Harrodsburg Limestone 

In Kentucky

By E. G. SABLE, R. C. KEPFERLE, and W. L. PETERSON

CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1224-1

Prepared in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, University of 

Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

William T. Pecora, Director

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1966

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 10 cents (paper cover)
CONTENTS

Fag*

Abstract.________________________________________________________ II

Introduction.____________________________-_--____--____-__--_-_--_ 1

History of nomenclature_________________ ______________________ 1

Harrodsburg Limestone redefined in Kentucky._______________________ 6

Round Hollow section__-__-___-_---____._-___-_----__-._.__--_.__ 7

Correlations._____________________________________________________ 11

References cited.................__________________________________ 11

ILLUSTRATIONS

Pag»

FIGURE 1. Stratigraphic nomenclature of selected Mississippian units in 12 

northwest-central Kentucky __________________________

2. Map of central Kentucky showing counties and topographic

quadrangles referred to in this re port..____.___.._.__.__.__ 4

ill

799-251 66

CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE IN KENTUCKY

By E. G. SABLE, R. C. KEPFERLE, and W. L. PETERSON

ABSTRACT

The Harrodsburg Limestone (Mississippian) in northwest-central Kentucky 

consists of 20 to 50 feet of light-gray coarse-grained fossil-fragmental limestone 

and minor silty limestone. It underlies the Salem Limestone, overlies the Borden 

Formation, and includes the Leesville and Guthrie Creek Members, of the Lower 

Harrodsburg of P. B. Stockdale and the Harrodsburg (restricted) as used by him.

INTRODUCTION

The name Harrodsburg Limestone was given (Hopkins and Siebentlial, 1897) to a unit of predominantly carbonate rocks of Mississippian 

age in Indiana and was subsequently used in Kentucky. A few revisions have been made of the formation boundaries in both States. 

Recent stratigraphic studies by the authors as part of the cooperative 

mapping program of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Kentucky 

Geological Survey have indicated the need for a further, though minor, 

revision of the lower contact in Kentucky.

This report redefines the Harrodsburg Limestone in Kentucky, reviews its nomenclatural history, describes its lithologic character 

and stratigraphic relationships, and includes a reference section. At 

this section the boundaries of the Harrodsburg Limestone as herein 

defined can be readily seen, and the boundaries of other Mississippian 

units of earlier workers can be located with the aid of their published 

descriptions.

HISTORY OF NOMENCLATURE

The development of stratigraphic nomenclature in northwest-central 

Kentucky for units pertinent to this report is shown in figure 1. 

Geographic features in Kentucky and U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangles that are referred to herein are shown in figure 2.

ii
12 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

BUTTS

(1915)

Jefferson County

*Spergen Ls.

Warsaw

Limestone

D.

a o

0

("Knobstone' age 

O

Holtsclaw

Sandstone

Rosewood

Shale

Kenwood 

Sandstone

New

Providence

Shale

 Correlation of unit 

with other columns 

uncertain

STOCKDALE

(1931) 

Jefferson County

Salem

Limestone

c 

o

jjj

F

M

3

 o

£ -

i

Upper

Harrodsburg

M Guthrie Creek

^ ^ Member

u3 Leesville

3 O ^ 

J j; Ramp Creek

1 Member

Edwardsville

Formation

Floyds Knob

Formation

a 

o

0

c

0) 

0

CO

Carwood

Formation

Locust 

Point

Formation

New

Providence

Formation

BUTTS

(1917)

Hardin County

St. Louis

Limestone

Warsaw 

Limestone

Rosewood

Shale

New

Providence 

Shale

V--

WVFIGURE 1. Stratigraphic nomenclature of selected Mississippian units in northwest-central Kentucky.
HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE IN KENTUCKY 13

"' s 

... h

" *

 »

*- *,

,». *

--*

.-»

" -*: 

..- »

- *» 

-v.

^- ^ 

-X

^:V

V^« 

^ V

-4'. 

