely removed. 
 
 Upper Coal. 
 
 The outcrops of this coal, within that part of the state under 
 consideration are of small extent. It is found at the surface 
 on or near Grand Biver, in the northern part of Eaton county, 
 and with its] associated shales and sandstones, occupies the 
 central part of the coal basin, probably including the whole of 
 Clinton and Gratiot counties. Except in the extreme south- 
 west corner of the former county it lies too deep for examina- 
 tion. 
 
 Most of this coal is inferior in quality and thickness to the 
 lower coal. It composes several layers not exceeding in thick- 
 ness from one to two feet each, and is embraced in alternating 
 strata of dark gray shales, blue clay, sandstones and thin beds 
 of argillaceous iron ore, exceeding in the whole 20 feet. 
 
 Coal of Eaton County. Sections of the alternating strata of 
 coal and accompanying rocks, taken on Coal and Grindstone 
 Creeks, were given by Mr. Douglass in his report of last year. 
 
 As that report contained full local details of all the coal- 
 bearing rocks of Jackson, Ingham and Eaton counties, I shall 
 here allude to the rocks of that portion of the state only in 
 such a general manner as will be necessary in order to afford 
 a comprehensive view of the extent and value of the coal 
 measures of our state. By reference to the document alluded 
 to, it will be seen that, though inferior in thickness to the 
 lower coal bed, the several strata of coal exposed on the creeks 
 above mentioned, have an aggregate thickness of from two to 
 three feet, and will, no doubt, prove of importance under a 
 more settled condition of that portion of the state. 
 
 INCLUDED SANDSTONES OF THE COAL MEASURES. 
 
 Gray and Yellow Sandstones. The sandrocks included 
 between the upper and lower coal are mostly of a coarse quart- 
 
248 APPENDIX. 
 
 zose character, and of a light gray or yellow color. Most of 
 the strata are friable, but harden on exposure. They are dis- 
 tinguished from the quartzose sandstone below the lower coal, 
 by containing impressions of the coal plants. These are refer- 
 able chiefly to the genera Lipidodendron, Stigmaria and 
 Calamities. 
 
 These rocks are found outcropping at numerous points 
 through the northern part of Jackson county, the western 
 part of Ingham and eastern part of Eaton counties, and por- 
 tions of Calhoun, Clinton, Shiawassee and Genesee. In all of 
 the above named counties they occur in situations which 
 admit of being economically quarried, and may often be 
 obtained in firm blocks of any dimensions required. From 
 this series of sandrocks was furnished the material for the 
 construction of the State penitentiary at Jackson, and at 
 several places, as at Napoleon, excellent grindstones are 
 manufactured from it. 
 
 Bed or variegated sandstone. This rock immediately under- 
 lies the upper coal and shales. Its outcropping edge is found 
 in the valley of Grand Eiver in the northern part of Eaton 
 county, and in the banks of the Lookingglass Eiver, in the 
 adjoining towns of Clinton county, and in township seven 
 north, six west, Ionia county. No fossil plant was discovered 
 in this rock. It has been employed with advantage as a 
 building material. The entire thickness of the included sand- 
 stones must be several hundred feet. 
 
 The following general section will exhibit at one view, the 
 relative order and thickness of all the rocks of our coal meas- 
 ures, above described, so far as a subdivision of them has 
 been found practicable. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 249 
 
 General Section, Applicable to the Coal Basin of Michigan. 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Diluviums and tertiary clays 1 to 100 
 
 Brown or gray sandstone* 20 
 
 Argillaceous iron ore, in thin included beds* 1 
 
 Coal strata, alternating with friable slaty sandstone 
 and thick beds of black shales and slate,* in the 
 whole probably 30 
 
 Eed or variegated sandstone (Clinton and Ionia 
 counties) 
 
 d 
 
 Light gray, coarse, quartzose, micaceous sandstones. 
 Generally in thick layers and forming ledges, 
 mostly friable and easily quarried (seen at intervals ^ 
 along Grand Eiver from Jackson to Grindstone 
 Creek, Eaton county) 
 
 Coal and black bituminous shale (Jackson, Inghain, 
 Shiawassee and Genesee) 20 
 
 Thickness. 
 
 Blue, compact, slaty sandstone (Shiawassee co) 
 
 Gray limestone, found in local beds, being relics in 
 place of a once continuous stratum (encircles the 
 coal basin from Grand Eapids to Shiawassee Kiver) 
 
 14 
 
 The rocks in the above section embrace all those which are 
 included in the division marked C in the "geological section" 
 prefixed to this report. 
 
 SANDSTONES IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE COAL. 
 
 These sandstones (marked D. in the plate), as well as most 
 of the formations below the coal, were fully described in my 
 
 "Counties of Clinton and Eaton. 
 
250 APPENDIX. 
 
 report of last year. I shall, therefore, now notice them only 
 so far as to exhibit their relative position in the series, viewed 
 as a whole, and the extent of country occupied by them. 
 
 These sandstones, which in the report alluded to are 
 described under the name of fossiliferous, ferruginous sandstones, 
 excepting in some of the uppermost strata, are generally fine 
 grained and of a yellow color. Some strata of the latter 
 abound in marine fossil shells, among which the genus Nucula 
 is very abundant, and there were observed species of Atrypa, 
 Bellerophon, Euomphalis and Pterinea. 
 
 Though here classed as beneath the coal rocks, these sand- 
 stones are associated with that series of rocks which are 
 usually regarded as belonging to the carboniferous era. They 
 occupy nearly the whole of Calhoun county, the lower half of 
 Jackson and the northern half of Hillsdale county ; through 
 which counties their outcrops may be observed at numerous 
 points, or they are reached in almost all the deep wells. It is 
 probable, also, that these rocks occupy most of the eastern 
 portions of Jackson and Shiawassee counties east of the lime- 
 stone stratum above described ; and they make their appear- 
 ance at its eastern edge on Lake Huron, near the entrance of 
 Saginaw Bay. 
 
 The aggregate thickness of these sandstones may be esti- 
 mated at upwards of 300 feet. 
 
 CLAY, CONTAINING KIDNEY ORE OF IRON. 
 
 This very valuable formation immediately succeeds to the 
 sandstones above described, underlying them and cropping 
 out at the extreme southerly bend of the basin. It occupies 
 a part of the south-western portion of Calhoun county, the 
 whole north-eastern portion of Branch county, or nearly so, 
 and part of the western and central portions of Hillsdale. 
 
 It consists of an indurated, grayish brown clay, having 
 much the appearance of a shaly limestone or dark gypsum, 
 regularly stratified, in which are imbedded nodular masses of 
 kidney ironstone. This is a rich and valuable ore and occurs 
 at several points conveniently for working. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 251 
 
 This formation is the lowest that is discoverable in this 
 portion of the state, and is not certainly known to make an 
 outcrop elsewhere. 
 
 For further description of this clay and its contained ore, 
 I refer you to the annual report of the State Geologist of 1840, 
 and to my own appended thereto, for many practical considera- 
 tions relative to the value of the ore and its imbedding clay. 
 This formation is marked E, in the plate. 
 
 SANDSTONES OF POINT AUX BARQUES. 
 
 These are mostly of coarse, greenish gray or rusty yellow 
 rock, in some of the layers approaching a conglomerate. 
 They form cliffs along the shore of Lake Huron in Huron 
 county, rising at Point aux Barques to twenty feet. Fossils 
 are rare, but Atrypa and Calymene were obtained. These 
 sandstones occupy the coast north of town seventeen, being 
 visible in ledges for about twenty miles. The upper portion 
 of the series contains numerous small imbedded pebbles of 
 quartz, so as to resemble a conglomerate of puddingstone, 
 but no great thickness is observable of rock possessing this 
 character. 
 
 An extension of the outcropping edge of these sandstones, 
 it is probable, gives rise to that swell of land which forms the 
 summit level of the peninsula, stretching in a south-westerly 
 direction from Point aux Barques to Hillsdale county, where 
 the green and yellow fossiliferous sandstones, above described, 
 overlie it. But throughout this whole extent no outcrop of 
 the rock is visible owing to the thickness of the diluviums. 
 
 These sandrocks, taken in connection with the formation 
 next described, hold a place in the geological series, corres- 
 ponding to the "waverly sandstones," and " conglomerate," 
 of Ohio, but the deposition seems to have been made under 
 somewhat differing circumstances. No well defined series is 
 apparent in our state answering fully to the Ohio conglom- 
 erate ; though the upper portion of the sandstones of Point 
 aux Barques approach that character. 
 
252 APPENDIX. 
 
 The whole thickness of these sandstones probably exceeds 
 250 feet. This group is marked F, in the plate. 
 
 CLAY SLATES AND FLAGS OF LAKE HURON. 
 
 Alternating with the lower portions of the sandstones of 
 Point aux Barques, are strata of slaty sandstone, approaching 
 the character of slate ; to which succeeds a compact micaceous 
 clay slate of a blue color. This latter rock continues to occupy 
 the coast for about thirty miles, or from township twelve to 
 township eighteen north, and rises in ledges of from five to 
 fifteen feet. 
 
 The slaty sandstones intervening between these clay slates 
 and the overlying coarser sandstones are of a flaggy structure 
 in some of the layers, and from these were obtained those fine 
 flagging stones which have been extensively used for three 
 years past for pavements in the city of Detroit. Some of 
 these strata are distinguished by ripple marks. No fossils have 
 been discovered in this formation. 
 
 These slates and alternating sandstones may be considered 
 as the upper salt rock of our state. They have been passed 
 through in boring for salt at Grand Eapids, and found to 
 yield strong supplies of brine. At this point they are found 
 also to alternate with beds of gypsum and gypserous marls, as 
 will appear by reference to the table of the strata passed 
 through, given on a subsequent page. The thickness ascer- 
 tained to these slates, at that point is about 170 feet. 
 
 SOFT, COARSE RAINED SANDSTONE. 
 
 A series of sandrocks answering to this description, and 
 generally of a dark color, succeeds to the clay slates and shales 
 last above described, and has been penetrated at the borings at 
 Grand Eapids 230 feet. There are, as yet, no data for ascer- 
 taining the entire thickness of this series, since it does not 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 253 
 
 make its appearance at any point on the coast of the penin- 
 sula, this rock evidently forming the bed of Lake Huron near 
 its foot, and lying too deep for observation. In relative posi- 
 tion and perhaps in character, this rock, or a portion of the 
 series corresponds with the lower salt rock of Ohio and Vir- 
 ginia, and is the rock from which, in these states, the strongest 
 supplies of brine are obtained. The result of the borings in 
 our own state, thus far, would seem to confirm the opinion 
 that this rock is the equivalent of the lower salt rocks of those 
 states. 
 
 BLACK, BITUMINOUS, ALUMINOUS SLATE. 
 
 Underlying the sandstones above noticed, though, also, 
 nowhere observed to make an outcrop within the portion of 
 the state now under considerate . there is a well character 
 ized black bituminous slate. .s rock makes an outcrop 
 
 much further to the north, and is described by Mr. Douglass in 
 his accompanying report, to which I refer you. This slate 
 contains much sulphuret of iron ; it will burn readily, and in 
 general character and position it agrees with the black shale 
 stratum of Ohio and Indiana, but its thickness is probably not 
 nearly so great. 
 
 LIMESTONES OF LAKE ERIE. 
 
