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 boat grating on the rocks.
Erected by Ohio River Scenic Byway.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration
this page online
Location. 38° 16.37′ N, 85° 45.527′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Indiana, in Clark County. Marker 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Scenic Spans (approx. ¼ mile away); History’s Great Explorers (approx. 0.3 miles away); River Navigation (approx. 0.4 miles away); Railroad Cars to Go (approx. half a mile away); Historic Flood of 1937 (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sallie B. Murphy Millinery - circa 1897 (approx. 0.9 miles away); U.S. Quartermaster Depot (approx. 0.9 miles away); Masonic Temple (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarksville.
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.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 24, 2022
2. Fossils at the Falls Marker
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 88 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
