GEOLOGY OF SAWYER QUARRY PRESERVE, LIME CITY, OHIO

Property containing a stone quarry opened by Charles Henry Sawyer in 1883 in Lime City, Wood County, Ohio was recently donated to the Wood County Park District for future park use. Bedrock in the flooded quarry was exposed in recent years due to a drop in the water table. Active quarrying is thought to have ended by 1932 when water inflow disrupted the operation. Reef rock and remains of historic quarrying equipment can now be seen on site. Preliminary analysis of the bedrock suggests that it is composed of the Silurian Greenfield and Guelph formations. These dolostone formations include vugs and bedding surface growths of dogtooth calcite and celestite. Remnant reef structures are present, but few other fossils are present due to destruction during dolomitization or inhospitable conditions during deposition.

Plans to develop the quarry into a county park have been set in motion. Our goal is to show the park staff the uniqueness of the property and provide recommendations on land management. Most small quarrying operations become part of larger operations over time and thus any historical evidence of their existence has long since disappeared. Currently the quarry is used for rappelling, but expanded uses of the park could include rock and mineral identification, fossil hunts, and historical demonstrations about the quarrying operations. Long term plans could include reconstruction of the crusher house and tracks for mule-driven haul carts.