Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1907-04-12


and beauty is Glen Iris on the upper
Genesee river, in New York state; in
fact, it might well be called a minia-
ture Yellowstone park because of its
remarkable geological formations, its
three beautiful waterfalls, and its can
I yon $50 feet deep. Special attention is
tdirected to this natures paradise at
the present time because through the
generosity of it's owner, William Pryor
Letchworth, it has become a public
park and reservation to be maintained
by the state of New Yolh for the use
of all the people in perpetuity.
The most vivid impression of the
wild beauty of the park is gained from
the railroad. From the plateau the
train passes suddenly to the Portage
bridge, lace-like structure spanning
"a ravine 234 feet above the roaring,
turbulent stream. The bridge, 500 feet
long, is on the reservation. The
neighboring walls of the canyon rise
.30S feet above the river bed. Three
hundred feet north of the bridge the
traveller sees the first or Upper fall.
where the river plunges II feet down.
ward to a lower level.
A half mile further down the stream
is the second, or Middle fall, 107 feet
high. Overlooking this is the Letch-
worth homestead. The Middle fall
strongly suggests the American falls
at Niagara on a reduced scale. The
walls of the canyon at this point are
$50 feet high. while above the rocky
walls the land rises $50 feet higher.
Thence, through the deep ravine, the
river rushes northeast, then directly
east, through whirlpool rapids and
1quiet pools to the third and last cas-.
.cade. This Is mile and half below
the Middle fall, is 80 feet high, and by
far the most picturesque and curious
of the three cascades. Just below the
fall the river passes through narrow
gorge, with the so-called Table Rock
ION the north and the Sugar Loaf on
the south. The latter is curious cone
of rock, formed at some distant period
by the stream washing around and
over 1t and gradually molding it to its
.spire-like contour.
The boundaries of the estate, after
running around the three falls and can
.yon, pass to the north to the river
lower in its course and after it has
passed through curving valley to the
east, north, and west.
The story of the rocks in the canyon
I is so unusual that the biologists have
placed them in a class by themselves
They are known as The Portage
Group" In some prehistoric age sea
covered the spot, and on the ancient
ocean bed were deposited sand, mud
and ooze, which now form layer upon
layer of soft rock, $50 feet deep. First
come masses Of soft olive shales, with
thin beds of sandstone and one OF
more bands of black btuminous bhales
running through them. Then come
sandy shales and an abundance Of
sandstones and fiagstones. These
finally give place to thicker layers o.
sandstones and thinner intervening
strata of shales. The rocks lie like al
open, illustrated book of great interes
Ito the geoioglst.
In later prehistoric days, which the
geologists call modern" for the SAX,
of comparison, the Genesee rive
passed through a wide valley to tn,
eastward of the gorge. This was filled
with gravel and sand by some grea
.cataclysm of Nature, SO that the wa
ters of the stream were turned bacl
and formed lake to the southwark
The lake covered approximately tn,
ground which the Genesee Water com
pany sought for their power dam. l
is supposed to have covered the vale!
south of Portageville and extending ;
distance of 15 miles to Wiscoy. TIL,
river sought a new outlet to the west
ward, passed over higher ground, an,
gradually carved in the soft rock O
the plateau the canyon and cascade
of the Glen Iris estate.
Mr. Letchworth has long had tn,
gift of his estate to the commonwealth
in mind. and has made his improve
ments to 1t accordingly. There ar
miles of walks and drives, summe
houses, rustic arbors. picturesque gate