V

"- <

 -» 

<^

-A

BUTTS 

(1922) 

Hardin County

St. Louis 

Limestone

Warsaw 

Formation

 >

BO

3 

-* 

O 0)

"o

o 

o 

o:

Rosewood 

Shale

' New 

Providence 

Group

STOCKDALE 

(1939) 

Hardin County

St. Louis 

Limestone

Salem 

Limestone

Harrodsburg 

(restricted)

a 

o

O

c 

a> a

Muldraugh 

Formation

Floyds Knob 

v Formation?

Brodhead 

Formation

New 

Providence 

Formation

THIS 

REPORT 

Hardin County

St. Louis 

Limestone

Salem 

Limestone

Harrodsburg 

Limestone

c 

o

to 

E

o

u.

c

0)

o m

Muldraugh 

Member

Shale 

member

FIGURE 1. Continued.
14 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

'L.

>

 i.

Nj 

j

/ v-a,

I

\

,

1 >' / /

/ I

"-v ^7~~---^ I

r^ ^

V I /'A : J

lfe\ 'w \

A i w /o

. -J

 v ^

c " n ; 

S :§g X j2 j 1

» -e.

3

M

| ,0^^ g= o £ I fi?

= 11 '= I i "21 i I

,-gS S 5 ~g = |2
-* HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE IN KENTUCKY I 5

"*" As originally defined in Indiana the Harrodsburg Limestone (Hopkins and Siebenthal, 1897, p. 296) included a variable thickness of 

carbonate rocks between the Bedford oolitic limestone (Spergen Limestone of former usage or Salem Limestone of later reports) and the

.,y Knobstone Group (Borden Group of later reports). Stockdale divided 

the Harrodsburg in Indiana (Stockdale, 1929) and in Jefferson 

County, Ky. (Stockdale, 1931, pi. 2), into the Lower and Upper 

Harrodsburg and further subdivided his Lower Harrodsburg into 

three new members (ascending) : the Ramp Creek, Leesville, and 

Guthrie Creek Members. Stockdale (1931, p. 311) suggested, however, that in Indiana the Ramp Creek Member might be better considered as a part of the Borden Group and the Leesville as the basal

^ member of the Harrodsburg. This is practically the present usage

- ^ of the Indiana Geological Survey (H. H. Gray, Indiana Geol. Survey, written commun., 1965) which restricts the Harrodsburg Limestone to Stockdale's Upper Harrodsburg and to his Guthrie Creek

..^ and Leesville Members of the Lower Harrodsburg. The Harrodsburg 

Limestone as recognized in Indiana has been the Harrodsburg as

H originally defined less the lower beds which Stockdale called Ramp 

Creek. 

In Kentucky, Butts (1917, p. 26-32; 1922, p. 89-120, pi. 50, section

^ * 6) included the carbonate and shaly rocks between the St. Louis Limestone and Rosewood Shale in the Warsaw Formation, which he correlated with the type Warsaw of western Illinois. In Jefferson County,

~ s Ky., Butts (1915, p. 157-163) had earlier identified as Warsaw the beds

. v, between the Spergen Limestone and Holtsclaw Sandstone (fig. 1). 

The Warsaw of Butts (1917,1922) included rocks correlative with the

~" * Harrodsburg Limestone as originally defined in Indiana, as well as

x"' younger strata correlative with the Salem (Spergen) Limestone 

which he (1922, p. 119-120) considered to be a facies of the Warsaw.

" 4 This usage of Warsaw in Kentucky was not continued by Stockdale 

(1939, p. 57,153,193, 206, 226, 229) who assigned these rocks to units 

in the upper part of the Borden Group, to the Harrodsburg Limestone

'"* as restricted in Kentucky by Stockdale, and to the Salem Limestone.

>,-± Stockdale (1939, p. 224 and pi. 25) equated the Harrodsburg (restricted) with the Upper Harrodsburg of Indiana and placed the

* three members of his former Lower Harrodsburg in the Muldraugh

.A Formation of the Borden Group in Kentucky. Recent mapping by

the authors indicates that Stockdale's Upper Harrodsburg and his

* Guthrie Creek and Leesville Members of the Lower Harrodsburg 

«r *> are recognizable in the northernmost exposures of Meade and Hardin
I 6 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY V~

Counties and together form a persistent unit which has been traced ~" 

by mapping in the Rock Haven, Colesburg, Elizabethtown, Nelsonville, New Haven, Hodgenville, and Howardstown quadrangles.

HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE REDEFINED IN KENTUCKY V"1

As here defined the Harrodsburg Limestone (Mississippian) in > 

Kentucky is mostly light- to yellowish-gray coarse- to medium-grained 

fossil-fragmental limestone, in part silicified and cross-laminated. .« -^ 

Clear calcite cement, scattered glauconite( ?) grains, and interbedded k ^ 

thin lenses of silty limestone are also characteristic features. In northwest-central Kentucky the fossil-fragmental limestone makes up the - - 

upper (Harrodsburg restricted of Stockdale) and lower (Leesville 

Member of Stockdale) parts of the formation; these are separated in 

many localities by a relatively thin unit of fine-grained, silty dolo- f 

mitic limestone (Guthrie Creek Member of Stockdale). Where ^_ 

Guthrie Creek lithology is absent, however, the upper and lower parts 

of the Harrodsburg cannot be mapped separately. Fossils include rvery abundant bryozoan fragments in the uppermost part of the for- ^ 

mation, locally abundant spiriferoid and productid brachiopod shells 

and shell fragments in the upper and lower parts, locally common echi- ^-* 

noid fragments in the lower part, and common to abundant crinoidal v^ 

debris in all fossil-fragmental limestone. The thickness of the Harrodsburg in northwest-central Kentucky ranges from 20 to 50 feet; 

the range in thickness seems to be mostly due to variations in the lower 

and middle parts.

The Harrodsburg Limestone forms conspicuous ledges and is con- v~ 

formably overlain by the'Salem Limestone. The basal beds of Salem, 

which generally are poorly resistant, are either dark limy shale, finegrained dolomitic limestone, or brown-weathering fossil-fragmental VN" 

limestone (in northwest-central Kentucky). The Harrodsburg over- v 

lies, in part unconformably, the generally moderately resistant Muldraugh Member of the Borden Formation (as described by G. W. 

Weir, written commun., 1964). The Muldraugh consists mostly of 

fine-grained, silty, siliceous carbonate rock, but locally it contains lightgray coarse-grained limestone like that in the Harrodsburg. Abun- ^"" 

dant chert in the uppermost Muldraugh beds aids in distinguishing the ^ 

Muldraugh from the Harrodsburg in many localities.

A description of the Round Hollow, Hardin County, section is given A 

below. This section includes exposed Mississippian strata ranging ^ 

from the Muldraugh Member of the Borden Formation to the lower 

part of the St. Louis Limestone and is a reference section for the Harrodsburg Limestone in northwest-central Kentucky. . -
V HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE IN KENTUCKY I 7

ROUND HOLLOW SECTION

-, [Includes reference section of Harrodsburg Limestone. Measured along U.S. Highway 

31W and 60 In Round Hollow 7 miles southwest of West Point, Hardln County, Ky.

. v- (Fort Knox quad., Carter Coordinates 6 and 15, R-43). Alt at base approx 440 ft. 

Units 1 to 4 measured on east side of highway; units 5 to 26, on west side. Measured 

by R. C. Kepferle and E. G. Sable, August 1962. Color designations are based on the

""' "RockjColor Chart" of the National Research Council (Goddard and others, 1948)]

 Top of exposure. z-Mo**ew 

St. Louis Limestone: (feet)

* 26. Limestone, dolomitic(?), detrital, medium-grained with 50 percent very fine grained matrix; light olive gray (5Y 6/1) ; wea-

* thers yellowish gray (5Y 7/2) ; conchoidal fracture 5.0 

25. Limestone and carbonaceous shale. Limestone like that in unit

-* 26 but very fine grained, dense; basal 2.3 ft is ledge forming.

