Welcome to my Earthcache! An Earthcache is a special type of geocache where there is no container to find - instead you are looking for a unique geological feature of the area and need to answer questions, as well as posting a picture, in order to claim the find. The goal of this Earthcache is to educate visitors about Grand River Cobble, how it was formed, and what it's made from. Paris, ON is considered to be the Cobblestone Capital of the World, with 14 remaining cobblestone structures (out of 16 in total, across Canada). This earthcache will take you to visit 6 of the structures, and compare them to each other based on your obersations. Please note: all observations can be made from public sidewalks. There is absolutely no need to trespass onto private property to touch any of the buildings.
Please note: This is NOT a D1 earthcache. You will need to visit all 6 locations and make your observations in order to answer the questions. The DT rating is based on the time it will take you to visit and make observations at all 6 locations. The locations can be visited in any order. Each stage should be wheelchair accessible, although you will have to go up a large hill if you are going from Stage 4 - Sowden House to Stage 5 - Bosworth House.
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
As with all of my ECs, I am not looking for PhD thesis level responses, but I am hoping that you take some time to enjoy the area and learn something new. Please include a list of all cachers with your answer, if answering for more than one caching name. There is no need to send individual answers.
To claim a 'find' for this Earthcache you must answer the following questions and send your answers in a message or email to the owner using the link at the top of the page. You can log your find with a photo at GZ. Send your answers to the tasks. I will be in contact if there is a problem, no need to wait for a response as long as the required photo is included in your log.
Observational Task
There are 6 waypoints listed on the cache page. Walk, bike or drive to the 6 stages (being careful to obey all "No Parking" signs and remaining on public sidewalks to make your observations) and use your observations to answer the questions below:
Questions to Answer
1. In your own words, describe what makes a cobblestone a cobblestone, and how did they end up in Paris, Ontario?
2. Compare the 6 structures. Which structure used the largest cobblestones used in its construction? Which one used the smallest cobblestones? According to the description, are they actually made of cobblestone, or would you classify them as something else?
3. Of the 6 Buildings, which building appears to have the highest percentage of the following stones, compared to the others?
a) granite
b) limestone
c) basalt
d) other materials
4. From your vantage point, can you see any evidence of glacial striations on any of the cobbles within the structures, to support the theory that these were deposited by glaciers during the last ice age?
5. Mandatory: Include a photograph of yourself, your GPS, a signature item, thumbs up, etc at one of the 6 cobblestone structures. You do not need to show your face in the photo, but your photo must be unique to you. If you are caching with a group you can use the same photo, but each log must upload a photo.
Geology Lesson
When Paris was first being established, stones had been taken from the river valley and were used to make buildings - these stones were plentiful, available locally, and did not require extensive transportation. The use of cobblestones embedded in mortar was used to create craft homes. By using cobblestones the size of a fist, mortar is laid, and then cobbles are horizontally placed create the building. It is estimated that 14,000 cobblestones were required to build a traditional home, with some larger structures requiring up to 50,000 stones to complete.
While visually appealing, the craft of building with cobblestones is very labour-intensive and cost-ineffective despite the close proximity to this building material in the area, therefore it is rarely undertaken. Cobblestone buildings are considered to be incredibly rare, with less than 1200 ever built in North America.
But what is a cobblestone?
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Cobbles are naturally occurring rounded forms less uniform in size.
When occurring in streams, cobbles are likely to be found in mountain valley streambeds that are moderately steep, such as those in the Allegany Mountains of NY and PA. However, we don't have mountains in this area of Ontario. In this area, Cobbles were transported by glaciers and deposited as with other grades of sediment as till approximately 12,000 years ago during the last ice age. If the till is water-laid, finer particles like sand and pebbles may be entirely washed away, leaving a deposit of only boulders and cobbles. Glacially transported cobbles tend to share several identifying features including a tabular shape and downward diagonal striations on lateral facets.
Boulders, cobblestones and pebbles are a glacial legacy shared by the northernmost states and Canada. Glacial action left an inexhaustible supply of rounded stones. Even today, 12,000 years after the retreat of the glacier, wave action along 8,117 miles of Great Lakes shorelines continues to polish boulders into cobbles, cobbles into pebbles and finally pebbles into sand
Geologically speaking, a cobble is a clast of rock defined on the Udden–Wentworth scale as having a particle size of 64–256 millimeters (2.5–10.1 in), larger than a pebble and smaller than a boulder. Other scales define a cobble's size differently, but . A rock made predominantly of cobbles that are cemented by a matrix of clay or mudstone is termed a conglomerate. Cobblestone is a building material based on cobbles.
What are cobbles made from?
Cobblestones, while not a specific type of rock, are typically made from durable materials like granite, basalt, limestone, sandstone, or slate that have been shaped and rounded through glacial movement. The most common types of cobbstones in the Paris area are granite, basalt, and limestone.
Granite: A hard, igneous rock, often used for its durability and resistance to weathering.
Basalt: A dark, volcanic rock, also known for its strength and resistance to wear.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock, often used for its ease of shaping and availability.
Sandstone: A sedimentary rock composed of sand-sized grains, suitable for pathways and driveways.
Slate: A metamorphic rock with a smooth, flat surface, sometimes used for cobblestones.
Gneiss: a metamorphic rock with a banded structure, typically coarse-grained with a similar composition to granite.
Quartzite: A hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone