Overview
The southern areas of Perry County that border the Ohio River have always been rich in natural resources. From lush forests and wide waterways to rocky bluffs and underground treasures, it’s easy to see why early settlers were drawn to this area. In particular, some early settlers thought the area that is now the town of Cannelton held particular promise.
In 1850, the Honorable Hamilton Smith, President of the American Cannel Coal Company, published a book intended to market the area to potential investors. He noted that the hills of southern Perry County were “filled with strata of bituminous and cannel coal, building stone, fire and whetstone, [and] fire-clay or potters’ marie.”
Smith described the Cannelton area as having “natural advantages for manufacturing” that were “unsurpassed and perhaps unequalled.” In fact, he began his book with the following bold statements: “Within the last few years, the town of Cannelton, on the lower Ohio, has attracted much notice at home and abroad. Distinguished geologists, civil engineers, and manufacturers have pronounced it the most eligible site for a manufacturing city of any now known. Some have predicted that it will eventually be ‘the great manufacturing city of the world.’”
Although Cannelton failed to become “the great manufacturing city of the world,” it did thrive for a while on the industries that sprang up to mine its natural resources. Today, relics of these industries and the town they created can still be seen on a quick drive around Cannelton.
Clay
In his 1850 book, Smith wrote, “Immediately under this main bed of coal is a good bed of fine clay, varying in thickness from 5 to 10 feet, suitable for pottery and fine brick, and which is now beginning to be extrensively used.” He was correct! Coal is often found in beds or seams interstratified with shales, clays, and sandstones. In fact, coal seams are usually underlaid by an underclay (a layer of clay containing roots of plants).
These layers of clay were originally mined from the large hill east of Eighth Street. See the Cliff Outcrop waypoint to view an area of the hill where clay may have been mined at the turn of the century. At the waypoint, you’ll also be able to see an example of one of the clay products made in Cannelton factories out of locally-mined clay.
The clay industry in Cannelton dates back to 1906, when Henry Clemens founded the Cannelton Sewer Pipe Company. His company mined local clays, and then crushed and ground them to a fine size before mixing them with water and extruding them to be fired into vitrified clay pipes in beehive-type kilns at temperatures of 2000 degrees or more. The kilns were heated with local coal that was mined along with the clays.
Shale/underclay seams can be found near Cannelton measuring over 8 feet in thickness. Prominent minerals that can be found in clay in the Cannelton area in include Kaolinite, illite, chlorite, and mixed-layer clays. Today, locally-mined ball clays mainly come from Hancock County, Kentucky. They contain about 20% quartz, which is a crystalline form of silica.
Clay pipe manufacturing continues today in Cannelton. The posted coordinates will bring you to an area near a factory where you can see waste clay and mounds of clay shards from the manufacturing process. When you visit the Products waypoint, you’ll be able to see a wide variety of clay products. You can also visit the Park waypoint to see a couple of examples of clay products being used by the town.
To Log This EarthCache
OPTIONAL: Take a photo of yourself with your GPSr somewhere in the vicinity of the posted coordinates or at one of the other waypoints. While not required, we always enjoy seeing photos of our fellow cachers!
To demonstrate the educational value of your visit, please email me the answers to the following questions: (click on the El Pollo Loco Gang link at the top of the cache page to reach our profile, where you will see a link to Send message)
1. What color are most of the clay shards and products you see? What color is the discarded clay mounded at the posted coordinates?
2. What types of products do you see made of Cannelton clay at the various waypoints? How many different types of products do you see at the factory storage yard?
3. What clay products can be found in the park at the Park waypoint?
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