Shale in two beds less than 0.5 ft thick, dusky brown (5Y 2/2),

'* papery to fissile; contains small crinoid fragments and brachiopod shells_____ ______ __ 3.1

24. Dolomite, as in unit 23, but has more abundant chert as lenses and

» joint fillings as much as 0.3 ft thick. Chert is dense, aphanitic, pale yellowish brown (10Y.R 6/2) ; weathers to "chalky"

-/ very pale yellowish orange (10YJK 8/2), with prismatic fracture. 'Shale partings within and at base of unit________ 10.0

-* 23. Dolomite, very fine grained, sugary-textured, pale-yellowish-brown 

(10Y.R 6/2) ; weathers "chalky" grayish yellow (5Y 8/4) to

~** pale yellowish orange (10Y.R 8/6) ; evenly laminated to gently 

¥ cross-laminated; contains lenses of fossil debris in lower 5 ft, 

small quartz- and gypsum-filled geodes, chert as lenses and irregular nodules. Lacks partings; weathers spally. Lower contact mostly a sharp uneven, wavy surface, but units 22 and 23

x locally appear to be interlensing _ ___ 18.5

H Thickness (incomplete), St. Louis Limestone____________ 36.6

Salem Limestone:

22. Limestone, argillaceous, and limy shale, intergraded. Limestone 

is predominant, olive gray (5Y 4/1) to light olive gray (5Y 

6/1), mostly fine grained but has lenses of medium-grained fossil-detrital limestone; uppermost beds mostly medium grained; 

planar laminated to gently cross-laminated with hackly to conchoidal fracture. Fossils include small brachiopods, criuoid 

debris, small horn corals (HapsiphyllumC!)), and Endothyra 

sp. Shale is dark gray, fissile; in planar 'beds as much as 0.5 

ft thick. Lower 0.8 ft is a persistent layer of grayish-brown 

(5Y.R 3/2) to moderate-brown (5YR 3/4) fissile shale and shaly 

limestone, weathering dusky yellowish brown (10Y.R 2/2). 

Unit appears to thicken northward to a possible maximum of 50 

ft; thicknesses shown where measured along highway. Basal 

contact abrupt on wavy surface having 0.5 ft relief_____ 20. 5-27. 5

21. Limestone, like unit 22, but generally medium grained, fossil fragmental, and pelletal. Beds massive, 0.5 to 2 ft thick. Weathered 

surfaces pitted; contain bryozoans, brachiopods, small horn 

corals (Hapsiphyllumd)), and small crinoid columnals. Thin 

shaly'bed at base 10.0
I 8 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

,-, ,. , Thickness Salem Limestone Continued (feet)

20. (Limestone and minor interbedded limy shale. Limestone is similar to that in unit 19, mostly a coquina of bryozoan fragments, 

brachiopod shell fragments, small horn corals, and crinoid 

debris; beds range from 0.1 to 2 ft, average 0.5 ft in thickness, 

are in part silicified, and contain scattered gypsum-filled geodes 

as much as 8 in. in diameter. Upper few feet includes finegrained limestone. ,Shaly beds as much as 0.5 ft thick, average 

0.1 ft___________________________________ 13. 0

19. (Limy shale and limestone interbedded. 'Shale is like that in unit 

18, estimated at 70 percent of unit in sets of 'beds as much as 5 

ft thick; contains bryozoan remains and other fossil fragments, 

and thin lenses of limestone. Limestone is medium gray (N 5) 

to olive gray (5F 4/1) ; weathers to brownish gray; medium 

grained; contains abundant foryozoan and brachiopod fragments 

and lesser amounts of crinoidal debris in beds as much as 1.5 

ft thick, having irregular silicified lenses in which chert is 

medium dark gray (2V 4) to medium light gray (IV 6), is 

mottled, and weathers to bluish hues. Contains scattered 

quartz-lined geodes_____________________ _ 19. 5

18. Shale, limy, in part silty, olive-gray (5Y 4/1) ; weathers medium 

light gray (N 6) or light olive gray (5Y 6/1) with whitish efflorescence. Partings generally less than % in. thick, fissile in 

upper 5 ft. Contains scattered quartz- and gypsum-filled 

geodes; bryozoan fragments. Lower contact abrupt--_ _ 14.1

Total thickness, Salem Limestone._____________________ 80±

Harrodsburg Limestone:

