MOUNT VERNON—The Knox Historical Society will present its first fall season program at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
The subject will be the geological resources that put Knox County on the map and the water resources that will assure its future.
Mark Jones, division chief of the Ohio Geological Survey in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, will speak. Knox County resident Robert Gable, scenic river supervisor within another Division of ODNR, will also speak.
ODNR hydrogeologist Mark Potucek will join Jones. Additional information on the speakers will be available that evening.
For quite some time, the society’s board members and members of the community at large have wanted to learn more about how Knox County’s prosperity was, in large part, derived from geological good fortune.
The fertility of our soils initially produced timber, which then led to productive farms and the growth of our towns.
In the early 20th century, large glass factories (Pittsburgh Plate and Lamb Glass) joined the heavy industries in Mount Vernon: Cooper-Bessemer and the Mount Vernon Bridge Company. The glass factories prospered because we had the right sand for making glass and abundant natural gas with which to fuel the furnaces.
Our speakers will describe the geologic features and processes that provided these resources: soil, sand, gas, plus even more importantly, water.
Gable will show how well-preserved surface water in our streams supplements being blessed with ample well water. Working with the late Doug McLarnan, he was instrumental in having the Kokosing River declared a Scenic River in the 1990s–a feat he repeated for the Mohican River a decade later.
Historical society museum exhibits
As has been the case recently, historical society officials will be present well before the program begins and will remain afterward to welcome attendees to visit the museum’s regular displays. A fun-filled door prize or two will also be available.
The museum is located at 875 Harcourt Road in Mount Vernon. The program starts at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
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