 This formation, which immediately underlies the black 
 slate, is by far the most continuous and extensive rock forma- 
 tion in the western states. It is found outcropping in several 
 district ranges throughout Monroe county, forms a consider- 
 able part of the lake coast and serves as a basis to the islands 
 at the mouth of Detroit Eiver, and is an extension of the rock 
 formation which occupies the whole western part of Ohio and 
 the northern and eastern portions of Indiana. It is found 
 forming the bed of Lake Michigan at its head, and undoubt- 
 edly is the underlying rock of a considerable portion of the 
 
254 APPENDIX. 
 
 extreme south-western part of our state. The overlying ter- 
 tiary clays conceal a great part of this formation. 
 
 The character and economical adaption of these limestones 
 have been sufficintly set forth in former reports, to which, 
 accordingly, I refer you for detailed information. 
 
 Among the fossils contained in the limerock I distinguish 
 the following genera : Calymene and Asaphus, Cyathophyl- 
 lum, Productus, Terebratula, Spirifer and Dethlyrus, Bellero- 
 phon, Atrypa, Strophomena, Orthocera, Encrinus, Eetepora 
 and Madrepora. 
 
 In proceeding southerly from the outcrops of the slates of 
 Lake Huron a limerock is met with, which may be seen in the 
 bed of a small stream near the lake coast, town nine, north, 
 sixteen east. In character and fossil contents it bears a resem- 
 blance to that of Monguagon, Monroe county, but its position 
 would seem to indicate it rather as an included stratum in the 
 series of sandrocks and shale, which are higher in the geo- 
 logical series. 
 
 The following general section will exhibit the order of 
 succession and approximate thickness of the rocks above 
 described, lying below the coal basin, and is a continuation of 
 the table given on page 249 of the successive rock formations 
 of the settled portions of our peninsula: 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 255 
 
 General section, applicable to all the rocks below the coal beds of 
 Michigan, in that portion of the peninsula included in this report. 
 
 Mean 
 
 thickness 
 
 in feet 
 
 Sandstones of 
 Jackson, Cal- 
 houn and 
 Hillsdale. 
 
 Coarse quartzose, grayish sand- 
 rocks. 
 
 Fine grained, ash colored and 
 dingy green, interstratified 
 with slaty sandstone and clay 
 shales. 
 
 Yellow sandrocks, colored by 
 iron, and abounding in fossils 
 
 300 
 
 Dark gray and blue indurated clay, containing 
 kidney iron (counties of Hillsdale, Branch 
 and Calhoun) 45 
 
 Coarse sandstone, or partial conglomerate, 
 Yellow and greenish sandstones (coast of Lake 
 Huron, at Point aux Barques) 250 
 
 Slaty, argillaceous sandstone, alternating with 
 sandstone and clay slates, 
 
 Blue clay slates and flays, with alternating gyp- 
 sum beds and gypseous marls (Lake Huron 
 coast, below Point aux Barques) 180 
 
 Soft, coarse grained sandstones (occupies bed of 
 Lake Huron at its foot), exceeds ^ 230 
 
 Black aluminous slate, containing pyrites (coast 
 of Lake Huron at Thunder Bay) 
 
 Gray limerock, fossils abundant (west end of 
 Lake Erie) 
 
 The rocks in the above section embrace all those which are 
 included in the divisions marked D, E, F, G, H, I, and K, in 
 the GEOLOGICAL SECTION prefixed to this report. 
 
256 APPENDIX. 
 
 Dip of the Rocks. 
 
 Great irregularities of dip are observable in all of our rocks, 
 which circumstance has increased the difficulty of determin- 
 ing the precise relative position, extent and thickness of the 
 several strata. Many of the sandstones belonging to and 
 immediately underlying the coal, are much shattered, as if by 
 a quick vibratory motion, and a similar cause has occasioned 
 contortions of dip in most of the still older rocks. I have, 
 therefore, refrained from noting the amount and direction of 
 dip at the various localities mentioned. All the rocks on the 
 eastern slope of the peninsula south of Saginaw Bay have a 
 general dip north-westerly, while the dip along the southerly 
 and westerly border of the basin of the coal bearing rocks is 
 such as to indicate the counties of Clinton and Gratiot as occupy- 
 ing nearly the central part of the coal basin. This being the 
 case, the carboniferous sandstones, with their included coal 
 beds, may be considered as extending far to the north of the 
 Saginaw and Grand Bivers, possibly as far as town 23 north, 
 or to the head waters of the Maskego and Tittabawassee 
 Eivers. This supposition, the character of that region, as well 
 as the dip of the rocks would seem to warrant. But the 
 country alluded to, is, at present, in an uninhabited condition; 
 the surface, moreover, is very generally level, and so com- 
 pletely overspread by the deposits of diluviums and tertiary 
 clays as totally to conceal the rock formations. Surveys have, 
 however, been extended into thatjregion so far as was practic- 
 able with the means afforded, and much valuable information 
 is collected. 
 
 If I am correct in the above conclusion, the coal bearing 
 sandstones, or, strictly speaking, the coal basin occupy an 
 extent of surface, nearly oval in form, whose centre very 
 nearly corresponds with the true centre of the peninsula. The 
 tract thus embraced is 150 miles in length, north and south, 
 and upwards of 100 in extreme breadth ; covering an area of 
 about 11,000 square miles, or one-fourth of the entire area of 
 the lower peninsula. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 257 
 
 It may be added, that the average dip of all the rocks 
 described, does not probably exceed 15 feet in the mile ; though 
 the dip may be said to vary, at different points, from 10 to 20 
 feet per mile. 
 
 Borings at the Salt Well, Grand Rapids. 
 
 The borings for salt at the village of Grand Eapids, Kent 
 county, commenced in the limerock stratum mentioned above, 
 page 244, as constituting the terminating rock of the coal basin. 
 At this point, several of the next succeeding series of sand- 
 rocks appear to have thinned out, and their place is here occu- 
 pied by alternating strata of clay slates and sandstones with 
 gypseous marls and beds of gypsum. These continued to a 
 depth of 190 feet, and below this the borings have been carried 
 mostly through series of sandrocks to the depth of 415 feet. 
 
 Two beds of beautiful crystalized gypsum were passed 
 through at a depth of about 60 feet, and were found to be from 
 4 to 6 feet in thickness. This gypsum, it will be recollected, 
 from the notice of it in former reports, appears at the surface 
 at Gypsum Creek, three miles distant ; showing an inclination 
 to the rocks, at this point, of about 20 feet in the mile. 
 
 By reference to a map of the state, it will be apparent that 
 the strongest brine springs, (among which are included those 
 in the vicinity of these borings,) make their appearance along 
 a line which will be found to correspond with the "synclinal 
 axis," or axis of the dip of the rocks composing the great 
 peninsula basin; a circumstance which would be looked for from 
 the fact that the ordinary law of gravitation would conduct the 
 strong brines to the lowest levels of the rock strata. While, 
 therefore, the depth to which the boring must be carried, in 
 order to reach the lower salt bearing strata, will be greater 
 than would be the case in some other portions of the state, the 
 comparative strength of the brine obtained may be expected 
 to be proportionably increased. 
 
 Through the politeness of the Hon. Lucius Lyon, I am 
 enabled to subjoin a section of the strata passed through at 
 the boring above mentioned. 
 
 (17) 
 
258 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Diagram of Strata passed through at salt well of Hon. L. Lyon, 
 
 Grand Rapids. 
 
 Thickness 
 in feet. 
 
 Total depth 
 feet 
 
 1 Hard gray limerock, irregularly stratified, and in 
 
 portions cavernous 14 14 
 
 Yellow Sandrock, producing fresh water 6 20 
 
 3 Blue clay 2 22 
 
 4 Coarse, reddish sandrock 5 27 
 
 Blue clay 3 30 
 
 6 Clay slate, with thin layers of gypsum interstrati- 
 
 fied 11 41 
 
 7 Clay slate 18 59 
 
 8 Gypsum 4 63 
 
 9 Clay slate 2 65 
 
 10 Gypsum 6 71 
 
 11 Clay slate 3 74 
 
 Bluish sandrock, very hard, with sharp grit... 3 82 
 
 13 Bluish clay rock, intermixed with particles of red- 
 
 dish rock, compact. This rock is strongly im- 
 pregnated with saline particles 18 100 
 
 14 Sand and clay rock, alternating 7 107 
 
 15 Carbonate of lime and gypsum combined, very 
 
 compact .*. 10 117 
 
 16 Gypsum 7 124 
 
 17 Clay slate 9 133 
 
 18 Gray sandrock of very sharp grit and hard 5 138 
 
 Clay rock 2 140^ 
 
 Gypsum, with vein of salt water 6 147 
 
 Clay rock. 6 153 
 
 22 Gypsum and clay slate, or gypseous marls, alternat- 
 ing 19 172 
 
 Gypsum 3 175 
 
 24 Clay rock 3 178 
 
 25 Gypsum 1 179 
 
 26 Hard sandrock, producing fresh water 1 180J 
 
 27 Clay rock, free from saline matter 10| 191 
 
 28 Hard sandrock, very compact and of dark color 7 198 
 
 Soft sandrock, nearly colorless 18 216 
 
 30 Soft sandrock, of dark blue color 32 248 
 
 31 Loose, coarse grained sandrock, of reddish color, 
 
 opening a very copious spring of fresh water 17 265 
 
 Below the strata last noted in the above table, the borings 
 have continued through a further depth of 150 feet, but the 
 data received are not sufficiently minute to enable me to 
 extend the table. From the information obtained, they 
 would seem to have passed through mostly soft, light colored 
 sandrocks of a coarse grain and with a sharp grit, and in the 
 lower portions containing cavities into which the drill some- 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 259 
 
 times falls several inches. Particles of salt were brought up, 
 and the rock yields a very strong brine. 
 
 All the strata from the depth of 81 to 179 feet, or until the 
 sandrock was reached, were strongly impregnated with saline 
 particles, and yielded brine one-fifth saturated. These clay 
 slates and marls may be regarded as the "upper salt rock," 
 and they are thus shown to furnish a brine superior in 
 strength to that of many of the salt wells of Ohio, and which, 
 even could no stronger brine be obtained, is capable of sus- 
 taining a profitable manufacture. 
 
 The brine now obtained at a depth below the above of 
 about 230 feet, may be supposed to proceed by veins from the 
 "lower salt rock," lying at still greater depth, and from 
 which the strongest and best supplies of brine in our State 
 may be expected to be obtained. 
 
 The immense quantity of fresh or slightly brackish water 
 which is discharged through the orifice, equal to a hogshead 
 per minute, in the present state of the operations, renders it 
 impossible to decide with absolute certainty what will be the 
 full strength as well as supply of the strong brine, but from 
 that which can be obtained it is estimated that of the brine 
 which the well is now capable of furnishing from fifty to sixty 
 gallons only will be required to produce a bushel of salt. 
 This, it will be seen, is equal in point of strength to that 
 obtained from the salt wells on the Kenawha River of the 
 Ohio, where the borings are carried to about the same depth, 
 and at which are manufactured annually from one to two 
 millions of bushels of salt. Next to those of the State of 
 New York the Kenawha salt wells are considered the best in 
 the Union. 
 
 In addition to the quality of the brine obtained, the 
 advantages for the manufacture of salt at the point under 
 consideration are not exceeded at those places in our country 
 where the manufacture is conducted to the largest extent. 
 The supply of wood for fuel and other necessary purposes is 
 abundant, and will tend greatly to reduce the price for which 
 the manufacturers will be enabled to furnish this article. 
 