17. Limestone, in resistant beds as much as 4 ft thick; mostly fossil 

fragmental, medium to coarse grained, yellowish gray (5Y 7/2), 

with reddish cast; weathers light gray (N 7) to medium gray 

(N 5), in part iron stained; gently cross-laminated; scattered 

greenish grains (glauconite?) in lower part. Abundant brachiopod fragments occur throughout unit, very abundant spiriferoid brachiopods in lower few feet; coquina of bryozoan fragments in upper 7 ft. iContains lenses of silicified limestone; 

stylolitic partings. Discontinuous lenses(?), as much as 3 ft 

thick, of silty to very fine grained geode-bearing limestone occur 

about 11 ft 'below top. Basal contact seems abrupt, 'but in detail 

basal few inches grade downward into underlying unit. This 

unit is the Harrodsburg (restricted) of Stockdale (1939) 18.8 

16. Limestone, silty, argillaceous; contains scattered crinoid columnals, shell fragments, and 'bryozoan remains. Grades downward into underlying unit _ 1. 5
HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE IN KENTUCKY I 9

Harrodsburg Limestone Continued T</_5)CM 

15. Dolomite(?), silty, weakly calcitic, yellowish gray (5F 7/2); 

weathers same to light olive gray (5Y 6/1) and pale yellowish 

orange (10F.R 8/6). (Faintly laminated, weathers spally, contains abundant quartz-lined geodes as much as 6 in. in diameter. 

Interlensed with crinoidal limestone like that in unit 11, as 

much as 2.5 ft thick, and lenses of irregularly banded chert, 

very pale orange (10Y.R 8/2), dense. Units 15 and 16 correlated 

with the Guthrie Creek Member of the Lower Harrodsburg of 

Stockdale (1929) in Indiana_______________________ 4.8

14. Limestone, predominantly crinoidal, medium- to coarse-grained, 

in resistant beds as much as 2 ft thick; yellowish gray (5Y 

7/2) ; weathers light gray (N 7), in part silicified and medium 

light gray (#6). Shaly limestone interbeds less than 0.5 ft 

thick. Contains scattered greenish grains and quartz-lined 

geodes as much as 6 in. in diameter in lower 3 ft. Basal contact abrupt and undulatory. This unit is correlated with the 

Leesville Limestone Member of the Lower Harrodsburg of 

Stockdale (1929) in Indiana_____________________ 7. 8

Total thickness, Harrodsburg Limestone_______ ______ 33±

Borden Formation:

r Muldraugh Member:

 13. Limestone, dolomitic(?) to silty dolomite(?) similar to unit 

11, grading upwards to medium-dark-gray (N 4) silty shale 

in upper 1 ft. Not well exposed in roadcuts but crops out in 

stream'bed west of highway__________________ 7±

-x 12. Limestone, crinoidal, medium- to coarse-grained, mediumlight-gray (N 6) ; weathers pale yellowish brown (10FJ2 

~ 6/2 to light gray (N 7) ; in single ledge-forming bed 1.1-1. 5

11. Dolomite(?), silty, medium-gray (N 5) and medium-dark-

"* gray (N 4) ; weathers medium light gray (#6) to grayish

^ V orange (10Y/2 7/4) and pale yellowish orange (10 YR 8/6) ;

wavy laminae, blebs of quartz, spally to irregular hackly

V fracture, and few crinoidal lenses to 0.5 ft thick. Coarsegrained limestone lens in upper 0.5 ft, similar to unit 12__ 5. 8

- w 10. Limestone, fine- to medium-grained, partly crinoidal, in part 

silicified, in a resistant ledge. Basal contact abrupt on

" y gently undulatory surface of underlying unit________ 1. 7 

, 9. Shale, silty, slightly limy (dolomitic?), olive-gray (5F 3/2) 

and dark-gray (N 3), micaceous; weathers medium light

^ gray (N 6 with whitish efflorescence. Grades in part 

laterally to dense, very fine grained in part cherty lime-

- » stone containing scattered fossil fragments_______ 2.0-2. 6 

8. Limestone, crinoidal, similar to unit 14, but without shaly in-

- terbeds; ledge former; contains greenish grains, silicified

lenses, stylolites; crinoid columnals less than % in. in di-

" aineter; few spiriferoid brachiopod fragments. Basal

contact abrupt__________________________ 6. 6
I 10 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

