The Black Hand of Stonewall Cemetery EarthCache

This cache has been archived.

Geocaching HQ Admin: Archived at the request of the land owner.

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Hidden : 5/1/2009
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

This cemetery was first established in 1817. The unique wall surrounding the Wilson Family plots at Stonewall Cemetery was constructed by Nathaniel Wilson II in 1838.



Wilson had specific requirements for the construction of the stone wall, for example he required that the quarry be established miles away atop Allen Knob. Following King Solomon’s example when building the great temple, Wilson had the stone cut far enough from the construction site so the sound of no stone cutting tools would defile the building ground.

Another impressive example of Wilson unique requirements are the corner stones. Standard masonry corners are built with two stone jointed. Upon closer examination of the Stonewall Cemetery, you can clearly see that the corner stones are actually carved from single stones.



Wilson's stonemasons placed each stone in place in complete silence while he read from the Bible. In order to preserve the cemetery, Nathaniel Wilson III deeded this land in trust to all the future Presidents of the United States. For this reason Stonewall Cemetery is also know as President’s Cemetery.

The building materials from which Stonewall Cemetery is constructed also has an interesting history. Wilson chose Blackhand Sandstone as the marerial for his walls. This sandstone got its name “Blackhand” from a large black handprint that was sketched on a sandstone cliff that overlooked the Licking River near Newark.

It was believed that the handprint was drawn by prehistoric Indians showing the direction to flint deposits at an area now known as Flint Ridge.

Blackhand Sandstone was formed over 300 million years ago when most of Ohio was covered by a shallow sea. Sand was eroded from distant mountains and floated down the streams into Ohio’s sea where it collected in a long, narrow delta. The Black Hand Sandstone, of Early Mississippian age, is responsible for perhaps some of the most significant and prominent scenery in the state. This unit is up to 200 feet thick and composed of almost pure quartz sand and pebbles. In some portions, it is dominated by white, rounded quartz pebbles and forms a conglomerate. Because of its thickness and resistance to erosion, the Black Hand forms shear cliffs and gorges. A less well-cemented middle portion of the unit weathers more rapidly than the upper or lower parts and forms recesses or rock-shelter caves. Waterfalls are common where the Black Hand is exposed. Hocking The Mississippian Period began about 359 million years ago and ended about 318 million years ago. Mississippian-age rocks crop out in a north-south band in east-central Ohio from the Ohio River almost to the Lake Erie shore and then eastward in northeastern Ohio. They are well exposed in much of this area because they consist primarily of erosion-resistant sandstones and sandy shales that form prominent cliffs.

Throughout most of the world, rocks of Mississippian age are defined as the lower part of the Carboniferous Period. However, in the United States Carboniferous-equivalent rocks are divided into the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Systems.

During the Mississippian, Ohio was in equatorial latitudes and most of the state was covered by a shallow sea. There is some evidence that the Cincinnati arch or platform was emergent or nearly so for much of the period. During the early part of the period, sediments were being eroded from the Acadian Mountains to the east and from the Canadian shield to the north. Clay, silt, and fine-grained sand settled in the Ohio sea as the offshore portion of the Catskill Delta to the east. There was an abrupt change in sedimentation in the Late Devonian from the stagnant-sea, highly organic Ohio Shale to the gray and red Bedford shale. At the beginning of the Mississippian Period the sea covering Ohio briefly returned to a state of stagnation, similar to that of the Devonian Ohio Shale, and the black, highly organic Sunbury Shale was deposited. The Sunbury Shale is thin, about 20 feet in thickness, in contrast to thickness of hundreds of feet of Ohio Shale.

As the Early Mississippian progressed, coarser sands representing the offshore portions of delta lobes formed by many west-flowing streams built up thick deposits of sand and sandy shale. To successfully log this earthcache as found you will need to send me the answers to the following questions as well as post a pic with your find log showing you holding your gps with Stonewall Cemetery clearly visible in the background (If you are shy or caching solo, I will gladly accept a “hand shot” of your gps and Stonewall Cemetery



Questions1. How many sides does Stonewall Cemetery have and what is the geometrical name used to describe this shape?
2. What is the weight in tons of a block of sandstone? To determine, locate the large sandstone block that has “Stonewall Cemetery 1817” inscribed on it, which has been stacked on two other blocks(see pic). First calculate the cubic feet of the block by multiplying the measurements in feet of the length, width and height of this block. Then multiply your calculation for cubic feet by the density of sandstone, 147 pounds per cubic feet.(this gives you the weight of the block in pounds) Lastly, convert pounds into tons by dividing your calculated weight for pounds by 2000. (Remember 2000 pounds = 1 ton)
3. You may need a compass for this one. Locate the entrance to the cemetery. What is the name of the star that the keystone in the entrance arch is most likely in line with?

I would like to thank Dave Fey with Fairfield County parks with his assistance on this earthcache.
Sources:
Ohio History Central
Fairfield County Parks

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