260 APPENDIX. 
 
 And, though the whole matter may be said to be still in an 
 incipient state, there is every reason to feel satisfied with the 
 prospect which so fair a beginning holds out to the State, for 
 obtaining a result so very desirable as that of supplying her 
 citizens with this important article from the product of her 
 own manufacture. 
 
 SUMMARY, 
 
 
 
 Comprising General Observations on the Economical Results of 
 
 the Survey. 
 
 From the view we have now taken of the rock strata which 
 compose the lower half of the southern peninsula of Michigan, 
 it will be seen that the geology is of an exceedingly simple 
 character, while it is at the same time richest in the mineral 
 wealth most important to an agricultural community. 
 
 Michigan occupies a portion of the great valley of ,the 
 Mississippi the richest in the world and which is wholly 
 occupied by a broad extent of the rocks classed by geologists 
 in the transition and secondary formations. Of these the 
 great limestone formation (of which that of the west end of 
 Lake Erie is a portion, and which concluded our view of the 
 several geological groups which make up the organized por- 
 tion of the State) occupies the lowest place, and is the lowest 
 and oldest of the rocks found on the lower peninsula of 
 Michigan. The upper peninsula of our State, as will be seen 
 by the report of the State Geologist, is constituted of lower 
 and still older rocks, and presents in consequence a very 
 different aspect as well as a different mineral character from 
 the lower peninsula. 
 
 The most important of the minerals usually associated 
 with the rocks of those formations which compose lower or 
 Michigan proper are iron and lead ores, coal, salt, gypsum 
 and marls. There are no indications which would warrant 
 the snpposition that lead, in any valuable quantity, exists on 
 the lower peninsula. At least it may be positively assumed 
 that no ores of lead will be found throughout any of the 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 261 
 
 present organized counties of the State. All the other 
 minerals mentioned exist, and some of them, as has been 
 shown, in great abundance. The results of the examinations 
 into the economical geology of the State, as regards the most 
 important of its minerals, I shall here briefly recapitulate. 
 
 IRON. An ore of this mineral, under the form of kidney 
 iron-stone, exists chiefly in the counties of Branch and Hills- 
 dale. It is sufficiently extensive to be of much value, and 
 will give an average yield of about 30 per cent, of metal. 
 This ore is embraced in the clay formation described on page 
 250 of this report, and a more extended notice will be found 
 in the geological report of 1840. 
 
 Iron, under the form of bog ores, is found in various parts 
 of the State. The most extensive deposits, and those alone 
 which it may be safe to assert will yield a rich profit, are at 
 the county seat of Kalamazoo, near Concord, in Jackson 
 county, in the county of Oakland, and perhaps Wayne. No 
 furnaces for the reduction of these ores have yet been erected. 
 It is shown by the late census, that there are 15 furnaces in 
 the State for the casting of pig iron, requiring 614 tons, and 
 the whole amount of iron imported, under various forms, is 
 much greater. The cost of this importation, which in so 
 heavy an article as iron is very considerable, might and ought 
 to be saved to the State by a domestic manufacture from our 
 own material. For more detailed observations, and an 
 account of the localities in which this ore occurs, see geologi- 
 cal report of 1840. 
 
 BITUMINOUS COAL will be found in abundance for all the 
 wants of the State. The only locality where mining opera- 
 tions have been commenced is at Corunna, Shiawassee county, 
 where this mineral has been already used to considerable 
 extent, and though in the midst of a heavily timbered country 
 is for many purposes preferred to wood or other combustible. 
 Other points also, eligibly situated for the mining of coal, 
 have been made known in Ingham, Eaton and Jackson coun- 
 ties, and it may be fairly inferred from the facts already 
 
262 APPENDIX. 
 
 determined of the range of coal bearing rocks, that outcrops 
 of the coal beds will be found at numerous other points than 
 those now known in these counties, and that coal will also be 
 discovered in several counties where it is not now known to 
 exist, as through parts of Kent, Ionia and Genesee counties. 
 (See further, as to the lower coal beds, page 245 of this Re- 
 port.) 
 
 SALT. There no longer exists any doubt that this mineral 
 may be obtained at a cheap rate and in any required quantity, 
 for supplying the great and increasing demand in our State. 
 The operations commenced at the State salt wells near Grand 
 Eapids, Kent county, and on the Tittabawassee, Midland 
 county, are not sufficiently advanced to determine the extent 
 of the anticipated profit of the manufacture. The strongest 
 brine obtained up to this time at the salt well of Mr. Lyon, at 
 Grand Eapids, will, without doubt, prove as productive as 
 that of the best wells of Ohio and Virginia. So that the 
 present results may be considered as certainly indicative of 
 the success that was formerly supposed would attend the 
 boring for salt if properly conducted within our State. 
 
 Michigan imports salt probably to the amount of $300,000 
 annually, which large amount of money might, as it soon 
 will, be saved to the State, by the supplies furnished from her 
 own resources. The average price of salt at the ports of 
 entry has been about three dollars per barrel for the last four 
 years. But when the works now in progress shall have been 
 brought into successful operation, supposing no stronger brine 
 to be obtained than that above stated, the article of salt can 
 be furnished at a much less price than it now costs the 
 consumer. 
 
 GYPSUM. An extensive deposit of this very valuable 
 mineral occurs in the vicinity of Grand Eapids. The bed is 
 here very extensive, is about six feet in thickness, and in 
 quality is equal to the best gypsum of Nova Scotia. The 
 same mineral is found elsewhere in our State, but this is by 
 far the most important locality at present known, and one 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 263 
 
 that affords every facility for quarrying and distributing the 
 mineral over the State. A mill was erected during the past 
 summer, and the ground plaster, for manure, is already 
 manufactured in considerable quantities. 
 
 Though the above locality is the only one known at which 
 gypsum occurs, in the interior of our State, yet from the 
 ascertained geological character and dip of our rocks, and the 
 associations of this mineral it may be presumed that gypsum 
 and its associated marls will be hereafter disclosed at other 
 points in the vicinity of the above bed, and that it will be 
 found also to occur at other localities in the interior which are 
 concealed from present observation. 
 
 SHELL MARL occurs in the greatest abundance throughout 
 the State, but more especially among the marshes and lakes of 
 the openings. It forms deposits, varying in extent from 1 
 acre to 100, and these are pretty widely distributed. Its 
 exceeding great value and cheapness as a manure is far from 
 being truly appreciated by our citizens. But the time is 
 rapidly approaching when this invaluable mineral will be no 
 longer despised because it is abundant, simple and cheap, and 
 our State will then find in her numerous marl beds one of the 
 richest treasures of which she is possessed. For a full account 
 of the nature and uses of this mineral, the reader is referred 
 to page 94 of the report of 1840, and to previous reports. 
 
 The character, applications and value of the rocks with 
 which the above mentioned minerals are associated, together 
 with other matters of practical interest connected with the 
 geological structure of our State, are so fully detailed in the 
 preceding pages and in previous reports, that further allusion 
 to them in this place is deemed unnecessary. 
 
 From the foregoing facts it cannot fail to be seen that 
 while the soils of our State are admirably adapted to the 
 various purposes of agriculture, and for the production of 
 wheat the most important product of the soil superior to 
 those of any known portion of the Union, Michigan possesses 
 
264 APPENDIX. 
 
 also within herself all the mineral treasures that are really 
 requisite for sustaining and renovating her soil, for supplying 
 the wants of her homesteads, and for maintaining those 
 branches of domestic industry which are of the most importance 
 to her people. Thus science discloses those treasures buried in 
 the earth which art and industry may appropriate to increase 
 the profits of labor. And though the objects of science are 
 general in their nature, and not confined by the limits of 
 districts or states, the legislator feels a peculiar interest in 
 having those resources developed by its aid, which may be 
 turned to the advantage of his rising commonwealth; com- 
 merce, agriculture and the arts receive a stimulus by the new 
 sources of wealth and supply which it opens to the wants of 
 each. In this view the study of geology becomes one of the 
 most universally useful that can occupy the attention of 
 practical men. 
 
 In comparing the extent of our resources thus obtained 
 with the little that was known concerning them a few years 
 ago, we have reason to feel satisfied with the prospect of future 
 wealth and importance which it has opened to us. If during 
 the stirring times of an early settlement so rapid as has been 
 that of our State for the past five years, less interest was 
 excite^ by the development of our mineral resources than their 
 importance might demand, a satisfactory cause may be found 
 in the imperfect state of the knowledge hithereto obtained, 
 and in the pressure of the more immediate wants of a new, 
 somewhat fluctuating and unsettled community. During the 
 period mentioned, however, the population of southern 
 Michigan has advanced from a less number probably than 
 60,000 to 212,000, a rate of increase unexampled even in the 
 annals of a series of settlements, to the progress of which the 
 world affords no parallel. Meanwhile the liberal course of 
 our State policy has been steadily unfolding her resources, 
 and at this moment, notwithstanding the burden of a heavy 
 debt, and the accumulated pressure of more widely felt 
 financial difficulties, we are rapidly advancing in wealth, and 
 are becoming awakened to the means of which we find our- 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 265 
 
 selves possessed for successfully competing with older States, 
 in the departments of agriculture, commerce and manu- 
 factures. With lands among the richest in the world, well 
 watered and advantageously situated for market, with water 
 power abundant, and with an extent of coast and facilities 
 for water transportation unequalled by any other inland State, 
 and added to this a population possessed of a large share of 
 that character for enterprise which distinguishes their coun- 
 trymen, nothing will tend more to give full efficacy and per- 
 manency to these advantages than to make more perfectly 
 known the value of our mineral resources. Our State is now 
 sufficiently advanced to be able to avail herself properly and 
 with certainty of the advantages alluded to, and there is every 
 reason to believe that these will not longer fail to command 
 attention, and that the results will equal the most sanguine 
 anticipations. 
 
 BELA HUBBAED, 
 
 Assistant Geologist. 
 
 No. 4 Report of S. W. Higgins, topographer of geologi- 
 cal survey, Jan. 24, 1841, states that the topographer has in 
 his present report brought together such observations relating 
 to the magnetic variation in this State as will, he trusts, 
 
 assist hereafter in affixing data to important facts: 
 
 
 
 The general law regulating the forces of magnetism with 
 its direction and intensity has been untiringly studied, until 
 by certain tests it has at last been discovered that palpable 
 effects are produced by the magnet on all substances whether 
 organic or inorganic, and there seem to be only two ways of 
 accounting for the phenomena: "either that all substances in 
 nature are susceptible of magnetism, or all possess particles 
 of iron or some other magnetic metal from which this 
 property is derived.' 7 
 
266 APPENDIX. 
 
 The obvious perturbations of the needle as seen in all 
 situations at times arise from many small causes combined, 
 and which, so far as they exert their force, influence the 
 greater power of terrestrial magnetism, whereby it becomes 
 proportionably feeble, as these combinations are multiplied. 
 Atmospheric changes operate still further and in a more 
 sudden manner to affect the needle, but the first causes men- 
 tioned are the most perplexing, and surveyors have attributed 
 to local causes that which is found to be inherent in all sub- 
 stances. 
 