Borden Formation Continued

Muldraugh Member Continued

7. Limestone, dolomitic(?), fine-grained siliceous (60 percent), * 

ihterlensed with medium- to coarse-grained crinoidal to semi- ^ 

crinoidal limestone (40 percent). Shaly partings and silicified limestone in irregular bands common. Wavy laminae in _.._. 

finer grained limestone__.___________________ 13. 0

6. Limestone, interlensed and interbedded with dolomitic(?) *-- 

limestone. Crinoidal limestone is fine to medium grained, 

crinoid columnals averaging % in. in diameter; light olive * ^ 

gray (5Y 6/1) to medium gray (N 5) where silicified. Very 

fine grained dolomitic (?) limestone about 2 ft thick in middle 

part. Scattered large crinoid columnals, brachiopod fragments, and horn corals in float________________ 6.4

5. Limestone, dolomitic, with very fine grained matrix and less - 

than 50 percent crinoid fragments as much as % in. in diameter, and scarce brachiopod fragments. Weathered yellowish . »» 

gray (5Y 7/2)___ ____________ __ __ 1.8

4. Limestone, crinoidal, fine-to medium-grained, pale-brown "* ^ 

(10Y/J 5/2) to pale-yellowish-brown (10Y.R 6/2) ; contains 

irregular rounded chert masses as much as 6 in. in diam- y~~ 

eter ___________________________________ 0. 8-1. 0 u

3. Limestone, dolomitic(?), silty, very fine grained, shaly, poorly

resistant. Weathers to yellowish-brown hues_________ 11.5 ^ 

2. Dolomite, limestone, and minor shale, interbedded. Dolomite

is silty to argillaceous, light olive gray (5Y 5/2) to (5Y 6/1) v-- 

to greenish gray (5GfY 6/1) ; weathers to yellowish brown 

and orange hues; wavy laminations, spally to hackly weathering. Limestone, crinoidal, coarse-grained; in discontinuous 

beds less than 2 ft thick, in part silicified. Upper 7 ft of unit, V~ 

crinoidal limestone with very coarse fragments predominant. v^ 

Scattered syringothyrid brachiopods and large horn corals 

about 5 ft above base. Contains scattered quartz-filled geodes .^. 

as much as 2 in. in diameter. In general, crinoid fragments 

smaller and better sorted than those in underlying unit. yv* 

Basal contact abrupt and in part truncates bedding of underlying unit___________________-_ 35. 0 v

1. Limestone, biostromal(?), and minor interbedded shale. Limestone is a crinoidal coquina, very coarse grained; white to 

yellowish-gray crinoid columnals, as much as 1 in. in diameter, make up about 50 to 80 percent of rock; matrix is 

clear crystalline to coarse-grained f ragmental; general color * - 

is grayish orange pink (5YB 7/2) and very pale orange 

(10Y.R 8/2) ; weathers very light gray (2V 8) to pale yellowish * * 

brown (WYR 6/2) and is limonite stained; beds generally 

0.5 to 2 ft thick, in part silicified. Coarsely crossbedded, gen- *"" 

eral dip 10° ESB. Interbedded thin clay shale beds and ^ 

lenses are light greenish gray (5#Y 8/1) to greenish gray "* 

(5GY 6/1) and contain crinoid columnals. Unit in part >_* 

grades laterally to greenish-gray very fine grained limestone. 

Contains few brachiopod fragments. Base of exposure 16. 0 *--

Thickness (incomplete), Borden Formation, Muldraugh Member 110± "*~
w HARRODSBURG LIMESTONE IN KENTUCKY 111

v CORRELATIONS

The presence of Harrodsburg Limestone and correlative units elsewhere in Kentucky is interpreted from surface and subsurface data. 

