The Scioto Saline EarthCache
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The Scioto Saline
The listed coordinates should take you to an Ohio Historical Society marker in the center of Jackson, Ohio. Jackson is a city that can attribute its foundation to a modern day condiment.
On the Ohio frontier in the late 1700's and early 1800's, salt was a precious commodity that had to be brought by packhorse across the Appalachian Mountains and commanded a price of $4 to $6 dollars per bushel.
It is no wonder that natural salt-water springs, known as licks or salines, were of intense interest and importance to the pioneers. One of these licks, known as the Scioto Saline or Scioto Salt Licks, along Salt Lick Creek (also known as Little Salt Creek) in Jackson County, figured prominently in the development of Ohio. This lick is an area where naturally occurring salt water flows at the surface as a salt-water spring. It has existed at least since the Pleistocene Ice Age because numerous bones of extinct animals were found at the site. Salt had been obtained at the saline for at least 8,000 years, as indicated from archaeological excavations by W. C. Mills at Boone Rocks in 1905.
At the time of its exploitation, the Scioto Saline was the most important mineral industry in the state. Not only was it the reason for the founding of Jackson at this location, but the availability of salt led to early establishment of a prosperous agricultural and livestock industry in the lower Scioto River drainage area.
Early Survey geologists Caleb (sometimes listed as Charles) Briggs, Jr., and Samuel P. Hildreth were the first observers and interpreters of the geology of the Scioto Saline. Since their reconnaissance in 1837 there has been very little geological inquiry into the geology of the salt licks, probably because the licks were of little economic interest after their demise about 1815. Later geological focus in the area was on coal, sandstone, iron ore, and other mineral commodities.
It was recognizable to everyone that the salt water was flowing from the Sharon sandstone, a nearly pure quartzose sandstone and conglomerate of Early Pennsylvanian age. Briggs noted that many of the productive salt wells at Jackson were in unconsolidated sediments that filled a basinlike depression in the Sharon. He referred to these as "mud wells." The deeper test wells at the saline that encountered more concentrated brines of less quantity were in rocks of Mississippian age. This information suggests that the brine may have been derived from deeper units and flowed from the Sharon. The regional hydrologic flow pattern is recharge and downflow in the western part of the state and upflow and discharge in the eastern part of the state. Consequently, salt springs, at which connate water is discharged, appear to be confined to eastern Ohio.
Source: Hansen, Michael C. 1995 Geofacts #7 THE SCIOTO SALINE--OHIO'S EARLY SALT INDUSTRY Ohio: Ohio Division of Geological Survey
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In order to log yhis find please fulfill the following requirements;
1) Email me the answers to the following question: What is naturally occuring salt water known as?
2) Email me the answers to the following question: How is Joseph Conklin associated with the Scioto Saline?
3)Post a picture in your log of yourself with your gps near the John Wesley Powell Memorial, located a few feet from the above posted coordinates. ***Please note pictures are not required so consider this not a reqirement, but an option.
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