 The following single experiment will evince how far local 
 causes are concerned in general. If a small needle be con- 
 structed of any substance and suspended between two magnets 
 it will be found to fix itself in a line in the direction of the 
 poles of the magnets, and the number of oscillations in a 
 given time will usually determine in different needles the 
 quantity of matter susceptible of magnetism in each; thus an 
 .important discovery has been made by means of this active 
 principle, whereby is detected the least insensible traces of 
 iron, when all other tests have failed.* 
 
 The opinion then is an erroneous one that mineral must 
 always be present in masses to cause the aberrations of the 
 needle. This is not necessary, nor is it the fact, for those 
 minerals which are deeply buried can have no influence, inas- 
 much as their influence decreases inversely as the squares of 
 the distance, and it may be said that the needle is wholly 
 indeterminate in their neighborhood in respect to them, * 'since 
 the resultant of magnetic forces being then vertical," or 
 nearly so, or nothing, "the horizontal element would be 
 nothing." 
 
 If it is true, as has already been abundantly proved, that 
 magnetism, electricity and gravitation are governed by the 
 same laws, and that they decrease in the ratio of the squares 
 of their distances from attracting bodies, it becomes difficult 
 to define what is meant by " local attraction," in the common 
 
 "Professor Farrer. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 267 
 
 acceptation of the term, unless it be granted that the regions 
 where it has been met with so commonly abound in ores or 
 metallic substances to a great extent, or that it has been the 
 misfortune of the surveyor to come so nearly in contact with 
 mineral masses, above or near the surface of the earth, as to 
 occasion the utter temporary loss of the polarity of the 
 needle. 
 
 It may be laid down as a rule applicable hereafter in 
 explanation of most of the deviations of the needle which 
 occur in the central and western portions of the State (there 
 being but few rocks in situ that appear on the surface, and 
 those lime, slate and sand rock, and the geological structure 
 of the peninsula being such as to preclude all opinion of there 
 being ores or metals, or any kind of minerals, except bitumi- 
 nous coal, marl and the like, further than what is found in all 
 alluvial and mountainless countries and there being an utter 
 impossibility of any masses other than what may be eratic, 
 capable of producing any great effect), that as the direction 
 of the needle is the effect of a principal terrestrial force, its 
 deviations arise only from those smaller secondary forces 
 which we have said are inherent in all substances. 
 
 Many facts might be adduced in verification of the above 
 supposition from the thousands of observations which have 
 been made during the course of the surveys of the public 
 lands in the State. Entire lines have been measured from 
 the southern to the northern boundary of the peninsula across 
 its whole breadth on true meridians, and these lines have 
 again been intersected by others running east and west at 
 right angles, each line having the magnetic variation recorded 
 at intervals of every six miles, the points of intersection. 
 Within the limits of these lines is included the whole area of 
 the lower peninsula of Michigan (and by an exact enumera- 
 tion of the meanders of the coast in the intervals between the 
 terminations of these lines is obtained with the greatest 
 accuracy the number of square miles it contains), now from 
 the collected observations, after rejecting those east of the 
 principal meridian, mentioned in my report of last year as 
 
268 APPENDIX. 
 
 erroneous and a few others that might be specified which are 
 made to correspond to the measurement of fractional lines 
 an area of 41,304 square miles is laid out with the accuracy of 
 a map, and the magnetic meridians traced with the same 
 facility as any other known and prominent feature; in fact we 
 have a magnetic chart indicating the declination of the 
 needle over this extensive region on parallels of equal dis- 
 tances of six miles. 
 
 Let us pause here a moment to satisfy the inquirer who 
 may have doubted even the ordinary correctness of the obser- 
 vations generally obtained by the men whose duty it has been 
 to establish the standard and other exterior lines in the survey 
 of our State. To this end the two examples mentioned in 
 another part of this report will be sufficient, though, as I have 
 stated, others might with equal propriety be adduced. One 
 of the examples consists of forty -nine townships, and the 
 otker of fifty townships. 
 
 These examples are all verified by actual measurement, 
 and as it was to be expected, one of them falls a little short 
 and the other has an excess, only of five links in a mile, 
 above the convergence which all meridian lines have when 
 run north. Now, if an error, the gross of which should 
 amount to 15', had been made in their observations, the result 
 would be a departure from parallelism in the lines of thirty - 
 five links to a mile, whereas the result exhibits an error of 
 less than 2' to a mile. 
 
 Now, it is obvious from the foregoing that there must be 
 one of two conditions, which have given precision to the 
 examples we have adduced; either the magnetic parallels 
 have become greatly diminished in intensity and accommo- 
 dated themselves to the plane of astronomical longitude, or 
 care and skill have been exercised to modify the effects pro- 
 duced by them. 
 
 The latter condition is the true one, as we shall shortly 
 demonstrate. We begin, then, at a point where the line of 
 no variation passes oat of Lake Huron, and first touches the 
 south side of Drummond Island. This island is one of the 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 269 
 
 northwesternmost of the chain of the Manitous, which divide 
 the waters of the Straits of Ste. Marie. It first touches the 
 island near the meander post on the shore, between ranges 7 
 and 8 east, in township 41 north, and is the tangent point to a 
 curve of 4 2 miles radius which it then makes on the island, 
 the western extremity of the curve touching again the south 
 shore of the island in the middle of the next township, in 
 range 6 east, whence a reversed curve of 3} miles radius 
 approaches closely to the corners and one-fifth of a mile south 
 of fractional township 41 and 42, ranges 5 and 6 east, thence 
 on a course south 85 west, 6 miles, intersecting township 
 line 41 between ranges 4 and 5, near the meander post south 
 shore of the island, which is another tangent point to a curve 
 whose radius is 31 miles. Along this curve, at the distance of 
 one mile, is the western end of the island, and at the meander 
 post for fractional township 41 and 42, range 4 east; thence 
 crossing the channel to the opposite side nearly, the curve 
 terminates between Round Island and the main land of the 
 upper peninsula, one-fourth of a mile from the shore; thence 
 another reverse curve of 2 miles radius just sweeps along the 
 edge of the shore northward of Pointe de Tour, the western 
 termination of the curve being in a lake on the southwest 
 corner of township 42 north, range 3 east; thence again the 
 curve is reversed, whose radius is 2 miles, crossing the south 
 boundary of the same township If miles from its wes!ern 
 boundary; whence the curve is again reversed, with a radius 
 of 2:1 miles, passing off the coast into Lake Huron again, 
 passing over one of the small islands near Massacre Island; 
 thence ascending, it re-crosses the south boundary of township 
 41 north, in range 2 east, between sections 33 and 34; thence 
 curving north-westerly with a radius of 61 miles it crosses 
 the town line between ranges one and two east, 11 miles from 
 south boundary; still slightly curving northwardly, on a course 
 of 12 miles, it crosses north boundary line of township 43, 
 range 1 east; thence two miles it intersects Monusco Bay, and 
 curving westerly leaves the water and crosses the south- 
 east corner of town 45, range 1 east, J of a mile from corner 
 
270 APPENDIX. 
 
 post, into town 45, range 2 east; thence curving with a radius 
 of 62 miles, enters at the mouth of the Miscota Sawgee Kiver 
 the Canoe Channel of the Straits of Ste. Marie, and crosses it 
 about one mile above the Nebish Eapids in that channel, 
 touching the most westerly point of Great Sailor's Encamp- 
 ment Island, and keeping the western and northern shore 
 with a curve whose radius is 8 miles; here its course is again 
 reversed, and beyond this we have no sufficient data to pursue 
 it farther. 
 
 It is believed, however, to pass directly on to the south- 
 west point of Sugar Island, keeping along its westerly side, 
 and crossing again k the Straits of Ste. Marie on to the main 
 land, at the forks of the Montreal Channel and Great Hay 
 Lake, five miles east of the Saut de Ste. Marie; thence irregu- 
 larly over the granite formations, and in conformity to the 
 littoral features of Goulais and Batcheewauanung Bays, 
 touching Michipicoten Harbor; thence, leaving the eastern 
 end of Lake Superior, it has been said that it becomes forked, 
 taking the circumference of Hudson's Bay, or that the varia- 
 tion is the same on the eastern and western sides of the bay. 
 
 We have now followed it from Drummond to Sugar Island 
 through its actual and determined course, leaving nothing to 
 conjecture; and we remark that for that distance it is as well 
 determined as any other ascertained line.* 
 
 This line, before touching Drummond Island, where we 
 first commenced with it, may with almost equal certainty be 
 traced down along its southern course in and to the foot of 
 Lake Huron, although for the reason that it is confined to the 
 lake we may not always ascertain its distance from the shore. 
 
 The course it would now take in the diminished part of 
 the lake, approaching the Straits of Mackinac would be 
 somewhat analagous, it is presumed, to that in the Straits of 
 Ste. Marie. This fact is proved from observation, first on the 
 Island of Mackinac on the west, and along the north-east and 
 east shore of the peninsula south of and opposite Drummond 
 Island. It makes a large curve, which approaches the end of 
 
 *The hour should be noted as 10 o'clock a. m. for observations on this line. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 271 
 
 the lake, without touching Mackinac, and receding from it 
 descends south-easterly to the termination on the coast, of 
 the town line between ranges 4 and 5 east, in town 36 
 north, where the variation is 1 55' east. The same variation 
 is found at the termination of town line 34 north, ranges 6 
 and 7 east; thence east eight miles, at Presque Isle, it is 
 imperceptible. On Thunder Bay Point it is 45' east, the line 
 of no variation passing between the light-house on the outer- 
 most Thunder Bay island, four miles from the shore, and this 
 point; its course thence is to the outlet of the lake, near Fort 
 Gratiot, where it crosses into Upper Canada.. 
 
 From the fact that the line of no variation passes through 
 a part of our State, we are in some measure better able to 
 determine the rationale of another system of curves found 
 elsewhere on the peninsula, particularly on its western side, 
 at the Great and Little Pointe aux Sable, where a greater 
 intensity is observable on approaching Lake Michigan from 
 the east. 
 
 Under the ordinary ideas of magnetism it would not have 
 been believed that a line so curved as we have described 
 could have existed, without ascribing its irregularity to some 
 corresponding cause of local force. 
 
 Although the upper peninsula of Michigan differs from 
 the lower in regard to its geological features, the conclusion 
 might be drawn that at the line of junction of the rocks of the 
 Riviere Ste. Marie, as described in your third annual report, 
 where it is well defined as at and through the outlet of the 
 lake, the magnetic lines would be deflected somewhat with 
 the line of bearing of these rocks in a distance of thirty 
 miles, but its course on the contrary appears to be indepen- 
 dent of them, crossing them at right angles, and without 
 regard to their character. 
 
 Another peculiarity is that corresponding curves exterior 
 to the line of no variation on either side bear no comparison. 
 At the head of Great Sailor's Encampment Island, at the 
 distance of two miles west, the variation is 1 10' east; and 
 opposite the middle of the same island, at one mile east of the 
 
272 APPENDIX. 
 
 line, it is 40' west; at five miles, 1 west, and at six miles, 1 
 10' west; one mile south of Monusco Bay, the distance of one 
 and a quarter miles east of it, the variation is 1 west; five 
 miles west, 2 35' east only, and the curve mentioned as again 
 entering the lake between towns 2 and 3, as well as the curve 
 which passes around the edge of the shore above Pointe de 
 Tour, have no variation at their centres, but on approaching 
 either way, east or west, variation increases to 30', and then 
 again decreases to 0, on touching the line of the curve. 
 
 The same peculiarities are observed on the western side of 
 the lower peninsula, particularly at Great and Little Pointe 
 aux Sable, where the intensity increases, and the curves, 
 though larger, exhibit as little conformity. It is evident that 
 the needle " hauls to the land/ 7 to use a nautical phrase, for 
 at these points the increase of variation amounts to 3 in 
 thirty miles, exceeding 6 at the points, while the increase is 
 but 1 for the whole breadth of Lake Michigan, the variation 
 being but 7 in Wisconsin on the opposite shore. 
 