In southeast-central Kentucky the Harrodsburg has been recognized

-^ as far east as central Lincoln and Pulaski Counties (Stockdale, 1939, 

p. 211, 227, pi. 6). Here crinoidal limestone less than 10 feet 

thick may represent only the upper part of the Harrodsburg of west-

-> x central Kentucky. In eastern Lincoln County and in adjoining counties to the east and northeast, the Muldraugh Member of the Borden 

Formation, the Harrodsburg Limestone, and the Salem Limestone

«* grade into argillaceous limestone, siltstone, and shale of the Kenfro 

Member of the Borden Formation (Schlanger, 1965). In south-central Kentucky the lower beds of the map unit designated as Salem and

> .< Warsaw Limestones (Hamilton, 1963) or Warsaw Limestone (Thaden 

and Lewis, 1962) during the current mapping program, although not 

lithologicalJy identical with the Harrodsburg, are probably correla-

-^ tive with part or all of the Harrodsburg. These beds are interpreted 

to interfinger with the uppermost beds of the underlying Fort Payne 

Formation in some southern areas; the uppermost beds of the Fort

- v Payne, therefore, may be time equivalents of the Harrodsburg. 

v In the western Kentucky subsurface the Harrodsburg Limestone 

is a discrete unit in western Hardin and Meade Counties (Kepferle 

and Peterson, 1964; Moore, 1964), but in some areas, such as Muhlenberg County, beds called Warsaw '(Kose, 1963, p. 28) that are probably 

correlative with the Harrodsburg are difficult to separate from the 

s overlying Salem Limestone. Scattered well-log descriptions and surface mapping (Rogers, 1963) indicate, however, that strata with lithol- 

~* ogies characteristic of the Harrodsburg Limestone occur in what is 

»- T generally called Warsaw Limestone as far west as the Illinois border.

V REFERENCES CITED

~ w Butts, Charles, 1915, Geology and mineral resources of Jefferson County, Kentucky : Kentucky Geol. Survey, ser. 4, v. 3, pt. 2,27.0 p.

* * 1917, Descriptions and correlation of the Mississippian formations of 

v ± western Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky., Kentucky Geol. Survey, 119 p.

 1922, The Mississippian series of eastern Kentucky: Kentucky Geol. 

...»,' Survey, ser. 6, v. 7,188 p.

Goddard, E. N., chm., and others, 1948, Bock-color chart: Washington, Natl.

-* Besearch Council (repub. by Geol. 'Soc. America, 1951), 6 p.

Hamilton, Warren, 1963, Geology of the Fountain Bun quadrangle, KentuckyX * Tennessee: U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Quad. Map GQ-254. 

^ k Hopkins, T. C., and Slebenthal, C. E., 1897, The Bedford oolitic limestone of

Indiana: Indiana Dept. Geology and Nat. Besources, 21st Ann. Bept, p.

291-427.
I 12 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

Kepferle, R. C., and Peterson, W. L., 1964, Lithologic and radioactivity log of 

Belle Scott quarry drill hole, Meade County, Kentucky: U.S. Geol. Survey 

open-file rept., 1 sheet.

Moore, F. B., 1964, Lithologic and radioactivity log of Summit area drill hole, 

Hardin County, Kentucky: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file rept., 1 sheet.

Rogers, W. B., 1963, Geology of the Eddyville quadrangle, Kentucky: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Geol. Quad. Map GQ-255.

Rose, W. D., 1963, Oil and gas geology of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Kentucky Geol. Survey, ser. 10, Bull. 1,118 p.

Schlanger, S. O., 1965, Geology of the Maretburg quadrangle, Kentucky: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Geol. Quad. Map GQ-338.

Stockdale, P. B., 1929, Stratigraphic units of the Harrodsburg Limestone: 

Indiana Acad. Sci. Proc., v. 38, p. 233-242.

 1931, The Borden (Knobstone) rocks of southern Indiana: Indiana Dept. 

Conserv., Div. Geology, Pub. 98, 330 p.

 1939, Lower Mississippian rocks of the east-central interior: Geol. Soc.

America Spec. Paper 22, 248 p.

Thaden, R. E., and Lewis, R. Q., 'Sr., 1962, Geology of the Jamestown quadrangle, Kentucky: U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Quad. Map GQ-182.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICEiltCI