By: 1812Blockhouse Staff
What is the St. Lawrence Divide, you ask?
It’s something that Richland County farmers, and those who interface with any of the county’s numerous waterways, know very well.
The St. Lawrence Divide impacts Richland County in two primary locations. One is largely in Sandusky Township just east of Crestline, and the other is a line across the northernmost reaches of the county. Both are a part of this geological feature, one of six continental divides in the country.
The Divide is a demarcation line. To the west and north, rainfall and snowfall, as well as streams and rivers, run toward the Great Lakes and eventually to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To the south and east, waters run into the river system that includes the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and then into the Atlantic Ocean.
The St. Lawrence Divide has helped to chart the development of this part of Ohio. To the west, the Native American trading settlement of Seccaium, halfway between Bucyrus and Galion, sprung up at the portage location where cargo would be unloaded from one side of the Divide and transported a short distance to a stream or river on the other side.
The name “Crestline,” in fact, refers to its location on the St. Lawrence Divide.
This summer, Richland Soil & Water Conservation District is giving you the opportunity to take your own drive-it-yourself tour of the St. Lawrence Divide in a completely healthy way.
According to the tour site (which can be accessed here), “The purpose of this tour is to highlight one of the unique aspects of our county’s natural resources.” The Divide is broken down into four geographic sections. Click on “Get Directions” to access those regions and then on a particular section. Each has several points along the way which reference historic buildings, elevations, natural features, and more.
Image by Thanks for your Like • donations welcome from Pixabay