 The instrument used in ascertaining the particulars we 
 have been stating, is one totally different in its principles and 
 construction from the common compass, and is not even 
 dependent for its accuracy on the needle. It was invented by 
 Judge Burt, of Macomb county, and the Messrs Burt have 
 given me the results of observations made by them with this 
 instrument during most of the last summer. The needle is 
 used with this compass only when the sun is obscured by 
 clouds; when the sun shines the needle is screwed fast, and 
 the time then consumed in obtaining the true meridian is not 
 longer than that ordinarily taken by a needle to settle, while 
 it is infinitely more correct. 
 
 I had intended to have given a description of this valuable 
 invention, but to do this clearly without an accompanying 
 drawing was found impracticable. It is called the " solar 
 compass,' 7 and consists chiefly of three arcs, one of which is 
 graduated to the ecliptic, the other to the complement of 
 latitude, and the third to the sun's declination, whereby, if 
 the latitude be known, the others are known, viz., the sun's 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 273 
 
 declination and the apparent time, and consequently the 
 magnetic variation; or if the sun's declination only be known, 
 then the latitude and the others are known; or if the time be 
 known the others can be ascertained by an almost instant 
 adjustment. 
 
 We have not only now been enabled to adduce facts con- 
 firmatory of the general principles of terrestrial magnetism, 
 but to enter considerably into detail on the subject of mag- 
 netic variation. A variety of reasons seemed to require this, 
 the principal of which was the definite course obtained of the 
 line of no variation, and the consequent illustration of other 
 lines on either side of it being also irregular, demonstrating a 
 system of curves, and a series of distinct and separate centres 
 of attraction. This has been effected over no very limited 
 space, and is free from all that might be considered empirical. 
 
 It is believed that in accuracy and fullness of detail these 
 observations exceed all that has been hitherto attained, nor 
 am I aware that the line of no variation was ever before 
 traced continuously for any great distance, or that other 
 observations have been taken than at those points where it 
 has been crossed by the surveyor or mariner. 
 
 It has been pretty well determined by Professor Loomis, of 
 Western Eeserve College, Ohio, that the "present annual 
 changes of variation, caused by the retrograde motion of the 
 needle, which commenced everywhere as early as 1819, and in 
 some places as early as 1793, is about 2' for the southern 
 States, 4' for the middle and western States, and 6' for the New 
 England States." This is true in general of the magnetic 
 lines in this State where they are at a distance from the line 
 of no variation, as at Detroit. Here the decrease or amount 
 of retrograde motion is 4^' annually; the line of no variation 
 has been quite stationary, at least for the last eight years, at 
 points where it was known at that period. While, therefore, 
 we observe a greater intensity as we approach nearer to the 
 line of no variation, we likewise observe the distance to 
 increase between the lines of equal variation, and while the 
 first is stationary the latter is retrograding. 
 (18) 
 
274 APPENDIX. 
 
 While the parallelism which takes place in needles proves 
 that the magnetic force of the terrestrial globe may, like that 
 of gravitation, act in parallel lines, we see also an exception. 
 The lines of gravitation are always perpendicular to the 
 surface of the sphere, while the lines of magnetism, which 
 like gravitation, never cross each other, are composed of every 
 variety of curve. 
 
 Though the diffusion of magnetism be general it is by no 
 means equal. It is found at the equator and at the poles, an 
 interposed space equal to the earth's radii, and for this space 
 no loss is apparently felt in its force, and it is not more 
 difficult to conceive an exerting force through this or a greater 
 interposed space than that the hand should communicate 
 motion to a stone with which it is demonstrably not in 
 contact. 
 
 If then magnetism be a real power, at what distance does 
 it terminate ? Can we give it an inferior level, and determine 
 its final bounds, connected with solar light and heat * Does 
 it not emanate from, and is it not governed by that great 
 central source, the sun, which controls the more palpable and 
 grosser materials of which the planetary system is composed, 
 which effects every change either in the interior or exterior 
 of this globe, and to which every element is subject, and by 
 which are conducted in silent processes all changes and revo- 
 lutions since time began ? 
 
 ELEVATION AND DEPRESSION OF THE WATER IN THE 
 GREAT LAKES. The last year is the second since the unusual 
 elevation of the waters of the lakes; since which time there 
 has been yearly a remarkable coincidence in the ratio of their 
 subsidence, the more unlooked for, when taken in connection 
 with the causes which tend to equalize the amount of falling 
 water, in the form of rain, snow, and dew, with the constant 
 action of evaporation. 
 
 In bodies of water like these lakes, slight changes in the 
 seasons produce visible effects, in as much as they have no 
 equalizing under- currents. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 275 
 
 The quantity of rain must have been much less, and the 
 evaporation more, than for many years past, to have produced 
 the decrease mentioned below. This decrease amounts in the 
 first year to one-quarter of the total rise, and in the second to 
 one-half, making the proportion each year as thirty-three to 
 forty -four nearly. 
 
 The maximum of August, 1838, was five feet three inches 
 above that of 1819; that of 1839, three feet eleven inches; and 
 that of 1840, two feet seven and one-half inches. The ratio 
 of decrease, therefore, between the highest water in 1838 and 
 1839, is one foot fcur inches; and between the highest water 
 in 1839 and 1840, one foot three and one-half inches. 
 
 Its rate of decrease is much more rapid than that of its in- 
 crease from 1819 to 1838. In 1830 it was only two feet above 
 the level of 1819; in 1836, three feet eight inches; having risen 
 one foot eight inches in six years. In 1837, it was four feet 
 three inches; increase, seven inches; in June, 1838, five feet; 
 increase, nine inches; and, in August of the same year, five 
 feet three inches. Having been nineteen years in attaining 
 the maximum of five feet three inches, and only two years in 
 reducing that height one-half, or to the average year of 1833. 
 Thus the rapidity of its decrease in two years, equals the 
 increase of five years. 
 
 I have not been able to ascertain whether the decrease of 
 former years was thus sudden, or whether the period of the 
 minimum, or lowest stage of water, continues for any great 
 length of time; it is quite probable, however, that it does, and 
 that the overflowing of the lands caused by the maximum rise, 
 is but temporary, and only for one year, whence immediately 
 commencing its decrease, it arrives very soon at its former 
 standard, and remains there with little variation. Indeed, this 
 is the more probable, from the example of the last three years, 
 and from the appearance of long and undisturbed processes in 
 the growth of trees and vegetation, with the formation of per- 
 manent channels in the interim, as well as the security felt by 
 those who have erected buildings and planted orchards for- 
 merly, upon those lands which were inundated. 
 
276 APPENDIX. 
 
 The diminution in a given quantity of water, exceeds by 
 evaporation, all the supplies which it receives from rain, that 
 is, the average amount of falling water is equal per year to 
 33 inches; evaporation will reduce it to 44 inches, when fully 
 exposed to the sun and air. One season of extreme drouth 
 would, upon the expanse of these lakes, produce an extreme 
 depression, while the contrary would have the effect of pro 
 ducing a corresponding rise. It cannot be a matter of ,so much 
 astonishment that such expanded areas of water, subject to 
 such influences, should be greatly affected; the wonder is, that 
 they do not oftener present greater fluctuations than they do, 
 the equal and almost unvarying stage at which we find them 
 is due to the uniformity of the seasons, and the systematic 
 order in which nature is conducted in all her works. 
 
 The semi-annual alternations observable in summer and 
 winter, arise from other and well known causes. In summer, 
 the supply is unchecked, and the consequence is, an increase to 
 the height of 30 inches, or thereabouts; when in winter, these 
 supplies are again checked, a consequent depression follows. 
 Measurements to ascertain exactly these semi-annual fluctua- 
 tions, have never been thought necessary. Besides, it is not 
 uncommon for ice, in large bodies, to collect at the outlets of 
 the lakes, and, for the time, prevent the usual discharge, and a 
 lower stage of water is the consequence, than otherwise would 
 be. When this occurs in the chain of lakes, as it frequently 
 does at the outlet of Lake Huron, in connection with a west 
 wind, as in 1824 and 1831, it diminished the depth of the 
 Detroit river, opposite the city, to over ten feet, widening the 
 beach more than twenty rods, and making it practicable, (except 
 in the immediate channel,) to cross without danger, on foot, 
 from the American side, to Isle au Cochons or Hog Island; 
 and a further proportional decrease took place in Lakes Erie 
 and Ontario, while the pent up water flowed back into Lakes 
 Huron and Michigan. For these reasons, and the want of 
 uniformity in the temperature of the winter months, the min- 
 imum height is not to be depended upon. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 277 
 
 Besides all this, the effect of winds sometimes acts in favor, 
 as well as against, the other irregularities. The geographical 
 position of the lakes is such, that, allowing them to prevail 
 from the same point, at the same time over them all, (which 
 is, by no means, always the case,) they produce a variety of 
 results. A west wind forces the water , of Lake Erie into 
 the Niagara Eiver, at the same time the waters from the foot 
 of Lakes Huron and Michigan are forced into the Straits of 
 Mackinac, and these again are met by the waters of Lake 
 Superior through the Straits of Ste. Marie. Hence the straits 
 which connect Lakes Huron and Erie have all the indications 
 of a tide, though irregular as to time as well as to the amount 
 of its elevation and depression, and it has often both risen and 
 fallen in about the same proportion, and sometimes in the 
 same period, as the lunar tides in those rivers which empty 
 into the ocean. But whenever these tides take place either in 
 the lakes themselves or in the straits connecting them, they 
 are fortuitous and are the results of accidental disorder, com 
 inon throughout the lake region. 
 
 Another feature may be observed of the lakes, different in 
 nothing from the ground swell of the ocean the reaction of 
 the water after having been pressed by the wind for a few 
 days or hours in one direction. 
 
 The most favorable points for noticing this reaction is at 
 an inlet or bay; Lake Superior which has the largest surface, 
 presents the most marked traits. Here, while the explora- 
 tions by the geological corps were in progress the past season 
 at the mouth of the Grand Marais Eiver, which empties into 
 a bay one mile wide and two miles long, having an outlet of 
 a quarter of a mile wide into the lake, was observed the 
 returning waters from the west, in wide undulations. The 
 effect upon the smooth surface of the bay was a gentle eleva- 
 tion, which arose to one foot or more for a period of fifteen 
 minutes, then subsiding, again returned at equal intervals of 
 time, until the lake, after a lapse of a few hours, resumed its 
 natural level. 
 
278 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 
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FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 279 
 
 January 5, 1842, the State Geologist sent to the legislature 
 a report relative to the State salt springs (six pages). 
 
 In this he states that the work which for more than eigh- 
 teen months had been arrested had been again commenced, 
 and up to a very recent day has been continued according to 
 the provisions of the contracts; that it will be indispensable 
 to continue the borings until the shafts shall have passed very 
 nearly through the lower salt rocks, before brine of the 
 maximum strength can be looked for. At the point selected 
 for the State well, on Grand Eiver, it is estimated that the 
 shaft should be sunk to the depth of 700 feet, and at Titteba- 
 wasse Eiver to a depth in round numbers of 600 feet. 
 
