Civil War and cultural geology of southwestern Missouri, part 1: The geology of Wilson's Creek Battlefield and the history of stone quarrying and stone use

Abstract

This field trip provides an overview of geological features in southwestern Missouri that are related to the American Civil War and to human culture. This includes the geology and history of the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (where the second important battle of the American Civil War was fought on 10 August 1861), Zágonyi's Charge (25 October 1861), the Battle of Springfield (8 January 1863), and the gravestones and monuments of the National Cemetery in Springfield in which many of those who fought at Wilson's Creek and other Civil War conflicts are buried. Other stops include the Springfield Underground and the quarries and facilities at what was once the town of Phenix (which, along with Carthage, Missouri, was the home of some of the largest dimension-stone quarries west of the Mississippi River); and a reconstructed mill site in Point Lookout, just south of Branson. Most of the field trip involves outcrops, quarries, and bedrock composed of the Mississippian Burlington-Keokuk limestones (undivided), providing numerous chances to examine outcrops and products made of limestone and chert.

Department(s)

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1130/2010.0017(04)

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Journal Title

GSA Field Guides

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