Clarksville in Clark County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Fossils at the Falls
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 24, 2022
1. Fossils at the Falls Marker
Almost 400 million years ago, during the Devonian age, future states Indiana and Kentucky were asleep beneath a warm tropical sea, located about 20 degrees south of the equator. Shifting continents eventually moved these places to their present location, bringing an important souvenir of the past a fossilized coral reef that extends from Louisville to Indianapolis.
The reef is exposed only in the Falls of the Ohio, which are cascading rapids that tumble over a 2.5 mile stretch a navigational barrier to early travelers on the Ohio.
More than 600 fossil species of animals have been identified at the site. During the 45 million year span of the Devonian age, layers of lime silt, sediments and plant and animal remains were deposited at the Falls.
Among the living wildlife at the park are 265 species of birds and 125 species of fish, including some that are descendants from the age of the dinosaur.
Famous Americans George Rogers Clark, John James Audubon, and Mark Twain have sojourned to the Falls. Walt Whitman wrote of his
this page online
Erected by Ohio River Scenic Byway.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Paleontology • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is October 26, 1803.
Location. 38° 16.37′ N, 85° 45.527′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Indiana, in Clark County. It is on Ohio River Scenic Byway 0.4 miles west of Main Street, on the left when traveling west. Marker is on a Falls of the Ohio State Park trail parallel to the Ohio River Scenic Byway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Clarksville IN 47129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Scenic Spans (approx. Ό mile away); Historys Great Explorers
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 24, 2022
2. Fossils at the Falls Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. River Navigation (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Falls of the Ohio River (PDF). The reef outcrop, considered an early "Gateway to the West," also is a gateway to the prehistoric past. (Indiana Geological Survey) (Submitted on September 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Public Domain), September 23, 2011
3. Aerial view of the Falls of the Ohio
Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 483 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