 That at the State salt springs on Grand Eiver the upper 
 salt rock had been perforated, followed by an abundant sup- 
 ply of salt water, but that no attempt had yet been made to 
 separate the salt water from admixture of fresh. That at 300 
 feet the amount of salt water flowing from the nine inch tube 
 was by actual measurement found to be 130 gallons per minute, 
 an amount almost incredibly large, and unequalled by any rock 
 boring in any other portion of the United States. Analysis 
 of this mixed water shows that 110 gallons contains a bushel 
 of salt. These facts sustain the original position assumed 
 relative to the salt deposits of our State. 
 
 After comparing the strength of the brine at the State 
 wells with the best salt wells of New York, Virginia and else- 
 where, the Geologist adds: "The improvement of our State 
 salines has now progressed so far as to satisfy the most scepti- 
 cal of actual success. And it is hardly necessary to call your 
 attention to the great importance or the necessity of speedy 
 completion." 
 
280 APPENDIX. 
 
 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT. 
 
 On January 27, 1842, was sent to the legislature the fifth 
 annual report of the State Geologist (six pages). 
 
 It states that the communication will be confined almost 
 exclusively to the condition and wants of the department. 
 That the field work of the geological and topographical 
 surveys upon the plan originally contemplated is mainly com- 
 pleted, but that in consequence of the small amount of funds 
 applicable the amount of work accomplished has been less 
 than that of the preceding year. That the labor so applied 
 has been chiefly devoted to the westerly portion or mountain- 
 ous district of the upper peninsula. 
 
 That in connection with duties assigned him relative to 
 the boundary line between Michigan and Wisconsin, he has 
 been enabled to complete a very perfect geological section of 
 nearly 180 miles in length, crossing from the mouth of Mont- 
 real Eiver to the mouth of Menominee Eiver of Green Bay. 
 
 " In addition to several geological sections completed, all 
 the rivers entering Lake Superior have been carefully exam- 
 ined to their very sources, and the Porcupine Mountains have 
 been traced out through almost the entire range. The results 
 of these surveys have served to add confidence to our pre- 
 viously expressed opinion respecting the value of that part of 
 our State. The copper ores associated with the altered con- 
 glomerate and sandstone rocks in this portion of the range 
 have been found to be more extensive than has been originally 
 supposed." 
 
 In speaking of the limits of the southerly range, within 
 which falls the lead district of Wisconsin and Iowa, the 
 report says: "It should be recollected that the outer or north- 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 281 
 
 ern range of mountains of Lake Superior constitute what has 
 been called the true copper district, and that in this district 
 no lead and none of the ores of which sulphur is a constituent 
 have been noticed, while in the southern range in Michigan 
 the ores are almost entirely sulphates, and lead occurs more 
 abundantly than copper. Thus far I have been unable to 
 trace any portion of the great limestone formation of the 
 upper peninsula to any near proximity to this range, where 
 the same traverses that portion of Michigan, and in tracing 
 the range westwardly no considerable deposits of lead have 
 been found until the lower rocks are covered by heavy 
 deposits of limestone, which would lead to the inference that 
 these upper deposits have performed an important part in 
 arresting and fixing the minerals referred to (minerals associ- 
 ated with the lead ores), and which minerals may fairly be 
 inferred to have had their origin from the lower rocks to 
 which reference has been made.' 7 
 
 The report alludes to the very great assistance derived 
 from the Honorable William A. Burt, who during the last two 
 years has been engaged in surveying the United States Town- 
 ship lines. 
 
 Of the drafting from the field notes, Dr. Houghton states, 
 that since in the topographical department there has been only 
 a single assistant, the amount of drafting has continued to 
 accumulate upon his hands, and there yet remains an amount 
 to be done which can scarcely be accomplished in an entire 
 year. The fund applicable to these objects being absorbed 
 there will be required a small appropriation. He enumerates 
 six counties of which maps have been engraved, and says that 
 had not the state of the Treasury made it impossible, these 
 
282 APPENDIX. 
 
 with thirteen others would have been published before this 
 date. 
 
 On January 27th, 1843, the Geologist makes a report rela- 
 tive to the State salt springs, (6 pages.) (In conformity with 
 an Act approved February 1st, 1842, which appropriated 
 $15,000 for the improvement of the State salt springs.) 
 
 At the State salt springs on Grand Eiver, Kent Co., the 
 work has been nearly completed. The depth obtained is some- 
 thing over 800 feet, and is on the lower salt rock. Since the 
 date of last report the quantity of water discharged has very 
 considerably increased, and now exceeds 200 gallons per min- 
 ute. As the water now flows from the iron tube it is mixed 
 with all the fresh water entering the well above the upper 
 
 salt rock, a difficulty which will be overcome by proper 
 / 
 
 tubing. In continuing the work it is of the utmost importance 
 that the borings be carried entirely through the lower salt 
 rocks, and then, and not until then, can the capacity of the 
 well be fully determined. He adds, that it is now satis- 
 factorily shown that the place of the salt water in the sub- 
 carboniferous rocks is as originally set forth, and that the sup- 
 ply of water is abundant, and further that the character of 
 the brine is such as will admit of the manufacture of salt at 
 such rates as will enable our citizens to compete with that 
 manufacture abroad. 
 
 At the State salt well on Tittabawassee Eiver, no further 
 progress has been made, the reasons for which suspension are 
 contained in section 708 of an Act relative to the State salt 
 springs, approved Feb. 16, 1842. 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 283 
 
 THE SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 of the State Geologist bears date February 10, 1843 (five 
 pages). It sets forth the condition and progress of the 
 geological survey of the State towards completion. 
 
 " Since the date of my last report I have been chiefly 
 engaged in arranging and putting in shape the immense 
 amount of details, both geological and topographical, which 
 have accumulated ; in analyzing and studying the immense 
 collection of specimens illustrating the geology and mineral- 
 ogy of our State, and in the chemical analysis of our soils, 
 minerals and rock specimens. " He announces the field work 
 for the entire survey as now completed, with the exception of a 
 few points where the work still wants connecting. 
 
 In the topographical office during a portion of the year 
 the work was suspended in consequence of the absence of the 
 topographer, who was engaged several months in locating 
 lands for the State. Notwithstanding the work of drafting is 
 so far advanced that a large portion is ready for the hands of 
 the engraver. 
 
 1 1 The publication of State and county maps as directed by 
 the Legislature was long ago commenced, and the engraving of 
 several of these maps had been completed before the date of 
 my last report, but the inability to procure such funds as 
 would purchase the paper has caused delay and in fact has 
 for a time virtually suspended all action upon the subject. 77 
 He adds "This series of State and county maps, it is hoped 
 and believed, will be more full and perfect than any which 
 have heretofore been published of any equal portion of our 
 United States, and there can be no doubt but when once 
 placed before the public they will do much to disseminate a 
 
284 APPENDIX. 
 
 knowledge of the immense capabilities of our State and the 
 advantages which she offers to the emigrant; and that they 
 will in that way afford sufficient aid towards increasing her 
 population. When the maps already engraved shall have 
 been thrown before the public, it is hoped and believed that a 
 sufficient amount will be received from their sale to enable us 
 to proceed with the engraving and publishing of the balance 
 without further embarrassment, and that they will more than 
 pay the expenses incident to their publication. 
 
 " The engraved plates of these maps will remain nearly as 
 perfect after the proposed edition shall have been worked off 
 as they were at first, and as other editions may from time to 
 time be wanted, the names of newly organized towns, new 
 roads, etc., may be added without difficulty, at a mere nominal 
 expense, and without interfering with the method adopted for 
 exhibiting on them the soils and timber, and the geological 
 and topographical features of the country." 
 
 The report thus concludes: "The geological and topo- 
 graphical surveys of our State, which have been carried for- 
 ward by a corps few in number compared with that furnished 
 by any other State, and extending over an area greater than 
 that claimed by any of them, has been a work of immense 
 labor. To accomplish the end desired the most constant and 
 untiring industry has been required, added to which it has 
 been necessary during protracted periods in the wilderness 
 country to dispense with the ordinary comforts of life, but 
 the labor has been rendered light with the hope that in aiding 
 to develop the resources of our State, in placing upon maps 
 her geology, topography, and the character of her timber and 
 soils, her settlements might be increased and something added 
 to her prosperity and wealth." 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 285 
 
 THE SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 of the State Geologist was sent to the legislature February 15, 
 1844. It states that "a portion of the season has been 
 devoted to connecting the work on the upper peninsula and 
 completing the skeleton of the surveys of that part of the 
 State, but by far the greater amount of work has been per- 
 formed in the office, in compiling and arranging the materials 
 for the final report, and in the completion of the maps, 
 together with the figuring of sections and fossils illustrative 
 of the several groups of rocks of our State. 
 
 ' i The drafting of the county maps according to the plan 
 directed has mainly been performed, and excepting some 
 slight addition, these are now ready for the engraver. Of 
 the county maps four have been struck off and are now in the 
 market. Ten additional counties are to be placed in the 
 engraver's hands, and I hope to be able to lay the maps of 
 these fourteen counties, together with the State map, before 
 the public at an early day in the ensuing spring. 
 
 "An appropriation of $1,000 to $1,500 will cover all that 
 will be required to be paid out of the treasury before a suffi- 
 cient amount will be realized from the sales to enable the 
 work to progress without further demand upon the treasury, 
 and I confidently believe that the proceeds of the sales of 
 these maps will fully refund to the State the cost of their 
 publication.* 
 
 *Regarding thes maps it is proper to say that none of the county and State maps 
 since published on private speculation at all compare in accuracy and amount and 
 value of detail with those prepared and ready for publication under Dr. Houghton' 
 such civil features as the progress of improvement have since added of course excepted. 
 It is greatly to be regretted that lack of interest, or parsimony on the part of officials, 
 should have rendered useless to the public materials and work obtained at such great 
 cost and with such commendable enterprise. 
 
286 APPENDIX. 
 
 " In addition to the ordinary duties of the survey, the 
 extra duty required at your last session of furnishing the 
 State land office with township maps, has been performed so 
 far as calls have been made by the State commissioners. 
 
 "The engraving of the geological sections, fossils, etc., will 
 occupy some time, and it is desirable in order to prevent 
 delay that this portion of the work of the final report should 
 be commenced at the earliest day possible. In order to hasten 
 this the Geologist adds : "I have made a temporary arrange- 
 ment for the wood cuts with a wood engraver who is fully com- 
 petent, and who is now engaged in this duty, but in order to 
 continue this work some provision will be necessary. " 
 
 Dr. Houghton thus refers to the results which he hoped to 
 accomplish by means of the connected geological and linear 
 surveying which he had projected. 
 
 " While in the survey of the upper peninsula it is very 
 desirable that the grand outlines should be filled up with 
 more minuteness than has hitherto been done, to develop its 
 topography, geology and mineralogy, in such a manner as its 
 great importance and the intrinsic value of its mineral treasures 
 make desirable, it would require a larger amount of expend- 
 iture than our State is well able to appropriate to that object. 
 The United States linear surveys afford a fine opportunity for 
 accomplishing this in a way which will render the work 
 exceedingly perfect, and at the same time will be attended 
 with little expense. I hope to perfect such an arrangement 
 (the connecting of the United States surveys with the geologi- 
 cal surveys of Michigan) through the co-operation of the com- 
 
FIRST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN. 287 
 
 missioners of the general land office, as will enable ine to 
 provide more perfect geological and topographical maps of the 
 upper peninsula than have ever been constructed of the same 
 extent of territory in our United States. In addition to such 
 provisions as you may see fit to make for the engraving of the 
 several county maps, the wood engraving and publication, 
 there will be required for current expenses of the survey 
 during the ensuing year an amount not exceeding $400. " 
 
 DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, 
 
 State Geologist. 
 
