Rock and Man

Rock and Man (HM1F53)

Location: Winchester, KY 40391 Clark County
Buy Kentucky State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 53.394', W 84° 15.594'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 683 views
Inscription
"Civilization exists by geological consent"
(Will Durant (1885 - 1981), American historian, philosopher, and educator)

Not many people stop to think about the rock beneath their feet, but it is the type of rock, its structure and its history, together with climate, that determine the topography of the land and the type of soil. These, in turn, will determine what plants will grow and how much animal life the land will support.

Under the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky are layers of rock deposited over 400 million years ago, when this area was covered by a warm, shallow sea. Millions of years of uplift followed by many more millions of years of erosion have created Kentucky's Bluegrass landscape.

The Inner Bluegrass contains the oldest exposed rocks in Kentucky. As is common in areas with thick-bedded limestone formations and a humid climate, such as the Bluegrass, erosion has created a gently rolling landscape with numerous sinkholes, springs, and sinking streams. It is this landscape that typifies Kentucky's "horse farm country." The underlying rock in the Inner Bluegrass produces dark brown fertile soils with a high phosphate content. Animals that eat the grasses that grow on this soil, and that drink the water that percolates through it, develop light, very strong bones. It is this soil that makes the Bluegrass so suited to raising horses.

The bedrock of the Outer Bluegrass is somewhat younger. Many of the formations in this region contain interbedded shales and limestones. These formations are softer and more easily eroded. Here, the landscape is marked by steep hills and slopes, and flat land is at a premium.

The Ancient Kentucky
The Kentucky River is thought to be over 100 million years old, making it an extraordinarily old river. It begins in the mountains of Lee County, about 35 miles southeast of here. On its journey to the Ohio River, the Kentucky winds through the Inner and Outer Bluegrass Regions. From Frankfort to Boonesborough, located just across the river, the river cuts through thick limestone formations, creating steep walls known as the palisades.

Below Boonesborough, where the river cuts through softer rock, the valley widens and cliffsides, such as the one this trail climbs, border the river. Before 1800, dense forests covered the cliffsides. Most of this timber was cut in the 1800s by commercial logging concerns. This cliffside was cleared again in 1863 when the earthwork at the top of the trail was built. In all likelihood it was cleared once again before the present growth of trees developed.
Details
HM NumberHM1F53
Tags
Placed ByThe Winchester/Clark County Tourism Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, September 8th, 2014 at 8:30am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16S E 740955 N 4197139
Decimal Degrees37.88990000, -84.25990000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 53.394', W 84° 15.594'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 53' 23.64" N, 84° 15' 35.64" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)859
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 790-1588 State Hwy 1924, Winchester KY 40391, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?