 In his " Outlines of the Political History of Michigan," 
 page 489, Judge Campbell says, relative to the materials for 
 the final report: 
 
 "The general financial depression prevented any extensive 
 work after 1841, and in the careless management of some of 
 the State property after Dr. Houghton's death, all of his 
 engravings, which were numerous and very beautiful, and 
 many of his collections which had been left in the State offices 
 before their removal to Lansing, disappeared. 
 
 u Dr. Houghton had, before his death, secured the services 
 of Mr. Beueworth, a wood engraver whose marvellous skill 
 had obtained him honorable testimonials in Holland, London 
 and Germany, and who executed some of those minute gems 
 of engraving which beautify Harper's Bible. This artist had 
 become desirous of seeing the New World, and was disposed 
 to set out for the undefined West, of which he had very vague 
 notions, when Dr. Houghton found him in New York, and 
 
288 APPENDIX. 
 
 being mutually interested he was induced to enter upon the 
 work of engraving the illustrations which would be needed for 
 the final report. The blocks were engraved and left with 
 uncut margins to prevent abrasions, and in this condition 
 deposited for safe keeping with one of the State officers. 
 Besides these, Mr. Higgins had drawn carefully on stone a 
 large number of fossils and other specimens, and several maps 
 were engraved; all have been lost. Their money value was 
 not less than many thousands of dollars; their artistic as well 
 as scientific value cannot be reckoned." 
 
GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN MICHIGAN SINCE 1845. 289 
 
 PART VI. 
 
 A CONNECTED HISTORY OF GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN 
 MICHIGAN SINCE THE FIRST ORGANIZED SURVEY. 
 
 A brief but connected statement of the progress of geo- 
 logical investigation in our State since the death of Dr. 
 
 
 Houghton cannot but interest the reader and serve to render 
 
 our Summary complete. 
 
 A CONNECTED HISTORY OF GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS AND 
 PUBLICATIONS EEGARDING MICHIGAN, FOLLOWING THOSE 
 OF THE FIRST STATE SURVEY. 
 
 PAMPHLET BY JACOB HOUGHTON. 
 
 In 1846 appeared a bound pamphlet entitled " The Mineral 
 Eegion of Lake Superior," by Jacob Houghton, Jr., and F. 
 W. Bristol. It contained reports of Mr. Win. A. Burt and 
 Bela Hubbard on the geography, topography and geology of 
 the United States Surveys of the mineral region of the south 
 
 shore of Lake Superior, for 1845. 
 (19) 
 
290 APPENDIX. 
 
 It was accompanied by a list of organized mining com- 
 panies and of mineral locations, and a correct map of the 
 mineral region; also a chart of Lake Superior. 
 
 The appearance of the above mentioned reports of Burt 
 and Hubbard is explained by the following communication: 
 
 DETROIT, Feb. 16, 1846. 
 To THE HON. Lucius LYON, 
 
 Surveyor General, etc: 
 
 Sin, By contract with the commissioners of the general 
 land office, under date of June 25, 1844, the late Dr. Douglass 
 Houghton was required to make both a linear and a geological 
 survey of a section of country bordering on the south shore 
 of Lake Superior. He was engaged in this work at the time 
 of his lamented death. As administrators of his estate we 
 have caused the field notes and papers connected with the 
 survey as far as completed to be carefully examined, and the 
 accompanying reports of Messrs. William A. Burt and Bela 
 Hubbard to be prepared. Mr. Burt, who was the principal 
 assistant of Dr. Houghton in the field, reports in full as to 
 that portion of the country surveyed by him, and Mr. Hub- 
 bard, assistant State geologist, has prepared a like full report 
 upon the remainder of the surveyed territory, from the field 
 notes of the survey and the specimens collected. It would 
 not be expected that the information contained in these re- 
 ports would be as complete and as accurate in detail as it would 
 have been could they have been prepared by Dr. Houghton 
 himself. Enough, however, will appear to enable the Govern- 
 ment to appreciate both the advantages and the perfect feasi- 
 bility of the plan of connecting geological with the linear 
 surveys of government lands, as originally proposed and 
 zealously advocated by Dr. Houghton. 
 
 (Signed) Eespectfully yours, 
 
 HENEY A. WALKEE, 
 SAMUEL P. DOUGLASS. 
 
GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN MICHIGAN SINCE 1845. 291 
 
 The report of William A. Burt embraces Keweenaw Point 
 and the tract of country bordering the coast from Chocolate 
 to Carp Bivers, and extending a length of 120 miles, being the 
 district over which he had run the township lines. He gives 
 the highest elevations as 900 feet above Lake Superior, 
 describes the courses of the mountain ranges, the harbors, 
 rivers, soil and timber, and the general geology. 
 
 The report of Bela Hubbard embraces 37 townships, 
 namely, eight at and west of Chocolate Eiver, three at head of 
 Keweenaw Bay, and the remainder include Keweenaw Point 
 north of Portage Eiver, being the district sub- divided in 1845 
 under the direction of Dr. Houghton, deputy surveyor. 
 
 It includes a description of the granite and metamorphic 
 rocks, dividing the latter into quartzite and trappose portions. 
 
 The first named or more southerly portion is composed of 
 white and brown quartz rocks, talcose, volitic and clay slates, 
 slaty hornblende, and specular and micaceous oxides of iron. 
 These rocks are throughout pervaded by the argillaceous red 
 and micaceous oxides of iron, sometimes intimately dissemi- 
 nated, and sometimes in beds or veins. The two largest beds 
 noticed are in town 47, north, range 26 west, and made up 
 almost entirely of granulated, magnetic and specular iron. 
 
 The most northerly of these hills of ore extend nearly east 
 and west at least one- fourth of a mile, with a breadth little 
 less than 1,000 feet, the whole of which forms a single mass of 
 ore, with occasional thin strata of imperfect chert and jaspar, 
 and dips north ten degrees east, about thirty degrees. "This 
 bed of iron," the report states, "will compare favorably both 
 for extent and quality with any known in our country. " 
 
292 APPENDIX. 
 
 This report contains the first published account of the iron 
 ore beds of Michigan. The clay slates of the red sand rock, 
 which is considered as the equivalent of the Potsdam of New 
 York, are described, and the general character of the geology 
 of the Keweenaw Point district, its traps, conglomerates and 
 sandrocks and mineral veins. In regard to the latter, the 
 report states that the courses of many veins have been fixed 
 with accuracy, and the veins themselves traced in some 
 instances for several miles across the conglomerate and sand- 
 rocks, and into and across some portions of the trap. The 
 observations thus made are confirmatory of the fact, first 
 noticed by Dr. Houghton, that the true veins of the district 
 referred to pursue a course nearly at right angles to the line 
 of bearing of the trap range. 
 
 The report closes with appropriate observations upon the 
 advantages resulting from the new system as devised and 
 prosecuted by Dr. Houghton, of the union of geological with 
 the lineal surveys, of which the first experimental results are 
 now returned. And it calls attention to the unwonted 
 accuracy with which the lines have been run. This is due to 
 the exclusive use of Burt's solar compass. Nearly the whole 
 region subdivided abounds with mineral attractive to the 
 magnet, and a variation fluctuating from six to twenty 
 degrees on either side of the true meridian was not uncommon 
 through the length of an entire township. 
 
 Professor A. Winchell, State Geologist of 1861, referring 
 to these reports of Messrs. Burt and Hubbard says: ^ These 
 two .reports unfold in an admirable manner the geological 
 structure of the trap and metamorphic regions of Lake 
 
GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN MICHIGAN SINCE 1845. 293 
 
 Superior, and anticipate results which were subsequently 
 worked out by the United States Geologists." 
 
 The pamphlet above mentioned was followed in July of 
 the same year, 1846, by a somewhat larger and more extended 
 edition by Jacob Houghton, Jr. It comprised, in addition to 
 the matters contained in the previous volume, a brief sketch 
 of the early history of the mineral regions, and the report of 
 the State Geologist of 1841 in full. 
 
 May 15, 1846, the legislature of Michigan passed a joint 
 resolution authorizing and empowering the Governor of the 
 State to select and appoint some competent person to collect, 
 collate and arrange all the geological notes, memoranda, 
 specimens, maps, engravings and drawings, including geologi- 
 cal surveys, kept, made, collected and preserved for and in 
 behalf of the State by the late Dr. Houghton, State Geolo- 
 gist, and designed and intended by him to be used in making 
 a final report for the benefit of the people of said State, and 
 from the materials thus collected, and the requisite additional 
 information derived from other sources, to prepare a final 
 report upon the geology of Michigan. 
 
 No appropriation seems to have accompanied the above 
 resolutions, and it may have been for that reason and for some 
 objection or inability to apply to the purpose intended any 
 portion of the contingent fund, that. Gov. Felch failed to give 
 effect to the Act of the legislature embodying the wishes of 
 the people of Michigan. No person was appointed by the 
 Governor under this resolution, nor were any steps taken to 
 carry out its provisions. 
 
 Fifteen years exactly after the last official act of Dr. 
 Houghton as State Geologist of Michigan, an Act was passed 
 
294 APPENDIX. 
 
 by the legislature, approved Feb. 18, 1859, entitled, "An Act 
 to Finish the Geological Survey of the State. " 
 
 This Act authorized and directed the Governor to appoint 
 some suitable person to finish the geological survey of the 
 State, with maps and diagrams, and a full scientific descrip- 
 tion of its rocks, soils and its botanical and natural produc- 
 tions. The Governor was also authorized to appoint 
 competent assistants. It appropriated the sum of $2,000 for 
 the year 1860, and requires the geologist in charge to report to 
 the legislature that should be in session. 
 
 Under this Act Prof. Alex. Winchell, of the State Univer 
 sity, received the appointment of State Geologist, and his first 
 biennial report of the progress of the geological survey, 
 embracing observations on the geology, zoology and botany of 
 the lower peninsula, was made Dec. 31, 1860, and was pub- 
 lished by the State, Lansing, 1861. 
 
 FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT OF PROF. WINCHELL, 1860. 
 
 In the introduction of the report the Geologist recounts 
 the action theretofore taken by the State in relation to a 
 geological survey, and does full justice to the labors of Dr. 
 Houghton, and his assistants, of whose reports a complete 
 resume is given. 
 
 In addition to the 190 pages devoted to the geology, are 
 reports of Dr. M. Miles, State Geologist (part 2 zoology), 
 accompanied by a catalogue of mammals, birds, reptiles and 
 Molusks of Michigan. This catalogue contains about one- 
 third more species than those enumerated by Dr. Sager in 
 his report of 1838. Part 3, botany, contains a valuable list of 
 
REPORT OF PROF. WINCHELL, 1860. 295 
 
 plants of the State, occupying 84 pages, compiled from all 
 the sources within reach. 
 
 In his introduction Prof. Winchell thus alludes to the 
 explorations conducted by the United States government in 
 the Lake Superior region of Michigan. 
 
 Little more than a year after the suspension of the survey 
 under Dr. Houghton, congress passed an Act, approved 
 March 1, 1847, embracing provisions for the geological 
 exploration of Lake Superior land district, organized by the 
 same Act. Under this Act, Dr. C. T. Jackson was appointed 
 by the Secretary of the Treasury to execute the required 
 survey. 
 
 After having spent two seasons in the prosecution of this 
 work, he presented a report of 800 pages and resigned his 
 commission. 
 
 In the meantime the survey was continued and subse- 
 quently completed by Messrs. Foster and Whitney, United 
 States Geologists. Their report of 224 pages on the " copper 
 lauds" was submitted as "Part No. 1, April 15, 1850." Part 
 2, on the iron region and general geology, was submitted Nov. 
 12, 1851, and forms a volume of 406 pages, with 25 plates. 
 The fossiliferous region was passed upon by Prof. James Hall, 
 the veteran paleontologist, of New York, whose observations 
 and conclusions are embodied in the report, together with 
 papers on the geology of Wisconsin, by Dr. J. A. Lapham 
 and Col. Charles Whittlesey. The latter also communicated 
 important chapters on the "observed fluctuations" of the 
 surface of the lakes. 
 
 "The examinations reported in part 2 extended around 
 the entire lake shores of the upper peninsula, as far as the 
 
296 APPENDIX. 
 
 head of Green Bay, and embrace the islands at the head of 
 Lake Huron. 
 
 Parallelism was established between the geology of this 
 lake region and that of New York." 
 
 Previous to the passage of the Act, March, 1847, by con- 
 gress, the United States Surveyor General, anxious to con- 
 tinue the plan of the union of the geological with the linear 
 surveys, first suggested and afterwards successfully begun by 
 Dr. Houghton in 1846, commissioned Mr. Bela Hubbard to 
 receive the reports and specimens and continue the geological 
 investigations over the region on Lake Superior then being 
 subdivided in the progress of the United States linear sur- 
 veys. 
 
 Mr. Hubbard' s report upon the geology of the district 
 thus surveyed in 1846, was returned to the general land office, 
 together with the regular returns of the linear surveys, but 
 no official publication was known to have been given. 
 
 INAUGURATION OF NEW STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 
 
 Ten years after the Act of February, 1859, of the legisla- 
 ture of Michigan, re-establishing the State geological survey, 
 under which Act only a single year's report of progress was 
 made, a new survey was inaugurated by Act of March 26, 
 1869. This Act established a board of geological survey, 
 consisting of the Governor, the president of the board of 
 education, and superintendent of public instruction, to con- 
 trol and complete the geological surveys of the State, the 
 board to appoint a suitable person as director, salaries of the 
 director and his assistants to be fixed by the board; a report 
 to be made to the board as often as possible, and on comple- 
 
NEW STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 297 
 
 tion a complete memoir to be published. One-half of all 
 appropriations to be expended in the upper peninsula. The 
 Act appropriates $8, 000 for each year of the survey. To this 
 the board afterwards added $1,000 for chemical work. 
 
 Prof. A. Winchell was made director, but resigned in 
 1871, and the further prosecution of the work was done under 
 the direction of the board. 
 
 Vol. I. and II. of this survey were published by authority 
 of the legislature of Michigan, with an atlas of maps, and is 
 confined to the upper peninsula. Twenty thousand dollars 
 was appropriated for 2,000 copies in 1873. It consists of three 
 parts, viz.: 
 
 Vol. I. Part 1 The Iron bearing Eocks, by T. B. 
 Brooks (320 pages). 
 
 Part 2 Copper-bearing Eocks (economic), by Eaphael 
 Pompelly (140 pages). 
 
 Part 3 Palaeozoic Eocks, by Dr. Epmminger (102 pages). 
 
 Vol. II consists of Appendices to part 1, Vol. I (292 
 pages). 
 
 These volumes, in addition to observations upon the age, 
 structure and lithology of the rocks, contain a large amount 
 of details connected with the development of the iron mines. 
 
 Mr. Brooks prefaces his report with an historical sketch 
 of geological discovery and development. Alluding to the 
 material which had been accumulated by the first State 
 Geologist, he says: "Any one familiar with the geology of 
 the upper peninsula who will peruse the manuscript notes 
 left by Dr. Houghton will be convinced that his views regard- 
 ing the geology of the older rocks were far in advance of his 
 time, and such only as geologists years after he recorded them 
 universally accepted." 
 
298 APPENDIX. 
 
 Vol. Ill of this survey was published by the legislature 
 in 1876. It is confined to the lower peninsula of Michigan. 
 
 This is by C. Eomminger, and consists of 155 pages of 
 text and 55 plates of fossils. 
 
 Part 1 Geology. 
 
 Part 2 Palaeontology. 
 
 It is accompanied by geological maps. 
 
 Vol. IV contains the geology of the upper peninsula, and 
 was published in 1881. It is by C. Eomminger. 
 
 Part 1 Marquette Iron Eegion. 
 
 Part 2 Menominee Iron Eegion. 
 
 The following correspondence, cut from a Detroit Journal 
 of 1867, is here inserted, as indicating the interest early taken 
 by citizens of Michigan in the subject out of which these 
 "memorials" have grown. The list of names will revive the 
 memory of many well known friends of Dr. Hough ton. 
 
 LECTURE BY PROF. BRADISH. 
 
 By the accompanying correspondence it will be seen that 
 Prof. Bradish will lecture at Young Men's Hall on Monday 
 evening next, his subject being "A Biographical Sketch of 
 the Late Dr. Douglass Houghton" : 
 
 Professor A. BRADISH : 
 
 DEAR SIR: Having understood that you have prepared a 
 biographical sketch of the late Dr. Douglass Hough ton, we 
 would respectfully request you to give a public reading of it 
 before the Young Men's Society of our city. Dr. Houghton'B 
 
LECTURE BY PROF. BRADISH. 
 
 299 
 
 name is so closely connected with the interests of our state and 
 city, which he did so much to farther and advance, that his 
 memory will always be honored among us. And it will give 
 especially to his numerous personal friends in the society of 
 which he was a principal founder, and in the community 
 where he displayed so much public spirit, very great pleasure 
 to have their recollections refreshed by a recital of his life and 
 character. Your own position as his near connection, and an 
 old fellow- citizen of our own, will add to the interest of the 
 subject. We therefore beg leave to urge upon you a compli- 
 ance with our request. 
 
 S. A. McCosKRY, 
 
 GEO. DUFFIELD, 
 JNO. S. DEWBERRY, 
 
 JAMES V CAMPBELL, 
 HOVEY K. CLARKE, 
 JACOB M. HOWARD, 
 SYLVESTER LARNED, 
 ELON FARNSWORTH, 
 D. C. HOLBROOK, 
 HENRY B. BROWN, 
 
 A. H. KEDFIELD, 
 
 B. B. NOYES, 
 JACOB S. FARRAND, 
 A. SHELBY, 
 'FRED. C. WETMORE, 
 THEO. H. EATON, 
 GEO. E. HAND, 
 
 J. OWEN, 
 
 W. INGERSOLL, 
 
 F. BUHL, 
 
 D. BETHUNE DUFFIELD, 
 
 GEO. V. 1ST. LOTHROP, 
 
 A. H. ADAMS, 
 
 WM. A. BUTLER, 
 
 GEORGE TAYLOR, 
 
 DANIEL J. CAMPAU, 
 HENRY CHANEY, 
 Boss WILKINS, 
 ALFRED EUSSELL, 
 WM. D. WILKINS, 
 MOSES W. FIELD, 
 SAMUEL LEWIS, 
 ALEX LEWIS, 
 SAMUEL PITTS, 
 E. C. WALKER, 
 
 C. H. BUHL, 
 W. A. MOORE, 
 
 E. MCCLELLAND, 
 
 EOBT. E. 1\OBERTS, 
 
 S. T. DOUGLASS, 
 H. N. WALKER, 
 
 F. NORVELL, 
 FRANCIS EAYMOND, 
 
 D. GOODWIN, 
 JACOB HOUGHTON, 
 J. L. WHITING, 
 W. K CARPENTER, 
 P. E. DEMILL, 
 
 C. C. TROWBRIDGE, 
 T. H. HINCHMAN, 
 
300 APPENDIX. 
 
 E. N. WILLCOX, H. T. STRINGHAM, 
 
 A. G. BOYNTON, Z PITCHER, 
 
 SIDNEY D. MILLER, BELA HUBBARD. 
 
 DETROIT, Dec. 12, 1867. 
 
 To S. A. McCoskry, Geo. Duffield, Z. Pitcher, Ross Wilkins, 
 and others : 
 
 GENTLEMEN : Your letter of this date, in which you do 
 me the honor to ask nie to read a biographical sketch of the 
 late Dr. Douglass Houghton, before the Young Men's Associa 
 tion of this city, I have just received. The expressions of 
 your invitation are so kind and earnest, that I am again 
 impressed with the universal esteem felt in this community 
 for the memory of that distinguished citizen. 
 
 In reply, I beg to thank you for these expressions, and to 
 say that it will give me great satisfaction to comply with your 
 request. 
 
 I am, gentlemen, with much respect, your obedient ser- 
 vant, 
 
 ALVAH BRADISH. 
 
 FULL LENGTH PORTRAIT OF DR. HOUGHTON DESCRIPTION. 
 
 (See Frontispiece.) 
 
 The artist has represented the Geologist as standing on the 
 rocky shore of Lake Superior. Much of his severe and 
 perilous labors had been made in that region, and it was there 
 that he closed his brilliant Career. It is suitable, therefore 
 
 that this able explorer should be represented in the midst of 
 scenes that he had long been familiar with, and which his 
 
 disastrous death has surrounded with a mournful interest. 
 His dress as seen in this historical portrait is that of an out- 
 
FULL LENGTH PORTRAIT OF DR. HOUGHTON. 301 
 
 door geologist, a loose summer coat without vest, leather 
 suspenders, pants of a lighter color, with high-top boots, 
 suitable for wading in swamps and crossing deep streams. 
 He is resting, as it were, from severe labor; his attitude is 
 easy but emphatic; his looks are eager and penetrating; the 
 expressions of his countenance are serene, but his brow and 
 eyes indicate the anxious thoughts of a mind deeply moved 
 by questions of science that press for solution. One arm is 
 stretched out, the hand resting on the symbol of his profes- 
 sion, the geological hammer. The other holds to his side the 
 well- remembered, crushed, rusty hat that had seen some rough 
 service. The rocks are broken and shelve down to the 
 water at his feet. These ledges are hardly concealed by wild 
 vines and lichens, that spring from crevices and drape the 
 rugged wall. 
 
 Back of this figure are seen the famous Pictured Bocks of 
 Lake Superior, sacred to Indian song and tradition, and made 
 classical by the pen of Gov. Cass. These rocky ledges form 
 the main portion of the background of this historical portrait. 
 A cloudy perturbed sky may prefigure that fatal storm that 
 overwhelmed the Doctor in its fury, and the expanse of water 
 leads the observer's eyes to the distant, lurid horizon. 
 
 An arched rock that would admit steamers under its lofty 
 dome, headlands, deep rock cuttings, cascades and chasms 
 diversify the scenery of this carefully studied portrait of the 
 pioneer Geologist of Michigan. At his feet, looking over the 
 water, stands his famous dog, "Meeme," a devoted friend 
 that always accompanied Dr. Houghton in boat or on land, in 
 storm or in sunshine. This faithful companion was with him 
 
302 APPENDIX. 
 
 in the boat on the night that proved fatal to his master, but 
 was washed ashore. 
 
 It may not be unsuitable to say that the little favorite 
 water-spaniel reached his home, Fredonia, N. Y., at last, 
 survived several years, and is buried near the spot that his 
 master had rendered memorable as the scene of his boyhood's 
 struggles for supremacy, and his first inspirations in the 
 cause of science. 
 
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